The Nintendo 3DS is not just another handheld, it's the first iteration of a brand new game platform and the first gaming device to utilize glasses-free 3D technology. But can the 3DS live up to the hype, overcome the limitations of glasses-free 3D, and produce a compelling new gameplay experience worthy of its $250 MSRP?

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For anyone who has used a DS in the past, Nintendo's next-generation handheld should look and feel plenty familiar, though obviously with a number of clearly identifiable changes. While Nintendo went for a slim, minimalist design with the DSi that utilized flat surfaces, unified casing, and a solid color, the 3DS is bulkier with more angular edges and a more complex, multi-panel case design.In order to accommodate the dual parallax glasses-free 3D screens and two outward facing cameras, the 3DS's top panel is thicker, while the base is roughly the same thickness as the DSi. Though thicker overall, the 3DS is not as wide as the DSi, shaving off roughly a tenth of an inch from the width of the base. The size reduction is lost to some degree due to the screen's muffin top-like design that protrudes over the sides. When paired with the added thickness of the unit, the odd angular screen casing definitely impacts the overall portability of the device.Though the DS series has never been particularly easy to pocket, the 3DS is one of the more cumbersome and uncomfortable, with its edges often getting caught on fabric and the device pressing firmly against your leg. Still, the 3DS is more likely to be carried in-hand or in a bag, and the design becomes a secondary issue.As for the quality of the build, the 3DS's plastic casing is on-par with previous Nintendo handhelds, though the high-gloss two-tone metallic finish provides a little extra aesthetic flair. Despite appearances, the device is still vulnerable in many of the same regards as previous generations. As is the case with any clamshell design, the screen hinge is the weakest point, but the 3DS's feels pretty solid and pops into a slightly angled or flat position. Users may see the resistance loosen over time, but should hold up with proper care and storage.The 3DS also makes use of new slider controls for volume and 3D depth adjustments, as well as enabling or disabling Wi-Fi, which are effective for quick adjustments, but a little too loose and easy to move with an accidental brush of the finger.Nintendo's engineers did preserve their fantastic d-pad design and action buttons, which feel poppy and responsive. They've improved upon the mushy shoulder buttons of the previous generation, however, by tweaking the shape and adding a nice click to each depression. The thumb slider is loose and fluid, but responsive and accurate. The surface area of the 3DS is a bit wider than that of the PSP, and the textured concave design makes it easy to grip. The built-in gyroscope also provides added motion detection and plays a vital role in the performance of the system's built-in AR software. The new Start, Select, and Home buttons are arranged flush along the base of the lower screen, making them somewhat hard to discern and even more difficult to depress.The widescreen display on the top panel of the 3DS is a welcomed change, though it doesn't yield a substantial amount of added screen real estate. In fact, the total screen size seems roughly the same. On the other hand, the lower touch-enabled screen is actually notably smaller than the DSi's. The screens are bright, though color representation and contrast range is a little lacking; some colors really pop, but smaller variations in hue and shade are lost. The resolutions of both displays are also lackluster, but admittedly higher than the original DS. The 3DS's top display features a resolution of 800x240 in 3D mode and the bottom is 320x240, whereas the previous generation had only has 256x192 displays. Viewing angles are also expectedly poor, but then again, Nintendo handhelds have never been renowned for cutting-edge image technology.Finally, the 3DS uses three VGA cameras one front-facing and two rear-facing for 3D pictures -- which take 0.3-megapixel (640x480) photos. Aside from the fact that the device now incorporates dual outward facing lenses for stereoscopic images and video, the cameras are more or less the same as those found in the DSi, or in other words: terrible. The 3DS cameras are sufficient for basic image capture and AR applications, but they perform poorly in low-light scenarios and images are always grainy. But again, this is Nintendo we're talking about; the company set out to build a unique and price-efficient device, not to try and revolutionize camera technology. 