Topic: Official Nintendo 3DS Discussion Thread - Specs, Tech, Price? It's all here!

[Kieran]

...Fair enough!

[VixyNyan]

[Kieran]

Yeah, but the 3DS is never going to retail for less than $170.

[xnamkcor]

And it has a hinge. Kids love breaking hinges. You know what they say. Once you give your 3DS to a child, it ends up in a wheelchair.

PS: Nintendo, please make a 3DS that has a larger battery, folds, and has a body like the 2DS.

PPS: I'm calling it now. They gimped the GPU/CPU because it doesn't have to do 3D and somewhere, down the line, a game won't work because a developer tried to program using the full power of the 3DS, in 2D mode.

[Satoryu]

Yeah, but the 3DS is never going to retail for less than $170.

I thought they were $150 now.

[Sakura Leic]

For a brand new normal 3DS it's $170.00 XL is $200.00.

[Police Girl]

That being said, they regularly go on sale.

Sometimes an XL will go for $180 so that's the best time to get those.

[Protoman Blues]

Not gonna lie, I think that color scheme is sexy! 

[Police Girl]

Not gonna lie, I think that color scheme is sexy! 

Is that... Official? That's pretty smart of them to do the classic GB style.

[Protoman Blues]

It's not, sadly. I wish it were though.

[xnamkcor]

I want one in SNES Grey with the Red/Yellow/Blue/Green colors.

[VixyNyan]

http://nintendo1ds.com/



This is too funny for words to express but I want this!
No matter how fake it is.

[xnamkcor]

If Nintendo's next system was a Version of the 3DS that had only one screen, Gamecube graphics, 1280(pb)x720, and two sticks(even if the right one was octagonal), I'd buy it.

[Phi]

If Nintendo's next system was a Version of the 3DS that had only one screen, Gamecube graphics, 1280(pb)x720, and two sticks(even if the right one was octagonal), I'd buy it.

3DS is already around Gamecube level. It further boasts advanced lighting and shader effects.

Posted on: September 06, 2013, 11:42:57 AM[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiRJE1Q_gN8&feature=g-subs-u[/youtube]

[xnamkcor]

3DS is already around Gamecube level. It further boasts advanced lighting and shader effects.

Posted on: September 06, 2013, 11:42:57 AM[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiRJE1Q_gN8&feature=g-subs-u[/youtube]

400x240 is not equal to Gamecube. I'm talking about actual Gamecube power, not "it kinda looks like it might have been a launch title on Gamecube if the Gamecube has the resolution of an old DOS game".

[Phi]

400x240 is not equal to Gamecube. I'm talking about actual Gamecube power, not "it kinda looks like it might have been a launch title on Gamecube if the Gamecube has the resolution of an old DOS game".

By that logic, the 3DS would have the power of a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 system, if it had an HD screen.

[xnamkcor]

By that logic, the 3DS would have the power of a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 system, if it had an HD screen.

By that logic, Santa Claus is a champion chess player.

[Hypershell]

You said it, not me.

Screen resolution is an asinine way to gauge performance seeings how it is one aspect of many, and it completely ignores what is being rendered on said screen.  Model detail, shader quality, number of objects, etc.

FYI, the total number of pixels the 3DS displays is only 1/8 less than that of a single 640x480 TV screen, and the top screen is at most times being rendered from two separate angles.  A split-screen GCN game that looks as good as a decent 3DS game is pretty few and far between.  I mean, there's Rebel Strike, and...what else?
(God, I miss Factor5...)

[xnamkcor]

Would it be too off-topic to mention that PS3 and Xbox can barely render a game at full HD resolution? If at all? Also, if the 3DS had the power of a Gamecube, then all the games would probably run at 60FPS.

FYI, the total number of pixels the 3DS displays is only 1/8 less than that of a single 640x480 TV screen, and the top screen is at most times being rendered from two separate angles.  A split-screen GCN game that looks as good as a decent 3DS game is pretty few and far between.  I mean, there's Rebel Strike, and...what else?
(God, I miss Factor5...)

