The 3DS is Awesome

[Jave]

Apr 8, 2011 13:26:11 GMT -5 susanismyalias said:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[caoslayer]

Luckily I not browsing his on a 3DS, otherwise I would be dead

By the way, any 3d porn game yet?

[TheGunheart]

Awwwwww, kitty!

[Jave]

All joking aside, I find that the more I play DS games on my 3DS, the more acclimatized I am to the less pretty graphics, but I'm having some trouble getting used to the location of the d-pad.

I figured playing tons of Tetris would get me over the hump, cause It'll be a cold day in hell before I play Tetris with analog controls, but it's taking some doing. At least part of the trouble is that two decades of shoulder buttons has trained us to always place the index finger on the top corner of the controller, which causes a rather uncomfortable stretch between the thumb and index. Moving my index to the back of the system with my other fingers definitely felt more comfortable, but it just felt awkward and wrong.

So as the honeymoon period with the system comes to an end, a few things I've noticed:

- I'm actually using the 3D more than I thought I would, and with the slider set about halfway. I still need to moderate my 3D use because headaches are an issue, but considering I expected to completely not care, it's saying something.

- Several people told me about the pedometer, and the play coins, and how it would actually motivate people to carry their DS with them when they go places... I told those people to get real... but I'll be damned. Within weeks of buying the thing, I started taking it with me to school every day in order to collect the steps.

- There's not much to actually do with those play coins as of yet, but seeing as I haven't been able to streetpass anyone, they're pretty much the only means I have of playing Find Mii. Those cat mercenaries that you hire for 2 coins apiece are absolutely adorable!

[Colonel Kurtz]

God knows I live in a compact little town in the middle of nothing, far less than 200'000 people, but ironically, I hear good things about Mii exchanges. Here. In Switzerland. Well, in a way, people here are largely wealthy enough, and loyal enough to Nintendo, to actually be precocious buyers, but still.

So, this 3DS thing, it's pretty A-OK. My problems with it:

The D-Pad is not well-placed. It is one of the worst positions in the complete Nintendo handheld collection, i.e. it is worse than the DSlite for those who started suffering with that model. Close to the DSlite, just worse. Too close to the extremity of the machine.

That 3D, yeah... I use it almost always, almost all the way. After X minutes, you WILL start to lose the "sweet spot" continually (let's say after about an hour). So when I close my eyes, I see not 3D memories, but photographic memories of dual superimposed cars and trees in Ridge Racer 3D.

The resolution of the top screen: It is too meager. It won't let you take full advantage of the 3D (for example, again in Ridge Racer 3D); using the 3D makes jaggies appear out of nowhere. Particularly striking in Street Fighter 3DS. I mean, look at the Iphone 4's resolution. Look how far behind 3D engines are on the 3DS. Think about what the NGP should provide, both in resolution and in the technology of the screen itself. This worries me a lot; I fear it will look really rough, really fast, by comparison, even if every machine is supposed to be different. I'm confident the Nintendo Graphical Style as seen in 3D Mario's or Mario Kart will be the type of graphics that will make the best use of the system; I also put a lot of faith in CAPCOM. But I hope this resolution frustration, which is typical of a Nintendo handheld, won't turn me away from it (it won't. Lack of games will).
That said, I like it a lot. But not as much as I rooted for my DS when I got it in 2005. I think I will be happily surprised if a quality third-party support system delivers splendid games, but it's just me, i'm just a pessimist.

[Jave]

I'm slowly getting used to the position of the D-pad. It still kind of requires me to hold the system with my index fingers on the back instead of the top, which greatly reduced the stretch, but finding the sweet spot on the d-pad where I have total control with minimal effort is another story.

Also, any game that requires the d-pad and shoulder buttons at the same time is gonna be a real motherfucker.

Still, I'm really just waiting on the games. The DS is one of my all-time favourite pieces of hardware, so this 3DS has some pretty big shoes to fill, but I want to be optimistic about it.

[kitten]

so far all I have done with this piece of shit is make a new Mii and get "play coins" by walking at work every day

:S the delayed opening of the store is making me so mad

[Ike]

I am honestly perplexed as to why anybody bought the 3DS already since there are no games at all for it.

[kitten]

I didn't know the online shop and web browser weren't launching with the console :/

[muteKi]

Wait, the web browser still isn't available?

[ReyVGM]

It will be released June 6th, one day before Nintendo's E3 conference.

[Colonel Kurtz]

There are reasons to buy the 3DS as of now already; as far as you see it more as a gadget than a complete new system worth it's price. You get 3D versions of ultra-classic games; that's what is supposed to be the first thing to draw you to the machine in the early days. I knew I was sold because of Ridge Racer... in 3D! But this may have more to do with me loving RR too much. Still, I just HAD to race Seaside Route 765 in 3D, and for this I am thankful. SSF IV is really worth it's price too, D-PAD and general ergonomy notwithstanding.

And, hey! It's a new Nintendo handheld. Had to be there. Now I am waiting for the PSP2 with even greater anticipation. I love the PSP, I think it is unbelievable how underrated the system was, UMD or not. It still does not garner the critical recognition it deserved. Go get one! Now the games are reaaaally starting to stack up at obscenely low prices. A friend of mine just bought a 3DS; but he was tempted to take the PSP route (and really, seeing how not rich he is, he should have). In the end, though, he took the 3DS, because he wanted to play with the new gadget, because we all want something new. Now he simply does not know what game to buy...

[kitten]

You've not really listed any reasons to get it, other than that you can get a game that has a better version on other consoles and another game with tracks from a better version on a different console.

?___?

I mean, yeah, it's a new Nintendo handheld. Okay, that's cool. It doesn't do anything except take neat pictures, right now, and the novelty on that wears out sorta quickly.

I'm 100% certain that it will have been worth getting, there's no doubt that, it's just that, currently, what the fuck.

[Colonel Kurtz]

Well, Kitten, as I said, 3D IS a valid argument. I know there are better version of RR; I have both PSP iterations, thanks. But this one is in 3D. That's why they call it a 3Ds. See? That in itself is a valid argument, if, as I also said, you consider for the time being that the machine is more of a gadget than a fully-featured handheld (without games... you don't have much to do with the thing). You would need to have money to burn to get it NOW. Which doesn't negate that... it is in 3D.

That being said, yep, if the 3D concept (or its implementation) don't seduce you, for the moment you have zero motivator to buy it, it's understood. Id guess it will take the necessary months for the library to grow before you can really consider wether or not you are interested in the machine.

I stipulated clearly that MY reason (3D RR) was due to me having an irrational love of that franchise. Also I have the budget to spare. But don't treat RR 3D as a "What the..."! It's my guilty pleasure, and I'm pretty satisfied with this version. Obviously, with racing games, the machine's 3D effect shines more.

So you see, I listed gamer-coherent reasons. But they are very limited, and cater to a niche demographic, to which I just happen to belong. I'm really happy playing my RR or simply peacefully flying over Wuhu Island before I go to sleep.

[Jave]

The best reason I could offer for why I bought it right away was because I didn't want another Wii situation, where when some games I do want start coming out, then the fucking thing will be impossible to get anywhere.

Hindsight 20/20, this clearly isn't likely to happen to anyone, but I didn't know that before the system launch.