3DS Console Discussion

[Dcubed]

Nah, I don't thank arrogance/cockiness.

 

You'll thank me for providing material in the big prediction shaming post that someone makes at the end of this year, where all of my predictions turn out to be wrong

[Hero-of-Time]

You'll thank me for providing material in the big prediction shaming post that someone makes at the end of this year, where all of my predictions turn out to be wrong

 

I won't thank you, i'll just be quoting you.

[dazzybee]

N-Stars?!?! Captain N action-adventure game like Uncharted and Tomb Raider?!

[Hero-of-Time]

N-Stars?!?! Captain N action-adventure game like Uncharted and Tomb Raider?!

 

Day 1 for that.

[Julius]

I had a firmware update last night, anyone know what it does apart from make the 3DS even more stable?

 

Pretty much it (http://www.nintendo-insider.com/2016/02/nintendo-3ds-system-update-10-6-0-31-now-available/)

 

For anyone interested in more possible info on the NX, the YouTube account of the guy who brought us the above information on Neogaf is SuperMetaldave64. Guy's been covering the backend of Nintendo stuff for a few months now, even featured on the Metro website believe it or not!

 

NX has to be the end of this year, right? Pokémon "Niji" has me über intrigued...shouldn't have to wait too long for some news on this (I hope).

 

Also get the feeling N-Stars could be an amiibo version of Skylanders or Disney Infinity, but I could be wrong.

[Hero-of-Time]

Going back to that rumoured list of 3DS software, i've just seen this over on Gaf.

 

Both videos that Trev posted on his YouTube channel and his website have been pulled down, along with the release info and marketing budget. Makes you wonder why it was taken down unless the leak was real and Nintendo didn't want it known.

 

Interesting.

 

According to Gaf, the Cadillac F game is Style Savvy and the Caviar code name has been used for Pokemon Rumble before, so this could possibly be the recently announced retail release for Pokemon Rumble World.

[Mr-Paul]

Rumour time.

 

My verified source from Nintendo has informed and shown proof of an internal US marketing budget and scheduling overview for 2016 focusing on Wii U and 3DS, with key parts highlighting The Legend of Zelda NX to be a holiday 2016 release either same day at Zelda Wii U or shortly after during the Nintendo NX holiday 2016 launch window.

 

Wii U $34.5 million marketing budget for 2016 total – Zelda Wii U has $10 million with the possibility of the funding being switched to Zelda NX version depending on launch timing in 2016.

 

3DS $56.25 million marketing budget for 2016 total

 

 

3DS release list 2016 *Funded by Nintendo only*:

 

Spring-Early Summer

Mario and Sonic Rio 2016

Nintendo Selects Wave 1

Hyrule Warriors Legends

Disney Art Academy

Bravely Second

Code Name: “Caviar F” (all ages smaller budget game)

Metroid Prime: Federation Force

 

Summer

Code name: “Torte City” big budget unannounced game for all gamers core/all ages

Dragon Quest VII

Code name: “Cadillac” (all ages smaller budget game late summer)

 

Fall-Holiday

3DS Hardware Price Cut

Code name: “N-Stars” big budget game for all ages

Nintendo Selects Wave 2

Code name: “DMW2” possibly Disney Magical World 2

Dragon Quest VIII

Pokémon 20th Anniversary game “Niji” (remember code names mean nothing, forget about the Rainbow, your gold is not there)

 

 

 

Looks like this leak is legit. Just saw on GAF that these are the file names of the logos from the official Pokémon press release.

 

[Dcubed]

So I saw! That definitely does lend credence to the rumour!

 

Well I for one am looking forward to playing Zelda Wii U on the go on my NX Handheld!

[liger05]

They need a nx handheld out this year. 3DS sales are well down on what was forecasted and nothing is going to change that trajectory.

 

The N3ds hasn't picked up the slack.

[Debug Mode]

They need a nx handheld out this year. 3DS sales are well down on what was forecasted and nothing is going to change that trajectory.

 

The N3ds hasn't picked up the slack.

