It seems not too long ago when the Nintendo DS came out and we were all wondering why they needed two screens instead of one. I think I’m still wondering why, but at least they’ve made good use of the two screens in games that have been released since. But now the Nintendo 3DS is out, and I’ve got one (as I’m wont to do with pretty much any significantly interesting gadget), and it has me asking a bunch of other questions.

The 3DS is essentially a DSi with some minor hardware and software changes. Obviously, the major thing is the addition of a no-glasses 3D screen. Only the top screen is in 3D and it’s been made wider, making it not only wider than the original DSi screen, but wider than the bottom screen that’s on the 3DS itself - which seems weird to me.

There is also a new analog pad for the 3DS, which allows fine-grained control over on-screen action. The analog pad slides around on the surface of the unit, which has the same ill feel as the PSP analog controllers, although the pad on the 3DS is actually of a useful size. For long-term use, I can’t say that its placement or shape is really good, but with the available area and the presence of the existing D-pad, it seems like this may have been the only option.

The 3D screen is coupled with an extra external camera, making it possible to take stereoscopic photos with a single button press. The ability to take 3D photos is possibly the most practical (!) new feature of the unit, although the resolution of the photos is quite low compared to other dedicated 3D consumer-oriented cameras. It’s worthwhile to note that while the viewfinder for the 3D camera feature is the 3D screen itself, the photos that it takes are actually taller than the viewport of the screen. If you cut someone’s head off on the screen, it’s entirely likely that the raw file still has the part you cut off. I’ve taken photos that complete cut off heads on-screen, and the digital file contains the head!

Overall, the build of the device seems solid, but oddly more plasticy than the DSi. Maybe it’s the matte finish of the DSi that leads to this perception over the 3DS’ glossy finish, which looks like something I should be peeling off. The kids’ DSi’s otherwise seem pretty solid compared to the 3DS, and I’m particularly disheartened by the quality of the hinge between the screens. It tends not to lock perfectly, and seems sort of flimsy. There are places in the software that detect the hinge opening, and you can see that it detects this a lot more often than it actually happening. Based on handling the unit at the store also, I’d say this was not a manufacturing defect on my unit, but a general design flaw.

The software is quite updated, as one might imagine to make better use of the hardware, but there are little changes that you will appreciate if you’ve ever played with a DSi. On a DSi, when you press the power button during a game, the unit kicks you back to the main menu of the unit, where you can select from any of the internal software or the cartridge to play. This always seemed like an afterthought to me. The 3DS does better.

The 3DS adds a Home button that displays the system menu, rather than dual-purposing the power button. Also, when you press the Home button, the software that you’re using pauses while the DS provides the system menu. This is nice because some of the options available in the system menu can be run while you’re using the game. In particular, there are ares for you to make notes about the game you’re playing, which could be nice in a complicated RPG, and access to built-in game instructions, which I think is a great idea for both downloadable games and games on carts. Sadly, not all software can be run simultaneously to a game or other software, and starting a different game while in the middle of an existing one will terminate the existing game. Still, this is an appreciated little change.

The system software that ships with the 3DS includes some completely new functionality for the DS. There is a Mii-maker application, which lets you create a personal avatar for use in many of the 3DS games. This is very much like the Mii functionality of the Wii. The Mii functionality is fine, but it both seems outdated after having played with XBox avatars, and I don’t yet see any way to integrate these Miis with the ones on the Wii. Also, just like the Wii, it sometimes feels like games were built just to make use of the Mii functionality, and it gives the game a really cartoony feel. To me, it seems like this causes the game diversity to suffer. I think I would rather see something that allowed the Miis to be more customized and used even as static photos in games that don’t use the actual Mii within the game. This would lend itself more toward the type of gamer profile that the XBox has, which I think I prefer.

One of the things you can do with the Mii is use this new Streetpass software. I think this software is probably the most underspoken new feature of the 3DS, and deserves a little more attention, yet still feels like there should be more - and maybe more is on the way with a future system update.

Streetpass uses some of the new hardware features of the 3DS to make it function like a pedometer in sleep mode. Basically what you do is close the clamshell to put the 3DS in sleep mode. The internal sensors (accelerometers like those found in the iPhone/iPod/iPad) track the movement of the 3DS. So you put it in your pocket while you’re walking, and it can track how many steps you take. Or you could jog with it. Personally, I think the 3DS is too heavy to do any strenuous physical activity with it in your pocket, but the pedometer is a nice touch, and compared to other devices I have that track steps, it actually does a really good job.

What does this pedometer feature have to do with anything? Well, the more steps you take (the more physical activity you participate in), the more of these credits you earn, and you can use the credits to buy items in several games that are included with the system software.

