I have to say it looks amazingly powerful and the screen even looks good on crappy you tube type videos. People are even saying the 3D effect outshines any system that needs glasses.
copy and pasted from gamespot, probably the only in-depth look-at i could find.
Screens
The biggest change to Nintendo's handheld platform is the addition of 3D without the need for glasses. Only the upper screen will be used to display 3D visuals. The bottom touch screen was tested for use as a 3D panel, but was ultimately decided against as the touch interactivity of the screen led to smudges that interfered with the 3D visuals. Depending on the game, some of the visuals do pop out of the screen and there's a lot of depth to the point where you're tempted to reach into the game. However, this effect only works if you're staring at the right angle, otherwise it will look blurry.
Nintendo increased the size and resolution of the upper screen to 3.53 inches and, according to the official data sheet, the resolution of it is 800x240. If the resolution sounds odd, that's because it is. According to Nintendo, "400 pixels are allocated for each eye to enable 3D viewing." Nintendo didn't say much to explain the statement, but we speculate that there actually two screens residing in the same spot, each visible at particular angles. As a result, each eye only sees 400 pixels of width, doubling that gives us 800 pixels. The actual effective resolution would be 400x240, which also gives a more useful aspect ratio of 1.66 putting it between the standard 16:9 and 16:10 aspects.
The 3.02 inch touch screen on the bottom half received a bump up in resolution to 320x240 from the 256x192 LCD screen that's present on all current Nintendo DS models.
Internals
At the keynote, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata indicated that the Nintendo 3DS would have an upgraded processor, but few details were given beyond the statement. The increased resolution of the upper screen, and if 3D rendering on the PC is to be taken as any indicator, lends further credence to the 3DS's beefier processor. Just doing the math, the Nintendo 3DS has to push 2.7 times the number pixels as the Nintendo DS.
From our observations, the new version of Mario Kart looks particularly sharp. The karts and characters are as detailed as what you would find in Double Dash, and the 3D effect added to the items makes them pack even more of a punch. Flying around in Kid Icarus looked incredible. The clouds drifted right into your eyes and the enemies popped off the screen.
The Specifications
The Nintendo 3DS is still a work in progress, but the stats as of the moment put it at 5.3 inches wide x 2.9 inches long x .8 inches thick. By comparison, the Nintendo DSi is 5.4 inches wide x 2.95 inches long × × .74 inches tall. Functionally, holding the Nintendo 3DS is pretty much the same as the DSi. We doubt the actual case size will change much between now and when the console launches.
Cameras
Nintendo added cameras to the DS platform when it released the Nintendo DSi. The 3DS takes the platform another step forward with the addition of two external cameras and one internal camera. Dual external cameras allow the 3DS to take 3D pictures. As with the DSi, the .3 megapixel (640x480) cameras found on the 3DS don't push the barrier in terms of overall image quality. We didn't get to experiment with the cameras, but we're hoping to soon, be sure to look for our impressions later in the show.
Controls
All the control mechanisms present on the DS made their way to the 3DS, but Nintendo also managed to add a few more along the way. New to the 3DS are motion sensors, a gyroscope, an analog stick (what Nintendo refers to as the "Slide Pad"), and a 3D depth slider that's used to adjust the 3D effect. The slider is there to adjust how much of a 3D effect you want to see, you can also opt to slide it to the bottom and view the screen in 2D. Nintendo also added a Home button to make getting back to the system menu easier.
The analog stick was nicely sized, and made it easy to perform more subtle movements. We found it easy to make minor adjustments while playing, which translated to precision movements.
We didn't get a chance yet to try out the new motion controls. From our encounters with the 3DS so far, we've noticed that tilting the handheld too far to one side ruins the 3D effect. From the pre-rendered video of Zelda that we saw, extreme angles caused the visuals to take on a slightly torn look. We'd see shifted parts of clouds, Link, and his horse. We imagine most games won't have you flailing from side to side, as a result.
