Nintendo 3DS Reviews A-Z

Asphalt 3D strikes me as a "lowest common denominator" title for the 3DS. Sure, the tracks are rendered in 3D, but after playing for a minute or so you don't even notice. At that point you're left with a pretty generic racing game. You get a nice selection of track locations at least, including Athens, San Francisco, and Aspen (snow!). The controls are simple and the courses are forgiving. Guardrails bounce you back on the track and not-so-hidden shortcuts give you a leg-up on the CPU racers. Along the courses are icons you collect to pump up your boost meter or bank account. The racing action is very arcade-ish, but I don't like how using turbo blurs the screen. It's hard enough to stay focused on these 3D games as it is! I also noticed the frame-rate can stutter while rounding corners. It's fun to run other cars off the road, but it's often unclear who crashed - you or the other guy! I really hate the idea of other traffic on the road besides the racers. Not only is it hard to see oncoming cars, but one wreck will ruin an otherwise flawless run. The tracks exhibit nice lighting effects and the roads look shiny, but the scenery is forgettable. No 3D effects will catch your eye besides maybe the leaves getting kicked up by your tires. I do enjoy the relentless, grinding soundtrack, and the deep career mode can keep you busy for a long time. Asphalt 3D isn't bad if you can get it cheap, but it's not exactly a showcase title for the system. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.

This one looks really good on paper. Cave Story 3D is a quirky 2D platformer that lets you explore subterranean areas while shooting bats, jumping between platforms, and solving puzzles. The rapid-fire shooting is the best part, and I like how you can fire straight up to destroy leaping blue blobs. To propel the story you'll converse with floppy-eared characters that offer clues on how to complete missions in dark forests and high-tech factories. The cartoonish characters, catchy music, and silly dialog give the game an old-school quality. The action is pretty slow however, requiring a lot of tedious exploration and plenty of trial and error. You can jump pretty high, but the slippery controls make it tricky to hop between narrow platforms. There are a heck of a lot of one-hit deaths, sending you back to your last save point (and there's no auto-save). I also have a little problem with the size of the characters. The main character is literally the size of a flea! This was the first video game that forced me to use my reading glasses! The 3D effects are modest at best and really have no bearing on the gameplay. Frankly I suspect the game would play better on a big screen. Cave Story 3D has some appealing qualities but in the end I found the gameplay more tedious and aggravating than fun. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.

I felt a disturbance in the Force, as though a great many people who bought Dream Trigger 3D cried out in pain, and were suddenly silenced. The box has the audacity to call it "the ultimate handheld shooter". What kind of gullible chump would fall for that one? Oh wait - that would be me. Good thing being a sucker isn't against the law, or I'd be doing hard time! Dream Trigger is a bad idea masquerading around as an even worse game. It cannot be played - only endured. Its 3D effects are limited to layered backgrounds which have absolutely no bearing on its incomprehensible gameplay. The idea is to rub moving squares on your lower screen, causing flower-shaped enemies to appear up top. You then move this fairy thing over targets with the thumbstick and press the shoulder button to shoot. The designers failed to take into account that it's really hard to watch both screens at the same time! While you're rubbing and shooting like a madman, hundreds of red projectiles appear from nowhere and criss-cross the screen in inescapable patterns. The fact that you're invincible while firing only further lowers my opinion of this putrid game. Dream Trigger's single redeeming feature is its serene soundtrack which envelops you in relaxing 3D audio. What a [expletive] waste. Designed on a cocktail napkin over a few drinks, Dream Trigger is a total sham. I'm calling out all critics who don't trash this game! You are a fraud! And for all the poor schmucks who made the mistake of buying this, I have a little piece of advice. Force yourself to play Dream Trigger every morning, and you can rest assured that nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

