Critical Hit: Nintendo 3DS - More than just a Gimmick

I have to admit that I wasn't all too excited about the Nintendo DS when it was announced six years ago. The whole duel screens and "touching is good" campaign surrounding its touch screen technology didn't intrigue me all that much. I wasn't going goo goo for the Nintendo 64 style graphics that it offered especially when the PSP gave its players beautiful Playstation 2 worthy graphics. (The left image shows the character Cecil from FFIV in DS graphics on top and PSP graphics on bottom) The DS offered up a gimmick and some great games but the whole system just didn't feel complete.

Six years later, Nintendo unveiled the successor to the DS at the 2010 e3 Expo. The title "3DS" alone gave away its three dimensional capabilities but in the coming months, the 3DS would become more than just a gimmicky money grab. It became something that I was excited for.

First of all, the way that the 3DS shows off its three dimensional effect without the use of glasses is definitely a plus. This was a relief to me after hearing how much eye strain people get when watching a 3D tv or wearing glasses when watching a 3D movie. The way it works is that a panel is set between the image screen and outer glass which works the same way as 3D glasses do. So, instead of going through the trouble of looking for the glasses and putting them on, the 3DS is all set and ready for three dimensional action from the get-go! And in case the 3D becomes too bothersome, the 3DS is equipped with a toggle so you can choose how powerful the 3D affect is shown. Now that's thinking of the consumer.

Now that we got the 'gimmick' out of the way, let's get into the meat of the 3DS. The graphics. The graphics are no joke here. Improving on the DS's N64-style graphics, the 3DS offers graphics that give this generation of console gaming a run for its money. Take a look at the remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater for the 3DS. It looks as spectacular as it did on the Playstation 2. The below picture is Capcom's Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D. When I first saw the

screenshots I thought how close to the 360/PS3 Resident Evil 5 this 3DS game looks. I wasn't sure how far Nintendo would go in the graphics department, seeing as how the Wii is just as powerful as the Gamecube but now I am sure that they are going all out with the 3DS.

Speaking of games, the 3DS doesn't disappoint. It seems that nearly every developer is on board with the new handheld. All of the major developers have their foot in the 3DS's door in some way or another. Games such as Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts 3D, Capcom's Resident Evil Revelations, Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed: Lost Legacy, Tecmo's Dead or Alive: Dimensions, Sega's Super Monkey Ball, are among the many games already planned for the upcoming handheld. And of course, Nintendo brings an onslaught of first party titles at launch and in the future. These include Animal Crossing, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Mario Kart 3DS, Paper Mario 3DS, Pilot Wings Resort, and also the remakes The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, and Star Fox 64 3DS. Yes, it is definitely looking like a healthy line-up for the 3DS.

The Wii's Virtual Console brought games from NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, and other consoles of the past. Recently Nintendo announced that 3DS will have the Virtual Console experience as well. As of now, there is only word of being able to purchase Gameboy and Gameboy Color games from the network but hopefully Nintendo would add more games from more handhelds from the 90's. This feature, however, is in doubt seeing as how Nintendo let the Wii's Virtual Console die due to lack of updates.

The Nintendo 3DS is set to release in the US sometime before March 2011 and priced between $250 and $300 dollars. Yes a high price point, but I think I may sacrifice my wallet to get my hands on the 3DS.