Nintendo Handheld Console 3DS - Metallic Red

As a bonkers Nintendo fangirl and collector for the past 20 years, I pre-ordered this and got it on release. For several months, however, it did just sit there, virtually unused. But then the GOOD games started appearing. :D The first game I actually got for my 3DS was Ocarina of Time 3D, three months after this came out, and I finally got to see the 3D in action properly. The 3D is actually pretty good - obviously you just have to make sure to hold the console in the right position, otherwise you'll get a weird double image. It can be quite impressive, although sometimes when I have the 3D on I feel like my eyes are crossing to try and focus on it properly - I find having the slider turned up about halfway is just about right. However, I actually think games look better with the 3D turned OFF. The lines are much clearer and the console really does have some smashing graphics. I now usually only turn on the 3D for cutscenes. Since Ocarina of Time, I've bought Star Fox, Mario Kart, and Super Mario 3D Land. You can really appreciate the 3D on Mario, it's actually fantastic. And then there's the Virtual Console. This was what I was most excited for the 3DS for - being able to download old Gameboy, Gameboy Colour, and Game Boy Advance games, just like you can download old console games on the Wii. For quite a long time, releases on the VC seemed slow, but they've been picking up recently and there are some cracking titles available to download, like Zelda: Link's Awakening, Kirby, Wario Land, and Super Mario Land: 6 Golden Coins, amongst others. The games are all reasonably priced (between around £3.60 and £5.40ish, depending on the game), and being older games, don't take up much space at all on the SD card, so you can cram it full of golden oldies. Any old SD card will work with the 3DS, and one comes free with the console, unlike some consoles that are only compatible with overpriced memory cards made by the same company (*cough*Vita*cough*) You can top up the amount of cash to download games either by debit card, or by purchasing an eshop card from a shop (NOT a Nintendo points card! Must be an eshop card). You can also download all the DSiWare stuff on your 3DS, too. Plus, there are game videos you can download, AND game demos, so you can try out some games before you buy them. Have a DSi? Want a 3DS? Have purchased DSiWare that you'd like to keep on your 3DS? No problem. Nintendo have added a simple to use Data Transfer system, which you can use to transfer EVERYTHING from a DSi over to your shiny new 3DS, or even from 3DS to 3DS. Absolutely everything is transferred, and afterwards the console that had been transferred from is reset to factory settings. I myself used the Data transfer system when I bought a different 3DS (The limited edition Zelda one... it's so shiny) and needed to transfer the stuff I had already downloaded from my old 3DS. I can confirm that it really is easy to use - it's completely fool-proof - and it really does transfer everything - VC downloads, saves, etc. If there are people here who, like me, bought the 3DS on release and as a result got the 20 free Ambassador games, and you'd like a new 3DS (there are more pretty limited edition ones coming!), rest assured, the system transfer does transfer your Ambassador status and your free games. :) In all, this is a great console. Yeah, the 3D can be a bit gimmicky at times, but it does work well, and you can turn it off whenever you like. Now that it has a better games library, it's much more fun, and the Virtual console is just great. Plus with great upcoming games like Kid Icarus: Uprising (It looks amazing!), Luigi's Mansion 2, and Fire Emblem (confirmed for Europe!), it's going to get even better. The price reduction last August makes it even more of a must buy - I paid £180 for mine on release, which was about as cheap as you could get. It's dropped very significantly since! But at least I have my 20 free games to make up for the price-drop. Cheers Ninty! :D

Don't often review products, but thought I should make the effort for the 3DS - if only to balance out the reviews of fools who don't even own the console but have deemed fit to give it 1 star on the basis of trying it for 2 minutes in a shop. Having owned it since launch, I can tell you that the 3DS is a beautifully put together console, so much so that even browsing its menus is quite a pleasurable experience. So, let's address the main talking points: 3D effect - the 3D effect is pretty magical when you first see it - particularly on games where it is well used. Contrary to what some say, although the 3D does add depth it is also capable of projecting out of the screen - people who have tried it for 5 minutes probably haven't come across it as most games use the effect sparingly. The nature of the technology means the viewing angle is quite narrow, but this is something you get used. You also get used to the 3D effect itself - at first it feels a bit funny and can cause eye strain but you quickly get used to it so that you can turn the effect up higher and play for longer without any problems. Games - There aren't a massive amount of AAA games available for the system yet, but this is always the case with new consoles. However, there are certainly enough good games to keep most people happy and there are some dead-cert classics on the horizon, such as Mario Kart 3DS, Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle, Star Fox 3DS. While you are waiting for those, a huge plus for the system is that it is backward-compatible, meaning you can also play the huge back catalogue of DS games on it. Which brings us neatly on the the next point.. DS with 3D gimmick - A lot of people are under the misapprehension that this is simply a DS with a 3D screen. It