In my life as a gamer, I have never had to rid myself of any console I had owned. That is until 21 November 2014, in which I traded in my old Nintendo 3DS which had been with me for the past three and a half years to save some money towards a purchase of a “New Nintendo 3DS”. It had gone through quite a lot with me, with the many places it had gone alongside me, usually taking a ride in my right-side pants pocket. Its Aqua Blue appearance with Homura from Senran Kagura placed on the top to define it as my own unique 3DS still leaves me with fond memories of all the games I had played on it, ranging from Kid Icarus: Uprising to Luigi’s Mansion 2, and finally to Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
And so a new chapter in my portable gaming life starts with the “New Nintendo 3DS” continuing the legacy of the 3DS family. This new member boasts a number of new features and improvements, including “super-stable 3D”, a new C-Stick and additional ZL and ZR buttons, an improved Internet Browser, NFC (Near Field Communication) amiibo support, and a much more powerful processor, among other things. These new 3DS models also mark the first time Australia and New Zealand had gotten new consoles released before anyone else outside of Japan, so it makes me feel quite privileged to be able to get my hands on them so soon. They may not be coming to the US or Europe until sometime in 2015, but this analysis between the old and New 3DS models should hopefully help you decide whether or not it’ll be worth your while to get either a New Nintendo 3DS or a New Nintendo 3DS XL.
Please note that this analysis will only cover the differences between the original Nintendo 3DS and the regular New Nintendo 3DS, and any additional features that come with the New 3DS. Comparisons with their XL counterparts will be mentioned if necessary, and any features that are not discussed are the same as they were with past 3DS models.
“Super Stable” 3D
The first main feature of the New 3DS is the enhanced stereoscopic 3D effect. The Nintendo 3DS was originally promoted with the promise of glasses-free stereoscopic 3D, which meant you didn’t need to wear any kind of special glasses just to get the 3D effect. The depth of the 3D could also be adjusted via a slider to the right of the top screen, and can even be turned off completely by sliding it all the way down.
Over the years though, this gimmick has seen a decline among many 3DS users, who often turned the 3D slider down to the bottom whenever their 3DS was in use. Even some developers for 3DS games paid less attention to providing 3D imagery in their games. This is due to how difficult it would be to maintain the 3D effect thanks to the narrow viewing range needed to achieve the effect, as you would need to keep the handheld and your head steady to do so. If you couldn’t achieve that, the effect would be broken.
The New 3DS fixes this by having the inner-facing camera of the handheld track the head of the user, effectively expanding the viewing range. I tested this through regular play of the New 3DS,with the 3D slider turned all the way up, and the 3D effect held itself particularly well. The viewing range is much larger than that of any other 3DS model before it, so the 3D effect is much easier to maintain in comparison.
New Controls
The next feature we will take a look at is the new inputs it offers in the form of a C Stick and two new shoulder buttons, ZL and ZR. In other words, it’s Nintendo’s answer to having a built-in Circle Pad Pro which also featured a C Stick (except in the form of another Circle Pad) and the ZL and ZR shoulder buttons.
The C Stick is located next to the upper-right corner of the bottom screen, has full analogue control, and is fairly comfortable to use. Its feel is akin to that of the small nubs that were used on old laptops to control the mouse, but I found myself quite at home with using the C Stick after a while. The only issue with the C Stick is that it lacks the same kind of precision that the Circle Pad has. While using it for simpler, quicker inputs in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS works fine, for a game that requires more frequent use of it such as Kid Icarus: Uprising’s left-handed control scheme, it can be marginally harder to work with than with the Circle Pad.
The ZL and ZR buttons are located around the same area as the L and R buttons, but are placed a bit closer to the centre of the handheld. My fingers could just reach out to them by the fingertips while holding the handheld, but the L and R buttons can get in the way whenever I try to press ZL or ZR, making it a bit tedious to use either of these new shoulder buttons.
The C Stick as well as the ZL and ZR buttons are compatible with any games that use the Circle Pad Pro (Such as Resident Evil: Revelations), and additionally for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS which does not support the Circle Pad Pro due to technical limitations. They will also be utilised in future 3DS games, including (But not limited to) Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate.
