3DS

Yesterday it was sony's NGP, and now it's time to look at it's rival, the nintendo's 3DS. 3DS is the successor to the Nintendo DS. It's quite similar in appearance to the DS, BUT with 3D technology that doesn't require glasses. Let's look at it closer.




Price Tag : $249
Release Date :
JP February 26, 2011
EU March 25, 2011
NA March 27, 2011
AUS March 31, 2011

Colors : Aqua Blue & Cosmo Black


The bad news :

• Short battery life ( 3 - 5 hours )
  
• 3D images not suitable for child under 6, because their eyes are still in development, and there's a "possibility" that it might disturb that development and damaging the eye’s balance and inducing squinting/strabismus.
  
• Unable to run Epic Games's widely used Epic engine, that is used widely on modern console and PC games, and a new version compatible with Apple’s iOS has already impressed many in the form of the “Epic Citadel” technical demo, pic below
  
  

The Spec :

Size (when closed):Approximately 134mm wide, 74mm long, 21mm inches thick.Weight:230g.Top Screen:3.53-inch widescreen LCD display, enabling 3D view without the need for special glasses; with 800×240 pixel resolution (400 pixels are allocated for each eye to enable 3D viewing).Touch Screen:3.02-inch LCD with 320×240 pixel resolution with a touch screen.Cameras:One inner camera and two outer cameras with 640×480 (0.3 Mega) pixel resolution.Nintendo 3DS Game Card:2 GB max at launch.Wireless Communication:Can communicate in the 2.4 GHz band. Multiple Nintendo 3DS systems can connect via a local wireless connection to let users communicate or enjoy competitive game play. Systems also can connect to LAN access points to access the Internet and allow people to enjoy games with others.Will support IEEE 802.11 with enhanced security (WPA/WPA2). Nintendo 3DS hardware is designed so that even when not in use, it can automatically exchange data with other Nintendo 3DS systems or receive data via the Internet while in sleep mode.Game Controls:Touch screen, embedded microphone, A/B/X/Y face buttons, + Control Pad, L/R buttons, Start and Select buttons, “Slide Pad” that allows 360-degree analog input, one inner camera, two outer cameras, motion sensor and a gyro sensor.Other Input Controls:3D Depth Slider to adjust level of 3D effect (can be scaled back or turned off completely depending on the preference of the user), Home button to call system function, Wireless switch to turn off wireless communications (even during game play), Power button. The telescoping stylus is approximately 4 inches when fully extended.Input/Output:A port that accepts both Nintendo 3DS game cards and game cards for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems, an SD memory card slot, an AC adapter connector, a charging cradle terminal and a stereo headphone output jack.Sound:Stereo speakers positioned to the left and right of the top screen.Battery:Lithium ion battery, details TBA.

Games :Preloaded Application:

• 3DS Sound
  
• Mii Maker
  
• StreetPass Mii Plaza
  
• Face Raiders
  
• 3DS Messaging System
  
• 3DS Download Play
  
• 3DS Camera
  
• AR Games
  
• 3D Videos
  
• Internet Browser
  
• Activity Log
  

Comments:
Though it has a great technology and quite a lot to offer, in the end, it IS still a handheld gaming device, and 249.99$ for a handheld device is quite steep in price. I expect the price to go lower in quite a few months, making it more appropriately priced. Seriously, 249.99$ for a handheld gaming? Not cool.