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Review • To truly appreciate the Nintendo 3DS portable 3-D gaming system, turn the 3-D effects off for just a second.
After all, when 3-D is turned on, looking at Nintendo's $249 handheld device is like taking Alice's trip through the Looking Glass. You step into a world of glasses-less 3-D that doesn't seem possible: The effect is undeniably dazzling. But that technological miracle is just half of the wonder of the 3DS.
It wasn't until I turned the 3-D slider all the way off that I noticed another pleasant surprise: This portable gaming system produces eye-popping graphics for a Nintendo system, even without the 3-D.
There are much-improved lighting effects, deeper shadows, higher detail and better screen resolution in the 3DS than Nintendo's last-generation portable, the DS. The jump in quality, in fact, is jarring, and it makes the older version of the portable system seem antiquated.
There's a lot of advanced technology rolled into the new 3DS, and while the initial lineup of games for it is, at best, middling-to-OK, the portable system is a worthy successor that's just waiting for the right title to come along to take advantage of all that horsepower.
At first glance, the 3DS doesn't look much different from its older brethren. It's about the same dimensions but a little thicker. Open the clam-shell, and you are greeted with two screens, a 3-inch touchscreen below, topped by a 3.5-inch 3-D screen. With today's mobile-phone screens coming in at more than 4 inches, that's a disappointment. Despite the much-higher resolution of the 3DS, it would have been nice to have a screen that's at least 4.3 inches.
One long-overdue addition is an analog joystick on the left that feels natural and is better for driving simulators and other games.
But the 3-D effect is the selling point for the new 3DS, and it works amazingly well. Games like "Super Street Fighter IV" or "Ridge Racer" look gorgeous with multiple planes of graphics layered one on top of another like a really good 3-D computer-animated movie. The 3-D slider allows you to adjust the effect or to turn it completely off. I was able to play nearly all the games with the effect on full without experiencing eye strain.
Thanks to a higher-resolution top screen, the games also look a lot more detailed and seem to have punchier colors, compared to the older DS where the game screens appeared blocky and pixelated. The system is downward compatible and can play older DS games just fine.
But there's a deep sacrifice to this type of 3-D technology: You have to look almost directly into the screen to retain the effect. Move just a few degrees to the left or right and the 3-D effects disappear. When you're playing a game that has you moving frantically about, that will happen a lot.
The 3DS also has three cameras, two facing outward for 3-D pictures and one forward-facing, but they are embarrassingly low in resolution. Another disappointment is the system's battery life. At best, I was getting three to four hours with the 3-D slider on full. Expect to recharge the system daily under normal use.
I wasn't able to test out two new features, StreetPass and SpotPass, two wireless connectivity services that allow you to connect to other players standing near you, but that might come into use after more people have purchased this portable system.
Some of the best services for the 3DS haven't been turned on yet. A feature that streams Netflix movies won't be available until May. Nintendo has promised to stream 3-D movie trailers, but those aren't yet available. The system's online store, where you'll be able to download more games, hasn't opened yet. All of these are signs that the 3DS has more potential to be a great gaming system than it currently is.
At $249, the Nintendo 3DS price tag seems a bit steep. Admittedly, there's a lot of in-demand new technology inside the system, including a microphone, wireless connectivity, gyroscope and accelerometer for motion-based games, and the ability to play augmented-reality games with the cameras.
Now the system just needs better games to take advantage of all that wizardry.
ohmytech@sltrib.com. Twitter: twitter.com/ohmytech —
Early glimpses at the first 3DS games
There are more than a dozen games available at the launch of the Nintendo 3DS. Here are initial impressions on some of the more anticipated titles.
"nintendogs + cats" • Cute and fuzzy dogs and cats come to life in 3-D with this rehash of Nintendo's popular virtual pet simulator. But there's little to do with your new pets other than teach them a trick or two.
"Pilotwings Resort" • Another example of good 3-D with little game play. You can fly a plane, hang glider or jet pack around an island, but you'll mostly just gawk at the scenery.
"Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars" • Like the other Lego "Star Wars" games, this is a funny, lightweight adventure through the animated "Star Wars" universe, though the 3-D effect is subtle.
"Super Streetfighter IV 3D Edition" • Here's a game that shows off great-looking 3-D effects and the all-around graphical power of the 3DS system. It's also packed with all of the original fighting game's intuitive game play.
"Ridge Racer 3D" • This racing game shows off how 3-D can really enhance the sense of speed, and also boasts lush graphics and eye-catching tracks. It's a little difficult, though, to get used to the sensitive driving mechanics.
"Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars" • A fun turn-based strategy game in which you control a squad of special-ops soldiers. It's combined with a trite story about global conflict, but the layered 3-D effects are put to good use.
"AR Games" • More like a tech demo than an actual game, this is an augmented-reality exercise built into the system software in which you place specially-made cards on a table. With the 3DS cameras pointed at the cards, game characters then pop up from the table. Not much to do after 5 minutes of play, but it does show off the potential of AR technology.