192000/307200 is 0.625, not 0.875. And often times the resources are the same, not unique. Like, textures, music, sound effects, geometry, animations can all be stored in RAM and executed the same. There doesn't have to be two copies of everything in the process for stereoscopy to be used.

[Hypershell]

Same resource logic applies to two players in the same setting.

And you're 76800 pixels short.

[xnamkcor]

Same resource logic applies to two players in the same setting.

And you're 76800 pixels short.

Are you counting the second screen?

[Hypershell]

I have yet to see the non-homebrew DS/3DS game that operates with the second screen off.  It's certainly possible, mind you, but the official devs frown on the idea.

[xnamkcor]

You mean Nintendo frowns on it? I have no doubt that, if they had permission, and a dev felt they could make a game that only used the top screen, they would. Though, if they really wanted to, they could probably just send an image to the second screen and then never update it and that might use near-zero resources. Assuming the second screen could hold an image without constant updates to the video signal. And how often is the second screen actually rendering something complicated?

"3DS is as powerful as the Gamecube because it has to render a second screen", just sounds like excuses. I have yet to see a 640x480 game on the 3DS or that uses both screens to render something on par with the Gamecube's graphics, at the same time. From what I've seen the second screen is usually rendering something the Gameboy Advance or N64/DS would render, not something the 3DS is "capable" of.

Keep the second screen for Backwards(maybe Digital downloads for DS and 3DS?), make the main screen 2560x720(1280 "per eye") or 1280x720(640 "per eye", make it powerful enough to render things on the main screen on par with the Gamecube with those extra shaders you love so much.

PS: I'd rather have a system that had real power than one that was "better because it has bloom and blur".

[OBJECTION MAN]

The top and bottom screens also operate off of different processors remember. You can't just magically combine their powers to create a super handheld.

Also speaking as a dev, there are limits to what you can't do on a Nintendo console. Simply ignoring their gimmick is going to fail your certification, which means you can't publish your game. You have to use it for something. For example, on the Wii you were REQUIRED to incorporate your main gameplay with at least some motion bullshit. Also, interestingly, you could NOT use the Mii as the playable character. Of course, Nintendo never stuck to it's own rules always, but forced everyone else to them. Conversely the original DS had the stipulation that you must use it for at least an in game menu.

There is a catch though. The download titles were so few and far between that Nintendo dropped their requirements almost completely for them. They were so hard up for digital games on the Wii they were taking just about anything they could get. However their policies were very unfavorable for any developer, and thus not many games made it on there.

Just some inside info from your resident developer. Hope that sheds a little light on some things.

[Hypershell]

You mean Nintendo frowns on it? I have no doubt that, if they had permission, and a dev felt they could make a game that only used the top screen, they would. Though, if they really wanted to, they could probably just send an image to the second screen and then never update it and that might use near-zero resources. Assuming the second screen could hold an image without constant updates to the video signal. And how often is the second screen actually rendering something complicated?

"3DS is as powerful as the Gamecube because it has to render a second screen", just sounds like excuses. I have yet to see a 640x480 game on the 3DS or that uses both screens to render something on par with the Gamecube's graphics, at the same time. From what I've seen the second screen is usually rendering something the Gameboy Advance or N64/DS would render, not something the 3DS is "capable" of.

Keep the second screen for Backwards(maybe Digital downloads for DS and 3DS?), make the main screen 2560x720(1280 "per eye") or 1280x720(640 "per eye", make it powerful enough to render things on the main screen on par with the Gamecube with those extra shaders you love so much.

PS: I'd rather have a system that had real power than one that was "better because it has bloom and blur".

1200 wide (600 "per eye) would maintain the proper aspect ratio.

You're the one who brought up number of pixels as the sole crutch of the argument.  All I did was point out how senseless that was.  If you want to argue model quality or any more "meaningful" performance issue, be my guest.  I'd love to see some actual specs on the 3DS seeings how they're so freaking hard to come by.  Or you can just nitpick the visibly evident shortcuts in modeling that everyone takes when they work on handhelds anyway (God knows I've ripped into MHX on the PSP often enough on those grounds).

Huh, now I'm actually curious to know what technical flaws/shortcuts one could dig out of Monster Hunter Tri Ultimate...