Now That I've Had the 3DS For a While...

The 3-D Visuals
The visual effect of the 3DS is astounding...when you can find your 3-D sweet spot. It's not something that I can show to many people at once. But it gives the feeling you're looking into a window to another world. This is especially true of the Mii Maker channel, where the little characters I've created look up at me, and I look down at them. It is a little bothersome that adjusting the system in my hands turns the screen blurry, but it's easy to overlook.

Built-in Software
It's not just the cool 3-D visuals that are cutting edge with this piece of hardware...it's the awesome little diversions that come in every unit. Augmented Reality (AR) games are played by placing little cards on any surface. The two outward-facing cameras on the 3DS pick up on which cards are on the surface and turn it into a gaming zone with a lot of mind-boggling features. Face Raiders is another game that comes built into the 3DS. Not only does this game allow the player to shoot friends' and family members' faces with tennis balls, but it takes place in whatever environment the player is in, thanks to the two cameras.

Games
So far I've got Steel Diver and Pilotwings Resort to play on my handheld 3-D screen. The controls in Steel Diver are hard to master, but the 3-D in this game is really pretty. It's mild (so I can turn the 3-D depth slider all the way up) but still impactful.  Pilotwings is a different story. The effect is very powerful, so I find it hard to look at with the 3-D all the way up. But the 3-D really enhances the game at about half-way down or less. Steel Diver and Pilotwings Resort are two solid titles.

What's Missing?
The only short-coming I can identify with the 3DS is that many of the important online features are missing at this early stage. There is an internet browser at the top of the main menu, but "it won't be available until a future update"? That's only half of it...I would have liked to see the eShop available at launch, but it won't be available for a month or so. The 3DS does have dismal battery life, but that doesn't bother me too much. Other than that, the 3DS is a cool little system. $250 seems like a lot to spend, but I'll get my money's worth out of it before the end. 

Owning 3DS: Day One

I was a little late getting a Nintendo 3DS system. I opted with amazon.com for my big purchase, and got my 3DS early yesterday. So it's been a little over a day! What an experience! As I began to use the system, it counted down to the moment the 3D effect would turn on. To be honest, this initial demonstration was anti-climatic. The good stuff would come later with the variety of menu displays (yes, even the menu displays are cool in 3D) and the use of built-in software.

At this point, I haven't played much Augmented Reality or Face Raiders, but I am impressed by what I have seen. For the most part, I am able to keep the 3D depth slider as high as it will go, but I occasionally slide it down half-way when I discover my eyes are tiring.

The fun of 3DS has been showing it to my family members and friends. I have watched the same awe again and again with each new person. "It's like there's a little 'me' in the system!" exclaimed my brother as he viewed the 3D photo I had taken of him. "This is cooler than Xbox 360 or even the Kinect!" a friend raved after experiencing Augmented Reality. The most common response of all was simply "that is really, really cool."

Day one: success!