The free Netflix app is now out on the 3DS’s eShop, so if you have a subscription to the service, download it to start streaming movies and TV shows today (in 2D).

For some reason, many people thought the app would allow you to watch movies in stereoscopic 3D, but I don’t believe that was ever announced – really, it wasn’t something I was clamoring for anyway, as just streaming 2D films on a 3DS is sweet enough for me.

Nintendo, though, let it slip today that “users will soon have access to an additional library of select movies that can be viewed in 3D without the need for special glasses”. So, there’s that for those of you who want it. [Update: Nintendo claimed it was just talking about its ‘short-form video service, so… the 3D movie thing isn’t happening.]

Anyway, some quick impressions on the app!

Three things that are fab:

1. Easy activation. You don’t even have to log into Netflix on your 3DS if you already have an account. Just go the Netflix activation site, enter the code the app gives you, and you’re in.
2. Easy to access subtitle options you can toggle.
3. It works! Finding a movie and playing it is simple. It feels like using the Netflix Wii app.

Four things that are butt:

1. Super slow at times. When I first tried to use the app, minutes after Nintendo made it available on the eShop, I had to wait a very long time for anything to load – boxarts, searches, and the movies themselves. It’s at Wii levels for me now, though.
2. When everything was loading super slow, I couldn’t get out of a loading movie to the Netflix menu, no matter how much I clicked “Back”. After a minute, I hit Home to try to restart the app, but it wouldn’t close. I ended up having to hard reset the system.
3. The 3D effect Nintendo used for the menus is really weird and useless. Like, “We really need to make something 3D, so let’s just make boxes and stuff pop out on the top screen.”
4. Audio is really quiet, even when pushed to max. You’ll need headphones if you want to hear some movies.

Score:

• For a while there, the only thing I could get to load were episodes of Avatar: The Air Bender.

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[Video via @rdb_aaa]

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