#Bestof2011 Nintendo 3DS

 

What a year for the Nintendo 3DS. After a slow start and speculation that the 3DS was a flop, Nintendo got the ball rolling. The first major improvement to the Nintendo 3DS was it's controversial price cut. The people who paid $249.99 for a Nintendo 3DS were shocked to see the price go down to $169.99 a mere five months after it's release. Nintendo admitted their mistake and gave 20 free games to early adopters labeling them ambassadors to the 3DS. I was one of the early adopters of the 3DS, but I didn't take the price drop so personally. For starters it was a gift, but I had invested so much time playing my 3DS that I felt like I had already got my moneys worth.


Let's face it the first year for any new gaming system is rough. It usually consists of a heavy price tag and a software lineup that is less than favorable. I can't remember a launch title for the Xbox 360 besides King Kong. The Nintendo 3DS software lineup was bleak for most of the year, but there were some gems. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars is a fan favorite. My personal favorite was Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. That game held me over until the release of Super Mario 3D Land in November. Nintendo always brings their A game when it comes to a Mario Adventure, and his first 3DS outing is no exception. Every 3DS owner should give Super Mario 3D Land a try.

The Nintendo 3DS enters 2012 ready for competition. It's outsold the first year sales of the Nintendo DS, and hasn't slowing down since. The lineup for next years games looks spectacular with titles such as Resident Evil: Revelations, and Metal Gear Solid 3D expected hit stores the first half of the year. The smaller price tag also makes it a tough contender against the PlayStation Vita which is set to be released this February. In the meantime I'm going to get back to Super Mario 3D Land.

#Bestof2011 Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition

I thought Capcom had done it all when they released Street Fighter IV on 360 and PS3. Boy was I was wrong. Super Street Fighter IV 3D for the Nintendo 3DS is the best version of Street Fighter I've ever played. I go back with Street Fighter to the early 1990s with Street Fighter II: Championship Edition on the Genesis. Never have I ever invested as much time on any other game as I've invested on Street Fighter 3D. Before you say "I could play this version on the console," here are the things that make Super Street Fighter IV 3D better than the console version.

Better Graphics

You can't reproduce the 3D graphics seen on the 3DS version of Street Fighter on the console versions. Sure the graphics on console have a lot more going on in the background, but the 3D effect is really cool. I notice the detail on the fighters better on the 3DS.

Better Control Scheme

No need to buy an expensive arcade stick for the 3DS version. The button layout on the 3DS is perfect for Street Fighter. The face buttons are low/mid punch and kick while the shoulder buttons are high punch and kick. Having only two shoulder buttons gave me more patience learning the control scheme. The touch screen buttons make Street Fighter accessible to more players because it doesn't require as much effort to learn tough combos. Makes me wonder how come it took so long for Street Fighter to show up on a portable Nintendo console.

Portability
I play this game during times when I can't play other games. They include when I'm in bed and on the toilet. Sorry for the insight, but my mornings get off to a great start as I'm on the toilet playing Street Fighter 3D. At night I found myself playing until I fall asleep. It's awesome. I could also play this game outside, but I prefer to play it with a WiFi connection.

As of right now I've invested 440 hours and 10 minutes into Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. I can't wait to finish writing this blog post so I can get back to playing it. If you have a 3DS you should seriously check out this game. It's my most played game this year.