Nintendo 3DS Review Roundup

Are you picking up Nintendo’s anticipated 3D handheld today? If so, check out the crew’s impressions of a slew of launch titles below. Knowledge is power!

Bust-A-Move Universe
Bust-A-Move icons Bub and Bob need your help! The adorable dinos have found themselves locked away and need you to find the keys needed to help them break free. The keys rest among colored bubbles scattered across the 3DS screen, and retrieving them involves classic Bust-A-Move gameplay. Universe is Bust-A-Move through and through, and while the classic formula is still effective, this 3DS launch title surprisingly fails to use any of the system’s features that could’ve helped separate it from its countless predecessors that have released on nearly every platform to date. [Read the full review…]

Ghost Recon Shadow Wars
I have to give Ubisoft credit for letting one of its established franchises break out of its comfort zone. Ghost Recon has always been about pulling off ridiculous stunts with super-elite troops and their near-future technology, and this turn-based strategy title captures that fantasy as well as any of the series' first-person shooters. [Read the full review…]

Ridge Racer - 3DS
A Ridge Racer title in a console launch lineup is nothing new, so it should come as no surprise to see the series debut alongside Nintendo's newest portable. Considering the only racing alternative on the system is the lackluster Asphalt 3D, Namco's long-running series doesn't have much competition in the genre at this early point in the 3DS lifecycle. Ridge Racer 3D doesn't do anything to revolutionize the series, but its fundamentals are solid enough to satisfy genre fans until something a little fresher comes out. [Read the full review…]

Pilotwings Resort
If you’ve played either of the previous Pilotwings games, you’ve probably got a pretty good idea of what to expect from Pilotwings Resort. It continues the series’ simple formula of flying around in various aircrafts while showing off the 3DS’ improved graphical capabilities as well as the 3D functionality itself. Sadly, though, Pilotwings Resort is held back from any lasting impact because of a handful of shortsighted design choices. [Read the full review…]

Super Monkey Ball 3D
Since Super Monkey Ball first arrived on the Gamecube a decade ago, the series’ iterations have clung to the third-person Marble Madness formula like an ape to the back of a Dole truck. The Wii version innovated slightly by letting gamers tilt the Wii remote to manipulate the game world and move their monkey ball, but that appears to be where the fresh, functional ideas halt. [Read the full review…]

The Sims 3
I’m fully aware that hearing someone talk about their Sim’s exploits is only slightly more interesting than getting a recap of someone’s dreams or having to endure iPhone slideshows of a cat’s antics. With that in mind, here’s a look at the 3DS version of the Sims 3, as I experienced it with my pal Tony Toenail. [Read the full review…]

Nintendogs + Cats: French Bulldog and New Friends
My first few hours of playing Nintendogs + Cats was so dominated by a feeling of déjà vu that I went in the Game Informer vault and pulled out the original. It turns out my gut was right – there are precious few differences between the two. You get a dog at the kennel and start training it, with breaks for feeding, baths, and going on walks. As before, you can enter competitions; the only new one is a simplistic lure competition where you turn a crank to move a fuzzy lure down a series of ropes to guide your dog through a roped off race course. Once again, you are very limited in what you can do each day – a couple of competitions and a handful of new tricks are all your dog has the energy for. That’s true-to-life, but aggravating from a player’s perspective. [Read the full review…]

Rayman 3DS
No matter how much time passes, I can’t outrun Rayman 2. Today marks the fourth time I am reviewing it, as Rayman 3D is yet another direct port. [Read the full review…]

Steel Diver
The biggest problem facing Steel Diver is expectations. As a launch title for Nintendo’s 3DS, I expected it to show off the new hardware’s improved power and 3D visuals, and as a first-party Nintendo-developed game, I expected it to have a surprising gameplay hook that made it more interesting than an old PC submarine sim from the ‘90s. Neither of these hold true. [Read the full review…]

Madden NFL Football
You can always count on John Madden and EA Sports to crash a launch party. When the DS, Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, and Wii all released to the public, America’s favorite coach-turned-commentator was there to commemorate the occasion with a shoddy, half-baked entry to the popular football franchise. You’d think after five consecutive failed kickoff attempts EA would learn its lesson and choose to stay on the sidelines for the first quarter, but the 3DS version stubbornly follows the other launch titles into a bad situation. [Read the full review…]

Super Street Fighter IV
It’s hard to believe, but it’s been nearly two decades since a Street Fighter game has appeared on a Nintendo system. More astonishingly, Capcom decided to break that dry spell by releasing Super Street Fighter IV on a portable system. The result is no simple gimmick, either. [Read the full review...]

LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
The portable versions of the LEGO games have been disappointing, and the trend continues with LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars. The game follows a truncated version of events from the console version, which in turn is based on seasons one and two of the television series. Aside from sharing animated cutscenes, the console and 3DS versions have different level layouts and gameplay. [Read the full review…]