Wireless Connectivity
The Nintendo 3DS communicates wirelessly over 802.11 WiFi and supports WPA and WPA2 security protocols. The big communications addition to the 3DS is more in how it communicates. Even while sleeping, the console will be able to hop onto the internet to update rankings, quests, and even download levels. Nintendo's Wii functions in a similar manner.
Ports
Nintendo gave the Nintendo 3DS the ability to run both DS and 3DS games. Like the DSi, the 3DS also has an SD memory card slot. In addition to the stereo headphone jack, there's also a charging cradle terminal.
Battery Life
Nintendo didn't have an official battery life estimate; but at a QA session, we did find out that Nintendo expects the 3DS to have battery life similar to the Nintendo DSi
It does look a far better analog stick than the crappy PSP one though.
Announced games
Animal Crossing 3DS
Battle of Giants Dinosaur Strike
CODENAME: Chocobo Racing 3D
Dead or Alive 3D
DJ Hero 3D
Hollywood 61
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Kingdom Hearts 3D
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Mario Kart 3DS
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D
Paper Mario 3DS
PilotWings Resort
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle
Resident Evil: Revelations
Ridge Racer
Samurai Warriors 3D
The Sims 3
StarFox 64 3D
Steel Diver
Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory
Looking at the games list (there's a slightly longer list here) it looks like a decent line up. Sure there's nothing new but compared to what we've been served up on the DS for the last 4 or 5 years it looks surprisingly grown up. Maybe this is why they are going to town on making the DSi look really childish in the new adverts.
It's nice to see some of the older Nintendo frachises getting new titles. Kid Icarus? Nice to see you again after 20 years
The 3DS will have some sort of slider to control the 3D effect strength and you'll be able to make it 2D if you wish.
I cant help but think they are missing a trick here. 3D TVs are going to cost an absolute fortune. And even then you'll still need silly glasses. So you'll be able to watch 3D video on your 3DS without glasses but it wont be in HD. I'm sure they'll include this on the next version of the 3DS, the 3DS-HD
There's also mentions of a telescopic stylus :rolleyes: and they should have finally sorted out the friends list meaning we (hopefully!!!) get a more user friendly service. Any upgrades to this will almost certainly be separate to the older DS games (which I'm certain will still have to be WEP).
There's also talk of GPS and 3G connectivity.
So what do we reckon? Xmas release for Japan and a Euro/American release next year or all the main regions by Xmas?
As for cost, I'm going to guess £199.99
I'll give go for a play on one once it's released but I'm most likely to wait a while to see what it can really do, as opposed to what they say it can do.
This is the "hands-on" tech demo (amateur footage). I guess it gives an impression of what they're trying to do and perhaps what to expect in terms of gameplay.
How long until someone advertises a 3ds on ebay for an extortionate price and when someone buys it they are then sent 3 DS's. Scammed but technically may get past the rules based on description.
I'm quite convinced, but I hear there is talk that they are putting old NES and SNES games on there. I just I really hope they put Game Boy games on there, because I am soo desperate to play Link's Awakening. That was my first EVER Zelda game, and I will cherish that game the most, so to see it even ported over to another system, not even a 3D makeover would be fantastic.
Unlike the PSP they have realised that handhelds are not the place for action games and shooters that really benefit from that second stick.
Handhelds aren't the place for games like Monster Hunter and Metal Gear?
I'm still pretty disappointed that they didn't include a second analogue. It would have been worth it even if we only got a dual stick Katamari to take on the go!
If done properly, then the face buttons can make a passable substitute for an analogue stick, but it can become uncomfortable after a while.
At the very least, I'd have liked to have seen the dpad being placed above the analogue. The Monster Hunter claw is going to be a pain on the 3DS. :P
^ Wait for the PSP2 then as that will suit your needs much better.
I think the point Alternate was maybe trying to say is that Nintendo obviously don't want handheld gaming to slip into the direction that Sony wants it to, ie.. full of generic FPS war games etc, just toned down clones of what's on offer on the current gen (I can picture it now...COD MW Portible ops!!!!) :rolleyes: I'd hate for portible gaming to go that way, goodbye 2D gaming forever then!
