Just thought I'd chime in with more news as today has been rather eventful. Seems the 3DS test model arrived WAAAAAY ahead of schedule, thanks to the manager of my local calling in a few less than legal favours from what I've heard (I don't care, I'm a pirate so it's not like I can take the moral high ground), so I've been messing around with it most of the afternoon with my lady companion. Regretably I wasn't allowed to keep it afterwards, nor would the manager let it out of his sight as it's obviously A) very expensive and B) strictly for staff use only, I wasn't even supposed to know it was there. But I did. So here's the official info from the man who has held the system in his hands, and believe me, it's good news.
- The 3D effects DO NOT CAUSE HEADACHES. There, that's the final word. Thanks to my mother throwing a plate at my head a few years ago, my vision blurs thanks to damage to my right eye. Fast moving ceramics tend to do that to your eyeballs. And even I didn't get a headache from playing in full 3D for several hours, even when things got busy on screen. So enough speculation, there is NO PROBLEM. It's just people whining to get attention in what I've come to call 'Jack Thompson Syndrome'. Maybe it genuinely affects a few people but I was fine. No problems, and it feels so much better to not have to wear those glasses.
- Yes, I've played Zelda. Trust me, it'll be worth the wait. The graphics are vastly improved, the 3D effects are woven in amazingly well, and as my lady friend said, the Kokiri Forest has never looked better, the rays of light bursting through the trees is really quite something. Bear in mind this way only a demo build so final product may differ, but from what I played it felt like a whole new game, like I couldn't wait to see how the Zora's Domain looked now, whether Zelda's face is still triangular, etc. The music is a little better but with no truly noticable upgrades, just clearer. The placement of the analogue stick makes it much easier to play than the N64 version, it just feels right in your hands, it's difficult to explain. The whole thing just works. It's gonna be an essential purchase, trust me.
- Also got my hands on Nintendogs+Cats. I was actually rather impressed by how much it's been upgraded from the original. The animals look significantly better, naturally, but they also seem to behave in a much more realistic way. Which fortunately doesn't mean they howl at traffic then pinch one off in your slippers. The face recognition system works pretty well, and the 3D effects once again caused no discomfort, although they didn't truly add a whole lot to most of the experience. They only really shined for me when I took the dog for a walk. But it does retain that endearing quality of the original, and to be honest I think the novelty value would hold a fair bit longer this time since the animals have much better personalities, more diversity, they just feel a lot more natural.
- The cameras are still sucky quality, but messing about with them is good fun. Regretably I didn't get a chance to test out the AR games, but the 3D photo facility was fun for a laugh.
- There was a demo build of Kid Icarus available, and while I only got a few minutes with it I did enjoy it. My only criticism is that Pit is a bit too close to the camera, perhaps. Although with it being a demo build it's possible this can be altered in the final release. It wasn't a major problem though. The 3D greatly improves this one, especially the flying sections. It gets pretty busy on screen at times and the system showed no signs of strain, nor did the 3D F up at any point, even with me lurching about trying to make it F up just to see what the system can do. Ground sections weren't quite as exciting IMHO but certainly enjoyable. Of course this is based on a five minute piss about with it rather than an in-depth review session.
So there you have it. Probably the first Temper to get his hands on this new toy. Worth waiting for. The system is indeed a touch heavier IMHO, but not to the point of discomfort or any ill effects on your gaming skills. Everything just comes together so seamlessly. It's truly a masterpiece of modern design. It feels very natural to play, since it's so similar in design to my DS Lite. Feels like a HUGE upgrade. Like the actual hardware never really changed, with the exception of the analogue stick, which believe me is a welcome addition and very easy to adjust to. They're recieving new demo cartridges within the next few days with any luck, so hopefully I'll get some time with Resident Evil, Starfox, Pilotwings, etc.
Incidentally, you never heard this from me, OK? The manager is risking his ass for this publicity. He could easily get the sack for letting me play around with it. So...yeah. Keep it under your hat for the time being. No posting it elsewhere. It's just for us here on the 'temp for now, at least until the demo units are more widely available so the info doesn't break any street dates or something. Hope the info's helpful, will chime in again when I know more.
And yes, the girl's cute. I know you're just dying to ask.
Toodles.
Blaze.
eace Walker, Crisis Core, etc.
