In 2004,
Nintendo brought us the first portable gaming device with a touchscreen with the
Nintendo DS. The DS was a dual screen gaming device that opens like a clamshell laptop. The upper screen was an ordinary LCD. The bottom screen, on the other hand, had a resistive touchscreen, which brought a more personal gaming experience. throughout the years the DS evolved to include the DS Lite, DSi, DSi, and finally, the Nintendo
3DS.
The 3DS is avalable for preorder at the nintendo website, and will be available on the 27th of March. At $249.99, the 3DS is about $100 more than any of it's predecessors. At that price, Nintendo had better be giving us something high quality.
The 3DS had the regular resistive touchscreen of its predecessors, but the top screen uses a special stereoscopic display to deliver 3d quality images without any bulky glasses. The idea of 3D media is extremely popular currently, and Nintendo getting 3D mobile gaming out to the public as soon as possible is a very smart business move.
The device is 5.3 inches wide, and 2.9 inches in length, and with a weight of 8 ounces, the device is okay for bringing with you on the go.
Besides for the ability to flay 3D games, the 3DS gives you two cameras on the back for 3D photos, and also introduces StreetPass, which connects you wirelessly to other 3DS owners and swaps information.
Another cool feature of the 3DS is the newly added gyroscope and motion sensor, which adds a whole new way to play. Normally you would have to control the device solely with the physical buttons, now you can just move the device and, viola, the image on the screen changes. (Okay, it's not as cool as I make it sound. But still, that's awesome.)
The hardware isn't the only thing that has changed. With it's 3DS, Nintendo introduces it's new preloaded system. The 3DS now comes with a web browser, an activity log that tracks what games you've been playing and for how long, as well as physical movements, and some games will even reward you for how much you walk. The device will also allow you to play music and even 3D video, but Nintendo has yet to announce the exact specifications of 3D video playback.
Nintendo also brings it's Mii system from the Wii to the 3DS, allowing you to create an avatar for use in games, and will also be used with the StreetPass system mentioned above.
The 3DS will also integrate some interesting augmented reality games, letting you smash monsters on your kitchen table.
For $249.99, the 3DS is pretty pricey, but it introduces many more features, and is pretty much a completely different and improved device. With added 3D, a web browser, and a lot more, the 3DS might just be worth the almost $100 difference between earlier DS models. Is this device worth the $250? Maybe. Is it a very cool and compelling looking device? Definitely.
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