Thankfully Nintendo won't let this happen as long as they're around, I'm actually very glad they didn't include the second analogue stick.
I think the point Alternate was maybe trying to say is that Nintendo obviously don't want handheld gaming to slip into the direction that Sony wants it to, ie.. full of generic FPS war games etc, just toned down clones of what's on offer on the current gen (I can picture it now...COD MW Portible ops!!!!) :rolleyes: I'd hate for portible gaming to go that way, goodbye 2D gaming forever then!
What are you talking about?
The PSP has plenty of great 2D games for a start.
Look at the games that Sony themselves have developed for the PSP: Parappa the Rapper, Patapon, LocoRoco, Patchwork Heroes etc. All of which are 2D by the way.
Can you actually name one FPS game that Sony have published on the PSP?
You're right though, allowing for a competent port of Katamari Damacy would open signal for endless Call of Duty ports!
Actually, there's already a portable version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and it's exclusive to the DS...
Please don't try and pretend that the PSP has anything like the variety of 2D games as the DS. Most PSP games are 3D action heavy titles that are cut down versions of home console games.
I wasn't talking about FPS games on the PSP anyway as it's obviously been proven that you need dual analogue sticks, though there is plenty of 3rd person shooters on the PSP.
I was actually referring to the PSP2, which Sony will no doubt add dual analogue controls and we all know it won't be with Katamari Demacy in mind (how naive). Sony don't care about 2D gaming, never have done and never will.
I just feel sorry for anyone that's just bought a DSi or DSiXL.
With the announcement of this new console, the chances of any DSi exclusive games being released is practically zero.
I think I'll probably buy this as soon as it launches. The only thing I'm not sure about is the half red / half black colouring.
Other than price, and selection of games, the main thing I'm waiting for is to see the screen for myself. Until I see how good the 3D effect is, I can't make any judgement on the machine.
I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of these little beauties today at a bash Ninty threw in London.
It's difficult to convey just how impressive the 3D is. There were a lot of tech demos (none playable), including Mario Kart, Resident Evil and Solid Snake (which in fine SS tradition was 17 mins long!).
They were all amazing at showcasing what 3D can do to many of our beloved 2D franchises.
Also on show was the 3D trailer for the forthcoming 3D film Legends of the Guardian. Considering all the headaches concerning 3D TV's (quite literally in some cases), the 3DS could be the most natural home for 3D films.
A few other playable tech demos were available but the best example on display was the 3DS version of Pilotwings. Flying around the island in Sports Resort in a bi-plane, in 3D, has to be seen to be believed. Nothing short of awesome.
Lastly i had a dabble with the camera. Considering the lenses aren't exactly megapixel-tastic, the effects are pretty impressive.
Very tempted by this, i need to update my DS anyway, was going to get the DSI but ill prob just wait and see how good the 3DS is. Impressed with the list of games though
Comments
Screens
The biggest change to Nintendo's handheld platform is the addition of 3D without the need for glasses. Only the upper screen will be used to display 3D visuals. The bottom touch screen was tested for use as a 3D panel, but was ultimately decided against as the touch interactivity of the screen led to smudges that interfered with the 3D visuals. Depending on the game, some of the visuals do pop out of the screen and there's a lot of depth to the point where you're tempted to reach into the game. However, this effect only works if you're staring at the right angle, otherwise it will look blurry.
Nintendo increased the size and resolution of the upper screen to 3.53 inches and, according to the official data sheet, the resolution of it is 800x240. If the resolution sounds odd, that's because it is. According to Nintendo, "400 pixels are allocated for each eye to enable 3D viewing." Nintendo didn't say much to explain the statement, but we speculate that there actually two screens residing in the same spot, each visible at particular angles. As a result, each eye only sees 400 pixels of width, doubling that gives us 800 pixels. The actual effective resolution would be 400x240, which also gives a more useful aspect ratio of 1.66 putting it between the standard 16:9 and 16:10 aspects.