is not. The 3DS is an entirely new, far more powerful console. It may have DS in the title, but it is as different as the original Xbox and Xbox 360. There is no way that the DS/DSi/DSi XL etc could run the games that the 3DS can run; it has far more memory (128MB vs 4MB), a much faster processor, and new features like an analogue stick (which is great, allows you to play different types of games and actually improves the control of previous genre types). Battery life - This is often cited as a big problem, but while the battery life isn't great in comparison with the DS it compares pretty well to, say, a smartphone running games. The battery has never been a problem for me as I'm never away from a power source and playing for over 5 hours at a time; if you would be then perhaps it's something to consider (although you can buy high capacity battery packs to help with this if required). Online - the online service, including video and the eShop isn't great yet, but Nintendo are improving it on the fly and more things are added each week. As with the range of games, the online service - whilst ok at the moment - will only get better over time. I'd certainly recommend getting a 3DS - particularly if you are wavering over this or a DSi - as for an extra £50 you get a LOT more console and the promise of great gaming experiences for years to come. Sure, there will probably be a slightly improved iteration of the 3DS out in a few years time (although as with the DS the console will be basically the same) but if you took this approach then you would never buy anything; there's always something better round the corner if you wait long enough. Buy one (if only for the definitive version of Zelda: Ocarina of Time aka Best Game in the World), I very much doubt you will regret it.

Looking past the hardware part of the 3DS which any other reviewer will tell you of, at launch there's something made incredibly clear to me. Nintendo is aiming for social gaming. Aside from the Mii creator, music recorder and player, you have a host of in-built software that actively encourages the player to seek out other 3DS users, such as the Mii Plaza which rewards you for coming across other people with their 3DS on sleep mode, and the Face Raiders minigame which tries to coax you into taking pictures of you and your friends' faces to make a pretty funny little shooter using your real-world environment as its background, with a reward system based on having more pictures to unlock stages (I admit you could cheat and use photos or your own face many times, but that's no fun!). In other aspects, the software front is completely improved from previous Nintendo consoles. The menu takes its cues from the Wii with a set of icons that scrolls, with the user specifying how large or small they appear, meaning you can have them so big only three will fit on the screen side-to-side, or another view which, while I'm unsure of the specific scale, renders the icons to about 1/20th their default [largest] size. The online aspects seem vastly improved with the system almost being persistently online, it can update through the internet (and will undoubtedly later update by game cards) an in-system friend list, meaning you no longer need to add friends in each and every game you play that has online features. You can also see which friends are currently online, and what they're playing. As of the moment there isn't any chat, game-invite or messaging features, which supports Nintendo's hopes for a child-friendly online environment, but I am sure if they choose to these features could be implemented in the future. As of now it's important to note that some online features aren't currently available, but are announced (although undated). These being the internet browser and virtual console (which will feature ports of classic Game Boy games like Super Mario Land, Doctor Mario and More). Another announced, but currently in-development piece of software is a DSiWare transfer, so people with a DSi that wish to upgrade without losing their software might want to wait until that is released. The software lineup at launch is a little meagre, Pilotwings is a fairly decent update to the classic series, although it is more of a 'pick it up to play for half an hour every once in a while' title. Other notable launch titles are Super Street Fighter IV, an impressive port of the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 fighter. The controls work incredibly well, which addresses the concerns of many fighting game buffs. Furthermore it features well-coded online play, so if you're competitive, this is the game to get. Ubisoft has released a range of titles for the 3DS, but you should be extremely wary of them - The majority of which are clumsy DS ports. Ghost Recon, however, is reportedly a fairly good title if you ignore its sub-par graphics. Nintendogs & Cats is more or less a graphical update to the DS game, with added features, better graphics and, of course, cats. If you want a cute virtual pet game, this is the one to get. Looking to the future there is a host of fantastic games coming out in the coming year, including the long-awaited Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake (in 3D!), Super Paper Mario, Super Mario, Resident Evil, and a whole lot more. To conclude - If you're a truly hardcore gamer, or just a gadget-enthusiast, this is a must-have device. The hardware is great (although the battery life isn't incredible - you'll have to watch your gametime, and try to charge it whenever you're not playing). The direction of the console, if it takes off, will be absolutely fantastic as a social gaming experience. Anybody else might want to consider waiting until the price comes down and/or more games and software get released before making an investment.

