Nintendo 3DS


Since getting my 3DS I've been hearing and quite confused by people complaining of battery life. I felt I was getting some great battery life on mine, I thought it was people just complaining that the 3DS didn't have Pandora like life.


And then a friend linked me this and everything became clear. The 3DS is the first handheld I've owned (since companies switched from reflective to backlit screens) that I could play outside in almost direct sunlight. When inside, the screen is near blinding: I always keep it at 3, sometimes even 2, lest my pupils shrink to pinpoints. I get 4 or 5 hours of playtime out of it like this before the "charge me now!" led starts flashing.


In other news, I've now got Netflix installed on my 3DS. Never had a Netflix before. This is convenient.
 
I also use low brightness, and usually keep network access off. I get around 5 hours of battery life as well.
 
Also, Netflix is inconvenient when compared to me simply just ripping my DVDs to SD card and playing them on a portable console.
 
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5 hour 3DS battery life is crap compared to (DS lite/DSi/DSi XL)'s 10+ hours.
That assumes you're using it on the lowest setting. The brightest setting on the DS lite only gets an estimated 6 or 7 hours, and I've found the brightest setting on my DS lite to be about the same as level 3 on my 3DS: 5 hours to 7 hours is a much more favourable comparison, considering all the extra features on the 3DS, I think. The DSi is apparently even worse at the brightest setting than the DS lite, but I never owned a DSi so I don't know how it compares to the 3DS. From the numbers, I'm guessing the DSi is also extremely bright on the brightest setting and I would have to turn it down a bit.
 
^ The DSi is eye-searing on its brightest setting, the same as the 3DS' screens can be. :lol: Its battery life is a bit better, though, with the stock battery.


Myself, I get about eight or nine hours out of my 3DS, but that's because I've swapped the stock battery for one of these. :p
 
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I'm in the same boat as you, GD. It's unfortunate that 3DS could go down as Nintendo first handheld (first release - non-variation) failure.


Maybe a redesign (my ridiculous suggestions below) with a few changes is needed asap.


- More RAM


- Another circle pad


- Bigger screens - Both the same size (5") with 16:9 ratio


- Multi-touch (more than 2 fingers at the one time)


What else?
 
The Wii didn't have a Mario game for quite some time after launch (WarioWare: Smooth Moves was good, but it wasn't Mario). Patience guys, you'll get it. ;)
 
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