Updated March 24 and March 25 with additional reviews.

What it is

Nintendo 3DS Reviews
(through March 25)

Great	9
Good	27
Mixed	4
Bad	0
Awful	0

Arriving in the United States on Sunday (and in Europe on Friday), the Nintendo 3DS is the company's first major new handheld gaming console since the launch of the DSi in late 2008. It is also the first portable game unit from any manufacturer to offer built-in 3D gameplay (without the need for special glasses).

Pricing

At launch, you have just one choice to make, and that is the color of the unit: Aqua Blue or Cosmo Black (which turns out to be closer to dark gray). Either way, you'll be out $249.99 (or £229.99 in the UK, though you can find it for under £190). In the box, you get a power cord and charging cradle, stylus, manuals, six AR cards (which, when viewed through the built-in cameras, are used in some games), and a 2GB SD memory card. The 3DS also boasts built-in WiFi and cameras (more on those in a moment).

Launch titles

Be sure to visit Metacritic's new Nintendo 3DS section for a complete listing of reviews for all 3DS games. Some of the 3DS games available separately at launch in the U.S. include:

• Nintendogs + Cats 70
• Pilotwings Resort 71
• Ridge Racer 3D 78
• Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition 84

At least 30 titles for the 3DS are expected by the time of the E3 conference in early June. Among the most anticipated titles coming later in the year are Kid Icarus: Uprising and Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.

What critics are saying

Reviews are ranging from generally positive to effusive praise. Here are some of the specific features critics have been highlighting:

• The 3D effect: Simply put, the 3D works. While the effect isn't dramatic -- it adds a general sense of depth and perspective to games, rather than jumping out at you -- critics seem generally enthralled by how it looks. There are some major drawbacks, however. For one thing, viewing the 3D effects requires that your head be positioned in a precise "sweet spot" from the top screen; as a result, you must remain mostly still while playing to preserve your viewing angle. And a few players may not tolerate the 3D for long periods (or at all), with headaches being a common complaint. But a built-in slider (a much-loved feature) allows you to adjust the intensity of the 3D effect -- or turn it off entirely -- and you will want to take full advantage of this capability, as critics agreed that the "optimum" level of 3D varied from game to game and person to person.
• The battery life: The 3DS's battery life is the single biggest disappointment for reviewers. (The poor lineup of 3D games available at launch is a close second.) While Nintendo claims the battery provides 3.5-5 hours of gameplay (already a low figure), critics found that number closer to 3 hours ... and the unit takes longer than that to charge in the first place. (Fortunately, you can play while charging, with or without the charging dock.) Deactivating the wireless features and 3D extends the battery life to closer to 5 hours, however. And, in sleep mode, the unit holds its charge for far longer.
• Build quality and design: Critics noted that the design was too similar to previous Nintendo handhelds, with some bemoaning a lack of elegance or glamour common in other devices like the iPhone; reviewers also described the design chunky and outdated. The new device is also slightly heavier than the DSi and DS Lite. The units (especially the Cosmo Black color) are especially shiny compared to previous DSes, and reviewers noted that they could have a tendency to pick up fingerprints. But nearly every review praised the build quality as exceptionally solid, especially when it comes to the buttons and controls, though the hinge feels weaker than the rest of the unit. Several reviewers, however, do not care for the placement or operation of the Select, Home and Start buttons at the bottom of the touchscreen.
• Built-in cameras: In addition to a forward-facing camera, the 3DS adds two rear-facing cameras, which can be used to take 3D photographs that can be viewed on the device. (They can also be used for "augmented reality" games, including a built-in title that utilizes the 6 AR cards that come in the box.) While critics enjoyed the 3D effect, the cameras' resolution was extremely poor, so don't expect to use a 3DS as your everyday camera.
• Built-in software: Critics are raving about the completely redesigned user interface of the 3DS, which is similar in some respects to that if the Wii (including the use of Mii characters), but is perhaps even better and easier to use, though it lacks true multitasking. Reviewers are also impressed with the amount of software that is built in to the unit. While none of the individual built-in games has much replay value on its own, collectively, they serve as a nice showcase of the system's capabilities. The StreetPass feature, which allows sharing of game data and Miis even while the unit is in sleep mode, also shows promise, according to critics. One drawback for early adopters is that access to the online game store and the unit's built-in web browser are among the software features that are absent at launch; both are expected to arrive via a firmware update in May, while the ability for Netflix members to stream movies will come even later in the year.
• Other differences from prior Nintendo DS devices: The 3DS boasts a new "circle pad" analog controller which critics liked, saying it is comfortable to use and enables finer control of the action than a standard D-pad (though not quite as much as a stick). There's still a D-pad as well, and a few critics complained about its placement on the 3DS. The built-in speakers, though still far from audiophile quality, are improved compared to the DSi, and the top display screen -- even in 2D mode -- boasts clearer images and a higher resolution than previous models. The stylus has also been upgraded from plastic to telescoping metal, though its placement when being stored is slightly more awkward than on the DSi.
• DS emulation: The 3DS is fully backwards compatible with the DS, meaning that it will play all of your DS/DSi cartridges in 2D (though, since the 3DS has slightly larger screens, you will see small vertical bands on either side, or you can opt to stretch out the games to the full width). Many critics found few problems with DS emulation other than slightly slower load times, though other reviewers felt that some or all DS games looked better on an actual DS than on the 3DS. Also note that there is no Game Boy Advance slot, meaning you cannot play games that use the larger cartridges, nor can you use add-on controllers like those needed for Guitar Hero.

Below is a publication-by-publication sampling of the critical response to Nintendo's new device. We have grouped the reviews based on the general level of enthusiasm for the product, from most to least positive. If a publication assigned a score to the review, it is listed below (converted to a 100-point scale if necessary for purposes of comparison); otherwise, we did not attempt to assign scores to reviews that did not have them. Click on any publication name to read the full review.

What do you think?

Nintendo fans: Are you excited about the 3DS? Have you had a chance to try one out? Let us know in the comments section below.