3DS One Year Later Review (Happy Birthday 3DS!!!!)

One year ago today the Nintendo 3DS was released in the United  States of America on March 27, 2011. So, Happy Birthday, 3DS!!!!  Let's hope for another good year. I am going to review the 3DS based on the improvements that have happened over the past year, the games, the 3DS itself, and how good of a year it is to buy the 3DS.

Improvements Over the Past Year

Taking 3D pics is cool, but taking 3D video is awesome.  The price at launch was $250, and now it's $170. We have the eShop, and it's doing really well.  The Nintendo Network is starting to come out, plus they also added SwapNote, an Internet browser, Find Mii 2, and Puzzle Swap 2.  These are all just a few of the ways the 3DS got a lot better in the past year.


Improvements score:  10/10

Games

The 3DS took awhile to get a lot of games (there was a drought of games in the first six months after launch), but now we have Super Mario 3D Land, Resident Evil Revelations, Mario Kart 7, Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Starfox 64 3D, etc.  On the eShop we have Pushmo, Mutant Mudds, Dillon's Rolling Western, Zen Pinball 3D, Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword, etc.

Games score:  10/10

The 3DS Itself

The 3DS is probably the best selling 3D device ever, and it is rightfully so.  The 3D effect is really cool and adds a lot to games. The design of the 3DS reminds me of the DS as in it has a sturdy clamshell design (I dropped mine once, and it didn't even get a scratch).  Design features the 3DS has that the DS doesn't have include a Circle Pad and three cameras. Cool software the 3DS has includes the internet browser, Swapnote, Nintendo Video, Face Raiders, and AR Games. Another cool feature is StreetPass.  When I bought the 3DS, I wasn't excepting StreetPass to be so fun and now I bring my 3DS everywhere hoping that I pass someone who also has a 3DS. I also now use my 3DS as my MP3 player. My only complaints are  the lack of a second Circle Pad and that the glossy finish of the 3DS smudges so easily.


The 3DS itself:  10/10

How Good of a Year is it to Buy the 3DS?

I think it is a really good year to buy the 3DS.  In fact, I think this will be the best year to buy the 3DS possibly ever.  There are games coming out left and right. Some people are waiting for the 3DS lite to come out, but they're possibly going to have to wait until 2013 because 2012 will be the year of the Wii U, and Nintendo won't want to distract from the launch of the Wii U. So if you have been on the fence, I recommend that you buy the Nintendo 3DS.

How good of a year it is to buy the 3DS:  10/10




Overall score: 10/10