New Nintendo 3DS Hands-On Review: The Good, The Bad, The Indifferent...Is It really 'New' after all?

The latest edition to Nintendo's 3DS family was launched in the UK yesterday and Mini Gamers could not wait to get our hands on this impressive successor to the 3DS. However, are the New Nintendo 3DS and New 3DS XL consoles really as good as all the hype suggests? What exactly is so 'new' about them, and are they really worth the cash?


At first glance, the New 3DS looks pretty similar to the original 3DS console, but there are a surprising number of small aesthetic and functional changes, which we here at Mini Gamers HQ have decided to separate into three distinct categories called 'The Good' - all those changes that are a marked improvement on the old 3DS console, 'The Bad' - those things which are worse about the New 3DS than its predecessor, and 'The Indifferent', which are those additions or changes which don't really add or worsen anything from the previous model.

The Good:

• The Volume Control: This has been moved from the bottom left-side of the console to the top left-side of the console, which is great for anyone who used to find that their fingers would sometimes accidentally push the volume slider on the original 3DS/3DS XL models when they were holding or moving the console.

• The Sound: In addition to the change of position for the volume control slider, the speakers now seem louder and clearer than on the older 3DS models, and the volume can actually be set far lower than before in order to produce a good  level of sound.

• Faster Operating System: Thanks to a faster and improved Operating System than the original 3DS, loading screens now load up much more quickly than before, and menu screens and download times have become a lot faster too.   

• Larger screens and sharper 3D images: The 3D images on the New 3DS and New 3DS XL do seem a lot sharper and impressive than before. Furthermore, although this change will not be noticed by those gamers who have opted for the XL model of the New 3DS, (as both the new and the former and newer XL models have almost the same screen size,) there is a marked  difference in screen size between the original standard 3DS and the standard New 3DS, as the diagram below shows:

• Face-Tracking and Stable 3D Software: As anyone who has previously owned a 3DS or a 3DS XL will know, trying to watch 3D images without glasses is difficult. On previous 3DS models, images would often become blurry when viewed at a slightly 'off-centre' angle or if the console was not held at a specific distance, which would often cause headaches, dizzy spells or tired eyes if viewed for an extended period. Not anymore! The New 3DS comes with some nifty 'Face-Tracking' software, which actually helps users to keep the 3D images at an optimised distance and angle at all times.The effect is called 'Stable 3D' by Nintendo and it definitely lives up to it's name. Blurry images and broken 3D effects are now a thing of the past!

• Price: Actually, at £149.99 for the standard New 3DS model and £179.99 for the larger XL model, the New 3DS isn't actually too expensive considering its enhanced features, but Mini Gamers was slightly surprised at the 'Bundle' price for the Special Edition Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask console. This console is an XL-sized console with a special limited edition cover design, (as shown below,) which currently retails for £224.99 in the UK. It comes with a special pre-loaded version of the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask game. However, Mini Gamers discovered that we could buy the standard New 3DS XL console and a separate copy of the game for almost £14 cheaper than the advertised bundle price, which does seem a bit unfair, even with its limited edition status!

The Bad:

• The Name: Yes, it is terrible. Adding the prefix 'New' to the start of a product may have indeed worked for Apple with their New iPad, but it doesn't really work in the case of Nintendo's latest console. Try typing in "new 3DS" or "New 3DS XL" into any search engine and you will instantly see advertisements for brand new original 3DS consoles, as well as the brand new New 3DS consoles, which actually look suspiciously similar to each other at first glance. So how has Nintendo made the difference between these consoles clear? Well, they haven't really, except to have 'Amiibo'-style sparks coming off of the word 'new' on the packaging. Not very helpful to a gamer who has never seen either 3DS consoles before.

• Standard SD Card now replaced with a Micro SD card: Another potential downside to Nintendo's New 3DS console is that it can no longer take the standard SD cards, which is a pain when using the 'Data Transfer' function between an old 3DS and the New 3DS console. Previously, if one wanted to move saved data between 3DS systems, they would simply launch the 'Data Transfer' tool, wait for files to transfer from one system to another, and then swap the SD cards. Simple! However, the change to a Micro SD card means that this simple transfer is no longer possible. Nintendo have now offered 3 alternative ways to transfer saved data onto the New 3DS console, but one involves having to copy your saved data to a PC first, another involves the laborious task of re-downloading all of your games one-by-one from the online Nintendo eShop, or a 'wireless transfer' that can take several hours to complete. 

