North America is finally getting its hands on an early handheld release with the Nintendo 3DS, the next handheld in a line of dual-screen and touch screen wielding devices by Nintendo . There is much to be said about this little gaming system, as it is thee first handheld system to offer actual 3D graphics, minus the 3D glasses. There is also an infrared detector on the device that allows for wireless recognition between different devices, allowing for each to download Mii’s data along with other personal achievements of the person that that system came into indirect contact with, removing the annoying friend-code interface of before. But, with a rather small launch lineup and reported problems of eye fatigue when it comes to using 3D, is the Nintendo 3DS really worth the $250.00 price point at this moment? Should consumers rush out and pay for this handheld when there is surely competition lurking in the near future?
Well, based off of reviews by IGN and information on the Nintendo website, I surely will not be purchasing a 3DS by the release date or even for quite some time after. Now, firstly, the main issue is the price point. I believe that to an extent, it is reasonable… had Nintendo planned a stronger launch lineup. So far, Nintendo has an internal game that doesn’t look to grand. They also have a launch list overrun by sports titles (which isn’t too irregular considering that’s how most systems launch, but still, even Xbox 360 had Call of Duty, Quake 4and Perfect Dark ) and ports of games already released: i.e. Street Fighter IV and The Sims 3 . If it wasn’t for third party support, there’d be no reason to actually purchase the 3DS at this point. Many of the A-List titles such as The Legend of Zelda and the Mario franchise wouldn’t be made available until sometime later this year after the release date. Software drives hardware. Always. The software just isn’t promising enough for me to get the hardware at such a steep price point at this time. If anything, it seems reasonable to just keep the Nintendo DSi and play some Pokemon: Black for a few more months. Especially on a college budget.
Lastly, other than the 3D features and a rerelease of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time , there isn’t much reason to get the system right now. Sure, I guarantee Nintendo releases dozens of blockbuster titles, but until that happens, I’m not wasting a good $250.00 on a system with nothing when I can continue to buy other great games right now. I love Nintendo and their drive to push out new and innovative technology, but what does all of the shiny 3D and clean design mean without software to push it? I know for a fact my decision isn’t something that I should hold up, because I believe that there will be a time when this system is worth every penny, but as of now, I’ll just buy 5 video games for a home console.
