Nintendo 3DS - GROUND ZERO

[JSR]

Use this thread to answer the following questions:

-Looking forward to the 3DS?
-Gonna pick it up on day one?
-How do you think it will be?
-What games are you getting for it?
-How are you planning on spending you first day with it?
-How do you like the console?
-How do you like the games?

In general a thread where you post your hopes, fears and impressions on the console and its initial games. Would be very nice to keep it free from price talk and copy-pasted reviews. I want your THOUGHTS and IMPRESSIONS.

[JSR]

I'll go first.

I have planned to visit my optician on friday, letting me sneak out of job a couple of hours earlier. As the optician is at the same mall as where I have pre-ordered the machine, it will all work out very nicely. The local Gamestop will let me add a game to the machine for 10£. The choices are Splinter Cell, Rayman, Ghost Recon and Sims 3, so I'm gonna go with Ghost Recon. That game looks rad. That's in addition to Pilotwings and Ridge Racer 3D, which I had planned to get all along. Might even pick up Okamiden or a Dragon Quest game for the DS, so that I have even more juice for the weekend. If you hadn't guessed, I'm gonna barricade myself in my apartment for the entire weekend.

I know everybody is hating on the launch line-up, but I think it's pretty good. Compare it to other console launches in the last 10 years, and I don't think any other consoles did much better. Pilotwings, Ridge Racer, Ghost Recon, Nintendogs and Raving Rabbids are all new games created for the console, and by what I've heard, they are all at least decent, if not good.

Bit worried about the battery life. The charging cradle seems very nice, but I fear I could easily play for more than 3 hours in a single session. I know it can be charged while playing by using the charging cable, but as I intend to have the cradle on top of a cabinet – with the wire hanging behind it – it will be very cumbersome to remove the charging cable. I might go for a second charger. Had a DSI one, but traded it in when pre-ordering.

As for colour, I went with the blue one. Seems fitting when the games all are so full of vivid colors. Getting tired of dull black handhelds. My PSPgo is snore fest. Might be shiny and stylish, but isn't say FUN the way my pink Game Boy Micro is. Overall though, I'm a tad unsure about the look of the 3DS. It looks allright. Miles better than the first version of the DS, but it still looks a bit “cobbled together”. Like the designers were unsure of what direction they were going. Some parts are clean and neat, while others (the glittery surface around the buttons) look like a Fisher Price toy. All in all, I think it looks OKAY. Could definitely look better, but I won't hide it when having company over.

Despite Nintendo saying otherwise, I think we will see a redesign within two years. The size is nothing to really object to, but there are plenty of other areas where it could be improved. Like I already mentioned, it could be prettier. The battery life will surely be improved. Built in storage would be nice. I also think that as the technology gets better, we will get a better 3D-screen. One with better viewing angle and less cross-talk (where the right eye sees part of what the left eye is supposed to see, creating “ghosting”), and maybe even better sense of 3D. And the cameras might be upgraded to 2 megapixels or something.

The iPad 2 also comes out on the same day (and the new Radiohead cd), and I am considering picking that up to. Don't know what I would do with it, but has a strange appeal. Either way, it will be a very nice weekend.

[BIG EDD]

Went with a blue 3ds with ridge racer and pilot wings.hoping amazon will send it out on Thursday with next day delivery(choose that option)looking forward to actually playing it in the flesh watched enough videos and read enough reviews need to experience it for myself.

[JohnMcL7]

I'm not looking forward to the DS and have no intentions of picking one up, dislike 3D films as they give me terrible headaches and just generally uncomfortable to watch keeping it all focused so while I don't know how the 3D on the 3DS is in comparison it has absolutely no appeal to me.

John

[Mr Ono]

I am also not bothering. Concerns about the lack of decent games, high price and battery life are holding me back. Having said all that, I haven't actually seen a unit in the flesh yet so, if I happen across one on Friday and it blows my socks off, I may just see if there is one available

[Neon Ignition]

Mines on order and looks locked in to arrive on Friday. The battery life is a let down but ultimately something I can live with whilst the games, though lacking current killer app, are a short term concern as there'll no doubt be stuff down the line. Price point wise, now is the best time to pick one up. There will 100% definately not be a lower price point down the line, if anything it will cost closer to £220 later on and any potential new models will likely follow the DS's history and cost even more on top.

Mines blue, a bit glam I guess but black is the ultimate dull choice. I've got Ridge Racers on order as it seems to be the most replayable title out on launch. I'm looking at Pilotwings as a potential 2nd game despite its length and if the funds are free SSF4 despite it's age and rip-off price point

[hudson]

I've gone all out. I've got a man black 3DS, Hori hard case, SSFIV, Ridge Racer, Pilotwings, PES and Shadow Wars on order.

Really looking forward to it.

[Herbalizer]

I'm all set for Friday. Day booked off work, wife and daughter packed off to her mothers in West Wales.

I've pre-ordered the Aqua Blue console with HMV and I'll be getting Street Fighter, Pilotwings, Ridge Racer and (solely on the impressions from Strider) Ghost Recon.

I don't understand the bad feeling about the launch line up, I can't remember another launch where I could cherry pick four titles that look really strong.


Is anyone going to set up a friends code thread so we can all play Street Fighter? I can't think of any other online launch games.

[mingo]

i'm off on Friday. Gonna go pick up a Aqua Blue with Pilotwings and PES from HMV Selfridges London as i have ?255 of vouchers free courtesy of work Chose blue cause i already have a Cosmo Black Japanese one

[charlesr]

Hopefully some people who already have theirs can post?

[BIG EDD]

I am looking forward to ridge racer as I've always had a soft spot for the series.must admit the launch titles are not that bad considering past console launch line ups.Pilot wings will pass the time away for me I do like exploring environments.Also looking forward to assessing the AR cards and the rest of the built-in software

[NemesiS]

Strangely enough i'm not really looking forward to the 3DS release and i like most things Nintendo. It looks gimmicky and there doesn't seem to be enough there to justify a ?200 outlay. Its smaller than my XL which is plain annoying and for me is a deal breaker having gotten used to the larger screen and system.

I may be tempted down the line but not for a couple of years either until its down to under a ton or it gets an XL upgrade.

I'll also wait to see how the games develop as looking at the current launch titles, they all look surprisingly bland and have received some lukewarm reviews at best. SF4 & RR on the go is not my idea of gaming nirvana..

[Brad]

Launch titles are usually a bit lame and I see no difference here. Not into fighting games ATM, Pilotwings I've never found appealing, RR looks like a graphically inferior version of the PSP title on a smaller screen. I know nothing about the ghost recon game though so I'll research that. All in all, no reason for a day one purchase as the hardware on its own doesn;t offer enough beyond games.

I fully expect the NGP game lineup to be poor too but the appeal of that 5" screen is enough for me to get one even without the games I imagine.

If it had a new Zelda game, or the MGS3 remake at launch it'd be a different story. The hardware seems ok and the 3d was pretty amazing. Hope you early adopters all enjoy yourselves. I'll be reading all the first plays with interest.

[abigsmurf]

The problem with the 3DS's launch line up is there's no single "if you get a 3DS, you've gotta get..." game.

Anyhow, I'm getting mine on Friday, still unsure what game to get with it though. It's frustrating that Pilot Wings is such a phoned in effort.

[Roddie]

The tech is cool, but there are no killer launch titles and the battery life would be hard to take compared to my DS Lite.