New Nintendo 3DS Review

The cat was nearly as excited as I was when the all new Nintendo 3DS arrived at our house. For a change, I decided that this latest review product should be mine, all mine. 

That lasted all of about a day before our eldest got her hands on it, but I did manage to have a little fun first - I managed to create my Mii. Ooh, get me!

I was tempted to video an 'unboxing' but really don't have the patience for that sort of thing, so I just jumped straight in for a play.

We've not experienced the old 3DS in this house, but I can tell you what makes this one even cooler than its predecessor. The first, and most obvious difference, is that you can change the way it looks by adding some funky (or should I say epic? I am SO not down with the kids...) cover plates. We received Mario to try out, but you can also choose from over seventeen other designs including Yoshi, Princess Peach, Super Smash Bros and Camouflage. It's very simple to change the plates over; the front/top cover pops off fairly easily and all you need is a small screwdriver for the two small screws on the back cover.

The 3D system has been improved so it is more stable, giving a better 3D view, and there is now a superior processor inside so games will load faster. The controls have also been improved with the addition of ZL and ZR buttons next to L and R, and there's a new C stick which gives better access overall.

There's also an internet browser and YouTube app pre-installed, but don't panic, these can easily be restricted by using parental controls. You can do the usual note doodling, and my girls loved the pre-installed Face Raiders game, where you take a photo of someone you love (or hate) and have them fly around the screen while you use them for target practice! This uses the new face-tracking 3D software too. The three cameras allow you to take 3D photos and 3D videos. Very clever.

I know that young and old will love this new product and I'm guessing it's already on a fair few 'wishlists'...



Disclosure: we were sent the new Nintendo 3DS and cover plates for the purpose of this review. All opinions are honest and our own!