Noct's forum posts
So I finally succumbed to my desire to play SSF4 in 3D and plunked down for a 3DS the other day. A couple of things worth mentioning to anyone considering buying one.
First, the hardware design is sketchy, at best... I started out with a Pre-Owned (Gamestop) system, and realized really fast that these things are not going to hold up very well over time, or to any heavy/careless transportation.
I didn't notice until I got it home and started playing on it, but the used one I bought had pretty deep cuts/grooves marring the upper screen. Not coincidentally, they lined up perfectly with the border of the lower screen. Googled it a bit and found a lot of other people making similar complaints. It seems that the raised border of the lower screen presses against the upper when it's closed. I don't really know if the damage happens from standard use or if you have to put a good amount of pressure on the system when it's closed, but either way, that's a pretty serious design flaw.
The next issue I came across was with the 3D slider. It's on the right-hand side of the upper screen, and is situated vertically, with the max 3D setting being at the top. Well, apparently it loses its "grip" over time, because I noticed that when I jostled the system around a bit, or just opened and closed it a few times, it slowly started creeping towards the bottom. Obviously you can just slide it back up, but I wonder if over time that's not going to become a bigger problem...
At any rate, I decided these issues were not worth the money I saved buying used (Like, $25 I think...), and I promptly returned it and bought a new one. Of course, the sales girl tried to claim that she didn't see the damage, or else they wouldn't have taken it in. Full-on baloney if you asked me, my wife noticed the damage sitting next to me on the couch, so take heed if you intend on buying one used from GameStop. I'm trying to be super-careful with the new one I got; I bought screen protectors and a cleaning cloth that I'm keeping folded up in it to prevent damage, which kind of sucks... I don't really relish the idea of having to be this careful with it; it is a portable system after all...
In lesser, but still annoying issues, they for some reason moved the power button to the face of the bottom section, and replaced where it was on the DS with a Wi-Fi switch. I'm sure I'll get used to it, but I keep hitting that Wi-Fi Switch on the side trying to turn on the system, and it's annoying.
Also, the face buttons on the bottom screen for Start, Home and Select are like, hard to the touch, flush to the system, and feel like you have to really press them to get them to work. Not that I have had any trouble using them really, but it feels awkward and sort of unresponsive as is.
I know the battery life has been already been complained about all over the place, but it's definitely a problem. After a full charge I played for maybe an hour and a half, and the indicator was already lower then half. It seems like 3 or so hours of straight play (with 3D) would crush it, and that doesn't sound that good to me...
The machine also weighs a lot more than the old DS, and my hands are definitely cramping up playing it. The only really comfy way that I've found to play it for a stretch was to recline on my couch and prop it up on a pillow on my stomach.
Next, this thing is painfully slow to do anything compared to the regular DS. It takes way longer to turn on, longer to shut down, and I've read reports that it loads (old) DS games much slower than the actual DS did. Nothing game-killing here, but again, it's a portable system, so, speed of use is pretty damn important to me.
On the positive hardware tip, the control is absolutely spot-on. The analog is comfy and works great, and this is now officially the first time I've ever opted to use an analog stick for a SF game, which speaks volumes. It's disappointing as a PSP owner to buy another system with only one analog stick, but I doubt there's going to be a ton of FPS on this system anyways...
Lastly, I just want to mention the eye-strain of the 3D. I noticed it quite a bit for the first few hours, and it never "hurt" my eyes really, more like tired them out a bit. But, I can happily say that by day two, I didn't even feel it anymore, and I've kept the 3D at the max setting the whole damn time. So, thumbs up on the 3D.
As for the games... I know these are the launch titles and all, but talk about slim Pickens. I don't really remember the last console I bought that I struggled to find more than one game to buy that looked even remotely interesting to me. I bought SSF4 and Lego Star Wars, and I really doubt I'll be buying anything else from this lineup.
As far as those games go... like the system, it's a mixed bag. SSF4 is just outstanding in every way possible, and outside of the totally static backgrounds there's not a single bad thing I could say about it. It has all the DLC included in it; the new "dynamic view" game mode is great; it's just a fantastic game in every way. That said... it's still SSF4, which I have already played to death...
Lego Star Wars is nice, but again, I've already played 487 Lego games, and there's nothing new here. Actually, there's a
bit less; this one feels very watered down compared to the past few Lego titles I've played. Although I must say, playing the space battle sequence in 3D makes it worth the price of admission.
I'm pretty happy with the system over all, and the built in stuff is all VERY cool. The Augmented-Reality games, 3D camera, etc, all work better than I expected and are a blast to play around with. The only problem is, I'm already feeling the same way I did about the Wii... This thing is being carried by its gimmick, and has very little software to back it up or even warrant a purchase of it right now. The 3D is really cool for sure, but it doesn't really add anything to the games I've played, and once the novelty of that wears off, I'll be holding a more expensive, crappier designed DS with a pathetic software lineup.
Can't say as I can really recommend buying this thing right now. That is all.
Log in to comment