Well we've all read all the fabulous review and hype about the 3DS and how it's going to change the world of gaming... and on the whole, I have to say I agree, but there are one or two floors that I have to point out. OK, firstly, yes it's a great console and the 3D, whilst not exactly blowing your mind will impress you and make you realise that Nintendo have hit on something special here. My slight disappointment comes in the actual casing of the console. Nintendo's line is that the case is meant to suggest a 3D depth and layers of interest. My line is that the case is a slightly awkward and blocky shape with smooth edges, then jagged edges. It all feels a little unpolished, a bit like playing with a prototype when the final product hasn't been decided on yet. If you want an idea of what I mean then compare the original DS to the DS lite, one, clunky and awkward, one sleek and polished with nice rounded corners, gorgeous case and just the right amount of features to make it look like a well designed piece of kit. I'm sure that within a year, Nintendo will bring out a sleeker version of the console. I grant you that, compared to the DSi which tried to do lots of clever things but just fell slightly short, it's a dream. But if it had the case of the DSlite and the software that it already has, it would just feel a bit more professional The sound on the console is nowhere near as loud as the DSi and the bottom half of the volume control would not seem to produce any sound through the console's own speakers but seems instead to be useful for using with headphones where it does seem to find its useful range. The surround sound is excellent on the internal speakers, using virtual or 'Q' sound to make sounds appear to be coming from behind you by tricking the brain into thinking they are - so 3D sound too! You need to turn this off on headphones though as this type of virtual surround requires speakers to be in front of you to work properly. Battery life is a big disappointment compared to previous consoles. Even with the Wi-Fi turned off and power saving on, you;re still going to get nothing near the life you got from the previous consoles, about 2 and a half hours at medium brightness and the 3 and a half hour charging is a pain so I can see why Nintendo have supplied it with a dock so you can 'top it up' whenever you take a break. Clearly with the 3D it's running 2 screens at the top so it seriously drains your battery and the use of a standard mobile phone battery is useful for replacement but maybe not adequate for a device of this complexity. All the features, Augmented Reality, Mii Plaza, Face Raiders and SteetPass are all great fun. Beware that the whole console is more geared towards a single user than one you share around with your family or partner with all the features being geared around one Mii character being the console owner. The first thing you should do with the console is connect it to the net and upgrade the firmware. This will add the internet browser, the Nintendo shop and a few other features such as the ability to transfer things you bought on-line from you DSi to the 3DS and at the moment there's some free games you can download. The format of the Nintendo shop has changed so don't expect the star points from the games to be spendable at the moment, if you want to buy from the new shop it's pounds, not points you'll need to spend. Overall a lovely console but the case is a little clunky feeling, the finish, a little more plastic feeling than it looks in photos and the software, and games currently available, having fewer user save slots, seem more geared towards a single user than on passing the console around to family and friends. If you're unsure whether to upgrade or not, wait for version 2!

Arrived in time and in perfect condition! Looks brand new. Couldn’t be happier.

At first I was super excited when my DS arrived back on July, only downside was the charger that came with it didn't come with a plug just a wire that didn't even fit in the DS properly unless you bent it a certain way... Due to this the wire ended up bending too much out of desperation to get it working. Thought maybe I was just sent a faulty charger so I bought a proper grey one with a plug, same thing happened where I needed to bend it a certain way even though it was the perfect fit, this charger lasted longer however up until September where it completely stopped working... I now believe I was sent a poorly functioning DS, with evidence that it's old as the previous owner didn't even bother to delete their data before selling it online. Unless you don't mind constantly buying chargers to charge your DS I DO NOT RECOMMEND! KEEP YOUR MONEY!

