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Post by PooshhMao on Mar 27, 2011 2:29:06 GMT -5
Hi,
The 3DS came out here last thursday and I picked one up on release, along with Super SFIV. Here's my thoughts;
The unit itself is, as you'd expect from Nintendo, really well built, with a solid, weighted feel. My DS Lite is four years old now and is pretty much in perfect shape (aside from some barely visible scratches on the touch screen) - I expect my 3DS to last at least as long. Retrieving the stylus is harder though - I can take it out with one hand while playing on the DS Lite, not so with the 3DS (the stylus is on the back, and 'tucked in' more, I need to pause the game and see what I'm doing)
Furthermore, the controls feel a bit cramped. The analog nub is okay, but the D-Pad is too low on the unit, causing it to be held uncomfortably (I have the same problem with the PSP S&L, but the other way around)
The firmware is very well presented and makes nice use of the 3D, there's a couple of built-in applications, such as one to record your voice, and mess with the pitch (or play it reverse), speed, and play some drums alongside the recording.
Then there's Face Raiders, a hilarious augmented reality game that takes a picture of your (or someone else's) face and maps it on a 3D model, and then sees you 'surrounded' by flying heads which you need to shoot by moving the 3DS around to get them in the picture.
It's quite simple but brilliant fun. You will laugh out loud with this one, promised.
Next; Super Street Fighter IV. I've had SFIV on the PC which I never was able to play properly because of a number of technical factors, but this does overcompensate for that very nicely. First, let me get the obvious out of the way; the controls are definately not perfect for Street Fighter, but at least the game acknowledges this by offering shortcut buttons. Serious players might balk at being able to do a super or ultra combo that way, but it's nice to have. It's a very complete port and totally awesome to behold, and the depth effect is >amazing<
For some reason the DS won't connect to any wi-fi I've tried it with, must look some more into that.
Even though it may be a bit hypocritical to say (since I have an M3 card for my Lite), but I hope they won't crack this system anytime soon. The original DS went under because of piracy (just look at the quality/crap ratio, especially in the latter half of the system's life), I hope I'm not going to regret buying an European 3DS because of the region locking. My original motivation to get an M3 was because Contra 4 never came out officially in Europe -_-
Also, Seth is a bitch. Holy fuck. SNK boss syndrome?!
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Post by Jave on Mar 27, 2011 8:12:02 GMT -5
Waiting for the mall to open... waiting... waiting...
I'll chime in with my thoughts probably in a few hours.
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Post by akumajobelmont on Mar 27, 2011 9:06:01 GMT -5
I have to wait until Wednesday morning 7am to get mine. The store I got mine from isn't doing a midnight launch. Which blows. HOWEVER, I got an insane trade in deal. Helps to be a regular customer  I'm literally going insane. Patience is definitely NOT one of my virtues. I do this with every, single, hardware launch too. Sigh. Wednesday morning 7am cannot come fast enough. As a side note, I'd be interested in seeing what games you guys have picked up at launch. What have you settled on as your first game? I'm definitely going with Ridge Racer, but I haven't decided on my second title yet. So excited; cannot wait. |
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Post by Jave on Mar 27, 2011 9:37:54 GMT -5
As a side note, I'd be interested in seeing what games you guys have picked up at launch. What have you settled on as your first game?This probably establishes me as a fecking weirdo (as if you guys didn't already know that) but I'm actually leaning towards either Samurai Warriors or Monkey Ball. |
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Post by Shellshock on Mar 27, 2011 10:09:38 GMT -5
I read from the 1up staff that DS games look bad on it. If this is true, I'll be buying a DSi XL instead.
My prediction is: this console might tank. The 3D is cool but only a novelty. Some people can't see it, you have to hold it at the right angle, and it seems like most people are getting headaches after 5 minutes. Being technologically comparable to an iPhone, Nintendo is worried about Apple's cheap games when compared to their own $40 games.
The new PSP will, again, offer superior technology and prettier games. So is Nintendo counting on this temporary 3D gimmick to compete with it?
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Post by megatronbison on Mar 27, 2011 10:23:50 GMT -5
I reckon it'll have a slow start much the the original DS did and then when some decent titles come along it'll build in popularity. Probably won't be the runaway success the DS was though.
