Nintendo's 3DS is quickly, finally becoming a must-have gaming handheld. Games like Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 are easily satisfying my gaming itch these days and this latest update for the system adds the sorts of new features that has me once more showing off the 3DS to friends and relatives.
The update hit last night, if you haven't downloaded it you should do so now. It brings with it a nice assortment of new features including the ability to shoot 3D video, create stop-motion movies, new ways to play with your Mii and Nintendo's take on achievements.
This video walks you through all of the new features, but here's a run-down for those of you who can't or don't want to watch it.
The new camera features are easily the biggest improvement that come along with the update. They add the ability to shoot video in 3D and to create stop-motion movies.
The 3D video is actually not nearly as neat as it sounds, because you're dealing with 3D and moving objects things can get a little messy at times. Perhaps more time spent shooting video will improve the results, but for now, they're a mixed bag with video that seems either out of focus, blurry or in 3D. Usually all three happen in the space of a minute video.
The stop-motion stuff, though, is amazing. The device lets you take an image and then keeps a ghost of that image on the screen to help you set up the next shot. I was able to create a one minute, hundred shot video in about ten minutes. Of course it sort of sucks, but it shows that with a little care you could create some amazing things. There's also an option to set the camera on a timer, so you can work on a scene away from the camera, setting up while a beeping countdown alerts you of the upcoming next shot. One big thing missing from the process is the ability to record or add sound, so you'll have to do that through post-production, which is a bummer. The only other thing missing is a way to easily share these creations, but I can think of plenty of reasons why Nintendo wouldn't want to do that.
The other big additions in this update are all for the Mii Plaza. The update adds something Nintendo calls "Accomplishments" to the area, but I can see these achievement-like tasks showing up in future games too. You also get a way to view where all of the Mii you've met came from on a world map. The best part are the expansions to Puzzle Swap and Find Mii. Puzzle Swap comes with new images. While Find Mii comes with a new adventure. Unfortunately you need to find all 16 hats in the original Find Mii before you get to go to the new adventure. That means playing through Find Mii twice before you move on to Find Mii II and its 57 new hats. (Thanks for the details KingHippo)
Check out the video above to see all of this in action.