Nintendo 3DS

[STAPLES]

I would say it's around the Gamecube in visual quality. Yet it has more advanced shaders and a preset screen resolution, so in many cases it will look better than GC games ever did.

Its a powerful as a Gamecube??!!!!!

seriously???

by the way, im an old nintendo fanboy who is getting back into gaming after years in the wilderness so this will really test my resolve. I used to be one of them that had to buy Nintendo products on launch. Got married,kids and before you know, been out of the scene for a few years.

Any import stores doing trade ins? Got a couple of stuff I could get rid of to fund the 3DS as I dont fancy shelling out ?200 especially as ive got a family now with all the financial implications that brings.

anyone here seen one in action,like Live? Does it really do 3d without the specs?

[STAPLES]

Whats the medium to play games? Is it carts or some sort of cd based thing?

[gizmo1990]

I'm still surprised no ones tackled a Nintendo rep regarding Icarus kids controls for lefties?

I'd love to hear Nintendos explanation.

Unless the player has no analogue movement anyway, in which case the fire buttons will do I suppose..

[JamesS]

anyone here seen one in action,like Live? Does it really do 3d without the specs?

Yes, it works really well. I don't even really like 3D at the cinema that much, but the 3DS screen is fantastic.

Whats the medium to play games? Is it carts or some sort of cd based thing?

Carts, with downloadable games later on.

[Cornflakes]

Looks like there will be a pre-launch hands-on tour, like the wii, going on. The current listed events are invites only, not sure what that means, but Club Nintendo members are invited too all 4 occasions. No idea how the thing with invites are going to work, or how they check people.

Link

Nintendo 3DS Events Near You
Feb 05 - Feb 06 Manchester
Feb 05 - Feb 06 London
Feb 12 - Feb 13 Glasgow
Feb 12 - Feb 13 Bristol

[Dogg Thang]

Yes, it works really well. I don't even really like 3D at the cinema that much, but the 3DS screen is fantastic.

You've seen it in the flesh, right? Does it look liney like those lenticular pictures or is it smooth? I actually have no concept of how the 3D looks on this thing.

[JSR]

I'm still surprised no ones tackled a Nintendo rep regarding Icarus kids controls for lefties?

I'd love to hear Nintendos explanation.

Unless the player has no analogue movement anyway, in which case the fire buttons will do I suppose..

Eh, having the directional input on the left side has been the standard forever. All lefties I know play just fine with the way the machine is (the DS). They even play Guitar Hero just fine.

[Dogg Thang]

From the reports, righties are going to have problems controlling Kid Icarus too. Reports on control have not been good.

[JSR]

From the reports, righties are going to have problems controlling Kid Icarus too. Reports on control have not been good.

I think it is something one will get used to. Just like it was playing a FPS on the DS for the first time, or going back to the Dreamcast today, where you move with the face buttons and aim with the stick placed on the left side of the controller. People are probably just more put off by the fact that they are holding a pen-like object in their hand.

[JamesS]

You've seen it in the flesh, right? Does it look liney like those lenticular pictures or is it smooth? I actually have no concept of how the 3D looks on this thing.

Yes, it's smooth - there's no lenticular lens in front of the screen or anything like that. If you close one eye, it looks like a perfectly normal LCD screen.

[Dogg Thang]

People are probably just more put off by the fact that they are holding a pen-like object in their hand.

The DS has been around for over five years. People are well used to games that use the stylus. It's not new and not something people have to get used to. Some games control well with the stylus and others just have poor control schemes. I don't know which category Kid Icarus falls into first-hand but the blame doesn't lie with people not knowing how to use the 'pen-like object'.

Yes, it's smooth - there's no lenticular lens in front of the screen or anything like that. If you close one eye, it looks like a perfectly normal LCD screen.

Cool. Sounds nice. I have no idea how they do that.

[JSR]

The DS has been around for over five years. People are well used to games that use the stylus. It's not new and not something people have to get used to. Some games control well with the stylus and others just have poor control schemes. I don't know which category Kid Icarus falls into first-hand but the blame doesn't lie with people not knowing how to use the 'pen-like object'.

Not in itself no. But using a pen-like object to aim the camera, while simultaenously moving like you do in FPS can be awkward. While normally you use two similar sticks to control movement and camera. That at least sounded to be the biggest hindrance according to Eurogamer:

"Meanwhile your hands have to cope with using three implements simultaneously - the Circle Pad, stylus and shoulder button. On first picking up the game, it all feels a bit tricky and awkward. Things get easier with only a little practice, however, and shooting enemies soon becomes quite satisfying."

Using the stylus by itself is no feat. It does after all look like a pen, and in most situations, it's actually used as a pen in the game too. But those rare times when it is not (and you are expected to move at the same time), you will get a learning curve.

[abigsmurf]

The original DS allowed you to use face buttons as an alternative to the Dpad which was a decent compromise.

There are only two games I can think of on the DS with zero concessions for lefties: Make 10 (unplayable), FFXII : Revevant Wings (Dpad controlled the camera and wasn't mirrored, the game needed heavy camera usage although as it wasn't an action game it was still playable for lefties, just cumbersome).

Lefties never 'got used' to using the stylus on the DS because they didn't have to.

Using a stylus does require as much precision as a pen for a lot of games. Could you imagine Ouendan/elite beat agents with your offhand?

[Dogg Thang]

Using the stylus by itself is no feat. It does after all look like a pen, and in most situations, it's actually used as a pen in the game too. But those rare times when it is not (and you are expected to move at the same time), you will get a learning curve.

Again, I reiterate - the DS has been around for over five years. We've all played Mario 64 with it. Metroid Prime Hunters. Scribblenauts. You're describing it as if we haven't seen this revolutionary 'pen-like object' you describe. The other (and more important) learning curve associated with that is with developers learning what control methods suit the available options of the DS and what don't.

[JSR]

Using a stylus does require as much precision as a pen for a lot of games. Could you imagine Ouendan/elite beat agents with your offhand?

No, but those games only require the use of the stylus, thus can be played by either hand.
In Kid Icarus you have auto-aim and a pretty big reticule, so I imagine all people should be able to play that more than competently. It's not pixel perfect aiming the game requires.

I'm not saying the lefties won't have problems, because sometimes they will, to different extents. I'm just saying that having only one analog input has been the norm for generations now, and to expect Nintendo to rebuild their machine to accommodate lefties would be naive.

But in games requiring both the screen and the slide pad, I personally think it's coin toss for people. I am righthanded, and would sometimes rather control the analog input with my right hand than my left, all depending on the game, and sometimes my right hand MUST be used with the stylus. So I think lefties will be at a disadvantage not so much more than righties are when both control inputs are used.