The 3.02 inch touch screen on the bottom half received a bump up in resolution to 320x240 from the 256x192 LCD screen that's present on all current Nintendo DS models.
Internals
At the keynote, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata indicated that the Nintendo 3DS would have an upgraded processor, but few details were given beyond the statement. The increased resolution of the upper screen, and if 3D rendering on the PC is to be taken as any indicator, lends further credence to the 3DS's beefier processor. Just doing the math, the Nintendo 3DS has to push 2.7 times the number pixels as the Nintendo DS.
From our observations, the new version of Mario Kart looks particularly sharp. The karts and characters are as detailed as what you would find in Double Dash, and the 3D effect added to the items makes them pack even more of a punch. Flying around in Kid Icarus looked incredible. The clouds drifted right into your eyes and the enemies popped off the screen.
The Specifications
The Nintendo 3DS is still a work in progress, but the stats as of the moment put it at 5.3 inches wide x 2.9 inches long x .8 inches thick. By comparison, the Nintendo DSi is 5.4 inches wide x 2.95 inches long × × .74 inches tall. Functionally, holding the Nintendo 3DS is pretty much the same as the DSi. We doubt the actual case size will change much between now and when the console launches.
Cameras
Nintendo added cameras to the DS platform when it released the Nintendo DSi. The 3DS takes the platform another step forward with the addition of two external cameras and one internal camera. Dual external cameras allow the 3DS to take 3D pictures. As with the DSi, the .3 megapixel (640x480) cameras found on the 3DS don't push the barrier in terms of overall image quality. We didn't get to experiment with the cameras, but we're hoping to soon, be sure to look for our impressions later in the show.
Controls
All the control mechanisms present on the DS made their way to the 3DS, but Nintendo also managed to add a few more along the way. New to the 3DS are motion sensors, a gyroscope, an analog stick (what Nintendo refers to as the "Slide Pad"), and a 3D depth slider that's used to adjust the 3D effect. The slider is there to adjust how much of a 3D effect you want to see, you can also opt to slide it to the bottom and view the screen in 2D. Nintendo also added a Home button to make getting back to the system menu easier.
The analog stick was nicely sized, and made it easy to perform more subtle movements. We found it easy to make minor adjustments while playing, which translated to precision movements.
We didn't get a chance yet to try out the new motion controls. From our encounters with the 3DS so far, we've noticed that tilting the handheld too far to one side ruins the 3D effect. From the pre-rendered video of Zelda that we saw, extreme angles caused the visuals to take on a slightly torn look. We'd see shifted parts of clouds, Link, and his horse. We imagine most games won't have you flailing from side to side, as a result.
Wireless Connectivity
The Nintendo 3DS communicates wirelessly over 802.11 WiFi and supports WPA and WPA2 security protocols. The big communications addition to the 3DS is more in how it communicates. Even while sleeping, the console will be able to hop onto the internet to update rankings, quests, and even download levels. Nintendo's Wii functions in a similar manner.
Ports
Nintendo gave the Nintendo 3DS the ability to run both DS and 3DS games. Like the DSi, the 3DS also has an SD memory card slot. In addition to the stereo headphone jack, there's also a charging cradle terminal.
Battery Life
Nintendo didn't have an official battery life estimate; but at a QA session, we did find out that Nintendo expects the 3DS to have battery life similar to the Nintendo DSi
When?
How much?
Why didn't they learn from Sony's mistake with the PSP and integrate a second analog nub?
Other than that, it looks great. Saving up for it already...
Announced games
Animal Crossing 3DS
Battle of Giants Dinosaur Strike
CODENAME: Chocobo Racing 3D
Dead or Alive 3D
DJ Hero 3D
Hollywood 61
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Kingdom Hearts 3D
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Mario Kart 3DS
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D
Paper Mario 3DS
PilotWings Resort
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle
Resident Evil: Revelations
Ridge Racer
Samurai Warriors 3D
The Sims 3
StarFox 64 3D
Steel Diver
Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory
It's nice to see some of the older Nintendo frachises getting new titles. Kid Icarus? Nice to see you again after 20 years
The 3DS will have some sort of slider to control the 3D effect strength and you'll be able to make it 2D if you wish.
