In just a few hours time the Nintendo 3DS will go on sale and all of you eager beavers will be able to get your first taste of handheld 3D gaming.
To get ready for the release we've rounded up all the great Nintendo 3DS mysteries and niggling queries and provided the definitive answers here.
Once and for all: is the 3DS region locked?
Yes. Here it is straight from Nintendo: "Nintendo 3DS hardware is available in three versions: Japanese, American and European/Australian. There will be pre-installed region codes for Nintendo 3DS and the games that are specifically developed for and sold in that market. This means that devices and games purchased or downloaded in one specific region will only work in that region." There you have it, then.
Should I import one then?
Not yet. Currently, there's no obvious Japan exclusive game worth £300+ (taking 3DS postage and the exchange rate into account). And Nintendo of Europe do a pretty good job regarding DS and Wii releases - contrary to popular belief, there are more PAL exclusives than NTSC ones. And one of the NTSC titles was Excitebots. And that stinks. So there.
How long does the battery last?
At full brightness (the major battery sap), with 3D turned on (3D 'strength' doesn't come into it) and no wireless comms, we squeezed three and a half hours from a full charge. Wireless use edges it towards three hours, but enabling 'power saving' adds 20 minutes. Shift the brightness to its lowest level for five hours' play time.
How well does it play at low brightness?
Not great. There are five settings, dulling the colours and darkening the mood with each dropped notch. The 3D still works on the lowest setting, though you can kiss goodbye to your Nintendog's lustrous fur - in one screen tap the pet simulator goes from dream home to Mike Leigh depress-o-room. If you want to spend time in a virtual RSPCA ad, be our guest. An extra hour of battery ain't worth it.
What does power saving actually do?
It slightly dips the brightness. It's less harsh than the colour vacuum of low brightness, although it noticeably weakens fainter colours. Pastel floor tiles in Mii Maker, for example, lose some definition. Some put-upon R&D1 underling probably spent weeks on those floor tiles. Are you going sacrifice his work for 20 minutes of play? Of course you are. Read it and weep, underling!
What happens when I press the Home button?
Drum roll... it takes you to the home menu. But this is a proper home menu, and not the glorified remote speaker volume control on Wii. Selecting other software closes the current game for good. You can, however, access game notes, the friend list, notifications and the web browser (not yet available, but viewable on the menu).
What are 'game notes'?
A notepad, not unlike that seen in Hotel Dusk and the DS Zeldas. You get 12 sheets of virtual paper to deface to your heart's content. Handily, the paused game is viewable up top so you can jot down pertinent info as and when it's given. Alternatively, write down reminders as to which Dead Or Alive cutscenes require further... inspection at a later date.
What's the 'friend list'?
It shows any friend (yes) with whom you've exchanged your friend code. This can be done locally with a button press (which takes a second) or by typing in codes you've swapped elsewhere. When mates play online you'll see their Mii playing a tiny 3DS (this won't work for old DS games). You'll also be able to use Wi-Fi messaging.
And what is Wi-Fi messaging?
Sad news: PictoChat is dead. Good news: it's been replaced with a true online chat forum. Messaging gives you the same doodling/writing capabilities as those in PictoChat, only this time you communicate with online friends. Now you'll be able to tell your mates exactly what you thought of that Mario Kart blue shell on the finish line.
Can I customise the interface?
Yes. The menu background colour is now selected from a palette of shades. Also, you can alter the number of 3DS channels on the home screen - from a scrolling strip (like on DSi) all the way up to 100 on screen at once.
Is 3DS easier to get online than a DS?
Yes. But then so are cats, bricks and hobos, so that's not saying much. The dreaded WEP protocol is finally thrown on its ass in favour of WPA/WPA2. And, unlike DSi with its menu within a menu within a menu, wireless set-up is one easy option. Press it, enter your Wi-Fi password and off you go. Bliss.
How do DS games look on the 3DS?
Black borders trim the widescreen back to DS proportions. Sadly, there's no upscaling wizardry at play. DS games develop a noticeable grain - the result of pumping low-res games through the higher res screens - though pixels don't clench together like they do on a DS Lite. We'd liken it to shifting a GBA game from GBA to DS: it isn't the native resolution and shows.
How do DS games handle on 3DS?
Reaching down for the D-pad requires a thumb contort, but you soon adjust. The slide-pad can be used, however, giving eight directions of digital input. It's a comfortable cradle for the thumb, certainly, though it generates an even stronger longing for proper analogue controls in Mario 64 DS. Oh, and it's too messy for Jam With The Band.
Can I play my DS games online on 3DS?
Yes, with DS's archaic WEP settings. Honestly, WEP was laughed out of the Great Exhibition of 1851. In 2011 it just makes a great exhibition of itself. Interestingly the DS 'portion' of the 3DS acts like an emulator, right down to booting old DS menus for modifying WEP settings and DS download play. The DS even gets its own profile name for online play. Odd stuff.
Will it play my imported DS games?
On the backwards compatibility front, 3DS mimics DSi. DSi games are still region locked, but DS games will happily play. Don't chuck out Jump Ultimate Stars yet.
Does StreetPass activate automatically?
Nope. You activate it within each game/piece of pre-installed software. The option tends to be tucked away in the options screen, so you have to hunt for it.
Is there a limit to the number of StreetPass communications?
StreetPass lets games drink data from other 3DSes without being in the slot. It's basically DS's tag mode with better odds on a connection. A quick pry reveals a limit of 12 active slots, including the pre-installed Mii Plaza and 3DS Sound (both occupy one slot). The data, however, saves to SD card, so StreetPass can be deactivated without nuking hoarded information.
Can I share rude stuff with strangers?
Call your Mii something offensive and it'll be renamed '
' when it travels to another system. We do detect some lewd potential, however. If you cross paths with a stranger twice in StreetPass, you'll be able to set a personal message for any future encounter. We haven't tested it but this could be a viable smut portal.
Activity Log pedometer: good or bad?
It's far from an exact science. It isn't programmed to personal walking habits, for example, and is easily tricked with a shake. In action, it works like DS's Walk With Me, timing periods of movement and inaction and calculating steps from there. Standalone pedometers won't lose any sleep. Not that they get much, jangling around in health freaks' pockets. The Activity Log also records which games you've played and for how long.
And what are Play Coins?
Steps earn you Play Coins, which unlock game content, bonus AR games and trinkets for the Mii Plaza StreetPass games. A hundred steps buys you one coin, with a maximum of ten coins a day and an overall 300-coin maximum. It's the same as the Pokéwalker Watt system.
Does 3DS need an SD card to work?
No. Though functionality, like StreetPass and Nintendogs' in-game photography, won't work without one. The machine comes with a 2GB card, which should tide you over. Unless you plan on taking 3,000 dog pics. You... don't, do you?
What happens when I stick a 3DS SD card in my PC?
You get a lot of digital gobbledygook (save files) and some JPGs. Every 3D photo (saved in an MPO format) is cloned as a JPG. If you're feeling particularly mean you can stick these back into a DSi to show it what it's missing out on.
Anything to say about the Sound Recorder?
Not really. It hasn't changed a great deal since DSi. It'll play MP3s as well as AAC, which is handy. Oh, and the visualisers are in 3D. This spaceship number shows us how cool Rez would look in 3D. *Dreams of 3D Rez*.
