Nintendo 3DS - Aqua Blue
by Nintendo
Our Price: $179.49
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Category: Video Games
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Product Summary
Brand: NintendoAudio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: CD
Release Date: 2011-03-27
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Model: CTRSBAAA
Color: Aqua Blue
Publisher: Nintendo
Product features:
- Nintendo 3DS offers a new way to play, 3D without the need for special glasses. The 3D Depth Slider lets your determine how much 3D you want to see.
- Play 3D games and take 3D pictures with Nintendo 3DS
- Connect to a deeper wireless experience with SpotPassTM and StreetPassTM, giving you more exclusive content and connecting you with other Nintendo 3DS users
- Complete with an adjustable stylus, 6 AR cards, and fun built-in software such as Face RaidersTM, Nintendo 3DS Sound, and the Mii MakerTM application
- Use Parental Controls to restrict 3D mode for children 6 and under
- AmazonBasics SDHC Class 4 32GB Secure Digital Card
- AmazonBasics SDHC Class 10 4 GB Secure Digital Card
- AmazonBasics SDHC Class 4 16GB Secure Digital Card
Video Game Reviews of Nintendo 3DS - Aqua Blue
Customer Review: Overall Great Job Nintendo
Summary: 5 Stars
Rating 5 Stars = I love it!
Having played the 3DS for nearly two weeks on and off, I am ready to type up my review. This is a review of the system overall. I have had a DS Lite, DSi and DSiXL, so I've had a good taste of the technology. The 3DS is Nintendo's "New" console. That's right, it is not another iteration of the previous DS systems, it is considered a new console, like when the Wii came out. With that in mind, here is my review.
I have been playing Pilotwings Resort as well as all the other system-included apps. The first thing I noticed is the much improved graphics. The graphics remind me more of the Wii graphics. I haven't seen all the other games available, however Pilotwings was done very well. The graphics were smooth and fluid--this is easily noticed due to the improved performance this device is capable of.
The improvements in this system:
Visuals:
The screen resolution is much more sharp than previously available. The touch screen is about as big as the DSi's touch screen so if you're going form a DSi, you won't be disappointed in the least. In fact, I've heard folks complain about how small the screens are--not so! The top screen is a wide screen, so now you'll be able to enjoy all the new games in widescreen! Don't think it makes a difference? Just give it a try. Playing Pilotwings in 3D really does make a difference. I am very satisfied with the screen quality, resolution, color etc. They chose a great quality screen and it will be exciting to see what games will put a smile on our faces in the future.
The next improvements are the apps. It comes with face raiders, AR games and the Mii plaza. These are just to add value to the device and are nice to showcase what the 3DS is capable of. In other words, they're not going to keep you entertained for hours on end, but they are enjoyable to show your friends. The AR games are pretty cool--the first time I saw them, I was quite happy about it. I could tell Nintendo had really thought about how to give the consumer even more than just 3D.
Something else that is cool is you can now get your pictures from your computer, put them on the SD card and actually view them! For some reason Nintendo didn't make this possible on previous DS systems.
The 3D effect is for real. It is awesome and the only way to know what I'm talking about is to try it out for yourself. Nintendo does not release technology like this until it's ready and it's actually quite amazing. With that in mind, I'm not going to spend much time on this, because this was done well, you just have to try it out for yourself to see if you like it.
Audio:
The music app is a lot better. Why? You can now put your non-protected .mp3 music right onto the 3DS. You get the folder with your mp3s, copy them to the 3DS SD card and boom, you're ready to go! It has some cool visual players that make it fun to play music. Of course the sound is crisp and clear. To be honest, the speakers on the 3DS are very good. Not too quiet, not too loud. I think Nintendo was trying to help conserve battery power by now allowing it to be too loud, but when the room is quiet, it is plenty loud.
When I plugged in my standard ipod earphones and played Pilotwings, the sound quality was perfect. There are no limitations for the sound quality the 3DS will play. You want orchestral sounds? The 3DS can do it. You won't be disappointed with the sounds quality of the 3DS and as long as the game developers release great soundtracks, the 3DS does not lack in this department.
Hardware look and feel:
When I first saw the 3DS in aqua blue, I thought to myself, not a bad looking device! It has a nice sparkly surface that goes gradually lighter and darker so it's not just a solid plastic. The quality of the device is great as well. There is a lip on the upper portion of the device that makes it very easy to open up. Not that the previous DSs were hard to open, but it just makes it very clear where to open it. The buttons are improved from previous devices, they feel good to press. The L and R buttons feel better than any previous system I've had. The volume and 3D volume sliders are located in convenient places so overall it's great. My only complaint is where the stylus is located. It's almost hidden and thought to myself, why would they put it there? I'm right-handed, so I thought it would have been better served if they put it on the RIGHT side, but go figure--Nintendo probably had a reason for this, but hopefully next revs are better. It's not that big of a deal to me, but it is kind of annoying. The stylus itself is a telescoping stylus and is of high quality, certainly much better quality than the plastic styli that came with the previous so no big complaints.
