I'm somewhat of a Nintendo fanboy. With the exception of the game cube (which I never got), I've owned just about every major revision of every nintendo system ever released. For sony, all I ever had was the playstation 1 (no ps2, ps3, psp for me). For some reason I am just drawn to handheld systems and have always loved the offerings from nintendo. I've got a nice TV, but I just really like having the ability to play wherever I want. I absolutely loved the DS Lite, probably my favorite system ever, so I recently picked up the 3ds... as it turns out, the fun I've had with the 3ds is what ended up getting me sold on the vita.
There are already tons of reviews out there that focus on the specs of the vita... I'll skip most of that and try to compare to the 3ds.
Initial impressions on the vita:
Good:
- Seriously awesome looking/feeling. The 3ds is nice but there is no comparison, vita is in another league. I've only had the 3ds a couple months and the design flaws are already starting to show (i.e. the lines that appear on the top screen, which come from the ridge around the bottom screen when it closes). I've only had the vita a few hours but it is easy to feel the difference in quality.
- Screen is ridiculous. I've got an ipad 2 which I thought had an amazing screen, but the vita is insane. It's just so bright and vibrant, you can't hardly see the pixels. Unlike anything I've seen. The screen is almost as big as the entire 3ds! The 3d on the 3ds is really cool, and I honestly don't feel it is a gimmick, but the quality of the screen isn't that great and it has its own opportunities, particularly with viewing angles... I can only use 3d on the 3ds if I'm holding the system perfectly still in the "sweet spot". Not super practical.
- User interface is intuitive and pleasant to use. The interface on the 3ds is horrible, feels like it was pulled off of a 10 year old cell phone. The vita interface is fresh and doesn't feel dated.
- PSP games look great, and there's a huge library of them available for purchase now. Much more to choose from than the virtual console on 3ds. I get the impression that there's way more stuff in the store, whereas nintendo just trickles out a game here and there for the virtual console, there are hundreds of PSP games out there now.
- It has BUTTONS! I've been doing a lot of mobile gaming on the ipad 2 lately, and my god how I have missed having actual buttons. And dual analog sticks! The circle pad pro (adds a 2nd analog stick) for the 3ds, while functional, is one of the most ridiculous peripherals I have ever seen in my lifetime of gaming.
- Really solid launch titles. Rayman origins feels like the quality you'd get out of a mario platformer. Also has several other games announced that should keep momentum going (call of duty, final fantasy x, hopefully GTA is coming, etc). I'd argue that, at launch, it already has a library that gives the year-old 3ds library a run for its money. (Don't get me wrong, 3ds library has the edge currently, but I feel like that will change over the next year based on what's been announced and what I expect to happen)
Bad:
- OK, you could argue this isn't a "bad" thing, but the device is not really pocketable. Especially if it's in a case. I love the form factor when I'm playing though.
- Analog sticks are kinda low on the system and don't feel like they're quite at the perfect location.
- You have to peel up this little tab to take games out / put them in. I don't like it and it feels like it might break eventually. This is my only complaint about the hardware.
- Proprietary everything. Memory cards, charging cables, AC adapters, etc, and of course it is all expensive and overpriced.
The 3ds, along with every 1st generation handheld nintendo has ever relased, definitely feels right out of the box like it is not 100% complete, and has significant room to improve. For anyone who has bought the original gameboy advance (had a screen that was not even lit!), the original DS (ugly, clunky, horrible screens), etc... you know what I am talking about. When nintendo inevitably releases the 2nd version of the 3ds many of the complaints about the current system will likely be fixed. Who knows what is to come, but with their track record of releasing new versions of handheld systems over & over, I'd be shocked if there isn't a new 3ds in the next year. That might change everything.
I would argue that the vita has no such faults (like the 1st-generation nintendo systems) and doesn't feel like there is anything that can be significantly improved upon or "fixed" with a future revision of the device. To me, that is a big win over the 3ds. I'd only recommend the 1st generation 3ds to someone who is a die-hard nintendo fanboy. For anyone else I would recommend the vita.
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Product information
| ASIN | B003O6EATE |
|---|---|
| Release date | February 22, 2012 |
| Customer Reviews |
4.3 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank |
|
| Product Dimensions | 3.29 x 7.17 x 0.7 inches; 1.1 Pounds |
| Type of item | Video Game |
| Language | English |
| Rated | Rating Pending |
| Item model number | 22031 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Weight | 1.1 pounds |
| Manufacturer | Sony Computer Entertainment |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
| Date First Available | June 6, 2011 |
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Awesome
Great product came fast and everything works. Its alittle scrached here and there but it doesn't really bother me.
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- George DroydReviewed in Canada on February 23, 2022
THE CONSOLE IS BRICKED Not in a good condition at all, deep scratches all over the screen and back.
The console is not working at all, after 3 hours of charging the power button still flashes orange, like its charging, furthermore I have been misinformed in regards of products quality, I did expect a bit of scratches on a glossy surfaces here and there, but the whole console is clawed, the back panel has so many scratches that you can physically feel the texture, it looks bad too. The front screen is full of scratches, some of which are pretty deep. This is AT BEST an AVERAGE condition, NOT GOOD. Really de-satisfied with my purchase.George DroydTHE CONSOLE IS BRICKED Not in a good condition at all, deep scratches all over the screen and back.
Reviewed in Canada on February 23, 2022
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