“Aaah,” you cry, as a shot of pain rushes through your head. No time for Mario now, you’ve got a headache.

Yes, it’s a shame but, as with all technological advances a particular portion of the population are not completely compatible and must deal with a few of the side effects. In the world of the Nintendo 3DS – or any 3D content for that matter – that side effect (which affects 10-25% of the world) is the inability to handle stereoscopic 3D imagery for extended periods of time.

But is there any solution? Can you still play your Nintendo 3DS without giving into the pain? Perhaps you should just push through your headache or take a pain killer? No, stop!

Listen to your body. Before I tell you how to play your Nintendo 3DS without getting a headache, at least take this advice. Your body has the wonderful ability of identifying pain. This is useful. If something hurts stop doing it. In this case, if you’re met with a headache amidst an especially hectic boss battle in Kid Icarus: Uprising, pause the game and take a break.

Headaches are caused when playing the Nintendo 3DS because of how the 3D effect is achieved. This is consistent with all other 3D mediums as all demonstrations of the technology rely on the same principles. Essentially, when look at the LCD display on a 3DS, your eyes are each sent a different image. This is how the “real” world works, and is how you’re able to tap into the art of depth perception. But the 3DS-approach merely confuses your brain.

It creates the illusion of an impossible scenario and adds stress to the processing capabilities of your mind. You’re placed in a state of confusion and a heightened sense of engagement. Most people aren’t affected by this but, like I said before, there is that certain percentage who simply can’t handle the façade.

Do you still want to play your Nintendo 3DS though? Try these few strategies:

• Turn the 3D slider all the way down and then slowly increase the intensity of the 3D effects until you find a comfortable level.
• Shorten your gaming sessions and take lots of breaks. I think you’ll find headaches only arise from extended gaming sessions. Putting the 3DS down for five minutes every hour or so should do the trick.
• Drink lots of water. There’s a chance your simply dehydrated after playing your 3DS too long. Pour a glass of water, drink it, wait a few moments, and jump back into the action.

The last thing I want to do is to scare you away from playing the Nintendo 3DS. There are no known long term effects of playing 3D content but, at least in the short term, if you apply these few strategies (and perhaps a little common sense of your own) headaches, eyestrain and other side effects of stereoscopic 3D content won’t bother you.