I like that last post you did about what the 3DS has to do to truly succeed. It was very calm and informative.
I picked up my 3DS this morning. No midnight launch or anything. I just strolled right in picked it up without any wait whatsoever.
Now, I tend to buy Nintendo hardware day one, if I can (the Virtual Boy, of course, I steered clear of), so the 3DS was no exception. The weird thing is that I didn’t pick up any games. One major reason is that I was barely able to afford a 3DS in the first place. But since it has built-in software, I decided to invest in the system early.
I’m pretty impressed with the system from a hardware perspective. It’s pretty, it’s solid, the 3D effects are impressive. It is designed to be easy to navigate and it has a clean, mass market feel to its operating system like the Wii. All that good stuff.
But what you said about the installed games is right: it’s just a bunch of throwaway tech demos. Not a single one of these games is a killer app at all. That assertion is laughable. Face Raiders lasted me about 30 seconds, I think. That’s how long the game is. The AR games last a few minutes… maybe.
The AR games have some problems that I’d like to explain. They’re unnatural and they force you to “learn” how to play them. First, you have to find yourself a flat surface that you can easily walk around. This isn’t easy since you’ll probably use your coffee table, and most coffee tables are low to the ground, making it hard to walk around them easily. Also, since the game requires you to keep the system about 14 inches away from the card, you’re going to have to bend over a lot unless you have a perfectly shaped table like Nintendo had for its 3DS demos.
On top of these problems, the 3DS has a 3D sweet spot that is easily lost in all of this movement, so you’re constantly losing the 3D effect, if you’re using it. Also, as soon as the 3DS’s cameras lose focus on the AR card, the game stops. You have to refocus on the card again to start the game back up from where it got interrupted. It’s annoying.
After just a minute or so of trying this my neck became sore from leaning over so much.
This installed software is nothing more than “neat” 3D effects. The gameplay is extremely limited. Wii Play, which was actually called a “tech demo” at E3 2006, absolutely destroys the 3DS’s tech demos hands down. I’ll take Wii Play over these games any day of the week because Wii Play is natural and has replay value.
Of course, I don’t mind that this software is installed in the system. That’s fine with me. But it’s only good for “Hey Bob. Check out these 3D effects!”
The 3D camera is fun to fool around with. I took 3D pictures of everything. I think people will like that feature.
One interested thing I noticed is how the 3DS is taking queues from the Xbox 360. The revamped friend code system allows you see if your friends are online and what games they’re playing. Rumor has it that Nintendo will update the system to allow messaging between friends. I thought it was odd that the system didn’t do this out of the box since the Wii did this out of the box. I think Nintendo is moving upmarket with its online structure, but mostly on its own terms of course.
In the mean time, I’m waiting for the real games: Super Mario Bros., Mario Kart, Castlevania (did you know that each Nintendo handheld has had 3 separate Castlevania titles?), Contra (already been confirmed), Kid Icarus. I’d love some good off-road racing games as well.
I don’t know if you noticed, but Ubisoft took Raving Rabbids and made it into a 2D platformer. It actually looks like a Bonk game. I’m interested in seeing that. It’s about time companies started releasing 2D platformers again that aren’t totally puzzle-based.
So those my are my impressions so far. Launch lineup isn’t very interesting to me, but the upcoming games are.
I adore Wii Play! I’d play it more often if it wasn’t so hard to change games with the Wii. I really hate how I have to keep going through the OS just to change games. (you have to approach the TV to put in the game, then move away from the TV to point at the screen, so annoying. When the Wii starts ups, they should allow it that if you hold down a button on the Wiimote, it instantly starts the game and bypasses Wii Menu).
I absolutely love Tanks! And I love the Pool game! I just wish the Pool game had more features.
Imagine a Tanks sequel! My dream for it would be to have the complex weaponry of Scorched Earth that could buy but still use the Tanks gameplay core. Imagine launching funky bombs at the other tanks! Or the levels bending gravity or having reflecting walls. So much more can be done with that game.
The weird thing is that I didn’t pick up any games. One major reason is that I was barely able to afford a 3DS in the first place.
I think that sums up the 3DS launch right there.
The DS launch went pretty strongly, if I recall. It was the first time a Nintendo system launched in America so the Game Industry buzzers were all buzzing about that. The DS didn’t sell out at launch either. But it was a very solid launch.
The launch DS software was atrocious. The big Nintendo game was Mario 64 DS. Yeah, that didn’t have anyone rush to buy the DS so PSP began to outsell it.
The DS began to turn around starting with Nintendogs and some interesting software came out such as Castlevania: DS (which PSP owners were quite jealous), Animal Crossing DS, Mario Kart DS, and some other games. NSMB was announced at E3 2005. But a big announcement was Final Fantasy III (which sold out day one in Japan) and other RPG games such as from Dragon Quest. Near the end of 2005, a year after the DS launched, the DS blew up and began selling wildly. Japan completely sold out of DS systems (Nintendo did not expect this demand because production had ceased to start making DS Lite which hadn’t been announced). Japan began to import DS systems from other countries like the United States! hahaha
In the United States, the DS didn’t become big until where the DS Lite appeared and NSMB appeared (both were available at the same time).
The right software is what will propel the hardware. NSMB already sold 20 million copies before Mario 5 was released (not sure what NSMB numbers are now. 25 million? More than that?). The 2d Mario game for the 3DS will be extremely important. I’m curious to see what they do with that. (It better be multiplayer!) I’m also hoping for some cool RPGish type games to make their way to the 3DS.
3DS could become a really cool system. But it will not happen with Gamecube-ish games.I’m very curious what will be available at the shop. Putting up Gameboy Zelda is a great idea. But what else? I’m hoping Square Enix puts up their Final Fantasy Legend games (what else can they possibly do with them?). A strong shop library and 2d Mario would probably be enough to pull me in. (And once I buy the 3DS, I have to get the Mario Kart. You don’t want to be THAT guy who owns a Nintendo system but doesn’t own that system’s Mario Kart. People would laugh at you! It’s a tradition, all Nintendo customers know, that if you buy a Nintendo system, you need to get its Mario Kart.) But one big factor with the shop will be the price. No one is going to be paying 5 dollars or more for Gameboy games.
The approach Nintendo has to the Virtual Console baffles me. Nintendo is so scared of leaving money on the table. The shop approach to the 3DS should aim at low prices. “But we will leave money at the table!” says Nintendo’s business board. That is not the dilemma. People can easily obtain the roms for these Gameboy games. The question is not about leaving money on the table. The choice for Nintendo is: “You can either get some money for these games or get no money at all.” Price it like the Wii’s VC and you’ll see people just download the roms. With something like Gameboy games, I think it is Nintendo’s best interest to go the very low price route.
“But if they buy Gameboy games, they won’t be buying 3DS games!” What! If a 3DS game cannot compete against a Gameboy game, that 3DS game is massive FAIL. And besides, so what if the consumer plays Gameboy games on the 3DS. At least they are playing the 3DS and not selling it.
Malstrom's Articles News 