• No Charger: As with the original 3DS, Nintendo have deemed the New 3DS charging adapter to be an 'optional' extra. This won't make a lot of difference to previous owners of the Nintendo DS, as its adapter will work with any 3DS or New 3DS system, but gamers who have never owned a Nintendo DS or 3DS system before, will now be forced to pay an extortionate £6.99 on top of the cost of the console for a charging adapter in order to charge the battery on their New 3DS system.

• Battery: Despite hopes that a faster processor would help to improve the battery life of the New 3DS console, a side-by-side comparison with the original 3DS actually showed that the battery life was slightly shorter on the new system by just under an hour. 

• Cartridge Slot and Power Button: The game cartridge slot is now situated at the bottom of the New 3DS. It looks odd and out of place there and it feels quite tricky to swap cartridges with it in this position. The power button's position on the New 3DS console has also been changed to the front edge of the console. Again, it is in an odd place and it doesn't feel as natural and easy to use as it did on the original 3DS.

The Indifferent:

• C-Stick: The New 3DS now comes with an extra analog stick in the form of a small, round, grey C-Stick (shown above). This button is very useful in certain games like Super Smash Bros. 4, where certain attack moves are handled specifically by the C-stick, but in other games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, it becomes barely noticeable at times.

•  Extra Shoulder Buttons:  As with the C-stick, the two small extra shoulder buttons on the back of the console, don't seem to do very much at present, as none of the software we tried with the console even required them. However, there is nothing to say that their function won't be important in future 3DS titles, of course.

• Amiibo Support: One great feature of the New 3DS console is that it now enables 3DS users to interact with its NFC toy range, called Amiibo. However, whilst these toys are an interesting way to unlock special content in certain 3DS titles such as  Super Smash Bros. 4, or Mario Kart 8, there are very few 3DS titles currently available to support the use of Amiibo. If you already use them with your Wii U console however, the same toys will now be compatible with the New 3DS system, it's just that it would be nicer to see a wider range of compatible software than currently exists at present. However, this could again be developed in the future.

The Verdict: Is the New 3DS Worth Buying?

It could be argued that the New 3DS console is actually an improved version of the original 3DS with all the extra buttons and functions that fans have been asking for. If you have not tried a 3DS console, then the New 3DS is definitely a great purchase with lots to offer its gamers.

If you are the proud owner of an original 3DS or 3DS XL console, then the New 3DS does offer many enhanced features as mentioned above, but with very few 3DS software titles currently optimised for the special New 3DS functions such as: Amiibo compatibility, or the C-stick and extra shoulder button controls, it may be worth waiting a little longer before you trade in your old 3DS. Overall Mini Gamers rating: 8/10.

Tomodachi Life: Your Questions Answered....

Following the surprise announcement from Nintendo Direct, that another Japanese import, Tomodachi Life would receive its European release on the 6th of June 2014, we have been wondering exactly what this quirky game would entail. This is what Mini Gamers has managed to find out so far:

• Like Animal Crossing, this game is played in real-time, making it very realistic in some ways.

• Unlike other life simulation games to date, you do not directly interact with the in-game world as a playable character. You can put your own Mii into the game, but this Mii will function separately from you as the player. Instead, a players role is more like an external figure. It is your job to watch over the island residents, help them make some pretty life-changing decisions like how to tell their sweetheart that they want to marry them, etc., Take care of basic needs such as getting residents to take a bath or have some food, change their clothes etc, and much, much more!

• Miis will sometimes ask you directly to play a selection of mini-games with them.

• It is possible to create Miis of real-life celebrity figures by taking a photo of their face (from a poster, the TV or a magazine) and converting it with the 3DS Mii-Maker.

• Miis can get married. Married Miis are eligible to move into some exclusive apartments on Chin Island. Married Miis can also have a number of children each. The Japanese reports of the game have listed this number as limited to only three children per couple, but this has yet to be confimed. There have even been some rumours of some baby-related mini-games, 

• The Island can hold up to a maximum of 100 Mii residents. This includes all children born to married Miis on the Island.

• Children born in the game are given the choice of moving into their own apartments once they are fully grown, or they can be sent on a special trip via the 3DS' Streetpass function, where they can visit Tomodachi Islands on other 3DS systems. Any children sent on a trip will send postcards to their parents and will periodically return to visit them at various times.

• Players can alter the words that the Miis in Tamodachi Life speak to each other, suggest ways of responding to situations and even rewrite the words to the song lyrics that each Mii sings. 

• Players can enter the dreams of any Mii on Chin Island - there truly are some weird ones too!

• The screenshots and the Nintendo Direct trailer also showed cats and dogs, so it would seem as though pets will also be available in the game, but this has yet to be confirmed.

