Nintendo 3DS Pro Reviews

The Circle Pad Pro might be a hatchet job, but it's a well-made, reasonably-priced hatchet job that has the potential to add a lot to the games that need it. The 3DS can be a powerful little system when it wants to be, as Monster Hunter tri-G demonstrates, and offering a full control system could open the door to more ports from PlayStation Vita or even home consoles like PS3 and Xbox 360. Our major concerns are twofold; it significantly detracts from the portability of the 3DS, and software support isn't guaranteed. While there are some games on the horizon that may benefit from the attachment (Metal Gear Solid 3D Snake Eater springs to mind, a game which clearly benefited from dual stick controls in its Subsistence edition on PS2), neither Monster Hunter tri-G or the launch tie-in for the West, Resident Evil Revelations, are particularly in need of it. The latter is arguably an even stranger choice than Monster Hunter, seeing as the series has already seen a release on 3DS that controlled just fine, with its bigger brothers on home consoles mostly ignoring the right analog stick.

The Nintendo 3DS is a marked step forward in portable gaming. With glasses-free 3D, built-in motion controls, a 3D camera and novel touches such as StreetPass, the device boasts innovation in spades. Most importantly, the 3D effect works really well, lending an impressive depth to the image while keeping it crisp and clean. The narrow 3D viewing angle is a slight niggle, as is the less-than-ideal battery life, but we certainly wouldn't let either issue prevent us from buying one.

The 3DS is a slick and worthy successor to the DS, but I can’t faithfully recommend it right now on account of its weak battery life, poor selection of launch games, and hefty $250 price tag. Launching without a Super Mario game was a mistake (my eyes turn to the GameCube). As it stands, the 3DS is a good peek at the future, but it’s missing all the goods (at least until a firmware update comes): web browser, eShop, Game Boy Virtual Console games, 3D movies and trailers, etc.

There's no question that the 3DS is going to be the go-to game system for kids, or even those who are fans of long, professional games. There's just some game types that a touchscreen-only device can't replicate, and even the slightly awkward friend code system Nintendo uses for online play (now thankfully not specific to any one game) is probably safer and more effective for a younger player. The $250 asking price is a lot to spend for a narrow-purpose mobile device, but Nintendo still has the edge in serious mobile gaming for now.

Sure, there are drawbacks, but the 3DS still succeeds in spite of them. The battery life could definitely use some work, there aren't any must-have 3DS titles at the moment (besides the ones that are included with the system), and some people, myself included, think that $250 is a steep asking price for a handheld. But none of that matters because as always, Nintendo has gotten my money.

Though it's a bit pricey, the Nintendo 3DS successfully offers a glasses-less 3D experience that needs to be seen to be believed. A weaker-than-usual launch lineup and some inactivated online features dampen its launch, but the future certainly looks bright.

It’s hard to tell where the 3DS is headed right now but this is definitely not a Virtual Boy. Imagine the 3DS as an initial step to a holographic future. As Wintermute said in Neuromancer, “The holographic paradigm is the closest thing you’ve worked out to a representation of human memory, is all. But you’ve never done anything about it. People, I mean.” The 3DS is one step on the road to that paradigm change and it’s aimed at those most willing to embrace it: our children.

The 3DS is no doubt bound for success. It takes what worked with the DS and it improves upon it. Many people might be slightly disappointed on launch day, but given time to grow, the 3DS could once again solidify Nintendo’s first-place hold on gaming.

A time-tested game system design coupled with innovative, convincing 3D technology, makes the Nintendo 3DS a force to be reckoned with. It's not only the most advanced Nintendo DS yet, but a solid first in a new generation of handheld game systems.

There's never been a handheld quite like the Nintendo 3DS - one as brimming with features as well as potential, and offering an experience that's frankly impossible on other mobile devices like Apple's iPhone 4 or Sony's upcoming PSP successor. If you want the next big idea from Nintendo, this is it. Though it's uglier and trickier to get the hang of than its predecessors, the 3DS manages to be a unique gaming machine that Nintendo fans will want.

A bewildering array of technology in a compact package, the Nintendo 3DS has huge potential.

Though it's a bit pricey, the Nintendo 3DS successfully offers a glasses-less 3D experience that needs to be seen to be believed. A weaker-than-usual launch lineup and some inactivated online features dampen its launch, but the future certainly looks bright.

Impressive glasses-free 3D paired with some great extra features make the Nintendo 3DS an excellent games console.

That's why the Nintendo 3DS has the potential to be a massive stride forward from its predecessors and another landmark product that Nintendo can lay claim to. If it works, that is. We've been working on our Nintendo 3DS review for the last week - here's the verdict...