Newest Nintendo 3-D technology brings handheld games to life
What makes Nintendo's new 3DS important is that, no matter the quality of its glasses-free 3-D (though early reports are generally positive), it is the first time 3-D technology for games is going to be made accessible at reasonable consumer prices. And since first impressions are everything, it is very likely the success or failure of the 3DS will shape the future of 3-D's use in gaming as a whole.
Opinions of the technology's application to games has been divisive to say the least. On one hand, 3-D could aid with immersing the player deeper into a game's virtual world, allowing details to pop and movement to feel more engaging. On the other, 3-D becomes incredibly uncomfortable to look at for any longer than a few hours. There are also numerous people who can't actually perceive 3-D at all due to vision problems. Thankfully, the 3DS has a small slider on its right side, which can instantly increase or decrease the level of depth of the 3-D image and can even turn it off completely.
However, since all games will be required to be able to be played in 2-D, game developers won't have the ability to make the 3-D an integral part of their design. The 3-D will merely be for aesthetic purposes, which gives a lot of weight to the argument that 3-D gaming is a gimmick.
Not only is the 3DS capable of glasses-free 3-D, but it features an accelerometer and gyroscope (similar to a Wiimote), a 2-D and 3-D camera, up to two gigabytes of flash storage, a touch screen and graphical power allegedly higher than the Wii. Nintendo seems to be setting aside their "casual gamers first" attitude in favor of more of a technological tour de force, which sounds like something one would expect from Sony.
What is frustrating, however, is that everyone seems to still be in awe of the system's visuals. As such, many of the titles being released at the system's launch look like console games that have just been ported over. It is definitely impressive to see such games running in the palm of someone's hand, but since 3DS games aren't yet being created for the system from the ground up, the experience doesn't seem to be all that unique. If the original DS, PSP and iPhone have taught us anything, it's that these sort of dumbed-down console games tend to lack features and precise controls and are difficult to play.
The 3DS is an undoubtedly sophisticated piece of hardware. It really is a slick-looking machine.
There is no doubt it will sell tremendously well. (It was launched in Japan Saturday and has allegedly already sold a whopping 400,000 units.) However, if the past is any indicator, it's going to take quite a while before developers start utilizing all of Nintendo's wacky technology in a way that doesn't feel purely superficial. Only once they do will this system's hefty price and bloated feature set be justified.
My advice? If you are thinking about buying a 3DS, wait a few months. Early adopters aren't always happy in the end.
The Nintendo 3DS launches in North America on March 27 at a retail price of $249.99.
More Like This
Column: Nintendo walking on thin ice
By Darby Hallman | Jan. 22, 2017Biggest news out of the Nintendo Switch conference
By Darby Hallman | Jan. 13, 2017