3D capabilities aside, most of the innovation is reserved for software.It's clear Nintendo is learning from its mistakes. The user interface for the 3DS is certainly the best we've seen from the publisher, allowing owners to expand program icons from a single row like the DSi to a grid-like design, similar to the Wii. Unlike Nintendo's current home console, the grid scale can be changed, allowing for dozens of miniature icons to be displayed, if that's preferred. It's simple but effective and familiar.Along the top of your home screen are a variety of fundamental OS applications, from your friends list manager to notifications to the still-missing Internet browser. One particularly cool feature is the Games Note application, which allows you to pause out of a game to take notes before jumping back in.Communication with friends has greatly improved since the days of the DS. Friend codes, once the bane of any Nintendo fan, have become streamlined, now operating on a system-by-system basis. You don't have to send codes to your friends for each game. The new process is far simpler, allowing you to create friends directly and locally (which doesn't require entering any codes), or online, which still asks for a 12-digit entry. The 3DS has a limit of 100 friends, no doubt something that will prove frustrating to the hardcore gamers out there.The 3DS comes with a wide array of included software. A Mii Maker allows you to create approximations of yourself, using the included cameras as well as a suite of customization options. The result is a better Mii program than on the Wii itself, which is certainly notable. The Mii Plaza will allow you to collect both your creations as well as other characters gathered through StreetPass.The system includes a variety of native applications that allow you to take 3D photos and manipulate them with a variety of effects. The camera is really put to use with AR Games and Face Raiders, two games available out of the box that use the environment around you as "levels" for gameplay. We'll have more extensive reviews of these mini-games closer to launch, but suffice it to say that in many ways these two applications are better than any of the games available on Day One. Neither 3DS app is something that could have supported a full retail release. They're more tech demos than anything else. But it's tough not to see the potential of the Nintendo 3DS after spending a few minutes with each of these products.If there is one fault with the 3DS's built-in software and core interface, it's that it isn't complete. As mentioned above, there's an icon for the internet, but it doesn't work. There a spot to manage DSi data, but you can't because you can't yet transfer that information to the 3DS. Want to download 3DSWare or access the Virtual Console? It's not there. And while in some regards it is unfair to judge a product based on what's yet to come, some of these concepts, which are operational on other Nintendo platforms, seem almost neglectful in their absence. Why wouldn't a digital store be ready for launch? How could an Internet browser miss the ship date? We know they're coming, but a huge piece of the 3DS puzzle has yet to arrive, and that certainly has an impact of the value of the system out of the box at launch.Above all else, the 3DS's UI is as streamlined as ever, but has an added layer of intuitive functionality that Wii and the Nintendo DS lacked. The company has clearly studied and learned from its previous systems, and that's certainly to the benefit of consumers.Though the exact specifications of the 3DS's processing architecture have not been revealed, it's clear that Nintendo put quite a bit of power into its new handheld. Though obviously performance varies with cartridge-based titles, for the most part games run smoothly in both 3D and 2D modes with no sizable framerate issues -- and the load times are all reasonably brief. Enabling 3D is as simple as adjusting the slider on the right side of the screen, and the device seamlessly transitions in and out of 3D modes without pause or any sort of interruption.Despite its added graphics power, the device only supports limited multitasking functionality, and in most cases users can't even swap between basic apps. For example, you can leave and re-enter the photo app to return to the main interface, but if you want to open the device settings menu it requires you to quit the photo app entirely.The only time the 3DS processor seemed to struggle was when using the AR games, which allow users to superimpose interactive characters and objects over an incoming video feed, and use the 3D mode to add an extra level of immersion. As fun and creative a concept as it is, there are times when the 3DS simply cannot keep up with the understandably taxing task of processing video, rendering graphics, and displaying stereoscopic 3D all at once, and framerates naturally take a dip. Of course, these issues are somewhat isolated and infrequent, but it is a little disappointing that the 3DS doesn't perform as well in one of its more unique and innovative modes.Then, of course, there is the Wi-Fi. A common problem associated with mobile devices, both handheld gaming devices and smartphones alike, is Wi-Fi strength. Portable products use smaller, low-power receivers and subsequently often have issues maintaining a strong connection level at certain distances. The 3DS is no different. Within a distance of roughly ten to fifteen feet, the 3DS can connect and maintain a strong connection to a Wi-Fi network, but as distance and obstructions like walls are added, signal strength can drop off abruptly. Again, these types of performance issues are common, but worth noting all the same.