First things first. It’s 3D. The top screen can display images in stereoscopic 3D, without the need for specialized glasses. Assuming you’ve heard of the system (a safe assumption, I’m sure), this is probably the first thing you learned about it, so I’m not going to get too far into that. All I’m going to say is that it works. You use the 3D slider on the right to toggle it on and off, and while it’s on it can also be used to change how strong the effect is. Naturally, this effects battery life and is the main cause of all the health warnings (Health & Safety Information is actually the first tab on the menu). So if you’re prone to seizures and other such conditions, be wary and actually take the breaks it recommends, if you use the 3D at all.

So, the first thing you’re going to do is make a Mii. The Mii Maker is identical to the process on the Wii. Everything is the same. Face shape, hair, eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, height, weight, and other facial features and accessories. All that, in 3D! The only real difference is that there’s now a Personal Mii that is linked to the system, used in various Mii games and applications such as StreetPass (more on that later). This is the Mii you’ll be creating as soon as you turn the system on, so make sure it’s more or less based on you, and/or comfortable that it’ll represent you like an Avatar.

Got friends with the 3DS? Now you don’t actually need friend codes to add each other. You can instead do that locally by searching for friends wirelessly within your radius and adding them from your friends list menu. The search system can be kind of buggy, but give it enough searches and you’ll eventually find everyone. You have to both be searching and then click the friend’s name at the same time as your friend clicks on yours, so a huge group adding each other might take some time with the “hey, I’m going to add you specifically now” chatter.

Once you connect to the Internet you’ll get your Friend Code, just like the Wii. However, don’t expect this to be as much of an ordeal as it used to. This is the only Friend Code the system needs to recognize and play friends in other 3DS games. That’s right, individual 3DS games do not own their own Friend Codes, and are instead tied to the system itself. Pretty sweet, right? Unfortunately this doesn’t apply to the 3DS playing regular DS games, as those will still require the old-fashioned different Friend Codes.

There’s now an analog slider of sorts, similar to the PSP’s, in addition to the standard D-Pad. I found this slider to be very responsive and natural to use, a clear contrast to my experience with the PSP’s. It is also placed more naturally, above the D-Pad. Both can be utilized in place of one another, so it all comes to preference. There may be games that use both the slider and the D-Pad for two different things, but from what I’ve experienced so far with Super Street Fighter IV 3D, my only game, they are more or less interchangeable. On the side, there’s a Wireless slider that you can toggle off and on, in case you don’t want the 3DS receiving or sending data. It’s generally encouraged that it stays on to take full advantage of the system’s uses, but if you’re particularly conscious about privacy or battery consumption, the option is there.

The system has a pedometer built in that reads all the steps you take with the system on you (of course you can fake it by shaking it, but that’s not the point). This system awards every 100 steps with a coin that can be used to redeem rewards in 3DS games. The rewards vary between games. Find Mii, for example, gives you one Mii to come in and assist you for the cost of 2 coins, or 200 steps; SSF43D gives you in-game points that can be redeemed for one Figure for the same cost of 1 coin/100 steps. In order for the steps to be read, the system has to be in Sleep Mode (closed lid while the system is still on). You can only get 10 coins per day, however, so for all you cheaters out there ready to shake it, don’t get too many ideas with that.

One of my favorite things about the system is the camera functionality. Using the two outer cameras you can actually take a 3D picture. Naturally the effect can only be viewed in 3D while on the 3DS, but it’s a pretty sweet feature. So some random things about that:

• It can judge distance pretty accurately, and the 3D effects are incredibly evident regardless of where the subject is. I took a good 3D picture of my cat Lila barely a foot away, and got a picture of my friend Dean about 8 feet away and both had very nice 3D.

 

• The AR (augmented reality) cards that come with the game can be utilized in 3D pictures. The ones that come with the system are Mario, Link (toon style), Kirby, Samus, and Pikmin (red, blue, and yellow). Any amount of them can be in the photo, so long as the cards are present (and visible). You can move the characters (they can be off the card, but they can’t travel too far away from it), change their directions, and even change through a number of signature poses.

