3DS preview [part 1]

So finally I got a chance to try out the 3DS. My first impression on the actual 3D is very optimistic. The games and the system itself give you an amazing field of depth. So the games are not "popping out" at you, rather the background is very far from you creating the depth.

I got a chance to play Mii Quest, build a Mii on Mii Maker, I played around with the notes function, a took 3D pics, and played Lego Star Wars.

I was very impressed with the 3D pics. I was looking at the pics other people took and you can really differentiate the foreground from the background. The resolution is minimal (I believe a 2.0 mega pixel camera if am not mistaken), but the effect makes up for it.

The 3D in the games works well too. When I was playing Mii Quest I had to turn down the 3D half way, having it all the way up for this game was not working to my advantage. Which makes the 3d depth slider a key feature for the 3DS. Some people may say "why have a function to decrease or turn off the 3D?" The "strength" of the 3D all the way up can be a bit disorienting and can be a bit bothersome to your eyesight. But as stated before this varies from game to game. I had the 3D all the way up for Lego Stars Wars and I had no problem with it, instead the game became very inmersive.

In terms of the design, the 3DS seems to be well built. It is slim and small. My hands could grasp it well, but I wish I had more room to grab the system well. The screen though is of optimal size and so is the touch screen. The buttons felt good. The shoulder buttons are clicky, which is great. The buttons below the touch screen were responsive, and I'm glad that you need to apply a bit of pressure to them since they are located so near the touch screen. The Slide pad was interesting. I did not feel like an analog stick, rather like a slide on a fixed track (like the swift gear in a car). I like the telescopic stylus that is located at the back of the system. It extends to the proper size to hold in your fingers. Right now I am using an original stylus on the original DS, and the telescopic stylus is almost twice as long which is great for game play.

My only concern hardware wise was the volume. I had the volume turn all the way up and I could not hear well the sounds/music. Perhaps it was because I was inside the demo pod with other people making noise. I hope to hear the sounds better when I play in a more quite setting.

So, this was my first impression. I will go back next week to play with it some more, try more games, hopefully capture some video of the system and its features.