Nintendo 3DS Aqua Blue Handheld System (NTSC)

The 3DS is an amazing piece of technology with an extreme lack in games, or rather, English games. The graphics are extremely sharp with or without the 3D which you can easily turn off or on for playing ease. I find I get a bit dizzy after 20 minutes or so in a low-light area.

There's A LOT for features, especially when you get the first system download! The feature where you take a picture and it creates a Mii for you is pretty lame. Doesn't overly work in my opinion.

I recently purchased a Japanese 3DS so I don't know what they have for English games. By the looks of it, there isn't a huge selection until September.

Why did I buy this product? I only have an ancient DS and haven't updated since=P

Not too sure what else to comment on. buy one if you want something with better and sharper graphics, still hold up a bit until games come out for the system. The 3D isn't good when moving too much or looking at angles more than 15 degrees. It products multiple images which I find it makes me dizzier >.<

Recently purchased this item as I was looking for a fun portable game system. I had tried the PS Vita, but was left unimpressed.

Positives:

1) The 3DS is pretty much the same size and weight as the DSi.
2) One of the best features of this model is the addition of the analog thumpad which really helps in 3D games.
3) Very bright 3.5" screen
4) Comes with retractable Stylus.
5) Adjustable 3D Effect (Adjust the lens so if you are holding the DS closer/further away from you the picture still will come in clear)
6) 3 Cameras
7) Built-in WiFi

Negatives:

1) Cannot play Gameboy Advance Games.
2) Only About 4 1/2 hours of battery life.
3) Only has 2 GB Storage on SD.
4) Picture quality is average at best.


In addition, the game selection for the Nintendo 3DS is good if you include all the Non-3D games. Pick this portable system up if you are looking for good games with good system functionality.

This is an amazing console, so many good features, the region lock is not that disappointing, considering I'm in the UK and bought a US version, all you have to do is order your games from America or whatever version 3DS you have,, the eshop doesn't get that effected by the region lock, say if you get a 3DS from America, in the region settings select United States and you get all the eshop has to offer. Or if its from say Japan, then you select Japan, the streetpass feature is amazing, and the pedometer feature with every 100 steps you take you get a play coin is a spot on feature, spotpass is amazing too, streetpass is not affected by the region lock, neither is spotpass, the only things that you have to do with the region lock is, select the region that your 3DS is from in region settings, and order your games from wherever your systems from! Thats all with the region lock! The 3D feature is amazing and sometimes things actually do pop out at you! Overall this console is amazing and I recommend it! By the way the dsi charger fits into the 3DS and the 3DS charging cradle

UPDATED: 5/27/2013

I have owned the 3DS for 2 years now, so I decided to update this review for a 3rd time.

In this review I will ignore over-the-top technical aspects, and point out negative aspects in a manner that even buyers who are completely foreign to video games can understand.

This is the ORIGINAL Nintendo 3DS model, now priced at $169.99 or lower in new condition (If you pay more than that, find a better bargain)! Also, look out for bundle deals where the system is packaged with a 3DS game for $169.99, because at that price you should now be able to come away with more than just the system itself.

Parents, keep in mind that this is NOT the Nintendo 3DS XL. They are both the same system that plays the same games, but the XL is a larger model, has a little bit more battery life, a screen that is 93% bigger than the model I am reviewing, and costs $200.00 or less in new condition. To see the differences for yourself, this is the official Nintendo link http://www.nintendo.com/3ds

The original 3DS is roughly the size of the Nintendo DS Lite; however, playing games can be somewhat uncomfortable for larger-handed players due to the games' control schemes, and can cause cramping and other aches. Nintendo created the 3DS XL model to solve this issue, but since the XL model is mich larger, it loses its' portability, and no longer fits in a normal pants pocket. The original 3DS model I am reviewing now does fit in a pocket. Children and adults with smaller hands should be okay, but if you have larger hands, you may want to pay the extra $30.00 for the XL Model.

During game play, one problem I did notice is that the 3DS quality is disrupted when a player tilts or leans the system too far in any direction. The console must be held in a certain position in front of you in order to keep the 3D effect active. Needless to say, this becomes annoying if you should ever readjust your hands or accidentally move the system while playing. This problem became especially frustrating when I was required to use the L and R buttons, located on the back shoulders of the console. The positioning of those two buttons makes it nearly impossible to press them at the same time as when a player is using the circle pad to navigate through a game.

When the console is in a good position, the 3D effect looks good, with no headaches, though I will admit it is not as amazing as some made it seem. Some games do not try to utilize this feature, and I mostly play with the 3D effect off. Just don't expect the 3D to literally jump out at you the entire time. It only happens every so often.

Unlike the older, regular DS models, the stylus is attached to the back of the system on the left side, which I find annoying and less accessible since the original DS console had the stylus easily in reach on the right side. Therefore, I sometimes need to pause the game to get the stylus out. Though not all the games require the stylus, the ones that do can sometimes cause some issues.The XL model fixed this issue as well, and returned the stylus to the right side.

The circle pad differs from traditional joysticks, and does quite well, but walking diagonally can sometimes prove frustrating.

Nintendo will reveal one final reworked model of this device in 2015, but for now if you do not mind losing portability, the larger 3DS XL model is a better purchase; however, if you have small hands this model will be fine.

As for the games, there are many great titles. More to come!

This was a gift for my son and its also something we can all use. It has allot of great features , games, and accessories. It's the perfect size to take anywhere. I am getting this as a gift for someone I know. Battery life is amazing and the 3ds is easy to use. Overall the product is great Nintendo has never failed this family. Thank you!