Nintendo's newest console arrives at a time when its maker faces one of its biggest challenges. Having dominated the portable market for so long with a string of successful handhelds, the firm now finds itself in unsettling competition with the rapidly growing force of smartphone gaming, Apple's iDevices in particular. So it is no surprise to see Nintendo courting those gamers who want something a little more substantial on the move.
3DS is a much more powerful console than its predecessor, but its key selling point is, naturally, its ability to display glasses-free 3D. The effect is startling: the wide-eyed stares and even wider grins featured in Nintendo's marketing feel like a genuinely plausible reaction to that initial viewing. It can take time to get used to, though – initial common complaints range from mild eye strain to gentle nausea – so the ability to dial the effect down or turn it off entirely is a welcome one at first.
The device is typically robust, perhaps a little less attractive than its immediate predecessor, but comfortable to hold and well-made, with a new "circle pad" offering analogue control akin to the thumbsticks of traditional game pads. Installed software allows users to take low-resolution 3D photos and listen to music and an SD card is included to boost the limited internal memory. Rumours of short battery life haven't been exaggerated: with 3D and wireless communications turned on, it can be just three hours before the console needs recharging via the provided cradle, though playing older and less graphically intensive games extends that time.
Other features are designed to encourage users to carry their console at all times. A built-in pedometer awards Play Coins, an in-game currency set to be used by a number of first- and third-party titles, while SpotPass and StreetPass wireless communications allow 3DS owners to swap data, including their Mii avatars, with their consoles in standby mode. The latter is a very Japanese feature: with gaming culture firmly ingrained in the east, connections will be frequent. If Nintendo succeeds in persuading western gamers to be as socially active, it could be one of its most significant victories.
The versatility of the hardware is well demonstrated by the preloaded software, which is entirely unsuited to the daily commute. The superbly named Face Raiders turns a photo portrait into a spherical enemy, asking players to shoot themselves in the face using the internal gyroscope to aim. A set of six Augmented Reality cards, meanwhile, provides arguably the most technically dazzling demonstration of the console's capabilities, allowing users to shoot targets, go fishing or take photos of famous Nintendo characters with their lounge as a backdrop.
Otherwise, though, it's a fairly low-key launch for first-party software, with Nintendo content to let two lesser lights take centre stage on day one. Pilotwings Resort (cert 3) returns to the idyllic Wuhu Island featured in Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit Plus, offering a range of flying vehicles from a glider to a jetpack to navigate a series of simple courses. The picturesque setting looks better than ever in 3D, but the game itself is almost shamefully brief, making the company's recent comments about the importance of high-value content seem a little hypocritical.
Nintendogs + Cats (cert 3) fares better, revisiting the game often cited as the catalyst for the DS's success. Though light on additional content, the improved graphics and depth of the 3D image make it all but impossible not to reach out for a pup's proferred paw.
Elsewhere, a number of solid third-party titles will be jostling for attention. Ridge Racer 3D (Namco Bandai, cert 3) is hardly a technical knockout, but the franchise's trademark fast-paced and drift-heavy racing is even more thrilling in three dimensions. The ever-shifting perspective of the dynamic player camera in Pro Evolution Soccer 3D (Konami, cert 3) may well bring on a bout of queasiness, but switching to a more traditional side-on view reveals an accomplished version of the popular series, with especially impressive 3D action replays.
The dark horse of the launch line-up is Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars, (Ubisoft, cert 12), a terrific strategy title which makes subtle use of 3D to add visual depth to its turn-based tactical skirmishes.
But Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition (Capcom, cert 12) is the real standout, the classic beat-'em-up arriving on 3DS in feature-packed form, and with a control scheme that offers a way in for those who've historically struggled to cope with the thumb gymnastics required to pull off the most spectacular special moves. Offering quick and easy online play and the most impressive graphics on the system, it's the perfect showcase for the hardware's capabilities.