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Post by akumajobelmont on Mar 27, 2011 10:33:30 GMT -5
As a side note, I'd be interested in seeing what games you guys have picked up at launch. What have you settled on as your first game?This probably establishes me as a fecking weirdo (as if you guys didn't already know that) but I'm actually leaning towards either Samurai Warriors or Monkey Ball. That doesn't make you a weirdo. Makes perfect sense to me. Also, Monkey Ball looks pretty decent! I read from the 1up staff that DS games look bad on it. If this is true, I'll be buying a DSi XL instead. My prediction is: this console might tank. The 3D is cool but only a novelty. Some people can't see it, you have to hold it at the right angle, and it seems like most people are getting headaches after 5 minutes. Being technologically comparable to an iPhone, Nintendo is worried about Apple's cheap games when compared to their own $40 games. The new PSP will, again, offer superior technology and prettier games. So is Nintendo counting on this temporary 3D gimmick to compete with it? Nup. Nintendo will always have the games. None of their handhelds lacked killer, system selling software, and the 3DS will be no different. Nintendo hold the handheld crown for a reason. Their handheld systems have always appealed to the largest cross-section of the market possible. Plus they have franchises that you just won't find anywhere else. Pokemon, Nintendogs, Mario, Brain Training; there is no way to overstate how big these names are. People will buy a 3DS purely just because they know the next installment of Pokemon will be on the 3DS. This generation will follow the last. THe NGP will no doubt do well, but it just won't hold the same allure that Nintendo's handhelds typically do. I could be wrong, but I'd be very, very, VERY surprised to see the NGP take over the 3DS. I still don't see the iPhone as a direct competitor to the DS, 3DS, PSP, NGP etc... they occupy a similar space, but I dunno. They're too different at the moment in my eyes... meh, oh well. Time will tell I suppose |
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Post by PooshhMao on Mar 27, 2011 12:22:19 GMT -5
It's weird to see people refer to the next Playstation Portable as the NGP; I always think of Neo-Geo Pocket first (also a fine handheld in it's day)
Well the only game I've played on it so far (bar Face Raiders) is SSFIV 3D, and I'm very happy with it. The 3D looks astonishing - I try not to sound like a raving fanboy here, but seriously. I don't think it will be a fad, at all.
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Post by Jave on Mar 27, 2011 12:36:58 GMT -5
To be fair, every piece of hardware that comes out might tank. Nobody's invincible, right?
Well, my first impressions:
-The 3D is not in any way shape or form a game changer... it does work, and it looks neat, but it does not enhance immersion in any way. I wasn't expecting to be convinced, but I'm a little more impressed than I thought I'd be. The games still look nice in 2D.
-I'm told that the optimal 3D setting varies from game to game, but honestly, I don't see it. Thus far, I've kept the slider just a tiny notch away from off, and I find it still has enough "pop" to it to get the job done, and it's a lot... A LOT easier on the eyes. The only thing so far that kind of bothers me are when they try to make things jump out of the screen, I always just end up seeing double instead.
-This really needs to be addressed... yes, there's an optimal viewing angle, as you've heard, but I can't stress enough that you'll still be able to SEE the game just fine if you move out of that window, the 3D effect won't be as nice, but the game will be entirely and completely visible. If it sounds like I'm stating the obvious here, I've heard quite a few people, some of which are ostensibly professional game writers, complain that you need to remain perfectly parallel with the screen in order to see the games, and this is bullshit. It just looks very slightly less good.
-DS games don't look very good on it. They look blurry and washed out. Your mileage may vary as to how much this actually ruins the experience, but if you have a DS, you should probably hold onto it.
-I wasn't overly impressed by the AR games. The Graffiti was kind of fun, in a toylike sort of way, but the logistics made it a little uncomfortable. Face Raiders fared a little better, but still not something I'd show off to friends and relatives as a showcase for the system.
-The camera's another fun little toy. Obviously, you can't do a whole lot of anything with those pictures other than look at them on your 3DS, so it's probably not going to replace my regular camera anytime soon.
-Still getting used to the circle pad. It feels nice, but getting the hang of it could take a while.
-I could see headaches and eye strain being an issue. You should probably consider playing the games in 2D most of the time, and using the 3D very moderately.
-I like the size and feel of the system. Pardon the innuendo (it sorta can't be helped) but while it's a bit smaller than I'd have liked, it feels good to hold. As good as the Lite, I'd say.
-Battery life isn't amazing. I'll be mostly playing at home anyway, so for me, this isn't a big deal.
Overall: I like it. I mean, the DS is by and large my favourite piece of last-gen gaming hardware, and this is a better DS. I'm excited to see what games are in the pipeline for it. I don't think it's going to "tank," but even if it does, I can still say that, so long as I can pull together a decent enough collection of fun games, I'll be happy with my purchase.
As for Monkey Ball:
It's a perfectly competent Monkey Ball game. If you like MB, you'll probably like this. I'm told the stages are a little easier, which is good news for me personally.