I cant help but think they are missing a trick here. 3D TVs are going to cost an absolute fortune. And even then you'll still need silly glasses. So you'll be able to watch 3D video on your 3DS without glasses but it wont be in HD. I'm sure they'll include this on the next version of the 3DS, the 3DS-HD
There's also mentions of a telescopic stylus :rolleyes: and they should have finally sorted out the friends list meaning we (hopefully!!!) get a more user friendly service. Any upgrades to this will almost certainly be separate to the older DS games (which I'm certain will still have to be WEP).
There's also talk of GPS and 3G connectivity.
So what do we reckon? Xmas release for Japan and a Euro/American release next year or all the main regions by Xmas?
As for cost, I'm going to guess £199.99
I'll give go for a play on one once it's released but I'm most likely to wait a while to see what it can really do, as opposed to what they say it can do.
Unlike the PSP they have realised that handhelds are not the place for action games and shooters that really benefit from that second stick.
Handhelds aren't the place for games like Monster Hunter and Metal Gear?
I'm still pretty disappointed that they didn't include a second analogue. It would have been worth it even if we only got a dual stick Katamari to take on the go!
If done properly, then the face buttons can make a passable substitute for an analogue stick, but it can become uncomfortable after a while.
At the very least, I'd have liked to have seen the dpad being placed above the analogue. The Monster Hunter claw is going to be a pain on the 3DS. :P
I think the point Alternate was maybe trying to say is that Nintendo obviously don't want handheld gaming to slip into the direction that Sony wants it to, ie.. full of generic FPS war games etc, just toned down clones of what's on offer on the current gen (I can picture it now...COD MW Portible ops!!!!) :rolleyes: I'd hate for portible gaming to go that way, goodbye 2D gaming forever then!
Thankfully Nintendo won't let this happen as long as they're around, I'm actually very glad they didn't include the second analogue stick.
What are you talking about?
The PSP has plenty of great 2D games for a start.
Look at the games that Sony themselves have developed for the PSP: Parappa the Rapper, Patapon, LocoRoco, Patchwork Heroes etc. All of which are 2D by the way.
Can you actually name one FPS game that Sony have published on the PSP?
You're right though, allowing for a competent port of Katamari Damacy would open signal for endless Call of Duty ports!
Actually, there's already a portable version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and it's exclusive to the DS...
I wasn't talking about FPS games on the PSP anyway as it's obviously been proven that you need dual analogue sticks, though there is plenty of 3rd person shooters on the PSP.
I was actually referring to the PSP2, which Sony will no doubt add dual analogue controls and we all know it won't be with Katamari Demacy in mind (how naive). Sony don't care about 2D gaming, never have done and never will.
So... about that 3DS.
I did, when I first heard about the DSi. And it never happened!
With the announcement of this new console, the chances of any DSi exclusive games being released is practically zero.
I think I'll probably buy this as soon as it launches. The only thing I'm not sure about is the half red / half black colouring.
The Colouring is better than the DS, DS Lite, DSi, DSiXL, Wii and Black Wii.
It's difficult to convey just how impressive the 3D is. There were a lot of tech demos (none playable), including Mario Kart, Resident Evil and Solid Snake (which in fine SS tradition was 17 mins long!).
They were all amazing at showcasing what 3D can do to many of our beloved 2D franchises.
Also on show was the 3D trailer for the forthcoming 3D film Legends of the Guardian. Considering all the headaches concerning 3D TV's (quite literally in some cases), the 3DS could be the most natural home for 3D films.
A few other playable tech demos were available but the best example on display was the 3DS version of Pilotwings. Flying around the island in Sports Resort in a bi-plane, in 3D, has to be seen to be believed. Nothing short of awesome.
Lastly i had a dabble with the camera. Considering the lenses aren't exactly megapixel-tastic, the effects are pretty impressive.
Bottom line is, you'll want one.