• The game will not feature a multiplayer online mode. Tomodachi Life plays very much like a single player game. Nevertheless, the game will come with social media integration possibilities, so you can take pictures of your Mii and upload it to Facebook to share with friends etc.

It would seem as though there is a lot to do and discover in this game. The subtitled Japanese trailer does seem to show the various marriage and child-rearing elements of the game in much more detail:

(Having trouble viewing this trailer? CLICK HERE)

Tomodachi Life seems a little hard to define at the moment, but it contains so many varied elements that its humour and quirky style is bound to make it very popular amongst the gaming community. The 6th of June 2014 cannot come soon enough!

Game of the Week: OlliOlli [PS Vita]

OlliOlli is a new score-based skateboarding game. It has been produced and developed exclusively for the PS Vita by Roll7 who are best known for making IOS games for Apple Smartphones.

OlliOlli features fifty 2D side-scrolling levels, in which players attempt to perform various combinations of skateboarding moves (from 250 well-known tricks) as perfectly as possible in order to beat the current high-score.

Each level has a unique set of goals for players to complete, which can include reaching basic high-score targets to more complicated challenges like collecting certain items on route, grinding along on specific objects, or even refraining from performing certain moves during combos etc.

One of the best (and most frustrating things) about OlliOlli is that the entire game operates on a simple one-life system. This means that rather than judging the speed at which players complete the chosen level, as in some skateboarding games, the main objective here is simply to complete the level whilst performing as many combinations of tricks as possible in order to boost your high-score. If you crash once anywhere in a level, it is Game Over and the level must be restarted from the beginning. This adds tons of replay value to the game.

As well as being awarded for trick combinations, a huge number of points are also awarded for perfect landings, with no points being given for so-called 'sloppy' landings. The game uses a very simple control method, with all of the basic moves being performed via combinations of the 'X' button and the left analog stick. However, learning to time the use of these two buttons effectively is essential in earning a respectable high-score.

It sounds complicated, but don't worry. The in-game tutorial will help novices to master all the basic skills and help them to perfect their landings at the same time. Furthermore, all of the levels in the game's Career Mode are instantly re-playable by touching the 'redo' button on the top left-hand corner of the screen

Once players have significantly mastered the timings and combos in Career Mode enough to create high-scores, they may wish to take part in The Daily Grind. This is a special mode, which changes every 24 hours.

In The Daily Grind, players are expected to test their skateboarding skills on a random level of the game. The Player's high-score is then uploaded to the game's Online Leaderboards. However, the one-life functionality of the main game is also present here. This means that although players may practice the level as many times as they wish before the 24 hours elapses, they only get one chance to perform the level for real.

After the level has been completed, (which occurs by selecting the 'Play for Real' option on the PS Vita touchscreen), the player's score will be automatically uploaded to the Online Leaderboards. Players will then have to wait a full 24 hours before they can take part in The Daily Grind again.

Completing levels successfully will unlock so-called 'Spots'. Players can then challenge other OlliOlli users across the world to achieve the best score on the Spots that they have discovered in career mode. The highest scorer in the Spot Leaderboards will become the King of the Spot.

Completing all levels in Career Mode and unlocking all available Spot locations will automatically unlock a more challenging mode of the game called RAD Mode.

 OlliOlli is a game that is easy-to-play but hard-to master. Priced at a mere £7.99 (or £6.39 for Playstation Plus members), OlliOlli will suit most budgets,whilst the hundreds of trick combinations and different gaming modes means that it is both addictive and engrossing. In conclusion, this is a title that is bound to keep the majority of gamers happy for many hours to come. Overall Rating: 10/10

OlliOlli is available to download now from the PS Store. 

One To Watch - Mario Party: Island Tour [3DS/2DS]

The first Mario game of 2014 also marks the debut of the Mario Party series on the 3DS. The game which is called Mario Party: Island Tour, is filled with lots of fun mini-games for fans to explore.

The game is designed to be played with up to four players, and thanks to the Nintendo 3DS' handy Download Play feature, the game can now be shared via a single cartridge, which makes multiplayer gaming much easier.

The game's single player mode is designed so that players compete against three computer-generated [COM] opponents from the Mario Universe. However, players can now choose who their COM opponents will be and also alter the skill setting of each opponent in turn to make the game harder or easier to play.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the previous titles in the Mario Party franchise, the idea is that players must work their way through the island like a board game. Players must roll dice and move a set number of spaces until they reach the goal.

 All players (including COM players,) must roll a dice at the start of the game to determine the order of play - the player with the highest dice number goes first, the next highest goes second and so on. Players can also play mini games at the end of each round to earn more dice, and give them a better chance of scoring higher and thus a chance of reaching the finishing goal faster.