 

I think they're more concerned about the Wii U at this point. 3DS still sells all right given its age, whilst the Wii U has essentially shat the bed and been relegated to the corner of every fucking video game store I've been to.

[dazzybee]

They need a nx handheld out this year. 3DS sales are well down on what was forecasted and nothing is going to change that trajectory.

 

The N3ds hasn't picked up the slack.

 

Well they need both. But wii u is in a worse position than 3DS, and 3DS has pokemon this year, so i think the home console is more important.

 

Luckily NX is just a hybrid so in effect it's both

[killthenet]

Are we thinking the NX will be backwards compatible with 3DS games? I'm still using an OG 3DS that I'll obviously have to upgrade if I want to play Hyrule Warriors and Pokemon Sun/Moon with a steady frame rate so I'll hold out to see if NX will be able to play them before buying one of the New 3DS's. I'd be happy to wait until November time to play Hyrule Warriors on NX if it meant I could save £200 over buying a New 3DS.

[Retro_Link]

Man, the 3DS has an incredible 2016 lined up!

[dazzybee]

Man, the 3DS has an incredible 2016 lined up!

 

Yep. Crazy. Fire Emblem, metroid, rhythm heaven, probably kirby when cheap for me. Maybe even hyrule... Though depends what content is going over to the Wii u version of that. Really wish ga,e saves moved between the two, I'd definitely get it then.

[nekunando]

Man, the 3DS has an incredible 2016 lined up!

 

For many, I'm sure it looks like an amazing lineup but I just can't get particularly excited for any of it

Rhythm Paradise Megamix was probably the nicest surprise for me on the console, though Flipnote Studio 3D should provide a few laughs too The just is still out on Federation Force, though! Hunters on DS wasn't exactly a masterpiece..

[Retro_Link]

New New 3D 3DS XL Version SNES Edition

 

[Hero-of-Time]

New New 3D 3DS XL Version SNES Edition

 

 

Will there be a special yellowing edition released later down the line?

[RedShell]

New New 3D 3DS XL Version SNES Edition

 

*dribbles uncontrollably*

 

Man, that would've been perfection if they left the labels off the face buttons, or at least changed them to match the SNES/Famicom font.

But yeah, even this can't tempt me to buy a N3DS... I think... I hope.

[Aneres11]

But yeah, even this can't tempt me to buy a N3DS... I think... I hope.

 

Say WHUT.

 

I already own a N3DS - but I'd buy ANOTHER one to have this beauty.

 

What's wrong wit chu?! : peace:

 

The N3DS is everything the 3DS should have originally been.

I love mine.

[RedShell]

The N3DS is everything the 3DS should have originally been.

You're right, it is. And I would've been all over it... 3 years ago.

 

But now, with only a handful of games (if that) left for me to look forward to, there's very little incentive to upgrade from the standard XL.

If Nintendo weren't going to be so greedy with the SNES VC I'd be slightly more compelled to get a N3DS, but they are, so I'm not.

[peterl0]

Yes, in a bizarre twist of fate, a cross buy SNES VC on the N3DS might actually tempt me to get one of these models. (Drools at this one and the Fire Emblem ones.)

 

I would end up spending 150 pounds to avoid spending 30-40 pounds on SNES VC stuff - but its the principle of the thing.

 

Mind you Japan is getting Mystical Ninja....

[Hero-of-Time]

NintendoLife tackle the Virtual Console pricing and lack of cross buy issue.

 

In one sense Super NES games on the New Nintendo 3DS is rather exciting - it's the first (legitimate) time a lot of these games can be played on a portable device, after all. That's something to celebrate, but the reveal and pending line-up also comes with its own nagging issues and annoyances, some of which could easily be avoided and others that point to Nintendo's eagerness to scratch a few extra cents out of these SNES games.