bought my 3ds on day of release from amazon, i pre ordered the console on the 16th of March and was guaranteed delivery on the 25th, i even paid extra p&p for release day delivery. 25th came and went with no console so did the 26th, then because of weekend had to wait till monday 28th before i could find out anything about my order, Monday the 28th i was informed that due to large pre orders i would not receive my console until 1st April... it amazes me how a company this large can GUARANTEE a delivery date and even charge EXTRA for specified delivery date and then not even email me when they cant honor the order. i was disgusted by the lack of communication from amazon, at the very least when they realized they could not fill my order i should have been informed IMMEDIATELY, the console was for my sons 12th birthday also on the 25th so i had no present to give my son and not even an explanation as to when he could expect it. i have been a loyal customer of amazon for over 5 years now and after this debacle i will NEVER pre order another item from amazon again. on to the product review. the 3ds has the potential to be a great console but not just yet... the 3D looks good but only in the sweet spot which is small and your constantly straining yourself to keep it in the sweet spot, the installed software is ok but severely lacks a full free launch title like most other Nintendo systems have come with, for example the Wii came with full game Wii sports resort, the AR games and face raiders are good games but nothing more than demo's what the machine could do. the batteries life is something to consider, because of the 3 screens the 3ds incorporates the batteries do not last long at all, 2-3hrs from full charge with sound and 3d is kind of a joke and considering the batterie only has around 500 recharges before the batterie starts to lose its charge means that most people who bought on release day will have to replace the batteries before next Christmases at an added expense of about £60 for a new one is something to bear in mind. a final not to consider before you buy one is the lack of internet softwear, Nintendo promised a browser and access to Nintendo store to purchase games and downloads for your 3ds but this softwear dose not exist yet and you will have to wait for a future softwear update before you can access these features which to me is just wrong, why do companies push out unfinished products and why do we buy them... all in all the 3ds has great potential but at the moment the machine is too expensive and offers too little for the money paid, i have no doubt this machine will go on to great things but at the moment its just mediocre.

It's been over a year since Nintendo released the 3DS handheld console on a sort-of suspecting world, and I think it's fair to say that's it already had a fair number of ups and downs, what with price drops and 3D health issues and such. It's getting on towards a year since I got my hands on a shiny new black 3DS, so I've decided to make a fashionably late entrance and leave a review on the Amazon webpage. Like the DS before it the 3DS has two screens, a top screen and a bottom touch screen for using your finger or stylus on. It's got a flip design so you can fold it up and make it easier to carry around. On the left side you have the volume slide and the SD memory card slot for saving pictures and downloaded games. There's an analogue stick for more precise control in certain games as well as a traditional D-pad. On the right side you have a 3D slide to adjust the intensity of the top screen's 3D picture. There's also a wireless switch, four letter buttons and the power button. The start and select buttons are located just underneath the touch screen, along with a home button that will allow you to quit a game and go back to the 3DS menu. Finally we finish off our little tour around the back. There are two shoulder buttons, a stylus that's adjustable in length, a plug socket to plug the charger in, and the cartridge bay for your 3DS games. All in all it's a very nice setup. The controls are comfortable and the buttons have that convincingly sturdy and responsive clicky feel to them. Plus points. Well it's a fairly light handheld in terms of weight, so it's easy to carry around in your hand or store in your pocket. Another good point is that when you have charged up the thing and you turn on the power, you're presented with a nicely laid out menu screen where you can see several interesting options, such as the camera and the system settings. Like I said the menu presentation is nice. In fact, one of the latest software updates that Nintendo have released for the 3DS is that now you can create folders. You can label those folders and store whatever games or other features in those folders as you see fit. I've already created a couple for my Gameboy downloads and NES downloads, and the menu looks so much tidier because of them. So what about the 3DS games? After a slow start the 3DS has steadily built up a promising catalogue of games. Super Mario 3D Land is a brilliant platformer that proves why the mushroom-collecting plumber is still the king of video game characters; Dead or Alive: Dimensions is a brutal beat-'em-up with the smoothest graphics