3ds i'm thinking of getting one....

[togerland]

I already own the ds but so far it seems the graphics arent really better then the ds? It just looks like they kept the graphics the same and added 3d...... does anyone else think this? Also are there any plans of 3ds updates anytime soon? As the last DS they had like 3 revisions of it

[Chsoriano]

The hardware has definitely improved... however it doesn't seem like game developers are taking advantage of this added horsepower yet. If you look at some of the recent first party titles however, i.e., Ocarina of Time 3D and Mario Kart 7, you can see some subtle cues that reveal the better hardware.

That said, I would say anyone considering purchasing a DS should get the 3DS (due to the price cut), but if you already have a DS Lite, DSi, etc. then I would suggest waiting unless there is a 3DS title you absolutely must play.

[togerland]

The mario and mario kart ones makes it worth buying to me :)

[Nick H. Supervisor]

Have you tried a 3DS? I tried one in the store and had to put it down after 30 seconds; the 3D effect was causing me real issues. Either that or I could have just moved the slider to turn the effect off, but then I may as well just stick with my DS Lite really.

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

having owned a DS Lite, i can tell you that the graphics are much improved.

like any other gaming system, devs havent used the "horsepower" that the system can offer - remember it's still in its first year. think back to early PS3 or 360 games, for example.

there are no plans for a new 3DS version - remember, it hasnt even been out for a year. patience people.

as for the 3D eye strain - it goes away after extended use. it's simply that your eye's muscles arent strong enough yet for the constant 3D use. the muscles get stronger after a couple days (literally) and the strain goes away completely.

here are the games i own:

• Pilotwings - great use of 3D, cute cartoony graphics
  
• Splinter Cell 3D - great graphics, and uses real dialogue instead of on-screen text. 3D works fine, but not needed
  
• Ocarina of Time - awesome. just awesome. 3D works great.
  
• Mario Kart - amazing use of 3D. graphics are great.
  
• Starfox - just got it, havent played
  
• Mario 3D - just got it, havent played
  

[Blackhearted]

Have you tried a 3DS? I tried one in the store and had to put it down after 30 seconds; the 3D effect was causing me real issues. Either that or I could have just moved the slider to turn the effect off, but then I may as well just stick with my DS Lite really.

We really need a facepalm smiley for comments like that.

[Boxster17]

Have you tried a 3DS? I tried one in the store and had to put it down after 30 seconds; the 3D effect was causing me real issues.

It's weird as I own a 3D TV and have never had any issues with my TV or watching 3D movies at the theater, but for whatever reason the 3DS causes some real headaches for me in 3D mode.

Back on topic, unless there's any must play games for you then I'd probably hold off. I plan on waiting a bit until some more games are released, or possibly a 3DS Lite (Since I'm picking up a Vita I don't expect to be buying this for at least another year).

Mainly want to play the Mario games, especially the new Mario Kart as I played the heck out of my DS version, but can't justify the cost of the system for 2 games at the moment. Well make that 3 because I'd probably grab Starfox as well at the current time.

[Sylar0]

I already own the ds but so far it seems the graphics arent really better then the ds? It just looks like they kept the graphics the same and added 3d...... does anyone else think this? Also are there any plans of 3ds updates anytime soon? As the last DS they had like 3 revisions of it

As a DS lite and DSi XL owner and a first day 3ds adopter I can tell you this, one nintendo has no plans what so ever at the moment to update the 3ds in fact they have even said right now like at least most of this gen they don?t think it can be done. The graphics in 2D are far better than anything in the DS range. I?ll say again the 3DSes graphics in 2d are better than the DS. Add the online features eshop and free video services including eurosport weekly or so videos you?re onto a winner. Oh and for all the people whom no doubt think the 3ds is just another type of DS your or not worth it if you turn the 3d off your totally wrong it might as well be called a totally different none DS name is the PS1 the same as a PS3 because its named PlayStation no. Original poster get one your into a winner and don?t forget the 3d cam and video recording.

[~Johnny]

The graphics hcardware is certainly much better than the current DS, and a lot of games prove it (Street Fighter, DOA, Star Fox, Mario Land, Mario Kart, Resident Evil, Ridge Racer, etc). Mario Kart 7 doesn't look that far off the Wii version, which is great considering it's also powering a 3D view and another screen below.

Even if you don't use the 3D at all, the graphical boost is a good enough reason to update, although most people get used to the 3D effect if they ease themselves into it - i.e., if it hurts your eyes, start with the 3D low, and work it up over a few weeks - your eyes adjust pretty great. But like I say, even without it there's plenty of good reason to update.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

We really need a facepalm smiley for comments like that.

