Where We Are Now
It's been nearly two months since the 3DS came into my life, and my former excitement has been replaced with frustration and resentment. While the little bit of eyestrain I experienced at first went away completely once my eyes had adjusted to the 3D effect, it didn't really matter by that point. Even though I was lucky enough to have access to all the 3DS games I was interested in, there just weren't many that I actually wanted to play.
It didn't take me long to get perfect files on both Pilotwings and Steel Diver. I had already unlocked and purchased the Mario house in Nintendogs plus Cats, gotten top honors in all of the competitions and bought all the puppy scarves I could ever want. I had also busted as many moves as I cared to bust and had flat run-out of things to do with the included software.
It's a fun game, but it's just not enough.
Already out of fun things to do, I begrudgingly set aside my shiny, new system (which had lost its charge days ago) and returned to my DSi XL. The sad truth was that playing DS games was the only thing left to do on my new portable, but it not only frustrated me to play them on my 3DS, they also didn't look as good as they did on my XL.
So why did Nintendo leave us high and dry? It all came down to some bad planning. Before the 3DS launched, we were told that the "launch window" (between the system's release and Nintendo's E3 conference in June) would give the spotlight to third party publishers. But the third parties didn't step up, leaving 3DS owners twiddling their thumbs with an essentially useless system cluttering up their pockets.
Why am I playing DS games when I have a 3DS? Good question.
As a result of this lack of both first or third party support during the launch window, very few games have released for the system in the two months since March 27 -- and most of the ones that did weren't all that great. To top it off, the e-shop that was supposed to be available in May (and will allow 3DS owners the chance to download Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Gear titles, as well as 3D versions of classic Nintendo games, DSiWare, original 3DSWare titles, and game demos) was pushed to June 6. This was a real kick in the pants to those of us who thought we'd at least have that to tide us over during this bleak launch window.
As optimistic as I was in the beginning, I'm now an extremely dissatisfied customer. So what does the Big N have planned to renew my interest and make me proud of my expensive new portable again? As it turns out, quite a bit.
Looking Ahead to a Bright Future
While I've been pretty down about my 3DS (and have even harbored regrets about buying it at launch), I'm hopeful that all of my suffering will soon be over. After this horrific launch window has finally passed, there's a lot to look forward to. It all starts with the e-shop's launch on June 6 (featuring a demo/prologue version of Mega Man Legends 3, and hopefully either Super Mario Land or Link's Awakening available to purchase as well). After that, Nintendo looks to be on track to set things right with Ocarina of Time 3D and Resident Evil: Mercenaries following soon after. Super Mario 3DS and Mario Kart 3D are also set to release by the end of the year.
After that, the sky's the limit. We already know Animal Crossing 3D and Kid Icarus: Uprising are on the way, as well as Resident Evil: Revelations. A 3D Kingdom Hearts title and a 3D port of Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater are also in the works, plus whatever else Nintendo has up their sleeves for E3.
The future is bright.
From what we've seen, the list of in-development games is promising, though a few solid release dates would help to soothe the wounds of a jilted Nintendo fan. And if Nintendo's deal with Best Buy (which will allow 3DS owners access to exclusive gaming extras as well as other undisclosed content using the system's SpotPass feature) actually turns out to be something worthwhile, I might just have a reason to plug my aqua blue device back in.
The truth is that Nintendo dropped the ball with the 3DS launch. The system came out too soon and the software wasn't there. Having just been burned by the 3DS, I'm skeptical, but with the number of must-play titles headed my way, I can't help but to want to believe. I'm dying to love my 3DS the way I loved my DS, and my Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy before that. All I need is a reason to, and so far I haven't been given one.
So here's hoping Nintendo brings the goods I've been holding out for, otherwise they'll have a horde of angry portable enthusiasts on their hands, with me at the lead. Until then, my 3DS can stay where it is -- sad and lonely on my coffee table.
What do you think of the 3DS' launch strategy? If you bought one at launch, what has your experience been with it so far? Should they have waited to release the system until there was more software? What title is going to make you purchase a 3DS, or bust out the one you already have? Let us know in the comments section below!
