Moving On From Your DS To The 3DS

When it comes to gadgets and technology in general, upgrading is a part of life. That time when you move from one version to the next is simply a matter of when. But this does not necessarily mean that you have to run out and purchase the latest piece of tech equipment the moment it arrives on your store shelves.

There are many important factors to consider before knowing it is time to move on, and when it comes to the Nintendo 3DS, you need to remember a few important things before finally retiring your older DS.

The Nintendo DS is a very impressive piece of hardware; it dominated the handheld gaming industry for more than half a decade and has a vast library of games.

What makes the 3DS so promising is the fact that besides its own lineup of 3D game titles and high end hardware specifications, it has complete backwards compatibility support for all DS game cartridges and a limited degree of support for DSiWare (which factors in region locking and the requirement of a GBA port).

First factor to consider:

The extent of your GBA library.

Simply put, even if you can play all your DS games on the 3DS, the same cannot be said for your GBA titles. If you have been a big fan of portable gaming for a long time, chances are, you would have a pretty decent sized library of GBA cartridges.

Having the DS around will still allow you to access these classics. Some would argue that the 3DS has its own virtual console for emulating older GB titles –which is true, but this completely forgets the fact that your physical library of games will not be useable on the new system. Nor will you be able to port the game save files on your cartridges.

Second factor to consider:

Portability.

Now, we do not question the 3DS’ viability as a portable gaming system. It is light and easy to carry around. But when you do not plan on playing a 3DS game when you go out, then the original DS should be more than enough.

Also, the inherent 3D factor of 3DS titles often require you to be sitting still to get the full effect –whereas you can easily play a DS game while strolling down a shopping aisle.

Having the DS around will leave you with more gaming options to choose from.

Last thing to consider:

Battery Life.

A 3DS, on a full charge, will only last for about 8 hours at most when running a DS game and about 5 hours for a 3DS title.

The oldest DS will give you a full 10 hours of game time while the newer DSi and DSi XL systems provide between 14 to 17 hours of playtime.

While the 3DS would be good for a quick errand out, the DS fares far better for long road trip across state lines.

But is there a reason to own both?

Right now, unless there is already an existing 3DS game that you really want to play, then no. Owning a DS is more than sufficient.

In the coming months however, more 3DS titles will be launched which means at some point there might be one or two titles you would find impossible to pass up.