Like an election year, the year of a new console generation is full of long lines, media-driven chaos and eventual disappointment. This Sunday, Nintendo will release the Nintendo 3DS, the successor to the system that sold more units than any other console in history. The hype machine has been in full swing in the industry thanks to the system’s much-ballyhooed 3D capabilities. Sony’s announcement of the NGP, a PSP with two touch screens and more tools than a Swiss army knife, and the rise of mobile gaming might make it hard to decide if you want to update your DS. So, here are the important things to know about the new system:
The 3D
The biggest draw of the 3DS is its 3D top screen, which can project 3D images without requiring specialized glasses. However, the 3D effects drain the battery and may induce headaches after prolonged exposure, but there’s a simple way to turn them off. However, for AAA titles specially made for 3D, such as “Kid Icarus” and an HD remake of “Ocarina of Time,” the feature should be mind-blowing.
Bells and Whistles
The most important thing a system’s successor should have is backward compatibility. If I can’t play Pokemon on my 3DS because it plays only 3DS games, Nintendo clearly doesn’t want my money, and it doesn’t want yours. However, this isn’t the case as all DS games are playable on the 3DS — but nothing earlier than that is compatible (I’ll miss you, Golden Sun). Graphically, this little guy is predicted to be a beast, with graphics on par with the Wii. For all this nifty good stuff, the battery life takes the biggest hit, lasting only about three to five hours opposed to the 13 to 19 hours that a DS can go for.
Price
Much like the price to see “Avatar” the way it was meant to be seen, the 3DS is going to set you back a bit — about $250 in this case. For a handheld system, that’s rather ludicrous because its big brother the Wii sold for the same price four years ago and the DS debuted $100 cheaper. Nevertheless, the hardcore Nintendo fans, a group I consider myself a part of, will still likely pony-up but probably not on opening day. With the release lineup of games in the mediocre range, I would recommend waiting until your must-have game arrives on the 3DS before buying the console.