The original Kid Icarus (NES, 1986) is a cult classic known for its extreme difficulty. Uprising resurrects the series but takes it in a whole new direction. This is more of a rapid-fire shooter than a platformer. The hero is an angel named Pit who is guided by Lady Palutena (Goddess of Light). About half the time you're flying in nature, and the rest of the time you're on foot. In the air you'll vanquish jellyfish, birds, and dragons. The stylus aims, the directional pad moves Pit, and the left shoulder button fires. It feels a lot like Space Harrier as you weave through ruins while frantically blasting away at floating eyeballs. The sense of speed is terrific as you plummet from the clouds, skim over vast expanses of land, and plunge into deep ravines. In one amazing stage the ocean parts and you fly between the two huge walls of water. The ground stages are not as good. As you wander through ruins, castles, and mazes you must "flick" the stylus to swing the camera. It feels intuitive enough, but it's imprecise and occasionally disorienting. It's hard to tell if any enemies are in the vicinity, so it's a good thing the melee button automatically targets anything nearby. Using both the control pad and stylus at the same time causes the system to shift your hand, making it easy to lose focus. To alleviate this problem Nintendo included a small black stand that keeps the system steady on a tabletop. It's not perfect, but it definitely helps. Even so, I could only enjoy this game in small doses. What really stands out about Kid Icarus Uprising is the quality of the dialogue. Nintendo must have hired writers for this, because the constant banter between Pit and Palutena is amusing and sometimes very funny. Pit: "Wait - if you have an all-seeing eye, why can't you find Pandora's location?" Palutena: "Because of my slightly botched laser eye surgery." Pit: "Are you messing with me again?" If you pay close attention you'll hear several subtle references to other video games. Uprising does retain some elements from the original game like floating red eyeballs and an Eggplant Wizard boss. Before each stage you have the ability to bet hearts before entering each stage to increase difficulty and rewards. Despite its control issues, Kid Icarus Uprising is really hard to dislike. And when was the last time you played a game with so many quotable lines? © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.

When I reviewed Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo, 2011), I thought I had seen the best the 3DS had too offer. Clearly, I spoke too soon. Mario Kart 7 is amazing. You might dismiss the 3D as window dressing, but it actually makes a big difference! The sense of speed is more convincing and the environments feel more open and expansive. After soaring off a ramp your cart turns into a glider so you can navigate through the air to collect floating coins or look for alternate routes. It's an adrenaline rush that adds a whole new dimension to the racing. The graphics are the best I seen in a Mario Kart title, offering 12 sensational new tracks along with 12 remixed tracks from past Mario Karts on the N64, Game Boy, and GameCube. The Aladdin-inspired night stage features exotic scenery and beautiful lighting effects. I also love the tropical resort that lets you race underwater (not in a tunnel - in the actual water!). Neo City has a Blade Runner vibe with its high-tech, rainy scenery. The characters include all the usual suspects but the weapons include some new additions. The leaf power-up gives you a tail you can use to smack cars that ride too close. The awesome "lucky seven" power-up surrounds you with seven items you can unleash with reckless abandon. Mario Kart 7 offers one of the best one-player race experiences ever, and naturally there are on-line and off-line multiplayer modes. It's been 20 years since I purchased the original Super Mario Kart (SNES, 1992), and this series is still king when it comes to pure racing fun. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.

You have to give the developers of Nano Assault a lot of credit. It would have been very easy to release a 3D version of the Nanostray shooters that were such a hit on the DS. Instead we get a completely original title that fully leverages the 3DS capabilities. In a typical stage you guide a small ship around the surface of a cell. Your ship looks like a flea but the cell itself rotates impressively as you move around it. Your goal is to exterminate all living organisms crawling over its surface while collecting DNA strands. Each cell has a unique shape, and the high-resolution, clammy surfaces look very organic. You use the four main buttons to unleash a stream of shots in any direction, and you also have a limited supply of special weapons (like guided missiles). Enemies have health meters, and it's satisfying to wear them down. It's fun to see what each new stage has in store at first, but enemies never evolve into anything more than simple shapes. The shooting action is just okay. Organisms can spawn from a cell's surface with annoying frequency - sometimes directly beneath you. The treasure hunting aspect adds another dimension to the gameplay, forcing you to fully explore each cell. The illusion of depth is impressive (especially in the tunnel stages) and the pulsating electronic music is intense. A story mode allows you to unlock the various stages, and the arcade mode lets you play through each for score. Nano Assault earns points for originality, but on the whole it just doesn't leave a lasting impression. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.

