A DS tech demo surprisingly doesn't make for very compelling 3DS launch game.
There's no question, Steel Diver is a weird game. Even after playing it for a while, I'm still not totally sure how to feel about it. Clearly, it's not the deepest of games and it's definitely not one of the better launch titles available, especially from Nintendo. Furthermore, its 2D gameplay does a better job showcasing the touch screen than it does the 3D effect; which isn't totally surprising considering the game started as a DS tech demo. The gimmicky Periscope mode handles that just fine, but like the main content, it's not going to be compelling for the majority of players.