Also, while you’re out walking around with your 3DS, Streetpass tries to find other 3DS users wirelessly. You set up a Streetpass profile in advance, and when you walk within wireless range of someone else with a public profile, your 3DS exchanges Streetpass data with theirs. It’s kind of interesting. There is also a little adventure game that requires you to have Streetpass friends to participate. You can buy friends (ha!) with credits, or use the friends you’ve collected.

The credits can also be used to buy new levels in at least one of the included games, which uses AR cards. The AR cards are kind fo neat. You place a card - it’s just like a playing card with a different design on the face - on a flat surface and look at it through the camera on the 3DS. The game changes what it sees into an animated game. You end up shooting at targets that you can see on the screen in 3D, but are superimposed on whatever you happened to lay the AR card on top of. The effect is really neat, and although this is not the first game I’ve seen like this (there’s a good one for the iPhone), it is the best implementation. Plus the 3D makes it really nice.

The AR card game and the included Face Raiders game (which I also like, even if it is very strange) both make use of the accelerometers to track your movement, and expect you to move around. You cannot complete the games without physically moving yourself. This seems to be a theme for the 3DS, really. Combined with the pedometer and these games that make you move, there seems to be a continuation from the Wii’s “motion required” mindset into what Nintendo has produced for the 3DS.

One very sad thing about the internal software is that the internet functionality is crippled. They’re expecting to release a system update at the end of May to add this functionality, but its lack at the system release is a huge hole in the product offering. One of the best things about opening the DSi box was the availability of downloadable games without having to go to the store and buy additional carts right away to make the system useful. While the 3DS comes with enough games to keep you busy for a little while, they’re not all going to suit each player. Downloadable games seem like a necessity for modern consoles. So yeah, what about the games?

I bought Pilotwings and Samurai Warriors for the 3DS. Pilotwings is a cartoony flying game that makes use of the Mii functionality. You pilot a plane, a jetpack, a hang-glider, a jet, and some other vehicles through a neat little island setting. The game is very 3D, and it’s use is pretty stunning. Sadly, the game is not particularly challenging, and the sorties that it makes you run become more tedious each time you run a mission. If it weren’t for the great visuals, it wouldn’t really be worth it at all.

There’s also this weird feature where you can take in-game 3D photos. Why you would want to include photos of the game in your camera’s photo roll, I can’t say. This extra feature sounds neat, but there are places where you must take photos, and it asks you whether you want to save the ones that you’re required to take. I simply can’t imagine wanting to do this.

The Samurai Warriors game is much like the other games in this franchise. It’s been a while since I played them, though, and I didn’t recall that there was so much tedium involved before even getting to the action of the game. And then the action is more like the typical button-pounding of these types of games. Kill everything around you, and use no skill in doing it.

While the game progresses, it gives you a richly detailed history of the events leading up to you killing everyone that nobody would ever really care about. You occasionally have to toggle between the character you created and a character that they’ve provided for you, which is quite annoying, since I only really want to build my own character up, not the built-in one. There are many power ups that you can earn, but then have to allocate between the characters you pick up.

I dunno. Maybe I came into this game with certain expectations that it would be fun. Guess not.

Unfortunately, the game lineup for the 3DS is pretty sparse. I should see if there’s anything else worth picking up. I hear good things about the Street Fighter game, but I don’t know if I even really want to play that. What I’d really love is a good RPG. Zelda would be fantastic.

So, I don’t really have a conclusion to my 3DS review. I need to see more games. Right now, it’s a great piece of machinery with some small hardware flaws that could really benefit from a handful of system upgrades and killer games. Depending on what Nintendo releases for it over the next couple months, it could be a really neat system, as opposed to the big red Gameboy VR goggles that we still have in the basement.

Bonus info - I upgraded my M3i Zero to the latest firmware, and it does work with the 3DS when you load it with DS or DSi-compatible ROMs. As far as I know, there is nothing available yet that will even rip the 3DS ROMs, so there isn’t a way to even test them on the M3i. From what I’ve read online at the various “scene” sites (why can’t these idiots write a single succinct page that explains the status of things?) you would need a cracked 3DS ROM (similar to what you need to run DS homebrew) in order to play homebrew 3DS games. And since no 3DS games are even ripped in the scene yet, there’s no opportunity for a 3DS ROM to have been cracked. The basic sentiment is that we all need to wait. And that’s fine. But the good news is that home brew movie players and emulators that worked on the DS will still work on the 3DS after you upgrade the firmware of the cart. This is the case with most carts that work with the DSi.