Preview: Nintendo 3DS Hands on

There were pre-release 3DS events being held in a few cities in the UK and I was some of the lucky few that got an invite to come test drive the upcoming handheld.

Now this event was held near the beginning of Feb so you may be wondering why this write up is so late? Mainly because I wasn't sure how I could express what I saw in to words that would make sense so I decided to hold back for a while. Now I am fully confident that I can give the important details from the games and software I tried out, so without further ado, this is the 3DS!

Our preview began with a look into the handhelds from Nintendo's past... yes even the Game and Watch which was followed by a short role-play (if that's what you would call it) by actors dressed as gaming characters. In this case it was Resident Evil's very own Chris and Claire Redfield, also Street Fighter’s very own Ryu and Ken.

After getting through these we were lead into a room with around 30 booths, hooked with 3D's. Here is where the fun began.

The list below are the games I managed to try out, I'll also go into them a little in terms of their look on the system and the effectiveness of the 3D presented.
The games I tried out were;
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of time 3D
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries
Super Street Fighter 4: 3D Edition
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Nintendogs+Cats
Super Monkey Ball 3D
Star Fox 64 3D

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of time 3D
This particular legendary game was definitely given a huge boost in terms of its graphics. Link looks better, textures are sharper and the overall world gives off a much more striking look, compared to the N64. The 3D effect really added a lot of depth to the game and really showed off the distance between link and certain people and objects. I chose the Kokiri forest area just so I can run around but those mini fairies (which I think they were) flying around and out of the screen really stood out to me.
I'm sure boss battles and such will be given a huge impact in 3D and who knows it might even make the final Ganandorf battle even more epic!

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries
This was definitely a step away from the usual Resident Evil formula but the way that it was accomplished on the system makes sense in terms of gameplay. I liked how it switches to 1st person when you shoot, which is probably the biggest effect of 3D it gives. Other than that, there's pretty much nothing else about the game that gave an overall huge impact but then again things can change before its release.

Super Street Fighter 4: 3D Edition
Probably the best 3DS title available there, Super Street Fighter 4: 3D edition looks awesome on the handheld and plays awesomely too. The biggest feature for it would have to be its "over the shoulder" view which really pushes the 3D out. You can see Ryu in his stance and his back practically sticking out of the screen, when he does a Tatsumaki Senpuyaku it looks as if he's trying to kick you in the face rather then the opponent.

Kid Icarus: Uprising
I last saw any footage of this game back at E3 2010 so I wasn't really sure what to expect. I was hesitant in trying this particular title since I didn't know much about it but boy am I glad I did. Most of Kid Icarus's gameplay is shown from a 3rd person kind of angle and for the better. This angle really helps the 3D work its magic here as it looks like Kid is actually sticking out of the screen. It's even better during the flying sequences as the clouds pass you and you head into the sunset.
Couldn’t really fault this game as it was designed specifically for the 3DS since it was previously known as Project Sora, anyone remember that?

Nintendogs+Cats
The cutest title on the show floor. Nintendogs + Cats is the follow up to the previous DS title Nintendogs but with noticeable differences. First off are the graphics and the awesome looking fur shader that was applied to the animals. This really helps to bring them more to life and even more so in 3D. The game has its cute side however the 3D element of the 3DS doesn't really do anything to make the game more impactful and make it seem like the pet is more in your face then on the screen.

Super Monkey Ball 3D
This particular title is definitely the second best in terms of it using the actual 3D tech of the 3DS. For those of you that have played previous Super Monkey Ball games, this is no different. The gameplay is the same as you control your monkey in a ball through crazy courses but then again I'm sure you want to know about the 3D aspect. Graphics wise it hasn't been actually given much of a boost but 3D wise, the game makes very good use of the 3D tech. The ball is practically popping out of the screen along with the bananas that you need to collect along the way. I've never personally been a big fan of the franchise but if you're looking for that 3D game, then this is it.

Star Fox 64 3D
Too be honest I never actually got to play much of Star Fox 64 3D due to time constraints but the little bit I did play was pretty impressive. The game does make good use of the 3D as you go zooming through space with the vast array of stars just shooting out of the screen. I was a little disappointed I couldn't get more time with it but the small taster I did get would make me want to recommend this game to any 3DS owner.

That's pretty much all I tried out! In my next post I'll talk a little about the AR tech present in the handheld + some of the software that will be available on launch day!

Also want to say a big thank you to Gary Howard for providing the images from the event!