Review

I've been a huge Nintendo fan since the GBA. So it stands to reason I'd get the 3DS. There are many good things about this system that make it an excellent purchase (perhaps not a "must buy" but a great purchase nonetheless!):

- Graphics are sharp, crisp, colors pop and overall it is ultra pleasing to the eye
- I love the color (I got Aqua Blue) and surprisingly it is not a fingerprint magnet
- Enhanced options and potentially netflix and some game boy and game boy color remakes virtual
- Analog stick is responsive, easy to use, and us fans can say Nintendo finally heard us!
- I was very surprised to hear a rich vibrant sound coming from this unit. I didn't have headphones on and it was much better than the DSiXL unit
- The menu navigations are good but the three buttons do take some getting used to
- The stylus feels classy and I love the adjustability of it - very nice for all types of hands

There are many other benefits to this system and my fellow reviewer's have covered most of them. I myself use the unit to play games - I typically don't take photo's or surf the web or do various other sort of extra things. Sleep mode would be a good example - where you can put your 3DS in sleep mode and it does various things. If you are interested in those then check out the excellent video reviews posted.

However I have a caveat for anyone that suffers from migraine's or headaches. I played for an hour and a half in 3D last night and I had a massive migraine this morning. I felt the beginnings of a headache last night but I didn't expect to be hit with the whole light sensitive, nausea and vomiting, misery of this morning. So I searched the net to find out if that was a potential issue and sure enough it is. Does that mean I won't play my 3DS? Heck no but I've found some hints and helps I'm going to list here so anyone who is like me can make a informed purchase choice:

- Really work the slider to find the exact sweet spot - you will know when it is not because it is blurry. If you find yourself seeing blurry for any length of time (several minutes) then turn the 3D off for a while to rest your eyes
- Wear your glasses if they are designed for this distance
- Play 3D and 2D varying between the two and pay close attention to any sort of nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, etc.
- Do not let your child under 7 play this and with kids 7 and older I'd really watch them - Nintendo has stated this 3D is not recommended for children's eyes that are not yet developed
- Take frequent breaks and allow your eyes to do other things at different focus levels. So don't go, for example, from playing to reading which is usually about the same distance field. Try for shifts so that your eyes can focus at different levels and distances.

I'm not negging on the system - because I am sure this effect of headaches will probably only affect a small percentage of the population. However when you are one of those few and realize your beloved new unit actually causes pain and misery - well you want to be sure that you do what you can to make sure others' don't suffer needlessly.

Overall I am most impressed by this unit. I think it is a fantastic step for Nintendo who continue to break new ground with their products, and I can recommend it to adults and older children. I don't use the camera so I cannot comment on that. Of course the battery life is less - which is a bummer but much has been made of it already. I will update my review if I learn more on the headache issue and how to combat it or any further tips in that direction. The reason for the 4 stars is because I wish more had been made of the potential headache issue by Nintendo - I don't recall reading much research and, for those of us who are prone to this sort of thing, it would have been nicer to see this tested more thoroughly or if they did test it to release the results.