While I admit that I haven't followed the development of the 3DS, I'm a bit confused about which bit makes you want to facepalm. Having a quick check of the specs of each handheld, there appear to be 4 major differences between them:

• 3D effect: As I mentioned in my above post, since I would have the 3D effect turned off, I may as well stick with the Lite.
  
• Camera: I have no need for a camera on my handheld device. In fact, every other device that I own seems to have a camera, so why do I need another one?
  
• Battery Life: The Lite beats the 3DS on battery life.
  
• Screen Resolution: The 3DS beats the Lite when it comes to resolution size.

From the above points, the only reason I could imagine getting a 3DS over a DS Lite would be for the resolution increase. Sure, it can also play the 3D games that come out, but what would be the point for me to buy a 3D game when I'm going to turn the 3D function off?

And so I think that my point stands: why would I (and note that I'm talking about me, rather than suggesting this to the OP) buy a 3DS when I'm just going to turn the 3D function off?

[mint0]

I found the 3D effect to cause motion sickness at first but now that im used to it i can play for a couple of hours without any trouble :)

[Blackhearted]

While I admit that I haven't followed the development of the 3DS, I'm a bit confused about which bit makes you want to facepalm. Having a quick check of the specs of each handheld, there appear to be 4 major differences between them:

• 3D effect: As I mentioned in my above post, since I would have the 3D effect turned off, I may as well stick with the Lite.
  
• Camera: I have no need for a camera on my handheld device. In fact, every other device that I own seems to have a camera, so why do I need another one?
  
• Battery Life: The Lite beats the 3DS on battery life.
  
• Screen Resolution: The 3DS beats the Lite when it comes to resolution size.
  

From the above points, the only reason I could imagine getting a 3DS over a DS Lite would be for the resolution increase. Sure, it can also play the 3D games that come out, but what would be the point for me to buy a 3D game when I'm going to turn the 3D function off?

And so I think that my point stands: why would I (and note that I'm talking about me, rather than suggesting this to the OP) buy a 3DS when I'm just going to turn the 3D function off?

Your point doesn't stand though. You're still thinking that it's the same ds hardware, but with 3d added on(and a higher resolution). It's not. It's an entirely new device. Entriely new underlying hardware. Equivlent to more than a generational leap in power/capabilities. It's even been stated more than once in this very thread that it easily outclasses the ds, even this early in its life(before developers have truly maxed it out). Also, you kinda act like the 3d effect is required to play when it's not. It simply enhances the new games, for the most part. Kinda like how the "HD" consoles work just fine on an SD tv. Using an HD tv just enchances the experience, but isn't a requirement to use.

As for why you'd buy one, it's simple. You'll buy one if you want to play any new games exclusive to nintendo's handheld. Cause they wont work in your beloved ds lite.

[The Teej]

there are no plans for a new 3DS version - remember, it hasnt even been out for a year. patience people.

Your faith in Nintendo to rip people off clearly has waned over the years, my son.

(blasted limited edition Zelda 25th anniversary 3DS forcing me to play my hand early :()

[Blackhearted]

Your faith in Nintendo to rip people off clearly has waned over the years, my son.

(blasted limited edition Zelda 25th anniversary 3DS forcing me to play my hand early :()

As has been said at various sites/forums that was posted at, that's not a confirmation. It's not even a rumor. It's just the magazine speculating.

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

Your faith in Nintendo to rip people off clearly has waned over the years, my son.

speculation and rumors do not equal fact. the fact is, there are no plans, my child.

It's weird as I own a 3D TV and have never had any issues with my TV or watching 3D movies at the theater, but for whatever reason the 3DS causes some real headaches for me in 3D mode.

you still dont get it, do you? you need to play the 3DS for several hours/days for the muscles in your eyes to strengthen. after they do, the eye strain and headaches go away completely. your eyes do not strain when wearing 3D glasses.

[REM2000]

Your faith in Nintendo to rip people off clearly has waned over the years, my son.

(blasted limited edition Zelda 25th anniversary 3DS forcing me to play my hand early :()

It was the edition to push me to join the 3DS :) Love the design it looks really good with the Triforce in gold on the black casing :)

speculation and rumors do not equal fact. the fact is, there are no plans, my child.

you still dont get it, do you? you need to play the 3DS for several hours/days for the muscles in your eyes to strengthen. after they do, the eye strain and headaches go away completely. your eyes do not strain when wearing 3D glasses.