The camera is cool, just as good as previous versions. The only improvement here I can see is it does 3D pictures. The quality of the camera itself is not superb. The 3D is cool, but it doesn't actually blow your mind because the camera is not so great. I don't think most people play their DS to take pictures, so I find this of minimal concern.
Something that will take some getting use to is the location of the Select and Start buttons versus the power button. It's more natural to press the power button on the 3DS to return to the home screen, however now you press an actual "Home" button, which is located directly below the touch screen. Not a great location, but I am not sure how they would have made this better. I think it's just a matter of getting use to how it works. If you're in a game, you can press the home button, and it will suspend your game and take you home. This is a cool feature in and of itself, but even cooler than that, there is a game notes app so while your game is suspended, it will display the two screens you were in when you suspended the game and you can make notes! Pretty sweet. You can even save those notes to your SD card.
Overall, the hardware is great. I like the cradle it came with. You don't ever have to power down the 3DS, just close the lid, cradle and it will recharge while it's in that state, which is pretty sweet.
Here is a beef you may not like. The 3DS offers backwards compatibility to your DS/DSi games so they can be played. The drawback? The 3DS has completely different screen resolution so in order to make it "fit" on the screen, it must stretch the image. The overall quality is not pretty in my opinion, because you can tell the colors are not as vibrant, and the picture quality is not as sharp. Now you can load the game with the original resolution, but in order to do this, it shrinks the picture down A LOT. I can see how some people would complain about this. For myself, I'm not getting rid of my DSiXL so it's not a show stopper for me, but it may be for some who are going to be getting rid of their DSi.
Something else I found quite annoying was with how so many vendors were offering trade-ins for consumers old DS systems for credit towards your shiny new 3DS, especially the DSiXL. Well, this is all well and good, but if you have purchased games on your DSi/DSiXL you will lose them, because Nintendo doesn't offer the transfer app until the end of May, so I would be upset about this. Again, this is not a show stopper for me because I'm not getting rid of my DSiXL system, because I love how huge the screen is.
Overall, if you think about the 3DS as a completely new console (and it is) and not another revision of the DS system, you will not be disappointed with it's backwards compatibility, but if this is a show stopper, stop by and demo the 3DS at any local retailer.
It's a sweet system and aside from my annoyances with the backwards compatibility, it will be an awesome system for many years to come. I am keeping my DSiXL for sure, and when the 3DSXL comes out, I'll be getting that and giving my old one to my wife :) Even with the limitations, I'm still giving this system 5 stars, because of the considerations I've already mentioned. Don't be nervous, you won't be disappointed, but keep your old DS system so you can play it in their original glory.
Enjoy!
Description of Nintendo 3DS - Aqua Blue
Nintendo 3DS - Aqua BlueModern handheld gaming has long been dominated by Nintendo and Sony. Each hardware manufacturer has multiple viable offerings derived either directly, or evolving from the respective DS and PlayStation Portable product lines. All of these devices are impressive multifunctional devices, with designs meant to encourage gameplay on the go, integration with the Internet, backwards compatibility to previous games, and so on, but each goes about this in different ways. Taking a few minutes to examine the main features, and getting more familiar with available options, accessories and possible limitations of each handheld is the optimal way to determine which is the best choice for a player.
Handheld Console Choices
Nintendo 3DS View larger | Nintendo DSi/DSi XL View larger | PSP View larger | PSPgo View larger | PlayStation Vita View larger | |
| Suggested Retail Price (prices may vary) | $169.99 | $149.99/$169.99 | $149.99 | $199.99 | $249.99 - $299.99 (February 2012) |
| Display | Dual screen: upper - 3.53" LCD, lower - 3.02" LCD touch screen | Dual screen, backlit, 3.25"/4.2", LCD with 256 x 192 resolution | 4.3" full transparent | 3.8" full transparent | 5" OLED multi-touch screen |
| Internal Usable Memory | 64 MB | NA | 64 MB | 16 GB | TBD |
| External Media Storage | SD memory card | SD memory card | Sony Memory Stick Duo | Memory stick micro | New proprietary "NVG" flash cards |
| Size | 5.3" (l) x 2.9" (w) x 0.8" (h) | 5.4" (w) x 2.9" (l) x 0.74" (h) / 6.3" (w) x 3.6" (l) x 0.84" (h) | 6.7 (w) x 2.7" (w) x 0.7" (h) | 5.0 (w) x 2.71" (h) x 0.65" (d) | 7.2 (l) x 3.3" (w) x 0.73" (d) |
| Weight | 8 oz. | 7.5/11.1 oz. | 6.7 oz. | 5.5 oz. | TBD |
| Colors | Aqua Blue, Flaming Red, Cosmo Black | 7.5 oz. | Piano black (other colors via bundles) | Piano black, Pearl white | Black (other colors to follow) |
