3DS Test Drive

Over the course of last week I was able to check out the newly released 3DS. I, like many others, was skeptical at first as to whether the device would work. After some fiddling around with the menu screen, I booted into Pilot Wings. The man at Gamestop showed me where the 3D switch was and how it changed the dimension of the game. I put it on max so as to have the full effect. As I was playing he said "Did you find 'the sweet spot'?". I wasn't quite sure what he was talking about, so I nodded my head in disagreement. He took a minute to explain to me that because of the layering, there is one spot you have to find where you get the full effect of the 3D. After moving the device backwards and forwards I finally found the spot. It is different for everyone, but when you find it the game really pops. This is not to say the 3D is amazingly crisp, it is not, but it does work in a sense. If you tilt the device left and right while playing, you can see all the different layers. That in itself was very interesting.

The next thing I learned about where the game cards. Each 3DS comes packed with 6 game cards. When you go into the game card program and lay the cards on the table, it will scan the card and create a 3D game right on the table. You can see all this happen in real time, and the game takes into consideration all the other things that are on the table. The 3DS I used didn't have the cards, so I didn't get to test this feature out.

The final thing that I tried was the head shooting game. You unlock more for this game with the more faces you gather. I was able to scan my face into the game and start playing. I do recommend that you NOT use 3D for this game. See, the game is an augmented reality game, so you are forced to move around. This makes you not able to hold the 3DS in "the sweet spot". It makes this game less fun.

Overall with game line up, and the starting price, I would not get a 3DS yet. Yes, I would like one in the future, however it is not worthing paying $250 for the console, plus an extra $60 for the game. There will be good games in the future, such as paper mario and legend of zelda, but right now it is best to wait.

~Dave