Nintendo 3DS is Here! - The UpStream

Nintendo 3DS is Here!

posted Sunday Mar 27, 2011 by Allante Sparks

Nintendo 3DS is Here!

At last year's Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3), one of the phenomenons of the show was Nintendo's 3DS. As of today, it has officially hit our shores and made its way into our stores. The 3DS is everything Nintendo promised, plus some really cool surprises. Working in retail myself, as well as purchasing one, I had the unique experience of being both behind and in front of the counter on launch day.

Women and children, grandparents and parents, people of all ages all showed up to pickup and see the wonders that are the Cosmo Black and Aqua Blue 3D handheld systems. After a half day of selling the devices to overjoyed customers, I finally got to get my hands on a live model, care of one of my fellow employees. Getting to play with features such as the 3D slider for adjusting the depth of the 3D experience, photo integration with the AR (or alternate reality) Cards and a peek at the overall interface, such as the home screen and photo application was incredible to say the least.

To hear about my full experience with the 3DS, hit the break.

The implementation of the glasses-free 3D was better than I had hoped. While it does have its limitations, it is not as bad as some reviewers have suggested. I have read everything from it not working at all to it failing at even the slightest tilt, but in reality it seems to be a 30 degree angle before things get weird. That aside, the 3D technology itself is astounding, so long as you're in front of it.

Functions with the AR cards are probably the most interesting aspect of the system so far. Between 3D images popping up on the screen with nothing but a card to guide them to the images interacting with you through moving the device or pushing buttons, there was a huge selection of things to do. One of the most enjoyable features was the mini-games you could play and unlock with just the included calibration card. Available activities ranged from target practice to dragon fighting and even surface manipulation games (it tore up Scott's desk!)

I had the opportunity to play Super Street Fighter IV on the 3DS and it doesn't look as good and isn't nearly as interesting to play as some of the features built-in to the system, but nonetheless, it still looks really good and is, of course, still a Street Fighter game. It's kind of crazy looking and the characters look almost clear, colors are a little wonky but overall it works.

The system also has a number of features we have not had the opportunity to try out, but if they are as well thought out as the ones we have used, I expect them to be a lot of fun. I'm off to watch Netflix on my 3DS now.

Did you pick up a 3DS today or are you planning on getting one soon? Let us know in the comments section!

Advertisement

Login to CommentWhat You're Saying

Be the first to comment!

We're live now - Join us!
PLUGHITZ Keyz

Email

Password

Forgot password? Recover here.
Not a member? Register now.
Blog Meets Brand Stats