| Backwards Compatibility | Plays most DS and DSi games | Plays all DS games | Plays all PSP games in UMD format, or available via download; also plays downloadable PS1 games for PSP | Plays all PSP games available via download and PS1 games for PSP | Plays all PSP games available via download and PS1 games for PSP |
| Wireless Communications | Supports local Nintendo wireless connectivity between devices and IEEE802.11 b/g Wi-Fi connectivity | Supports local Nintendo wireless connectivity between devices and IEEE802.11 b/g Wi-Fi connectivity | Local ad hoc connectivity between PSP devices and infrastructure Wi-Fi connection options | Local ad hoc connectivity between PSP devices and infrastructure Wi-Fi connection options | 3G support in one or two hardware releases; standard ad hoc connectivity between devices and infrastructure Wi-Fi connection options in both |
| Online Media Portal | Nintendo eShop | Nintendo DSi Shop | PlayStation Network | PlayStation Network | PlayStation Network |
| Streaming Video | Netflix* | No | PSN movie rentals, and other video content | PSN movie rentals, and other video content | PSN movie rentals, and other video content |
| Internet Browser | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in |
| Console Integration | Yes, with Wii | Yes, with Wii | Yes, with PS3 | Yes, with PS3 | Yes, with PS3 |
| Game Media | Game card and digital download | Game card and digital download | UMD disc and digital download | Digital download | Digital download, alternate media TBD |
| Online Multiplayer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Local Wireless Multiplayer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Estimated Battery Life | 3-8 hrs | 3-14 hrs | 4-6 hours | 4-6 hours | TBD |
| Input Method | Touch screen, face and shoulder buttons, circle pad, motion/gyro sensor | Touch screen, face and shoulder buttons | Analog stick, D-pad, face buttons and shoulder buttons | Analog stick, D-pad, face buttons and shoulder buttons | Front and rear touch inputs, 2 analog sticks, D-pad, face buttons and shoulder buttons |
| Digital Camera(s) | 3 (0.3 megapixels); 3D capabilities | 2 (0.3 megapixels) | No | No | 2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Graphic Quality | Top adjustable 3D screen - 800 x 240 resolution; lower screen - 320 x 240 resolution | 256 x 192 resolution | 480 x 272 resolution (16:9 aspect ratio) | 480 x 272 resolution (16:9 aspect ratio) | 960 x 544 resolution (16:9 aspect ratio) |
| General Game Price Range | Standard: $19.99 - $39.99 Downloads: $1.99 - $4.99 | Standard: $19.99 - $39.99 Downloads: $1.99 - $4.99 | Standard: $19.99 - $39.99 Downloads: $1.99 - $4.99 | Standard: $19.99 - $39.99 Downloads: $1.99 - $4.99 | Standard: $19.99 - $39.99 Downloads: $1.99 - $4.99 |
Online Play and Functionality
The wireless revolution in personal electronics has made online functionality and connectivity to the Internet a huge focus in handheld gaming. Every handheld console has an online arena that has either been built specifically for it, or that has been adapted to suit the needs of online players. By utilizing these portals players can greatly expand their chosen platform's potential, maximize gaming fun and increase the overall entertainment value of their devices.
The Nintendo eShop is your one-stop shop for exciting downloadable games, videos, applications, and so much more. Discover all-new 3D software, plus legendary titles from gaming past remastered in 3D. Revisit with classic portable "Virtual Console" games starring Mario, Link, many other faces from the Nintendo catalog of games. Gain access to hundreds of previously released DSiWare games, applications and much more. Browsing the Nintendo eShop is incredibly easy, and fun. Find any title in seconds, then view screenshots, game info, and even video to help you make your purchase. You'll even find details and 3D video of Nintendo 3DS games available at retail stores. All games are able to be saved in your own custom wishlist so you can always remember the titles you want to get.
DSiWare through the DSi Shop is a service that allows DSi players to download games and applications directly to their handheld console in exchange for DSi Points purchased through a local retailer. Experience new and innovative gameplay, fresh takes on the classics-and much more. Just shop, download, and enjoy. Visiting the DSi Shop is easy, just establish wireless broadband connection, click on the Nintendo DSi Shop icon from your menu screen and browse the shop and use Nintendo DSi Points. Games and applications can be saved to SD cards (sold separately).
PlayStation Network is an all access pass not only to a world of gaming, but also one of entertainment at-large. The service is 100% free, only requiring a PlayStation handheld (or a PS3) and a broadband connection to the Internet Once you are in visit the PlayStation Store where users can download games, first run and classic movies, previews, DLC add-ons for games, game demos, music and original PlayStation oriented streaming video content. Purchases can be made using a credit card or a PlayStation Network Card purchased offline. Content can be stored on external media or within the hard drive of the PSPgo.
* Existing Netflix unlimited membership account required.
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