Nintendo 3DS


At five years old most kids are adept at feeling and seeing their way around the world and not putting everything into their mouths the same way a younger child will. But I wouldn't recommend headphones for kids that age unless the music's really annoying to the parents - they'll lose them, garrote their younger siblings with them, or just stuff them into devices where they're not meant to go. Plus most affordable headphones only last 18 months or so with me, and I'm pretty careful with my electronics.


It's kind of academic anyway. I'm not sure I'd recommend a handheld console to someone with a five-year old kid. Home consoles where you can see what they're doing are probably more appropriate, and there it's easier to see if they're too close to the screen.
You say..'most'.. but it's those few that are worrisome. Only takes a few to make a disaster here. I cannot speak for the world of 5yo's but I haver seen some pretty wild ones in my day.

But we agree...we both would not recommend headphones for kids of that age. There are exceptions either way I suppose but as a rule ...no.

Which makes me wonder why this unit is mono to begin with? At least they furbished a 4gb card vs. the 2gb for the DS. But I think this 2DS unit is a square frisbee waiting to be cracked. :blink:   :D
 
Last edited:
Man I just don't like it and I am a big kid at heart. I still have a Gameboy Advance SP and I think that design is better. Like I said before...mono speakers?? Give me a brake here. That's like asking me would you like air conditioning included with your car or just use a fan.??!!!

I see kids severely braking and scratching screens with this one. :eek:

I add.. if I want to play a 3D game in 2D with a 3DS then I just turn the slider down then it is 2D. :blink:
I think it's fair to point out that the GBA SP also has a mono speaker. ;)
 
I still don't see why it matters it's mono. It's been done to save a few pennies per unit, perhaps a little weight - there's clearly enough space for it. Note that Nintendo only went with stereo speakers when they went dual screen with the DS, and with a device like that the top only contains a screen and speakers - having one on the right (traditionally) and nothing on the left would look odd. All GBAs had mono speakers, despite being stereo-capable devices, because even on the SP the speaker was in the bottom layer with the controls.
 
Man I just don't like it and I am a big kid at heart. I still have a Gameboy Advance SP and I think that design is better. Like I said before...mono speakers?? Give me a brake here. That's like asking me would you like air conditioning included with your car or just use a fan.??!!!

I see kids severely braking and scratching screens with this one. :eek:

I add.. if I want to play a 3D game in 2D with a 3DS then I just turn the slider down then it is 2D. :blink:
I think it's fair to point out that the GBA SP also has a mono speaker. ;)

Yes but we are talking what..30 years ago.
 
True all the GBA'S had mono but we are talking what...25 years ago ??

I just think mono is so old hat and certainly the cheapest of cheap ways to go.

In my opinion no handheld device worth it's weight in salt should furnish a mono speaker. Even my 6yo nephew's Leap Frog has stereo speakers for pete's sake.

...sorry the 6yo has the Leapster but my point is the same.
 
Last edited:
12 years ago the first GBA launched worldwide. But yeah, it is kind of old hat. I prefer to think of it as retro chic though ;)
My gosh only 12 years ago?? In the technology timetable I suppose that is much more than 25 yrs.? :blink:  ..Actually I must of been thinking of the Gameboy. ;)
 
" In the US, it will retail for US$129.99, compared to the 3DS, which retails for US$169. "

If it was 100 maybe the price would be persuasive, but for just an extra $40?  I'd much rather get the proper 3DS.

My 5yo and 1.5yo kids play on the 3DS and haven't damaged it.

It's quite strong, feels much more sturdy than the Pandora.

I just got an X-arcade and am looking forward to playing some MAME and SNES games with the family at home.

The X-arcade is pretty good.  Somehow a few of the buttons got stuck down, I suspect the kids did something,

but it's user serviceable and even though I'm a hardware dunce I was able to fix it. Will be storing it in a safer place now!

I reckon Nintendo should ship their Wii-U with an exclusive "classics collection", like 50 or 100 of their old SNES games.  That would sell a few consoles.
 
seriously, grown men complaining about something that is designed for kids that are 7 or under? do you think timmy 5 years old knows the difference between stereo and mono on a handheld? do you think he cares? and which is a bigger problem, a few scratches here and there, or a device split in two? i had my gbc and gba when i was a kid and they were scratched as hell but i did not care. i was a kid, and they played games. YAY!  that was enough and is enough today. some kids may be able to keep a regular 3ds in shape, but the ones with a bad temper will not. "NOOOO I LOST!!" *SLAM SLAM SLAM*  suburb soccer moms are pretty protective, and something like eyesight is pretty likely to get protected. (even though its not certain that 3d harms eyesight, parents want to be sure) wizardstan's example of duplo blocks is true, and it made me laugh. :)
 
" In the US, it will retail for US$129.99, compared to the 3DS, which retails for US$169. "


If it was 100 maybe the price would be persuasive, but for just an extra $40? I'd much rather get the proper 3DS.
Think yourself lucky - on amazon uk presently it's 110 gbp for a 2DS or 128 gbp for a 3DS - a difference of 18gbp, or about $27. Unless it's significantly tougher than a 3DS, I can't see them selling too many at that price.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Think yourself lucky - on amazon uk presently it's 110 gbp for a 2DS or 128 gbp for a 3DS - a difference of 18gbp, or about $27. Unless it's significantly tougher than a 3DS, I can't see them selling too many at that price.
I've seen people pinch pennies for inferior products. You'd be surprised at how effective any price drop, with the right marketing, can be at confusing our senses.
 
Probably much more likely to see some serious homebrew before they start playing ROMs.
 
So.....the 3DS has sold more in Japan, then the Wii did in its lifespan.....poor doomed to-be bankrupt Nintendo. huh?
 
So.....the 3DS has sold more in Japan, then the Wii did in its lifespan.....poor doomed to-be bankrupt Nintendo. huh?
Its not bankruptcy they are risking, it's to stop growing in the future. The WiiU is a failure, and who knows if Nintendo will still continue to be "in" for portable gaming in the future ?

Sooner or later there's bound to be some serious disruption on the portable gaming market as well (either through mobile phones or other means). It's very risky when you rely on a single market for all your revenues.

Why do you think the stocks of Nintendo keep going down ? The outlook on their future is NOT good. 
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top