The game also features special spaces (as found on many traditional board games to date,) which can either help or hinder a player's progress across the board. There are many different spaces, depending on which of the game boards you have chosen to play, including the following:

SPECIAL ITEM:  landing on this space grants the player a special bonus item which can be used on their next turn. a few examples of special items include: The Golden Dash Mushroom; which allows players to add five more moves onto their dice score, The Lucky Star; which allows players to multiply their dice score by two, and The Setback Shell; which can be used to make an opponent take two spaces backwards on the board.

Players can own a maximum of three special items at any one time. If players earn more than three special items during a round, they will be asked to choose a special item to discard.

BOWSER TIME: Players who land on this space will be subjected to a random consequence imposed by the evil Bowser. These consequences are usually detrimental to the players' progress in the game, but not always.

An example of a negative consequence would be Lose all special items, which means that players will be immediately stripped of any special items that they have accumulated in the game thus far. An example of a positive consequence could see players Warp to the finish, thus giving them the best chance of being the overall winner of the game.

EVENT: This space triggers something which will either move the chosen player forward or backwards within the game. An example of this is the terrifyingly-brilliant Piranha Plant, which throws players backwards a number of spaces, depending on their roll of the dice.

CHALLENGE OR VS.: These spaces are very similar in that they will both trigger random mini-games. However, the rewards for completing the mini-games is slightly different. Challenge Squares will challenge the player to a mini-game, where being first will earn them a bonus dice or a special item.

Versus spaces [VS.] sees all four players compete against each other in a 'best of three' type activity. Completing the activity the fastest three times will result in bonus rewards.

There are a total of seven different types of main game boards each with different spaces and challenges available, which adds lots of variety to the game. Mini-games become unlocked during certain rounds of the game. Once unlocked, they will be added to the Mini-games section on the start screen and can be played independently of the main game.

In conclusion, Mario Party: Island Tour makes a very good addition to the Mario Party franchise, with humorous twists and turns and quirky mini-games, it is likely to appeal to most mini-game fans out there.

One slight criticism of the game is that some of the main game boards felt a little too long sometimes, whilst others seemed to be over far too quickly. Nevertheless, this is still a fun title to play with friends and family, as its easy and familiar style, as well as its colourful graphics will appeal to even the youngest of gamers. Mario fans are sure to find lots to delight and entertain them in this game. Overall rating: 8/10.


Mario Party: Island Tour will be available to buy from Friday the 17th of January 2014.

Real Boxing [PS Vita]: The Affordable Game That Really Packs A Punch!

We here at Mini Gamers HQ were a little bit suspicious when we saw that Real Boxing had been priced for download at a mere £7.99. With so many other PS Vita titles retailing for almost triple that amount, we began to wonder why the game had been given such a low price tag. Nevertheless, within minutes of downloading the game, we realised that we had in fact purchased a real bargain...

 

The first thing that players will be expected to do upon starting the game is to customise their boxing avatar. Although the customisation options are less sophisticated than some of the current games on the market, players can name their avatar as well as choose the colour of an avatars shorts or trousers, gloves and/or boots, alter their hairstyle, and even add a range of interesting tattoos to help give their avatar a more personal look.

 

Next, Players are treated to a thorough tutorial. Real Boxing allows gamers to choose whether to conduct their boxing moves via the PS Vita buttons or the dual analogue sticks.

 

Mini Gamers found it better using the analogue sticks for movement and the buttons for defence and attack moves, but this may not be the same for everyone. Nevertheless,  the controls are surprisingly easy to master, with the D-Pad controlling left fist punches such as jabs, uppercuts, and left hooks, whilst the X, O, Square and Triangle buttons do the same for the right fist. Each of these moves can be easily duplicated by the left and right analog sticks as well.

 

 

Holding down the R button will allow your avatar to protect his face from any direct punches, whilst briefly pressing down the R button during your opponents attack will allow your avatar to dodge the oncoming blow and even give him the chance to execute a cheeky counter-attack.

 

The main object of the game is to drain your opponents health bar as quickly as possible whilst trying to stop them from depleting your avatar's stamina and destroying their health bar.

 

Stamina can be restored by simply standing still and not throwing any punches, but your avatar's health bar will continue to deplete with every successful punch from your opponent, so defence is equally as important as attack in this game.

 

 

There are two main mini games included in Real Boxing. Firstly, there is a Clinch mini game. If your avatar's stamina bar and health bar are both almost depleted, then holding both the L+R buttons together will allow your avatar to execute a clinch (AKA a grapple).

 

Once in the initial clinch, players must move the PS Vita console from side to side very gently so that the moving indicator arrow stays in the 'green zone'. A successful clinch earns your avatar some extra stamina and can even increase their health bar slightly, making a knockout from your opponent less likely.

