In 1995, Nintendo introduced the next cutting-edge wave in portable players: Virtual Boy. The successor to the company's popular Game Boy offered true 3D graphics for players and made use of the word "virtual" in a culture that was obsessed with virtual reality (as evidenced by The Lawnmower Man in movies, V.R. 5 on television, etc.). The result was Nintendo's biggest bomb since the Power Glove. The unit was only viewable by one player at a time due to the game's display system and was hardly portable since the display needed a table to sit on, which removed one of the most powerful elements of video games: camaraderie. The single color (red) display was hardly a step up from the Game Boy's monochrome display and the technology used to create the 3D effects frequently gave players headaches, limiting the amount of time they could play. Add in a poor selection of titles for the system and it was no surprise that the Virtual Boy barely existed for a year.

Fast forward to 2011, as Nintendo reveals the next cutting-edge wave in portable players: Nintendo 3DS. The successor to the company's popular Nintendo DS offers true 3D graphics for players without the need for special glasses, and makes use of the term "3D" in a culture obsessed with 3D offerings (as evidenced by the blast of 3D movies since Avatar's success, the advent of 3D televisions, etc.). Anyone see a trend here? Unfortunately, much like the Virtual Boy, Nintendo's 3DS is running the risk of being another bomb for the company, with similar complaints to their 1995 offering: headaches, limited game play, and a poor selection of titles for the system.

As reviews of the 3DS have hit the Internet, I've seen a lot of comparison between the newer system and the short-lived Virtual Boy. The truth is the systems are very different. As mentioned above, the Virtual Boy was monochromatic, required a tabletop for play, and players had to look into the system's display instead of looking at a screen. The 3DS is a much more portable system, with full color, and it's biggest selling point is that it provides 3D effects without the need for the glasses that annoy consumers with 3D televisions or go see 3D movies in the theater. Instead of just cashing in on what's popular, like they did with the Virtual Boy, Nintendo has actually tried to find a way to improve on the technology they are selling.

So what's the problem? Well, first of all the 3D technology, regardless of the lack of glasses, is causing headaches - a problem so prominent in early reviews of the system that one outlet, The Sun, claimed "thousands" were suffering from the headaches, and insisted the product was headed for future refunds. Nintendo took issue with The Sun's hyperbole, but did issue a response regarding the headaches:

"We have shown Nintendo 3DS at multiple events around the world to literally hundreds of thousands of people and have received very few negative comments. As with anything that requires focus, from reading to staring at a computer screen, taking breaks frequent breaks is always recommended. When viewing any kind of 3D images (TV, movies etc.), some people might experience minor discomfort. The effects are short term and have no lasting effect, in fact most players can continue after taking a short break. The Nintendo 3D was designed with a 3D depth slider that lets users adjust the 3D effect to a level that suits them for optimum enjoyment." (via G4TV)

While not the apology some were looking for, it does offer some practical advice that common sense should dictate: if the 3D is bothering you, turn it off. Take breaks from your game play. An easy thing to do as we look at the second complaint about the 3DS: battery life. Most reviews are reporting that the system can only last for two and a half to three hours on a charge. Although we expect new technology to be more of a drain, the truth is that players of portable games have gotten used to extended life on their devices. Only getting a few hours of playtime is a bit of a shock to people used to using their iPods or DSs for two to three times the playtime of a 3DS. Still, that reduced playtime isn't going to affect casual gamers that much - it's not likely we're going to burn through an entire day on the system anyway, and the limited play time does help balance out the eye strain of the 3D effects.

Which brings us to the last issue for the 3DS: the limited game library. With the system only having been out for a few weeks now, it's a little absurd that people are complaining over a lack of games. Yes, there are only a few titles available now, but many are in development. Whether they finally come to fruition will decide how successful the 3DS has the chance to be. After all, a limited game library can damage any console, whether it's a portable system or home consol, or from a major manufacturer or smaller entity. The one benefit for early adopters of the system is that it is backwards compatible and can play DS games, although why you'd want to burn through a low battery life for games that have no 3D option is beyond me. Ultimately, the small amount of titles right now is the price you pay for being an early adopter of the technology.

I'm not making apologies for the 3DS, nor am I crucifying the system. Like any new technology, it's going to take the manufacturer time to get the bugs out. Considering the massive sales of the new portable system on the day of release, the public is definitely interested in what Nintendo is offering, and the truth is that there are a lot of positive reviews out there being overshadowed by the negative. The question now is whether Nintendo can deliver on that promise with a system that players can handle, and whether they can convince game developers to support their product. The answer is simple: only time will tell. For now I'd suggest avoiding the hyperbolic reviews from early adopters and waiting for some of the dust to clear before we write off the 3DS as the next Virtual Boy.