I actually would not usually call myself an early adopter. I still don't have an iPad, and my phone is a years-old scratched and cracked relic left over from the Motoroal Razor era; I upgrade my computer slowly and irregularly, and I only buy a new laptop when the old one is on shaky knees. But when it comes to video games, that's completely different. Sometimes it's not a bad thing, either. Say what you will about the PS3's launch lineup, I at least got to play my blurry PS2 games. Even the launch PSP system came bundled with a bunch of nice accessories that you can't even find now, like that nice soft sleeve that fit the device so well, and the headphones with built-in remote.
Other times, it's a disaster. Like with the 3DS. At first, it seemed as if there would be some decent software. Super Street Fighter IV looks absolutely gorgeous to be on a handheld, and is just as full-featured as the original version, with all of the characters and even the downloadable costumes (why Capcom decided not to charge us for those is an absolute miracle). In practice, I find that version of the game to be relatively useless; SSFIV is a game I like to play in my living room with a nice arcade stick, not with a rickety circle pad and touch screen moves. Plus, with the Arcade Edition update coming in the next few weeks for the console versions, SSFIV on the 3DS is looking to become obsolete sooner than it should have.
Pilotwings used to be a Nintendo launch staple, an excellent way of showing off the new hardware (mode 7 for SNES, polygons for N64). In a way, Pilotwings Resort still has that function (the jet plane in particular is great at showing off the 3D effects), but for $40 the amount content is exceedingly bad by today's standards. You can blow through the challenges on one measly charge of the battery. Sure, you can bang your way to perfecting each of the challenges, but that's far too frustrating to be any fun. It was exciting to just fly and explore the Little USA island in Pilotwings 64, but that was in 1996, when the idea of an explorable 3D environment was still a novel idea in the console world.
Nintendogs is the same game you played back in 2005, except now you already know how quickly the concept will wear thin on you.
I'm not picky; it really only takes one or two decent games to make a successful launch for me. For the Wii, Twilight Princess and Wii Sports was more than enough-- I was busy until almost Christmas. The PS3 was a great time just with Resistance. Nintendo really dropped the ball by not launching the online store with the system. The Xbox 360's launch, while not being too shabby with the likes of Call of Duty 2, was made infinitely better with Geometry Wars; this game was not only a lot of fun, it proved that the XBLA service was worth your time. Same goes for the Wii with the Virtual Console-- excellent downloadable games were available from day one (though not as good as the Japanese launch).
Just providing the exact same DSi ware service would have been better than what we got. I'm sure there are plenty of people who purchased a 3DS that did not have a DSi; a game like Shantae would have been an excellent way to relieve some post-launch boredom.
There's plenty of built-in software that comes with the 3DS, but none of it is particularly substantial. Nintendo could have kept the excitement going by releasing weekly video updates, at the very least. It seems like the company is very keen on pointing out that video or screenshots displayed on a monitor are not representative of how they actually look on the system, but there has not been one game trailer released for download to the 3DS, where the 3D effects can properly be viewed. I'm extremely excited for Ocarina of Time 3D, but I'd be way more excited if I could see what the game actually looked like ahead of time.
The 3DS is now two months old with no worthwhile software. Nintendo can't expect people to buy a $250 handheld on promise alone, even with the pedigree of the original DS. With new consoles on the horizon, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo need to take a look at the 3DS's shortcomings and realize that consumers will no longer buy into a launch without quality software and complete hardware.
Other times, it's a disaster. Like with the 3DS. At first, it seemed as if there would be some decent software. Super Street Fighter IV looks absolutely gorgeous to be on a handheld, and is just as full-featured as the original version, with all of the characters and even the downloadable costumes (why Capcom decided not to charge us for those is an absolute miracle). In practice, I find that version of the game to be relatively useless; SSFIV is a game I like to play in my living room with a nice arcade stick, not with a rickety circle pad and touch screen moves. Plus, with the Arcade Edition update coming in the next few weeks for the console versions, SSFIV on the 3DS is looking to become obsolete sooner than it should have.
Pilotwings used to be a Nintendo launch staple, an excellent way of showing off the new hardware (mode 7 for SNES, polygons for N64). In a way, Pilotwings Resort still has that function (the jet plane in particular is great at showing off the 3D effects), but for $40 the amount content is exceedingly bad by today's standards. You can blow through the challenges on one measly charge of the battery. Sure, you can bang your way to perfecting each of the challenges, but that's far too frustrating to be any fun. It was exciting to just fly and explore the Little USA island in Pilotwings 64, but that was in 1996, when the idea of an explorable 3D environment was still a novel idea in the console world.
Nintendogs is the same game you played back in 2005, except now you already know how quickly the concept will wear thin on you.
I'm not picky; it really only takes one or two decent games to make a successful launch for me. For the Wii, Twilight Princess and Wii Sports was more than enough-- I was busy until almost Christmas. The PS3 was a great time just with Resistance. Nintendo really dropped the ball by not launching the online store with the system. The Xbox 360's launch, while not being too shabby with the likes of Call of Duty 2, was made infinitely better with Geometry Wars; this game was not only a lot of fun, it proved that the XBLA service was worth your time. Same goes for the Wii with the Virtual Console-- excellent downloadable games were available from day one (though not as good as the Japanese launch).
Just providing the exact same DSi ware service would have been better than what we got. I'm sure there are plenty of people who purchased a 3DS that did not have a DSi; a game like Shantae would have been an excellent way to relieve some post-launch boredom.
There's plenty of built-in software that comes with the 3DS, but none of it is particularly substantial. Nintendo could have kept the excitement going by releasing weekly video updates, at the very least. It seems like the company is very keen on pointing out that video or screenshots displayed on a monitor are not representative of how they actually look on the system, but there has not been one game trailer released for download to the 3DS, where the 3D effects can properly be viewed. I'm extremely excited for Ocarina of Time 3D, but I'd be way more excited if I could see what the game actually looked like ahead of time.
The 3DS is now two months old with no worthwhile software. Nintendo can't expect people to buy a $250 handheld on promise alone, even with the pedigree of the original DS. With new consoles on the horizon, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo need to take a look at the 3DS's shortcomings and realize that consumers will no longer buy into a launch without quality software and complete hardware.
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