I've seen on the handheld so far; while Resident Evil: Revelations is scary piece of heart attack-giving action with gory monsters and a very impressive online game. The 3DS also encourages you to get off the sofa and go for a brisk walk (or run in my case) from time to time. How? Through Play Coins. The handheld has a built-in pedometer, and you can earn a coin by taking 100 steps whilst keeping the device in your pocket. You can collect 10 coins per day and hold up to 300 at any given time. These coins can be used in certain games to make their experiences more enjoyable. For example: in Resident Evil Revelations you can use the coins to buy new weapons to use in the online mode. Great, isn't it? And the orgasm of gaming offers doesn't end there. The wi-fi capabilities allow you to browse web pages, although I do much prefer a keyboard and mouse on a PC to search the web. But the main gaming port of call is the Nintendo eShop. Here you can buy and download numerous games onto your 3DS. To name just a few things on offer there are playable 3DS demos; classic and just plain OK original Gameboy games; and more recently SEGA Game Gear games. With new stuff usually added every Thursday you're bound to find something there that you like. Take all this gaming goodness into account, and add in the fact that the 3DS is backwards compatible with original DS games, and you've got a device that practically lets you play everything, included games about kitchen sinks! "Anything I can do on the handheld besides gaming?" Yes, there is the built in camera. You can use it to take pictures of yourself, others or scenery, and one software update has made it possible to record video footage as well. The picture quality is not the best, but it's still a nice feature to have. One problem I did have with the camera was that the camera mode can be activated with the shoulder buttons. There have been several occasions where I've adjusted my grip on the 3DS to make it more comfortable to hold and prepare myself for a game, only to accidently hit a shoulder button and end up turning the camera on. It does get annoying after a while and I would've preferred it if this mode was only activated by touching the touch screen icon with my stylus. The 3DS's biggest selling gimmick is its 3D feature, a slide on the right hand side of the top screen that allows you to view 3DS games in 3D without the need for special 3D glasses. So what's the 3D gaming like? Well honestly it's been something of a mixed bag. For racing games such as Ridge Racer 3D and Asphalt 3D the pace of those games are very quick and you're more focused on your car and the next corner rather than the background scenery. When you do slow down to take a look the 3D picture doesn't look that much different from the 2D picture. On the other hand some games have managed to make great use of the 3D feature and have come up with some really good 3D graphics. Examples: The fighters in Dead or Alive: Dimensions. Their hands and feet look like they're really coming out of the screen, particularly during their starting and victory poses. Meanwhile in Resident Evil: Revelations, 3D helps to make the gruesome monsters look even more gruesome. In my opinion the 3D feature is more suited to platform, fighting and adventure games rather than racers. There are some negatives that I should point out. The mini 3D games built in the handheld, such as Face Raiders, are initially fun to play. But once the novelty wears off (and it will do quickly) you'll find that they're just too simple and boring for grownups. I think these games are more suited to younger gamers. Another minus is that despite doing some online research and checking the wiring, according to my knowledge there does not appear to be anyway to connect the 3DS up to a PC or laptop. This means if you have any photos or film footage on the SD memory card that you want to transfer to your PC or laptop then you'll have to insert the card into a device that is compatible with those computers. "And what about the health issues I've been hearing about?" you ask. Well there have been reports of players suffering headaches and even feeling sick whilst using the 3D feature on the 3DS. Me? I did have a couple of mild stomach aches when I first used it, but after that I was fine. No other problems. I guess the 3D feature affects some players more than others. But if you are concerned about this then perhaps you should speak to your local GP before purchasing one of these things. One more thing I should mention is that the battery's lifespan is not that great. Even fully charged it'll only give around 4-5 hours of life whilst you're playing 3DS games; a little bit longer than that if you're playing original DS games. There are a lot of pros and cons I've mentioned in my review, but overall I believe the 3DS is an excellent handheld console with a lot of potential. There are plenty of great games available to buy for it now, and I'm sure the strong catalogue will only get stronger. There's bound to be some features that I've left out of this review, but there's no harm in checking them out for yourself. I highly recommend that you buy one if you don't already have one. Remember: the 3D feature is only an optional thing.