Updated Internet Browser
The Internet Browser for the New 3DS has seen an upgrade too with HTML5 support, and is now able to view videos on the majority of video streaming sites. I have tried this with YouTube, Dailymotion, and Vimeo, and each had given similar results, with the picture and audio giving an acceptable quality viewing experience, and all sites buffer videos at a reasonable pace, though this may vary depending on your Internet connection. All videos viewed on these sites are shown on a video player unique to the New 3DS. This video player allows you to loop a video, change the speed from x1.0, x1.3, x2.0, and x0.8 (Which also hilariously effects the audio pitch as well), enable subtitles (Though subtitles provided through Google Translate are not available), chose to have the video fill or fit the top screen, and even provides 3D correction settings for 3D-capable videos.
While there exists a filter for the Internet Browser which block off particular sites that may contain inappropriate content (Which can be disabled by paying a small fee via credit card), I can confirm that this filter only applies for the Japanese New 3DS models, as the Australian model I have can access any site without problems and without the need of paying a fee. Whether or not this filter will be present in the European and US New 3DS models still remains yet to be confirmed.
NFC amiibo Support
Another new feature of the New 3DS is the inclusion of NFC amiibo support. Basically, this means that any amiibo figures you have can be scanned by placing them on the bottom screen. Older 3DS models will also have amiibo support; however they will require a peripheral device in order to do so.
Unfortunately, while the first and second waves of amiibo figures are currently available, there are still no 3DS games that support amiibo figures as of present, so I am unable to test this feature. Thankfully though, there is an update for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS that will be coming in 2015 which will enable amiibo support for the game. No other 3DS games have been confirmed to support amiibo figures as of yet.
More Processing Power
Arguably the biggest feature and possibly the main reason that most people will buy the New 3DS is the new and improved processor. This not only means faster loading times with software, but also faster downloads too.
I tested the speed of both the original and New 3DS by using Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS to perform the following tests. I first tested how long it takes to get from booting up the game from the Home Menu to the game’s title screen. This process takes up to 38 seconds on the original 3DS, whereas on the New 3DS, it only takes 14 seconds. That’s a whole 24 seconds quicker! Even going to the Home Menu from the game is a bit quicker, and if you close the game, it doesn’t need to restart the handheld afterward. The New 3DS even allows you to access and post on the Miiverse while the game is still running too.
I also tested the download speed with my own Internet connection by timing how long it takes to download a 3DS game, Liberation Maiden, which takes up 1585 blocks, approximately 200 MB in size. On the original 3DS, it took 10:33 to fully download the game onto the handheld. The New 3DS on the other hand took only 4:29 to finish the download. The difference is that the New 3DS finished 6:04 earlier than the original 3DS. Now while game itself may be of a relatively small size, you can already imagine how much of a difference there would be when downloading larger games onto the handheld.
There will also be games that will only play exclusively on New Nintendo 3DS and New Nintendo 3DS XL handhelds, such as a port of the 2011/2012 Nintendo Wii cult hit, Xenoblade Chronicles, and the upcoming Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D will have some small additions that will only be available to New 3DS and New 3DS XL users.
Larger Size
Now that we have covered the main new features of the New Nintendo 3DS, let us take a look at some of the other features relating to its structure, starting with its difference in size.
The size of the New 3DS is also slightly larger than that of the original 3DS. When closed, the original and New 3DS models measure in at 134x74x21mm and 142x80.6x21.6mm respectively, weighing in at 235g and 253g respectively. As for the original 3DS XL and New 3DS XL, they measure in at 156x93x22mm and 160x93.5x21.5mm respectively, weighing in at 336g and 329g respectively, so the New 3DS XL is overall bigger, but also lighter than the original 3DS XL. I have done a comparison with a Bluray case and both regular 3DS models stacked on top of one another, and have provided photos below to better illustrate how much bigger the New 3DS really is.
