Introduction
The Nintendo 3DS is the latest evolution in handheld games consoles from Nintendo. The original Nintendo Game and Watch was replaced by Game Boy, which developed into the Pocket, Colour and Advance before the Nintendo DS came in. And since the beginning of the year it has taken over the world. The Nintendo 3DS launch date was February 26th 2011 in Japan and March 25th 2011 in Europe, which was eagerly anticipated by Nintendo fans. It was launched in North America on March 27th 2011 and March 31st in Australia.
The original Nintendo DS was designed like a book or a laptop, like the old game and watch, which opened and on one screen you had the action but crucially on the other screen you touched the options you desired with the stylus. The Nintendo 3DS uses the same system. Where the Nintendo 3DS differs from its predecessor is that you are able to see the images in 3D. Unlike a cinema where you need special 3D glasses Nintendo boasted prior to the 3DS launch date that the glasses would not be needed to view the screen. 3D enables you to see the objects in solid form making the game more lifelike.
The Looks
To compare the Nintendo 3DS to its direct predecessor the Nintendo DS, the former is 45 grams lighter. It is also thinner and smaller than the DS. The Nintendo DS was a step up from the Nintendo Game Boy Advance (which was only a redesign of the Game Boy Colour), bringing in two screens instead of one. However the Nintendo 3DS also boasts a bigger screen than its predecessor. The Nintendo DS had a backlight toggle, whereas the 3DS has five different brightness settings.
Prior to the Nintendo 3DS launch date the Nintendo DS was the third version of the console with a widescreen. The original Game and Watch featured this design before it was changed to the Game Boy look in the 1990s. The consoles have slimmed down from the first Game Boy, which was like a brick. The DS was the first not to require batteries, a dramatic cost saving device, as anyone who used the previous versions will testify to, those who owned the previous consoles probably spent more on batteries than they did on the product itself!
Technical Details
Prior to the Nintendo 3DS release date it was clear that the fact you woudl soon be able to play games in 3D was the major advancement from previous models. The Nintendo 3DS built-in motion sensor and gyro sensor allow you to tilt the console and it will adjust to your movement. Nintendo built a circle pad into the device allowing for more precision movement from the console, which could improve sports games. The Nintendo 3DS also boasts a 3D camera which can take images as the eye sees them. Before the Nintendo 3DS launch date it was announced that the stylus would be adjustable giving the gamer more choice. Nintendo also announced prior to the release that the console would have backwards compatibility with the DS and DSi games, meaning you don’t have to throw those games away and buy new just to keep up with the latest version. However they did confirm that these games could only be played in 2D.
As you would expect Nintendo boasted prior to the Nintendo 3DS release date that the graphics would have improved significantly. This is the case and for those graphics fans it makes the Nintendo 3DS the perfect product. If the 3D is not to your taste you can turn it off using the control on the machine and you will still get an excellent quality of picture. However there are some who prefer gameplay over graphics and this, ultimately is down to the games. Some users have claimed that the Nintendo 3DS has left users feeling unwell because of the 3D screen. Nintendo did warn that 3D viewing could cause some discomfort and advised gamers to take a break every 30 minutes. For people really into gaming, taking a break every half an hour is something that you don’t tend to do!
Games
A games console is only as good as its games and Nintendo has some firm favourites. Pilotwings Resort was one of the games launched with the Nintendo 3DS. Steel Diver was released on the Nintendo 3DS release date along with nintedogs + cats. Nintendo’s flagship games, Super Mario and Mario Kart, became available in the months following the launch of the device.
The range of games, as the console is in its infancy, is small but this will only improve as Nintendo phase out the old Nintendo DS games and introduce more of its range into the Nintendo 3DS. Games making their 3D debuts include Street Fighter, a classic from the Super Nintendo. Zelda has also been put into 3D after the Nintendo 3DS launch date. For those football fans Pro Evolution Soccer will be available in 3D for the first time ever. It is useful that you can play the original DS games on the console while waiting for the newer versions to come out. Pokemon game in 3D are in development, but given that Pokemon Black and White were launched on the DS, many fans may have bought it already, before the Nintendo 3DS was launched.
Buying Choice
Establishing exactly what games your Nintendo 3DS is going to have can really help you make an informed decision on the correct model to buy. However, as has been mentioned, the Nintendo 3DS will give you good performance across a variety of tasks so there is no need to become too tied down in technicalities. For those of you who enjoy excellent graphics this will be considered a big step forward from the Nintendo DS. For those who prefer gameplay there will be no real change and consider the last big step forward to be the Nintendo Game Boy Colour, as the Nintendo Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo DS only were enhancements of that leap from black and white to colour. It is incredible to think that only 15 years ago Nintendo games were played in black and white and now, since the launch of the Nintendo 3DS, we can now play them in colour and 3D!
With any console don’t just buy the 3DS on, or soon after, the launch date because it is new. Make sure the games you can buy are the ones you want to play. The games make the console great, and while the technical stuff improves them, you need to enjoy the games first to get the best from the Nintendo 3DS.