Offering six games in one, Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions packs hours of maze-chomping and alien-shooting goodness into one tiny cartridge. You get three variations of each game, including the arcade originals. The original Pac-Man and Galaga games have aged well in 30 years, but their vertical screens don't lend themselves to the 3DS display, so the objects look tiny. The newer games are a better fit. Pac-Man Tilt is a conventional platformer with a pinball flavor. It's not in 3D but it does let you tilt the screen in order to slide platforms, guide floating bubbles, or make Pac-Man roll into a ball like Sonic the Hedgehog. It's amusing for a while but I lost interest as the stages become more sophisticated - and tedious. Galaga 3D Impact is the most ambitious game on the cartridge. It's a 3D, first-person shooter and there's plenty of eye candy as you glide over various planets and ominous space stations. What makes the game unique is how you can move the system around you to aim at the aliens. It's a good idea in theory, but in practice you tend to lose that 3D effect when you start jostling the system. You can aim using the thumbstick instead, but that's not nearly as precise and kind of defeats the purpose. The final two games straddle the line between classic and modern, and they feel like turbo-charged versions of the arcade originals. In Galaga Dimensions you face hundreds of swarming enemies at a time. Each group has an easy-to-spot leader, and if you destroy him the rest are instantly pulverized. There's no shortage of firepower as you have two rapid-fire "helper" cannons that you can position anywhere on the screen. The frenetic shooting is moderately fun but when the screen gets crowded it's hard to tell what's going on. The final game, Pac-Man Championship Edition, probably justifies buying this entire cartridge. It takes the classic 2D formula and makes it bigger, faster, and a lot flashier! Pac-Man can rip through the maze at high speeds as point values flash, and there's no time to catch your breath as new dots constantly appear on the fly. All the game variations record high scores, and most offer individual challenges to extend their replay value. Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions experiments with a lot of interesting styles while attempting to stay true to the original games. Some work better than others, but I think everyone will find something to like in this retro-minded cartridge. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

The Pilotwings franchise has a long tradition of showcasing the new graphical capabilities of Nintendo consoles, dating back to the SNES edition with its fancy "mode 7" effects. Pilotwings Resort lets you soar over tranquil island locations in a plane, jetpack, and hang glider. On paper, flying and 3D sounds like a match made in heaven, but in practice the small 3DS screen tends to understate the visual splendor of your surroundings. I never felt that sense of exhilaration that I was hoping for. The exotic environments are pleasant enough, but Nintendo fans will notice that one island was recycled from Wii Fit. A mission mode offers a series of increasingly difficult challenges where you fly through rings, pop balloons, shoot targets, and snap pictures of landmarks. To maximize your score you'll want to use speed boosts to improve your time, and be sure to nail the landing. Landing is not particularly hard and it's very satisfying to land your plane on the strip in the water. The early training missions are an absolute chore to get through, but things gradually get more interesting, so hang in there. My favorite stage is the one where you chase a car and shoot at its balloons. When the car goes through a tunnel, it feels like a chase scene from a James Bond movie. While I generally prefer the plane missions, the jetpack gives you the maneuverability to freely explore your surroundings. The hang glider relies on "updrafts" to remain in the air, which look like weak tornados. These stages are relaxing but some people may find them extremely dull. The 3D aspect of Pilotwings Resort is good but not great, and I found that turning down the 3D setting a tad helped me maintain focus. The music is of the easy listening variety - not particularly catchy but not bad either. I've always found it hard to get excited about Pilotwings games, but this well-crafted title is fine for those looking for some leisurely fun. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

Except for the 3D treatment, this is a straight port of Rayman 2 which appeared on the Dreamcast way back in 2000. Ubisoft sure is getting a lot of mileage out of this game, and can you blame them? It's a charming, well-constructed platformer that appeals to all ages. Its smooth textures still look great, although some boxy platforms tend to reveal its age. Parts of the game seem particularly well suited to 3D (barrels falling toward you in a shaft) but the effect is mostly aesthetic (butterflies fluttering in the foreground). The 3D can be a liability during combat as it's easy to lose that 3D "sweet spot" when frantically targeting enemy pirates. Besides fighting and exploring you'll collect "lums" which resemble floating puff balls with wings. Grab as many yellow lums as you can or else you may be forced to replay early stages, some of which are pretty long. I found the brief cut-scenes to be funny and clever, and they sometimes offer vital clues so pay attention! I initially pegged this as a "spring" game, but in retrospect the swamps, bayous, and pirates make it feel more like a summer title. I like Rayman 3D's frequent save points, but not so much the frequent load screens. The controls are generally responsive but the swimming controls absolutely suck. Also, why does the game sometimes prompt me to hit buttons not on the 3DS controller? Uh-oh! The audio boasts appealing natural sounds (like bird chirps) and the soundtrack has a magical Disney quality. Rayman 3D may be a port, but this game seems to defy age. If you've never played the original, you're in for a treat. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