Revised Physical Features
A few of the physical features from the original 3DS are present, although a number of them have been moved. The Start and Select buttons have been placed next to the bottom left corner of the bottom screen (akin to the Nintendo DS Lite, DSi, and DSi XL). This is a rather welcome change as on the original 3DS, these buttons in particular were particularly stiff and hard to press.
The game card slot, stylus, and Power Button have all been relocated to the bottom ridge of the handheld, around the headphone jack. This change I found myself taking a little bit of time to get used to, but overall it felt more comfortable to work with now that many of the physical components of the 3DS are located in the same general area. The only issue I had is that the Power button being smaller can be somewhat hard to press. You can always use the stylus to press it, but using your finger to press the button can prove to be difficult for those with larger fingers.
The Volume slider has been moved to be to the left of the top screen, the AC adapter port has been moved to the centre as opposed to being next to the R button, and the Wireless switch on the left side of the handheld has been removed entirely in favour of an option to enable and disable Wireless through the Home Menu Settings. Both sliders also lock into their Off position now, so they can stay slid down more easily without being accidentally slid back up.
The SD Card slot from past 3DS models is now no more, and has been replaced with a microSD Card slot, which can be accessed by unscrewing and removing the back plate of the handheld. The same can be done with the 3DS XL. It’s a bit cumbersome to have to unscrew part of the system in order to insert or replace a microSD Card, but it’s unlikely you’ll need to do it that much, so it isn’t a big deal. However, it is possible to access the microSD Card wirelessly through a PC that has Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 installed, so don’t worry about having to remove the microSD Card from the New 3DS or New 3DS XL if you need to put any of its contents onto your PC.
Better Screens
The New 3DS also has a larger screen than the original 3DS. The top and bottom screen of the original 3DS measure in at 3.23 inches and 2.78 inches respectively. The New 3DS sizes its top and bottom screens to 3.88 inches and 3.33 inches respectively, making both screens approximately 1.2 times bigger than those of the original 3DS. The New 3DS XL still has the same screen size as the original 3DS XL, both measuring up to 4.88 for the top screen, and 4.18 inches for the bottom screen.
The picture while appearing somewhat more vivid and less washed out, unfortunately suffers the same issue the 3DS XL has in which the screen resolution is still the same as the original 3DS, and so the picture may seem a bit less crisp.
Improved Camera
The camera as also seen an improvement, with images that would otherwise appear dim when taken on older 3DS models, now appear a bit brighter when taken on the New 3DS and New 3DS XL. This is illustrated by the photos below which were taken with on the original 3DS on the left, and the New 3DS on the right.
While an improvement over the original 3DS camera, it still is rather poor in quality compared to cameras on other handheld devices such as smartphones, and is only being capable of taking photos with a resolution size of 640x480 much like other 3DS models.
Battery and Battery-Saving Options
The battery has been upgraded from their original counterparts too. The original 3DS has a battery life of 3 to 6 hours, whereas the New 3DS has a battery life of 3.5 to 6 hours. The 3DS XL on the other hand has a battery life of 3 to 7 hours, and the New 3DS XL lasting from 3.5 to 7 hours.
The New 3DS and New 3DS XL also have automatic brightness adjustment which adjusts the brightness of the screens based on the amount of lighting it’s exposed to. Dimmer areas make the screen appear darker, while brighter areas make the screen brighter. This can help make the battery life of the handheld last even longer than if the handheld’s brightness didn’t change unless the user changes it manually. I find that this works best when the lighting conditions in your environment are consistent, and that if they aren’t the New 3DS will change brightness a bit erratically. This can also be disabled via the Home Menu Settings for those who which to not have their screen brightness changed during use.
It’s important to note that AC adapters for both the New 3DS and New 3DS XL are not included with the handheld (At least with the Japanese and Australian releases of the handhelds), and will need to be either bought separately, or taken from a DSi, DSi XL, 3DS, 3DS XL, or 2DS handheld if you own one.
Cover Plates (New 3DS Only)
A feature exclusive to the New 3DS is the Cover Plates. Please note that Cover Plates will not work with the New 3DS XL, which instead opts to have a “luxury look” akin to the original 3DS, so if you got your eyes set on the New 3DS XL, please ignore the rest of this section.
