It is finally here after six successful years for the Nintendo DS family of handheld systems: the Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo made it very clear with its massive booth containing over 100 test units that they wanted people to walk away impressed not only with the new glasses-free 3D effect, but also with the look, feel, and new overall technological prowess only possible on the 3DS. Were they able to pull it off? Only the brave explorers of the internets will know past the read link!
To answer the question, yes, yes they did. Nintendo's immense array of 3D game trailers and gameplay demos provided an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the new display technology, analog nub, and amazing graphics. Having only played and seen a handful of what they had on display, I cannot attest to all of the types of experiences possible so far for the system, but here are a few interesting tidbits I picked up on as I made my way through the 3DS booth.
Pilotwings 3DS
One of the more impressive hands-on games I had the chance to play at the booth. The 3D effect added incredible depth perception and the sharp graphics really brought this fresh take on the classic franchise into a whole new dimension -- literally.
Well, it is StarFox 64 with enhanced graphics and a new 3D effect. Not much more to say about that. Its awesome.
Resident Evil Revelation (trailer)
Definitely the most graphically impressive in-game footage shown off on the system itself. The 3D effect was a little tougher to adjust to than most of the other stuff on display, but the game engine itself looked almost as good as the HD versions of the series. Also confirmed is that it will be a completely original title in the series.
Kid Icarus Uprising (trailer)
Super Smash Bros. producer Masahiro Sakurai's newest creation -- once called Project Sora. This was one of those games that I was really hoping to be able to play since the 3D trailer left me in awe of the great graphics, visual depth, and fun-looking game mechanics. The added 3D made possible by the 3DS screens gave the trailer an extra pop that was unfortunately impossible to communicate during Nintendo's press conference.
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D (trailer)
Another impressive looking 3D game trailer. It was semi-interactive, allowing viewers the ability to pan the camera left and right using the analog nub like in many of the Metal Gear Solid games. The 3D effect was spot on -- with particles realistically floating out of the screen as Snake traverses a forest area -- and the graphics were most definitely clearer, crisper, and more impressive than the PS2 version of the game bearing a similar name.
The Nintendo 3DS Hardware
The overall hardware design of the prototype 3DS shown off at the Nintendo booth was pretty impressive; however I do have a few minor gripes that will hopefully be improved upon by the time the system hit retail stores.
Despite it being a huge attraction for the 3DS and especially given the announcement of partnerships with movie studios to provide 3D content, one would expect this part of the system to work flawlessly. Unfortunately, it does not. Putting the device at certain angles will completely neutralize the 3D effect, and since the 3D effect is produced glasses-free, it puts some extra strain on your eyes while they adjust to the 3D images. After a little bit of time and with the 3D adjustment slider on the display itself, eye comfort improves significantly and as long you are looking directly at the screen, the 3D effect works great.
I can happily report that the analog nub is absolutely awesome. Unlike the terrible analog control tacked onto the PSP, the 3DS uses a larger rubbery pad with just enough concavity to make it very comfortable for even large thumbs; it was especially useful in Pilotwings and StarFox 64. Other buttons are typical fare and seemed just as responsive as the Nintendo DSi's control scheme. Even though Nintendo announced a built-in accelerometer and gyroscope in the new 3DS, there were no games on display that showcased these extra functions available to developers.
With a few tweaks with the 3D portions of the system, and some solid examples of motion-based titles, the 3DS seems like it will make for a great new portable gaming device.
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