Nintendo 3DS 

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I love my old Nintendo DS but I have been very jealous watching all these new 3D games coming out. I love the idea of 3D without glasses and when I had a 3D LG phone I loved the video effects and the ability to take 3D images.

With the 3DS though the cameras are not very good and the images can be grainy and blurry so you never actually get a good shot, its fine for using in the AR games though. I did find that the software was quite slow and I can imagine children in particular getting  frustrated with the load times, after all my hubby became frustrated very quickly.

If you are getting this for yourself as an adult you might be disappointed and really if you are a gamer who wants a great portable device I would look towards Sony’s PS Vita. If you are looking at this device for a child under 6yrs then think again. The 3D feature is not recommended for that age group due to it hurting their eyes and although you can turn it off in the parental settings you may as well just buy the DSi or DSi XL.

I do enjoy the amount of features that come preloaded on the 3DS and I had great fun playing one of the AR games where I had to shoot my own face as it bounced around my kitchen. I also appreciate the fact that it can play all of the old DS games and even the Gameboy advance games. I also love the fact that you can choose and control the 3D effect so if it starts hurting your eyes you just turn it off or turn it down and continue with your game.

So why would you buy this console? If you were between the ages of 6 and say 14 then it would be great, the 3D games are fantastic when used in 3D. If you are over 14 you more than likely should go with the Vita, or both as one is for serious game play and one is well 3D and touchscreen which is just awesome.

I will be hiding this under the Christmas tree for Elizabeth now I have had a play with it and I know her face will light up when she opens it. I will be turning the 3D off first though.

I was gifted this Nintendo 3DS and a Rabbids Rumble game for the purpose of this review by Dial a phone who give away some great free gifts with their mobile phone contracts.