Nintendo 3DS: Our impression

At this stage, the console appears to be a little empty of content. The Internet connection won’t really help a lot for this, since the 3DS eShop and its browser are only planned for opening in May, along with a console update. You should at least prepare yourself for this event. While awaiting games compatible with the tactile screen and stick, the 3DS comes with a few internal applications which we will look at.

The camera still exists, with the bird still present to guide you (it’s a shame you can’t hit him) with this providing information about the photos stored on your SD card? We are interested to know if our cat Leon will appear while playing Resident Evil, but we will have to wait and see.

One thing that you must do one this new 3DS is create your Mii. Two solutions are available: create your Mii from your own photos which is pretty straight forward, or you take the time to personalise your character with all of the criteria available on the Wii… The background music will place you on familiar ground, as if you were on your Wii console. Your Mii will appear in certain games in the same way as on the Wii, with it being possible to see the Mii thanks to the Street Pass option. At the moment, your Mii can only play two mini-games, while meeting other Mii’s will allow you to swap objects that will be useful in the future. The same can be said of the "Brain Challenge" game which only gets interesting when you play against your friends. The Nintendo 3DS is an exchange console, which helps us understand the importance of the Street Pass function.

Finally, the console will offer an augmented reality mini-game which you can play thanks to the provided cards. The effect is rather stunning, and seeing Mario, Link and Samus take shape in front of you will please fans who will certainly take a few memory photos. The application has been really well done.

Finally, the 3DS it thinking about your physical form as it also integrates an activity journal. The console comes with an internal monitor that can inform you as to how many steps you have taken in the day, as well as how much time you have spent on the console. It’s up to you to get the right balance between the two...