 

I'm going to be brutally honest here, and this is very much a personal opinion (which I suspect is shared by some others) - Nintendo's ongoing Virtual Console policy is nonsense. It had a chance, with these SNES games, to try something new and to give 3DS owners a warm fuzzy feeling. Instead it feels a little like a nickel and dime exercise, and after buying these games twice already (with occasional exceptions like EarthBound which was only previously on Wii U) I'm not planning to do it again. Apart from in a few exceptional cases - because I'm a sucker.

 

First of all, I want to address the enormous (yet conversely portable) elephant in the room - SNES games being exclusive to the New 3DS and skipping the older hardware. It's a fascinating one, and someone with greater technical smarts than me needs to determine whether it is indeed a technical issue getting these games on the original systems or if - alternatively - this is a business move to encourage a few more hardware upgrades from eager fans. I've seen people arguing both sides (pointing out how the GBA Ambassador downloads had to be mimicked as DS games to 'work' as an example of how tricky emulation can be), and I'd love a definitive answer on it. Unfortunately it's a move that will disappoint some, and my gut instinct is that we're looking at a slightly cynical business move, a usp (unique selling point) for New 3DS. I hardly think it'll be enough on its own to sell many more New 3DS systems, either - it might encourage a small number to finally upgrade if they were already planning to, conceivably, but there's certainly been fallout from those with older models that want the updated Virtual Console.

 

 

Moving beyond that, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the pricing and 'promotion' (in Europe) accompanying the earliest batches of releases, which are either copies or close imitations of similar deals on early Wii / DS / GBA downloads on Wii U. We have the same general pricing as we have on Wii and Wii U, which is $7.99 / €7.99 / £7.19, and in PAL regions only you can get half off one game if you buy two each week, so get both for €11.98 (standard priced arrivals) if you move quickly. Nintendo of America isn't even bothering with that - just buy 'em three at a time, is the message on that side of the Atlantic. You want cross-buy? Are you crazy?

 

And you know what? It's bonkers. Nintendo is launching a fresh range of Virtual Console games (in terms of the host platform, not the actual games) with the same business model it established nearly a decade ago. 10 years is aeons in technology consumerism, yet Nintendo's sticking to its guns; considering how much it's evolved its eShop stores and practices elsewhere, this stubbornness with the Virtual Console is surprising. There's no reward or loyalty bonus here either - even on Wii U you could re-purchase the likes of Super Mario World for much less if you went through the annoying Wii system transfer process. Not ideal, but better than nothing. Yet nothing is what New 3DS gamers get. No loyalty thank you. We just have to buy these games again and be grateful for the opportunity. Thank you Nintendo, I'm happy to pay for the ROM again, why not?

 

I bought Super Mario World solely for the purpose of this article, plus it's an excuse to play it on the lovely smaller screen. It looks fine, albeit teeny on my small New 3DS screen, but it's predictably bare-bones as a purchase. The tell-tale sign is that it's just 70 'blocks' in size - the digital manual is basic (not the lovely scanned efforts we've seen with some Wii U VC purchases) - and it has the standard save state feature and the option to switch between a slightly fuzzy expanded image or the crisp pixel perfect original resolution. It feels like the same old jazz, ultimately, without any game-changing bells and whistles. At least it's the US version which, for a European retro gamer, is important.

 

I don't really feel good about my purchase, despite the game being one of the finest platformers ever to grace the industry. It reeks of a missed opportunity.

 

Just recently I wrote about the potential allure of a revitalised Virtual Console. I considered the scope for bundles, loyalty-based deals and discounts, perhaps even a subscription-style service. It's sad how outlandish these ideas seem when discussing the VC, as they're all based in the current reality of how entertainment companies incentivise and compete for customers. Nintendo has carried out various aspects of these ideas elsewhere in the eShop (apart from subscriptions, as such) it should be said, but once it's the Virtual Console in the picture ambition seems to disappear.

