The Nintendo 3DS is the newest member of Nintendo’s seemingly endless line of portables, and their first truly new hardware since 2004. While the four models of the Nintendo DS (DS, DS Lite, DSi and DSi XL) were simply improvements on their predecessors, the 3DS has taken the first step into the next generation of portables.

The graphics have improved since the DS, the top screen is larger and a circle pad has been added. However, the most notable addition to the system is its namesake and main selling point: glasses-free-3D. With that in mind, the decision to upgrade comes down to whether the 3DS worth the $250 upgrade, or if it’s going to go the way of Nintendo’s last console that promised 3D, the ill-fated Virtual Boy? 

First, let’s address the obvious questions about the 3D itself. Does it work? Yes. Is it just a gimmick? Of course it is. Does it hurt your eyes?  Not really, but it can be distracting.

The 3D effect actually works by sending out two pictures through the system, one to each eye, which can be annoying when the picture becomes unfocused from the slightest horizontal tilt. The effect can be adjusted with a slider on the side of the top screen casing (the effect is only present on the top screen) and can be turned all the way down to produce a ‘normal’ 2D resolution. I found the 3D to be at a comfortable level right around the middle of the slider, which still gives a nice 3D effect but doesn’t exactly jump out at you, which can certainly be a distraction when playing a fast paced game like “Street Fighter IV: 3D.” That being said, the 3D seems to actually enhance graphics. “Street Fighter” in particular looks fuzzy with the 3D turned off, but almost looks like a diorama when turned on.  It is by no means a necessity to buy any games, but they sure do look good. Beauty comes at a cost though, as the 3DS only has a battery life of about 3 hours with the 3D and brightness at the highest settings, and about 5 hours with everything on the lowest settings.

It seems Nintendo valued appearance over performance, as there are already two battery improvements you can buy, but both bulk the system enough that it may be awkward to carry in your pocket. The Nyko Power Pak+ is a replacement battery that will just about double the battery life at the cost of $20, lasting about five-and-a-half hours with the settings at max, and nine hours at minimum settings. The Newbie PowerPlay somewhat doubles as a case for the system (no battery installation required), and for $40 will give you nine-to-15 hours on max settings, and 15-24 hours on minimum settings. It should be noted, however, that neither are compatible with the pre-packaged charging dock that allows convenient wire-free charging for the 3DS , though you can buy one for the Power Pak + for $10.

The best way to “wow” your friends with 3D doesn’t even require anything other than what’s included in the box. The system comes bundled with six “augmented reality” cards.  You can place one of these cards down on the table, and watch as a box pops out of the card, and unfolds into a dragon on your countertop. As long as you keep the card in your 3DS’s camera view you can walk around the dragon, and find his weak points to defeat him before he slashes at your screen. If you prefer, you can use the other cards to take pictures of Mario, Samus, Link, Kirby or Pikmin, which you can move around to be sitting on your laptop, running up your walls or shooting your TV.

The system also comes preloaded with a game called “Face Raiders,” which has you actually moving the 3DS around your body to shoot little robots with your face on them thanks to an internal gyroscope. Also included is a cheap 3D music visualizer and mixer titled, “3D Sound.” both features are neat, but lose their charm quickly.

One interesting feature is the Streetpass mode, which will automatically exchange Mii characters (whom you can make on the system just like the Wii) with anyone you happen to walk by who also has a 3DS, and may cause bonuses in other games as well. “Street Fighter” has a Streetpass RPG with mini figurines that you can collect in the game.

Easily the most disappointing part of the 3DS is the launch title of actual 3DS games, easily the weakest of any Nintendo console in recent memory. While “Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition” will finally provide fighting fans with a great game on the go, the title was already released on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 last April. “SSFIV” was one of only two launch titles averaging over 75 on Metacritic, along with “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars,” a turn-based strategy game much more like “Fire Emblem” than a Tom Clancy game. Other notable titles include: “Rayman 3D,”   a near-direct port of “Rayman 2: The Great Escape;” “Nintendogs + Cats,” which is all the fun of owning a puppy or kitten minus actually having a pet, “Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars,” which somehow comes without any co-op; a watered down Madden title devoid of any statistics; and “Pilotwings Resort,” yet another Mii game seemingly designed to show off technology rather than actually be fun. Thankfully, the 3DS is backwards-compatible with DS games, so you can just continue your “Pokemon Black/White” journey instead.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel though and it is likely the reason why the 3DS had the highest first-day sales of any Nintendo handheld system. The 3DS is due to have a number of big-name releases this summer, including “Dead or Alive Dimensions,” “Paper Mario,” “Star Fox 3D,” and most notably “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.”  In about a month, the browser and e-shop (for downloadable titles including classic Game Boy games) will be made available and come summertime Netflix will be available as well. Because of these late additions, I wouldn’t recommend getting a 3DS until this summer, but it will surely be a hot commodity once the system receives its full set of functioning and top of the line games.

Joe Kling can be reached at [email protected].