These can be used to personalise the appearance of your New 3DS to your liking. Swapping out cover plates is simple. For the front cover plate, you use the non-pointed end of the stylus to gently pry out the front plate from both sides of the handheld, and then lift it out from its place. You can then fit in a different front plate in its place, press down on it, and it’ll snap in nicely. The back plate is a bit more complicated though. For the back plate, you’ll need to use a small screwdriver to undo the screws, so you can then take it off. You can then place another back plate in its place, put the screws back on tightly, and you’re done.
There are already 20 different cover plates that have been released here at launch, but not all of them have the same feel or texture. The cover plate I got was a white cover plate with Mario characters engraved on it, in which the outlines have a rather slick feel, and overall has a different texture from the default cover plates the New 3DS comes with.
Available Colours and Price
At launch, the New 3DS comes in only one colour, White, with the Black New 3DS currently being exclusive to Japan, but both sport Super Famicom (or PAL region Super Nintendo) colour-coded ABXY buttons. The New 3DS XL instead has two available colours, Metallic Black, and Metallic Blue, with the Super Famicom colours being visible on the imprinting of the letters.
The New 3DS will set you back $219.00 AUD, while a New 3DS XL will set you back $249.00 AUD. However, if you trade in an old 3DS or 3DS XL when you buy either New 3DS model, you’ll be able to cut off some of the price. Trading in a regular 3DS for a New 3DS will reduce the price to $149.00 AUD, whereas trading one for its XL variant will reduce it to $179.00 AUD. The trade off with a 3DS XL for a New 3DS will take it down to $119.00 AUD, while for a New 3DS XL will end up being $149.00 AUD.
Both the New 3DS and New 3DS XL come with a 4GB microSD Card, but does not include an AC adapter, which will need to be either bought separately for about $14.95 AUD, or reused from a past Nintendo handheld starting from the Nintendo DSi and up to the Nintendo 2DS. Whether or not the European or US releases will come with an AC adapter has not been confirmed.
Charging Cradles are available for both the New 3DS and New 3DS XL, and will cost you $14.95 AUD. The cradles themselves have the New 3DS or New 3DS XL placed vertically with the bottom ridge of the handheld facing upwards, as opposed to having the handheld’s outer top half facing upwards, so you won’t be able to open the handheld unless you remove it from its cradle. It does however have a small gap visible for the LED on the bottom half of the handheld’s upper right corner, so you can still check for incoming notifications if you have it on while still resting in the cradle.
Cover Plates normally go for around $17.95 AUD, however the wooden cover plate has a genuine wooden texture which raises it up to $39.95 AUD. The packaging is easy to open, and the plastic casing for the cover plate can even be used for storing any other cover plates you may have lying around. Club Nintendo codes are also absent from the New 3DS and New 3DS XL, so don’t expect to be able to rack up some Stars for use with the Stars Catalogue if you buy either New 3DS model.
Conclusion
And so ends my analysis of the New Nintendo 3DS. When put up against the original 3DS, the New 3DS surpasses it in about every way conceivable. With integrated features from the Circle Pad Pro, a faster and more powerful processor, enhanced stereoscopic 3D, NFC amiibo support, and video support for the Internet Browser, it is hard to ignore that the New 3DS models are a significant improvement over any other member of the 3DS family thus far.
But the biggest question at the end of the day is this: “Would I recommend getting a New Nintendo 3DS or New Nintendo 3DS XL?” Well, if you’re a heavy user of any of the already released 3DS models, or if you don’t have a 3DS and would like to buy one, then I say go ahead and get one right away. But if you don’t get much use out of your current 3DS, or if you have plans to buy a 2DS for a younger person under the age of 6, then there’s no shame in not getting either of these New 3DS models.
If you have any questions regarding the New Nintendo 3DS or New Nintendo 3DS XL, feel free to post a comment below and I’ll respond in kind. Thank you for your time, and I hope that you can get your hands on a New Nintendo 3DS or New Nintendo 3DS XL sometime in 2015.