 

Secondly, if your avatar has been knocked out by their opponent, the game automatically enters the KO mini game. Essentially, what this entails is a mad button-press of the L + R buttons before the on-screen count reaches ten.

 

If you manage to successfully fill your avatar's energy gauge before the count reaches ten, your avatar will get up off the mat and the fight will resume. However, if an avatar gets knocked out too many times during a round, it becomes impossible to fill their energy gauge and you will lose the fight against your opponent.

 

 

 The game features three game modes: Career Mode consists of three tournaments that begin with a group stage and progress to a few knockout rounds, where your avatar will hopefully earn a championship belt and the chance to increase either their strength, speed or stamina, which will hopefully help your avatar to progress in subsequent matches. Bonus points will also be awarded if players manage to successfully execute the challenge set at the beginning of the tournament.

 Exhibition mode allows players to jump straight into the ring against a CPU opponent. This is good for gamers who are just looking to fill a bit of spare time and also makes for excellent practise when playing against other gamers in multiplayer mode.

Real Boxing also features both online multiplayer and local multiplayer, which means that players can choose to test their boxing skills against online opponents or challenge their friends in ad-hoc mode.

 



 

This game has been brilliantly designed by its creators, Vivid Games, and has made the leap from the iPhone to handheld console very well. In fact, any flaws in the game are minor.

 

The commentary is sometimes a bit repetitive, with the same phrases being offered again and again, and the fact that the menu can only be accessed via the touchscreen is slightly annoying, but none of that really matters once players immerse themselves in the action of the game.

 

This game is a must-buy for any boxing fan. It has excellent gameplay and graphics, which far excel its £7.99 price tag. Overall rating: 8/10.

 

 



Game of the Week: Resident Evil Revelations [3DS]

Yes, another addition to the hugely popular Resident Evil game franchise has hit the shelves today. Resident Evil: Revelations is set in the interim between Resident Evil games 4 and 5, and features the two main protaganists, Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield alongside their newest BSSA colleagues, Parker Luicani and Jessica Sherawat, as they struggle to take down various Zombie hoardes.

Resident Evil: Revelations is the second game in the series to be released for the Nintendo 3DS handheld. However, it is hoped that this game will have a more RPG feel to it than Capcom's last effort, Resident Evil Mercenaries, which caused quite a stir upon its release when information about the game's arcade-style perma save function came to light.

In the latest game, (set in 2005), BSSA agents, Chris Redfield and Jessica Sherawat are dispatched to a ocean liner called the SS Queen Zenobia, which has been the victim of another Il Veltro terrorist attack, and now has a raging viral outbreak aboard. To make matters worse, contact is then lost with both of the agents. Now it is left to Jill Valentine and Parker Luiciani to find them...

For fans of the Resident Evil series so far, there will be lots of familiar elements, including a limited supply of ammunition, nevertheless, there are also many 3DS-exclusive features too, such as the ability to use the stylus to solve puzzles or swap between weapons.

This game also features several new elements to the classic gameplay too, such as the ability to swap between a first-person and third-person shooter viewpoint so that players can choose which shooting style suits them best throughout each level of the game.

Also, a new piece of equipment known simply as the Supply Scanner allows players to detect items that have been hidden around the game's different environments.

In conclusion, this game is likely to appeal to any Resident Evil game fan without question. The eerie, dark environments and the stunning 3D visuals help to engage players into the storyline. One disappointing aspect of the game is that there does not appear to be such a variety of enemy types as one would expect from this franchise, but there are still lots of things to find, solve and do in this game. Overall rating: 8/10

Happy Birthday, Mini Gamers!

The Mini Gamers blogsite turns one year old today! It seems impossible to believe that this time last year the Mini Gamers team were sat in front of a computer trying to decide what the very first blog post should be. Now just one year (and 110 posts) later, we have a readership of over 11,000 people worldwide.

The reason Mini Gamers was created was to devote a space specifically for handheld gaming, as this had been sorely neglected by many other website in favour of articles and game reviews for major consoles like The Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3.

Of course, Mini Gamers also depends on its readers and followers for ideas and support. Mini Gamers is very interested in hearing what the gaming community thinks and feels about gaming-related issues.

We also try and make the site as interactive as possible including Monthly Opinion Polls, a Suggestion Box, Comments Box and other features. If you haven't got involved so far, but would be interested in knowing more about how to do this, then please click HERE for more information. We'd be delighted to hear from you.

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have visited the site over the past year. We hope that we can continue to bring you interesting articles, reviews, previews in the coming months.