Hands on: Nintendo 3DS reviewIt's fairly clear that the powers that be at Nintendo HD in Japan firmly believe that 3D is the future. "The 3DS will change gaming… again," executives said at the launch conference, citing the company's track record with the Wii and Wii Fit.
The questions are: is their faith in the technology going to translate to a real game changer? And is tacking on the clever autosteroscopic 3D screen to ageing DS technology really the best way to take us to this utopian three-dimensional future?
At the moment it's difficult to escape the feeling that the 3DS feels a little ill-formed - with the potential of the system on paper outweighing any actual proof that it can have a big impact. But this is Nintendo; a company that has a proven track record of making gimmicks work for the family market, and it would be premature to write it off.
It's a well-made handheld - a big improvement on its predecessors, and is unlikely to disappoint. This could be a great way of consuming 3D content - if you can bear the very small screen - and some of the games going forward look more impressive than the fairly skimpy immediate launch line-up.
But there is one massive point that could scupper the whole thing. The huge price - especially for UK gamers.
The 3DS is likely to cost around £220-230, and that pits it squarely against a full Xbox 360 with Kinect in the family-friendly market. And with a PSP2 announcement imminent, you could forgive people for holding on before they make that very difficult decision.
Read more:
http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/handhelds/hands-on-nintendo-3ds-review-697325