I have to agree with this statement. I picked up a 3DS in HMV in the UK and really felt the strain on my eyes and i couldn't see the point. Well i bit the bullet and got the Zelda edition with the thought of just playing the games in 2D. However after a couple of hour adjustment i don't feel no strain at all, even when playing on the train.

I would really recommend the 3DS, the new games look really good, better than the DS. I owned a DS Lite since 2006 and was in two minds if to get the 3DS but there is a noticeable graphic as well as audio improvement over the DS, the graphics look a lot sharper and everything runs very smoothly.

I currently Mario Kart, Zelda Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 3D and they all play and look great. The first thing Nintendo has fixed is online playing and really the whole network stack. Yeah the friends codes are still there but in Mario Kart it was really easy to join a public internet game with no lag or any noticeable slow downs.

Im a big fan of street pass, at the moment it appears to be a little gimmicky but i like the gimmick, i think it's a good way to discover other players in public spaces, whilst still keeping relatively private, i.e. only a nickname is given, so far the extras from street pass in Super Mario 3D and Mario Kart have been fun and a complete bonus. For example my 3DS picked up another person who had played Mario Kart and had uploaded his best lap on one of the mario kart circuits for me to race against his ghost, which i thought was a good touch and something i hope other games take full advantage of.

I have been experimenting with the camera, it's pretty low res with pictures not being particularly detailed however it's been interesting to walk around and try and capture 3D images. I have taken pictures of various things from the "Boris Bikes" to various buildings and the 3D does come though really well, as does the video. I would say that the 3D is really a layered picture, with each layer just above the other, i.e. a person might be at the front of the picture, a car behind with the scenery behind them all. Again not going to set the world on fire but something to play with.

I like the idea of the online store to buy downloadable games, i have already purchased Zen Pinball and can't wait for others, price i thought was reasonable at i think ?4.50, whole process was nice and easy and I'm really pleased nintendo adopting real cash prices instead of the points system on the Wii, Xbox etc..

There are some other fun little gimmicky things such as the face shooters, which takes a picture of your face and then uses the gyroscope to allow you to shoot them down in an AR way, the AR games which pop up on your desk if you place a physical playing card down.

Jan/Feb look like good months with games with quite a few releases such as Paper Mario

The hardware is really solid and definitely a nintendo product, it's really well built and feels like it could last for decades, a lot of people mention that the battery only lasts for 3 hours. Based on my experience which is i am a commuter, i take the 3DS off full charge when i leave for work, i leave the system sleeping and not powered off with WiFi and street pass on, i play the 3DS for about 1 1/2 hours in the morning, about 40 mins during lunch and then about 1-2 hours in the evening by the time i get home i get the red flashing lights to tell me it needs charging. I will admit that my DS Lite would last for a good few days before requiring a charge, however it doesn't bother me as long as it lasts the day then thats all i want.

Short answer, if you like nintendo games like mario and zelda get one, depending on games you do like it might be worth waiting for the Vita and then try out both and see which games selection and console you are more drawn too.

A lot of blurb, hopefully some of it is of some use :)

[~Johnny]

...

And so I think that my point stands: why would I (and note that I'm talking about me, rather than suggesting this to the OP) buy a 3DS when I'm just going to turn the 3D function off?

I thin you miss the part where the DS is as powerful as a DS, whereas the 3DS is much closer to the graphical prowess of a Wii ( / better than a PSP). The 3DS isn't just about the 3D, as has been said, there's a whole generational leap of extra processing power inside. Which, when it comes down to it, is why most people upgrade to a newer console. More power, more games :p. (Though I still wager that just like everyone else, your eyes will adjust to the 3D over time).

[notuptome2004]

Nintendo 3DS specs :

CPU: 2 x 266MHz ARM11 DS dont have

GPU: PICA200 133MHz GPU by DMP DS dont have

RAM: 128MB FCRam DS dont have

Video RAM: 4MB DS dont have

Storage: 1.5GB Flash-based DS dont have

• D-pad DS has
  
• Push-buttons
  
• Touchscreen Ds has
  
• Circle Pad
  
• 3-axis accelerometer DS dont have
  
• 3-axis gyroscope^{[69] DS dont have}
  
• Volume slider
  
• 3D depth slider DS dont have
  
• Wireless communications switch
  

Nintendo DSXL and Lite:

16MB of Ram

133mhz CPU

So all in all the 3DS is far Superior hardware better graphics and everything

[The Teej]

Got one for my 6 year old nephew. I had to play with it first ofc :D.

My eyes couldn't focus at the begining with the 3D screen. There is a warning on the box that it can cause eye damage.