 

• Though it’s very accurate with distance, you can still fake it. For example, taking a picture in a mirror will show yourself in 3D. So for all you people who just love taking pictures of yourselves in a mirror, you’re good to go.

 

• As a Nintendo employee showed me at the launch last night, the 3DS has 3D video, soon to be released by firmware update. I can assure you from seeing it firsthand that it works, though not quite as good as still pictures. It’s more of a subtle effect, while still images’ 3D stand out. It’s there, though, and it works.

The 3DS sound player is pretty much the same thing as the DSi’s. You can change the pitch and the speed of a song loaded onto your SD card, view many different visualizers (some Nintendo-influenced), add in your own beats with the shoulder buttons, and alter the sound completely with emulated modifiers such as “radio”. All in the DSi. The only real differences are that the visualizers are 3D compatible and you’re not limited to AAC files; you can also play mp3s now.

StreetPass Mii Plaza is a new use for your collection of Miis, specifically the ones you’ve met via connecting with other nearby 3DS owners. This could either be a good or “meh” addition to the system, depending on how many friends you have with the system, or how many 3DS systems are dispersed in your area. This concept is revolutionary in areas full of people who have them, such as Japan. However, depending on where you are this might just come off as a gimmick. You “pass” players with them, and it’s shown on the Mii Plaza and you can connect with them and have them aid you in Mii Plaza games, such as Find Mii (your personal Mii is kidnapped, and Miis you pass come to your aid in a sort of dungeon crawler RPG game). Playing these games unlock features for your Mii, and the more you “pass” the same people, the more effective they become (for example, I’ve “passed” Dean more than once, and he’s leveled up in Find Mii). A neat little idea, and Nintendo has said they’ll add upon it in future updates.

Augmented Reality games (or just AR Games) are next in line. They employ the use of the AR cards that come with the game. The ? block is the principal “key” card; when you look at that card with the AR Games running, you’ll be met with a jack-in-the-?-box type creature who will then display a menu (along with helping you figure out what you’re doing, of course). The first game you can play is Archery, which simply utilizes the gyroscope to detect movement and has you aim the console at targets. The visual effects on these are very impressive, as they really morph the area the card is placed on. Once you take out some stationary targets, you’ll be faced with some moving ones, and then finally, a fire-breathing dragon to vanquish. When you do, you’ll unlock a billiards-golf type of game, as well as the functionality to take pictures of your Mii. This is also the place to take pictures of your AR card characters, as I previously mentioned. There are fishing and graffiti games to unlock, as well.

Face Raiders is another game that takes a picture of you or someone else, recognizes the face and plasters it onto demented looking targets that you shoot tennis ball-like projectiles at. Like archery and other AR games you aim by actually moving the console around (the background is actually whatever the outer cameras are seeing). The concept is to simply shoot the demented faces out of existence before they get too close and kiss you. It’s a pretty fun one-time game, but it doesn’t have much lasting appeal.

That’s pretty much it as far as out-of-the-box features go. There’s an Activity Log that keeps a hold of what software you’ve played, how many times you’ve played them and for how long. Download Play, like past DS systems, allows you to download demos of both 3DS and regular DS games from other people with full versions of the games and play the game’s local wireless multiplayer, albeit with a few limitations (for example, SSF43D with Download Play forces both players to only use Ryu). System Settings allows you to… well, manage 3DS settings, including Internet connection settings, parental controls, save data management, touch screen calibration, and all the other settings you’d expect.

Is it worth $250? That’s up to you. It’s a new system and it doesn’t quite have much support right now, so you can afford to wait until it gets a little more momentum. It even lacks many of its system features out-of-the-box, requiring firmware updates later down the road. So right now, I’d give it a 6/7… but overall, with the 3DSWare store featuring prominent Game Boy games, along with other notable portable systems of years past, 3D video recording and the great line-up planned through this year? This is by far the easiest 7 I’ve ever given out… and that’s probably saying something.