It's been nearly two months since the 3DS came into my life, and my former excitement has been replaced with frustration and resentment. While the little bit of eyestrain I experienced at first went away completely once my eyes had adjusted to the 3D effect, it didn't really matter by that point. Even though I was lucky enough to have access to all the 3DS games I was interested in, there just weren't many that I actually wanted to play.
It didn't take me long to get perfect files on both Pilotwings and Steel Diver. I had already unlocked and purchased the Mario house in Nintendogs plus Cats, gotten top honors in all of the competitions and bought all the puppy scarves I could ever want. I had also busted as many moves as I cared to bust and had flat run-out of things to do with the included software.
It's a fun game, but it's just not enough.
Already out of fun things to do, I begrudgingly set aside my shiny, new system (which had lost its charge days ago) and returned to my DSi XL. The sad truth was that playing DS games was the only thing left to do on my new portable, but it not only frustrated me to play them on my 3DS, they also didn't look as good as they did on my XL.
So why did Nintendo leave us high and dry? It all came down to some bad planning. Before the 3DS launched, we were told that the "launch window" (between the system's release and Nintendo's E3 conference in June) would give the spotlight to third party publishers. But the third parties didn't step up, leaving 3DS owners twiddling their thumbs with an essentially useless system cluttering up their pockets.
Why am I playing DS games when I have a 3DS? Good question.
As a result of this lack of both first or third party support during the launch window, very few games have released for the system in the two months since March 27 -- and most of the ones that did weren't all that great. To top it off, the e-shop that was supposed to be available in May (and will allow 3DS owners the chance to download Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Gear titles, as well as 3D versions of classic Nintendo games, DSiWare, original 3DSWare titles, and game demos) was pushed to June 6. This was a real kick in the pants to those of us who thought we'd at least have that to tide us over during this bleak launch window.
As optimistic as I was in the beginning, I'm now an extremely dissatisfied customer. So what does the Big N have planned to renew my interest and make me proud of my expensive new portable again? As it turns out, quite a bit.
Looking Ahead to a Bright Future
While I've been pretty down about my 3DS (and have even harbored regrets about buying it at launch), I'm hopeful that all of my suffering will soon be over. After this horrific launch window has finally passed, there's a lot to look forward to. It all starts with the e-shop's launch on June 6 (featuring a demo/prologue version of Mega Man Legends 3, and hopefully either Super Mario Land or Link's Awakening available to purchase as well). After that, Nintendo looks to be on track to set things right with Ocarina of Time 3D and Resident Evil: Mercenaries following soon after. Super Mario 3DS and Mario Kart 3D are also set to release by the end of the year.
After that, the sky's the limit. We already know Animal Crossing 3D and Kid Icarus: Uprising are on the way, as well as Resident Evil: Revelations. A 3D Kingdom Hearts title and a 3D port of Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater are also in the works, plus whatever else Nintendo has up their sleeves for E3.
The future is bright.
From what we've seen, the list of in-development games is promising, though a few solid release dates would help to soothe the wounds of a jilted Nintendo fan. And if Nintendo's deal with Best Buy (which will allow 3DS owners access to exclusive gaming extras as well as other undisclosed content using the system's SpotPass feature) actually turns out to be something worthwhile, I might just have a reason to plug my aqua blue device back in.
The truth is that Nintendo dropped the ball with the 3DS launch. The system came out too soon and the software wasn't there. Having just been burned by the 3DS, I'm skeptical, but with the number of must-play titles headed my way, I can't help but to want to believe. I'm dying to love my 3DS the way I loved my DS, and my Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy before that. All I need is a reason to, and so far I haven't been given one.
So here's hoping Nintendo brings the goods I've been holding out for, otherwise they'll have a horde of angry portable enthusiasts on their hands, with me at the lead. Until then, my 3DS can stay where it is -- sad and lonely on my coffee table.
What do you think of the 3DS' launch strategy? If you bought one at launch, what has your experience been with it so far? Should they have waited to release the system until there was more software? What title is going to make you purchase a 3DS, or bust out the one you already have? Let us know in the comments section below!
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