It's a total rehash, but that doesn't mean I didn't have some fun playing this. Resident Evil Mercenaries recycles scenes and enemies from Resident Evil 5. That's the game where you shot black zombies in Africa ya racist bastard! Just kidding. I like the general format of Mercenaries. Its short, timed stages are well suited for portable gaming. I also like the idea of playing each stage for high score. The problem is, you may not have a burning desire to replay these stages. The graphics are sharp but the bland scenery doesn't lend itself well to 3D. I wish Capcom had based this off of a more traditional Resident Evil instead. As with many first-person shooters I tend to contort my body while playing, making it easy to lose the 3D effect. Frankly the 3D doesn't add anything to this game so you might as well shut it off. The aiming controls are pretty tight however and the red laser sight works great. I love how you can approach stunned enemies and bludgeon them at the press of a button. I find it amusing how zombies run toward you at full speed but then suddenly stop in front of you - pausing long enough for you to shoot them in the face. It's convenient! Bonus items are hard to spot in the scenery, and as soon as you're prompted to pick something up, you've already walked past it. One object you're not likely to miss are those pink snowmen that extend your time. What the heck is that all about? Mercenaries could have benefited from a little tuning. That bat/scorpion boss took me about 50 attempts to kill! When you shoot a boss in his "weak spot" at point blank range 20 times and he doesn't die, something is obviously wrong. One interesting bonus feature is the ability to play one stage from the upcoming Resident Evil: Revelations title. It takes place on a ship at sea on a stormy night - a concept that may seem familiar to those who remember Resident Evil Dead Aim (PS2, 2003) or Carrier (Dreamcast, 2000). The creaky hull and narrow corridors convey a creepy sense of isolation, not unlike the early Resident Evil titles. It has potential. Mercenaries however will only keep you busy until you've unlocked the stages. It's worth noting that Capcom took a lot of flack for not providing an option to reset the high scores for the cartridge. If you're buying this game used, you may want to be aware of that. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

I've been a big Ridge Racer fan since the original pack-in for the Playstation, having played every sequel. Consequentially, when I started playing this 3DS edition I couldn't help but notice that the courses seemed awfully familiar. I can't verify that all of the courses are recycled from past games, but most seem to be. It's not a serious problem though because there are so many scenic tracks to choose from. Ridge Racer has always been big on the eye candy, and adding 3D is just icing on the cake. When you're cruising on sunny highways, racing through a desert valley, or cruising through a tropical resort at sunset, everything has an inviting arcade gloss. As you would expect from a mature driving series, the controls are very refined. As a matter of fact, they may be too good! Steering with the analog nub is ultra-precise, and hitting the brake sends you into a controlled power slide. Even when it looks like you're about to hit a wall, a simple tap will have you hugging the rail and back on the straightaway with no problem. While staring at the screen I would occasionally lose that 3D "sweet spot", probably because I naturally tend to lean my body while racing. A branching championship mode provides long-term play value by constantly introducing new courses and cars. The audio is the weakest aspect of the game. You can barely hear the techno music over the droning of engines, and that overly-enthused female commentator talks non-stop. I swear she is absolutely obsessed with my ability to slip-stream. "You're slip-streaming!" "Someone's using your slip-stream!" "Don't let them take advantage of your slip-stream!" Shut up woman! Ridge Racer 3D is exactly what I was expecting, but I'm not sure how I feel about that. It will give longtime fans deja-vu, but frankly it will be hard to come up with a better racer for the 3DS. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

Normally I'm leery about buying a portable game if I already own the console version, but I was intrigued to hear that this portable Sonic Generations had its own set of stages. Plus I wanted to see how they looked in 3D. No question about it, the classic Green Hill zone looks all new and shiny on the 3DS. The characters really "pop" and the layered backgrounds are sweet. The zones are collected from many Sonic titles over the years, and each offers a "classic" and "modern" mode. The classic side-scrolling stages tend to play better, but the modern 3D stages are more spectacular. Unfortunately, on the small screen these modern stages look a lot less spectacular. In fact, they look a heck of a lot like the classic stages. And since both modes have slightly different controls, switching between them is confusing. I enjoyed unlocking the zones, which feature plenty of eye candy, secrets and alternate routes. Unfortunately the later stages tend to incorporate too many "deadly drop-offs", which are frustrating as hell. And those "wind updrafts" are the dumbest things ever incorporated into a Sonic game. These pretty much ruin the Emerald Coast stage, which I was psyched to see for the first time since Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast, 1999). All of the stages have been needlessly elongated, making them feel more repetitive and less fun to explore. The bottom screen shows your progress, and often I found myself checking it just because I wanted the stage to end! At least the original music has been retained, and hearing these excellent tunes will instantly transport you back 10 or 20 years. Sonic Generations is both the best and worst of Sonic, making it a mixed bag in the end. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.