They didn't overload it with mini games like the Wii ones, there's a Mario Kart ripoff and a Smash Bros. ripoff. The former is a decent little value add, the latter kinda sucks, maybe it's me.
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Post by Shellshock on Mar 27, 2011 13:21:47 GMT -5
Nup. Nintendo will always have the games. None of their handhelds lacked killer, system selling software, and the 3DS will be no different. Nintendo hold the handheld crown for a reason. Their handheld systems have always appealed to the largest cross-section of the market possible. Plus they have franchises that you just won't find anywhere else. Pokemon, Nintendogs, Mario, Brain Training; there is no way to overstate how big these names are. People will buy a 3DS purely just because they know the next installment of Pokemon will be on the 3DS. This generation will follow the last. THe NGP will no doubt do well, but it just won't hold the same allure that Nintendo's handhelds typically do. I could be wrong, but I'd be very, very, VERY surprised to see the NGP take over the 3DS. I still don't see the iPhone as a direct competitor to the DS, 3DS, PSP, NGP etc... they occupy a similar space, but I dunno. They're too different at the moment in my eyes... meh, oh well. Time will tell I suppose You are right. Nintendo will always produce good-to-excellent first party games, and will pull the best third party developers in like it always had. But so far I see it as an analog to the Wii: sure, it is the best-selling console of all time despite the inferior technology and all the arm swinging gimmick deal, but do any of us still turn it on? Does anyone enjoy "Motion Controls Yay®!!!"? Not really. Well... maybe one day I'll buy Muramasa..., but that's it. Regarding the iPhone, sure, there's no actual competition. But what they are worried about is that people that have iPhones have grown to only buy games at the $1 mark. And given that the technology involved in both machines are comparable at almost the same level, that could be a problem. The example cited is Super Street Fighter IV, which is $2 for the iPhone and... what? $40 on 3DS? The controls suck on both (even more on the iPhone), but other than that they are pretty much the exact same port. |
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Post by lanceboyle94 on Mar 27, 2011 13:30:32 GMT -5
To be honest, the 3DS doesn't seem that special to me. It's basically a 2-screen PSP with 3D effects. It even suffers from the same battery life issues the PSP had at launch! The NGP/PSP2, however, looks like it's gonna be a great successor to the PSP. They didn't overload it with mini games like the Wii ones, there's a Mario Kart ripoff and a Smash Bros. ripoff. The former is a decent little value add, the latter kinda sucks, maybe it's me. Coincidentally enough, there's another Smash rip-off in development for the system (Cartoon Network Punch-Time Explosion, by the same guys behind the last two Ben 10 games) |
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Post by loempiavreter on Mar 27, 2011 13:43:16 GMT -5
but do any of us still turn it on? Does anyone enjoy "Motion Controls Yay®!!!"? Not really. Well... maybe one day I'll buy Muramasa..., but that's it. To be honest, I did till this year when suddenly PS3/X360 get all the in my eyes decent games and Wii isnt almost getting anything interesting at all (apart from a few wiiware games)... And I've never been a Nintendo fan, no interest in their first party title unless its F-Zero series, Zekkyo Senshi Sakebrain or Joy Mech fight. For the time till the end of 2010 I think that Wii had the best selection of Lightgun titles, rail shooters and post-modern interpretations of Beat'em Up. |
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Post by Jave on Mar 27, 2011 14:07:20 GMT -5
sure, it is the best-selling console of all time despite the inferior technology and all the arm swinging gimmick deal, but do any of us still turn it on? I do. Almost every day, in fact. Meanwhile, my 360 is collecting a pile of dust in the basement, I only ever use it to play Pac Man CEDX and some PopCap stuff. The tech can be as superior as it wants to be, if the games I want to play are on the other system, the whole point is moot. edit... So I've played a bit of Samurai Warriors. I don't have much to say about it other than, yup, it's SW. I will say this though. It already froze on me once. Not exactly putting your best foot forward Koei. |
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Post by Ryu the Grappler on Mar 27, 2011 14:37:08 GMT -5
It's weird to see people refer to the next Playstation Portable as the NGP; I always think of Neo-Geo Pocket first (also a fine handheld in it's day) That's what happens when Sony chooses pretentious names for their hardware. Personally I'll just call it the PSP2 until the NGP is confirmed to be the final name. I remember there was a time they insisted the PS2 to be called "PlayStation Next". |
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Post by Shellshock on Mar 27, 2011 15:05:32 GMT -5
I do. Almost every day, in fact. I have opened up a poll to see if I can get an idea of how much people are actually using the Wii. Well, the "hardcore" demographic, at least. |
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