I got him Mario Karts and Super Mario Land somehting. Games still look like his DS XL oh and he doesnt want 3D on by himself. We kept his DS XL I got him last year so that his eyes dont get tired by abusing the 3DS.

And I am sure Nintendo can move on to 32-bit colors. The UI feels like 8-bit.

I'm not entirely sure how you can say 3DS games look like DSi XL games... you might want to do a comparison of Mario Kart DS vs. Mario Kart 7 side by side :p

[nominak]

While I admit that I haven't followed the development of the 3DS, I'm a bit confused about which bit makes you want to facepalm. Having a quick check of the specs of each handheld, there appear to be 4 major differences between them:

• 3D effect: As I mentioned in my above post, since I would have the 3D effect turned off, I may as well stick with the Lite.
  
• Camera: I have no need for a camera on my handheld device. In fact, every other device that I own seems to have a camera, so why do I need another one?
  
• Battery Life: The Lite beats the 3DS on battery life.
  
• Screen Resolution: The 3DS beats the Lite when it comes to resolution size.
  

From the above points, the only reason I could imagine getting a 3DS over a DS Lite would be for the resolution increase. Sure, it can also play the 3D games that come out, but what would be the point for me to buy a 3D game when I'm going to turn the 3D function off?

And so I think that my point stands: why would I (and note that I'm talking about me, rather than suggesting this to the OP) buy a 3DS when I'm just going to turn the 3D function off?

And this way you're limiting yourself to old games. Even if the games are fun, for the 3DS, you'll never know because you wont buy one.

Super Mario 3D Land is a fun game regardless if the 3D is on or off.

[majortom1981]

While I admit that I haven't followed the development of the 3DS, I'm a bit confused about which bit makes you want to facepalm. Having a quick check of the specs of each handheld, there appear to be 4 major differences between them:

• 3D effect: As I mentioned in my above post, since I would have the 3D effect turned off, I may as well stick with the Lite.
  
• Camera: I have no need for a camera on my handheld device. In fact, every other device that I own seems to have a camera, so why do I need another one?
  
• Battery Life: The Lite beats the 3DS on battery life.
  
• Screen Resolution: The 3DS beats the Lite when it comes to resolution size.
  

From the above points, the only reason I could imagine getting a 3DS over a DS Lite would be for the resolution increase. Sure, it can also play the 3D games that come out, but what would be the point for me to buy a 3D game when I'm going to turn the 3D function off?

And so I think that my point stands: why would I (and note that I'm talking about me, rather than suggesting this to the OP) buy a 3DS when I'm just going to turn the 3D function off?

The 3ds has double or triple the horsepower that the ds does and also a better online system.

[Blackhearted]

Nintendo 3DS specs :

CPU: 2 x 266MHz ARM11 DS dont have

GPU: PICA200 133MHz GPU by DMP DS dont have

RAM: 128MB FCRam DS dont have

Video RAM: 4MB DS dont have

Storage: 1.5GB Flash-based DS dont have

• D-pad DS has
  
• Push-buttons
  
• Touchscreen Ds has
  
• Circle Pad
  
• 3-axis accelerometer DS dont have
  
• 3-axis gyroscope^{[69] DS dont have}
  
• Volume slider
  
• 3D depth slider DS dont have
  
• Wireless communications switch
  

Nintendo DSXL and Lite:

16MB of Ram

133mhz CPU

So all in all the 3DS is far Superior hardware better graphics and everything

Actually, while we do know the 3ds has an arm cpu, that there's 128MB of (system) ram, and that the gpu is the pica, the clock speeds of the cpu and the gpu as well as the amount of video ram haven't been confirmed by any official/legitimate source that i know of. Though regardless of the speculated clockspeeds and such, the 3ds is far far superior as you said.

As for the old ds specs: The ds lite only has 4MB of ram and a 66mhz main cpu(the 2nd cpu is 33mhz), it's the dsi that has 16MB and 133mhz. However i beleive that extra power/ram in the dsi wasn't used much, if at all, in retail games.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

Ah, so the 3DS has more power in it. Fair enough, I stand corrected. As I said I've not exactly followed the development of the 3DS, and given Nintendo's history with the DS line it wouldn't have surprised me to learn that the 3DS was the exact same system with the extra gimmick tacked on.

[compl3x]

I would suggest you try onw first. The 3D can make some people feel a bit weird. If that doesn't apply to you I would definitely recommend getting one. There are a fw good games on it and there are more to come this year.

Mario 3D land was one of my fav games of 2011.

[S00N3R FR3AK]

It's rumor, Nintendo is getting ready to fill Wiiu mode they can't be sidetracked by a 3DS revision. There are enough great games to warrant buying this now.