I hear Steel Diver was originally a technical demo for the 3DS, and I believe it. This is an unconventional submarine shooter that plays in slow motion. The main campaign is a series of missions that typically run from five to fifteen minutes in length. Your goal is to get from point A to point B while navigating caves, avoiding mines, blasting rocks, and facing off against other vessels. There's even an occasional boss encounter. Two sliders on the lower screen control your speed and depth, and they seem perfectly positioned for your thumbs. Unfortunately they tend to be hard to "grab" (ugh) and when making slight adjustments they often return to their original positions (gah!). You'll probably need to use the stylus. A third control lets you adjust your sub's angle of attack. Momentum plays a key role as you're constantly fine-tuning the three controls, and it's pretty satisfying once you get the hang of it. The missions require a cautious, deliberate approach. While reasonable in difficulty and thoughtfully constructed, they are not the least bit addictive, and I never felt a burning desire to play the same mission twice. I do like the idea of repairing damage by "rubbing out" breaches in the hull. The "periscope strike" bonus game injects some much-needed action, presenting a first-person view as you fire torpedoes at ships and subs. I like the option of playing in stormy weather, but it's still nothing to write home about. A third mode is "steer commander" which is a Battleship-style game. I gave it a try but it was too complicated and definitely not my cup of tea. Steel Diver's 3D effects only slightly enhance its visuals, although I will admit those shipwrecks on the sea floor look pretty cool. The highlight of the game may be its audio. You'll want to wear earphones so you can become immersed in the echoing pings, clanking controls, and bubble sound effects. Steel Diver will appeal to patient gamers but thrill-seekers will quickly become bored with this. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

Super Mario 3D Land combines the freedom of movement you get in a 3D platformer with the simple, confined stages of a 2D title. This prevents aimless wandering, although there are still plenty of nooks and crannies to explore. Some stages have a "lookout point" that lets you peer through a pair of binoculars to plan your route through the course ahead. At its core 3D Land is typical Mario as you hop between floating platforms, bump blocks to reveal coins, pounce on man-eating plants, and jump on a flag pole at the end of each level. Naturally there are special suits that afford you additional abilities. The Tanooki suit for example puts you in a raccoon fur and gives you the ability to hover in the air or smack foes with your tail. The new "propeller suit" propels you high into the air, making it easy to land on targets below. Though never spectacular, the stage designs play to the strengths of the 3DS. The 3D effect makes it easier to gauge your relative position, and when high in the air the sense of depth is more pronounced. There are even some clever optical illusions. The stages don't have a unifying theme as they do in most Mario titles, but their layouts are so inventive that you never feel as if you're doing the same thing twice. Best of all, 3D Land is consistently fun and hard to put down. It's also ideal for gaming on-the-go since the stages are brief and your progress is automatically saved. Nintendo hit a home run with this one. The 3DS was in dire need of a system-defining title, and Super Mario 3D Land fits like a glove. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

Street Fighter IV kicked some serious tail on the 360 and PS3, and incredibly, this portable edition looks like the same game! Obviously there's some graphic degradation but on the small screen you can't even tell. It looks amazing, and while the 3D doesn't affect the fighting action one iota, it does add depth to the scenery. I always found the distillery and construction site stages to be pretty dull, but in 3D they look a lot more interesting. The roster is jam-packed with 35 characters. The fighting action is first-rate, although the tiny 3DS buttons are likely to induce hand-cramps during extended play (especially if you have large hands). I map the shoulder buttons to the light attacks, since I use them less often. The bottom touch screen is divided into four quadrants that let you perform special, super, and ultra moves with a touch of the screen. I know what you're thinking - no respectable Street Fighter fan would reduce themselves to that level, right? Well... I hate to say it, but once you get used to tapping that screen to pull off tricky moves, it's a hard habit to break. A less compelling new feature is the new "3D versus" mode which tries to put you "in the game" with a closer, over-the-shoulder view. I'm not impressed with that viewing angle, and frankly it offers no real advantage. Wi-Fi and Internet play are supported, but I wish there were more attention paid to the off-line modes. Oh well, at least it records your highest arcade scores (overall and per character) and there's plenty of stuff to unlock. The main problem with Super Street Fighter IV 3D is it feels a little stale if you've already played the heck out of the console versions. But taken for what it is, this is the ultimate in portable fighting action. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.