 

That article also spoke about the potential role of the My Nintendo account system in enabling Nintendo to contemplate cross-buy support (or at least automatically triggered discounts) by recognising what games you've already purchased. Yet the timing of these SNES arrivals - landing just before the My Nintendo programme is due to kick in - shows that there's little to no hope of any ambitious plans for Virtual Console in this hardware generation. It would have been exciting for the arrival of these VC games on New 3DS to coincide with a My Nintendo promotion, introducing new incentives and deals to entice players in and reward longstanding fans. Perhaps the infrastructure for such ideas isn't possible or cost-effective on New 3DS, or perhaps Nintendo's happy simply taking the money and running.

 

That final point is key. For all of my complaints above, for all of the - I think valid - observations on how out of touch the Virtual Console is from how download content is sold in the modern age, and for all the aspirations for a service that uses retro games as an asset to reward fans and promote brands, the simple fact is Nintendo can simply take the money with ease. We're getting the Virtual Console we deserve, as we keep going back and buying the same content over and over again.

 

Looking at the 'Recent Bestsellers' on my UK New 3DS eShop account at the time of writing, they are as follows.

 

Pokémon Yellow Version

Pokémon Red Version

Pokémon Blue Version

Super Mario World

EarthBound

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon

Bravely Second: End Layer

Mega Man Legacy Collection

Super Mario Bros. 3

Pokémon Trading Card Game

 

The dominance of full-priced Virtual Console games speaks volumes for how many with a 3DS - in the UK, in this case - are spending their money. I recently wrote about the nature of nostalgia's value, with a hot deal like that of Mega Man Legacy Collection - which has 6 NES games and loads of lovely extras, a purchase I feel great about - against the demand for Pokémon generation 1 games meaning they arrive at a high price. While UK gamers can get both Super Mario World and EarthBound for £11.68 with the 50% off deal currently running in PAL territories, they're evidently largely happy to pay the Nintendo premium for retro games; the only comfort in that top 10 is that four of the games are on the Virtual Console (across Wii, Wii U and 3DS) for the first time. As long as that's the case, and if these trends are reflected in other territories, the broader Nintendo fanbase is harming its own chances of a meaningful modernisation of the Virtual Console. Nintendo is a business, and if it can make relatively easy money it will do so.

 

What we don't know for sure is how much the Virtual Console return is diminishing - on the Wii the concept was hugely popular (as shown by the sheer volume of third parties that jumped in) while the smaller Wii U user base will mean an inevitable drop on this generation. The 3DS has naturally benefited from new platforms, but we'd love to see how sales of SNES games end up comparing to the figures on Wii and then Wii U. That's the sort of data Nintendo never willingly shares, but if the overall trend is one of decline it may make the company reconsider its antiquated model.

 

We hope this is the last time the Virtual Console sticks to its current pricing model. Perhaps Nintendo will weigh up sales against the marketing and public relations value of its retro content and modernise its approach, making these downloads increasingly impulsive purchase prices for newcomers and bargain bonuses for long-term loyal fans that have bought them all before. Unfortunately, that day isn't here yet, and we have to contemplate whether to buy Super Mario World for a third time.

 

Many will though, because Nintendo knows we're suckers for nostalgia.

 

HERE

 

I certainly agree with a lot that has been wrote here. No cross buy and a price hike is just crazy.

 

In the past I have spoken about how Nintendo often play the nostalgia card hard and this is another example of it.

[peterl0]

A good article. This issue has generated a lot of comment in the media. I hope Nintendo are paying attention to this when planning for the NX.

[Glen-i]

It's mostly on point. The article is right about almost everything.

Key word is almost though...

 

the option to switch between a slightly fuzzy expanded image or the crisp pixel perfect original resolution.

 

Pixel Perfect? Last time I checked, it was anything but.

Unless you like vertically stretched Mario World.

And if you do, then I don't know what to say really.

 

NEVER TURN ON ORIGINAL RESOLUTION!

I will write a strongly worded letter if any of you do.

[Tales]

Got a couple of questions. Do you really have to use a screw driver to get to the memory card slot on the N3DS? And how much space is in the original, because it doesn't look like much. What cards are people buy when/if upgrading? And is there any point other than having all digital games accessible. Because if I'm not wrong Nintendo finally let you seperate the save file from the game when deleting the actual game?