I recently
reviewed the 3DS System and gave it a score of
9.0. I am very happy with Nintendo’s new handheld and I think that they have done a magnificent job on its first iteration. However, there are still a few areas where the 3DS could be better. Some of these areas are hardware related and will need to be addressed in hardware revisions or successors. Others are actually software related and could be fixed with firmware updates. I would also like to discuss the future potential of the system and the many great things Nintendo and other developers can do with the system right now.
Part II: SoftwarePart III: hardwareHardware1.
Add more colors: When the hardware was first unveiled, it was unveiled in a batch of different colors. Nintendo is known for having one or two launch colors for their portables and then releasing a whole lot of other colors as their systems age. I love my Cosmo Black 3DS, but I would love to see a whole lot of other colors too. I would also love to see some 3DS units with engravings and such.
Give us more colors Nintendo…
…and make this happen now!
(Credit to Unknown)2.
Better viewing angle: One of the weakest aspects of the 3DS is its viewing angle. You usually have to look at the system dead on in order to get the best viewing angle possible, if not you lose the 3D effect. I’m pretty sure most of us have already trained our heads into getting the best viewing angle possible quickly. However, there are games that can get so frantic that even the best of us lose that sweet spot. For the next iteration, I hope Nintendo is somehow able to improve this.
Not a bad idea
(Credit to CTRL+ALT+DEL for comic strip)3.
Change Power button location: The power button is located in an absurd place. I find myself hitting it by accident thinking that it’s the start button. This is very frustrating because it sends the 3DS into sleep mode with no way to get back to the game. Maybe Nintendo could place the power button on the upper portion of the 3DS where we are not liable to hit it by accident. For more on this subject, please refer to this
thread.
4.
Extra C-Pad: An extra C-Pad would do wonders for the 3DS. As I mentioned in my review: “A second C-Pad would have allowed the system to be able to play host to a lot of games that normally do not control well on portables because of the limited controls, such as First Person Shooters or third person adventure games that rely on manual camera control.” With that extra C-Pad you could easily play Metroid Prime, Kid Icarus Uprising, or even Call of Duty, without having to resort to weird control schemes. We could have also used it in Ocarina of Time to control the camera. Right now, we either have to use the touchpad as a camera (which is already garnering complaints from people who have played Kid Icarus Uprising), or the gyroscope (as in Ocarina of Time) which will make keeping the 3D sweet spot that much harder. In addition, by having a second C-Pad, Nintendo would have provided a lefty friendly system, when not using the D-Pad.
See Nintendo, not that difficult to do.
(Credit to JaDaSt from IGN)
5.
3D Inner Cameras: The 3DS should have had two inner cameras so that you could take pictures of yourself in 3D easily.
6.
Better Cameras: Speaking of the cameras. Nintendo should learn from mobile phone companies and give us cameras with good resolutions 5MP+ and with flash. I’m sure we would be using our 3DSes as cameras even more if the pictures were of much better quality.
7.
Recessed Select, Home, Start buttons: When you are playing a game, it is sometimes hard to gauge where any of these buttons are because you have no tactile feedback. I am not a fan of buttons with not tactile feedback, which is why I hate mobile phone games that try to shoehorn in virtual joysticks and buttons on a games that require it such as platformers, shooters, or fighting games. In the next iteration of the 3DS, Nintendo should redesign these 3 buttons so that they are recessed.
8.
Better Stylus placement: The stylus is sometimes hard to take out because it is placed in the back of the system. It should be placed on the side of the system like with the DS Lite, so that we can take it out immediately.
9.
Add rumble: It would be cool if a future Nintendo portable could have rumble integrated into the system. I think rumble gives a game more immersion and would make games like Star Fox, even more fun, when you are getting hit. Of course, since rumble technology is not battery friendly we would need a much better battery. Speaking of which…
10.
Better battery: I would like a battery that lasts more than 5 hours with 3D, full speakers, full brightness, Wi-Fi, and rumble on. Nuff said.
“We really need to do something about this battery.”
(Credit to TGBUS.com)How to make the 3DS better and how it already will be Part II: Software and Part III: Potential for the future will be released later tonight.3DS Related Links3DS ReviewsShare your 3DS stories here (and post your 3DS codes for the world to see)!The DSiWare titles new Nintendo 3DS owners should not missTop Ten 3DS Virtual Console Wishlist Part 1: Game BoyTop Ten 3DS Virtual Console Wishlist Part 2: Game Boy ColorTop Ten 3DS Virtual Console Wishlist Part 3 : Game Boy AdvanceTop Ten 3DS Virtual Console Wishlist Part 4: Turbo Grafx 16DS on 3DS DatabaseTop Ten 3DS Virtual Console Wishlist Parts 5-8 Coming Soon.