3DS Console Discussion

[Aneres11]

Yeah I hear you Nando. I don't think that the 3DS has been anywhere near as good as the console it replaced...

 

The DS was a complete breath of fresh air. And the best thing about it was that it utilised the 2 screens perfectly. Games like Hotel Dusk, Another Code, Elite Beat Agents, Brain Training, Nintendogs, all used the design of the console brilliantly. It thought of clever, new ways for you to play your games and it left me with some fantastic gaming experiences / memories.

 

The 3DS on the other hand has not bothered with the bottom screen at all. Or hardly at all. It feels to me like Nintendo kept the second screen format so DS games could continue to be used. Nintendo do like their backwards compatibility, which I do applaud them for. However, in this instance I feel like they could have made the 3DS without a second screen.

 

Having said this, and despite my disappointment compared to the DS, I do still think that the 3DS is a fantastic console. I've said it before, but the Mario sports games are probably not on the Wii U because Nintendo were trying to push Wii Sports Club. You start throwing a Mario Golf and a Mario Tennis on the console at the same time and something has got to give. I also think Nintendo (stupidly) thought that a new Wii Sports game would bring back some people who bought into the Wii, so they decided to throw the Mario sports games onto the 3DS instead.

 

I'm not sure that I agree regarding games like Luigi's Mansion and Kid Icarus not being on the 3DS. I know a lot of people consider these as 2 of the best games the system has to offer. Myself included. I think the only time I'd say that these games should be on the big screen instead is where there are shortcomings with the games due to the nature of a handheld. I can understand the Kid Icarus controls as a lefty, but Luigi's Mansion was just brilliant from start to finish.

 

It's definitely an interesting debate. As a huge huge fan of the DS, I too am slightly disappointed with the 3DS as a whole. Having said that, I do still regard it as a fine device with some fantastic games. I guess the lack of discussion regarding the console is due to there not being much to discuss... It seems like the console is just mooching along nicely rather than consistently giving us stuff to get excited over, which is what I got from the DS.

 

Of course, Nintendo can salvage all of this quite easily with the announcement of Super Princess Peach 2. I'm sure they're busy working away on it as we type, ready to unveil it to the world, thus escalating the 3DS from great console to must have amazing console. Right... RIGHT?!

Edited July 20, 2014 by Aneres11

[Fierce_LiNk]

The 3DS has been such a disappointment for me, so much so that I almost wish Nintendo would concentrate all their efforts and franchises on one single device, rather than divide them across home consoles and handhelds The decisions of which games go where often seems baffling too, as stuff like Mario Golf World Tour and Mario Tennis Open, however good them may be, seem to be ideal for Wii Motion Plus, whilst Kid Icarus: Uprising and Luigi's Mansion 2 would also likely benefit from Wii Remote and Nunchuk input!

For me, the 3DS was at it's best around the excitment of launch with Pilotwings Resort and intrigue of glasses-free 3D and augmented reality. Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 were excellent too but almost everythign else has been a let down. Starfox 64 3D and Ocarina of Time 3D are AWESOME, but they're remakes of already stellar games. Almost everything else I have played just hasn't been as good as I wanted it to be, and there's nothing exciting on the horizon. Super Smash Bros will be good, but it'll never be my favourite franchise as I've never been a fighting game enthusiast..

 

I'm basically just hoping for Majora's Mask 3D, with which I could probably happily retire my 3DS and wait for the next device

 

Best post evaaar.

 

I find the 3DS really boring, tbh. Why do I feel like I'm still waiting for it to get going? Monster Hunter should have been here by now, that's killed me.

 

There just doesn't seem to be anything truly ground breaking like there was for the DS. Where's the next Hotel Dusk style game, for example?

 

But yes, the bit that annoys me is the part I bolded. There's pretty much no reason why Luigi's Mansion or Kid Icarus belong on a handheld instead of a home console. Luigi's Mansion was MADE for the Wiimote. Can't believe we didn't see a decent Mario Tennis game for the Wii either YET the 3DS has one. Just...am crai.

 

I wonder just how much the 3DS has hindered the WiiU. Take Kid Icarus, Luigi's Mansion, Mario Tennis and Mario Golf, put them all on WiiU with HD and Wiimote controls...suddenly the WiiU's lineup doesn't look too terrible.

[Mr-Paul]

I can understand why people may find the 3DS underwhelming compared to the DS. The DS was a phenomenon, and we saw games unique to the console which we had never seen before - Elite Beat Agents, Nintendogs, Brain Training etc. However, I've absolutely loved the 3DS - my playtime hours on it have exceeded its predecessor by far.

 

When I think of the games I've played on it, there are so many highlights. Fire Emblem Awakening and Kid Icarus Uprising being my absolute faves, Zelda magic in a Link Between Worlds and Ocarina 3D, platforming fun in Mario 3D Land, the best Pokemon in years, the best Resident Evil in years, Luigi's Mansion 2, the social fun of Animal Crossing, the uniqueness of StreetPass - there are countless other great games/features of the 3DS that I could take an age to describe. I haven't even played the likes of Mario Kart 7 and Monster Hunter, and the eShop is a treasure trove with many gems I haven't had the time to experience.

 

Yes, the 3DS release schedule has thinned out a bit, which is disappointing. But when I look back at it in the future, I'll only look back at it with very fond memories.

[Goron_3]

The other reason I loved the DS much more was because it had:

-Proper Castlevania games (an entire trilogy).

-Awesome adventure/point and click titles such as Hotel Dusk, Phoenix Wright Trilogy (and Miles Edgeworth and Apollo Justice games) and the legendary Extreme Escape:999 game.

 

The above were all perfect handheld titles for me; games that I didn't want on my Wii or my Gamecube. In fact, Nintendo's output on the DS, outside of Mario Kart DS, didn't impress me at all but it had EVERYTHING else I ever wanted. In fact it got me into Advance Wars for the first time too. The 3DS library is just too limited for my liking.

[Miharin]

I can't think of much bad about 3DS (save for Nintendo's account system, but that's another story), it is after all pretty much a DS 2. The Wii U on the other hand is not a Wii 2 because of the new gamepad. My most played games on 3DS are Pokémon XY and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. Neither of these games are innovative in any way or couldn't have been done on DS. Of course they could both work as well on Vita. Speaking of Vita I often do think about how much better of a console it is than 3DS, them games just simply happened to go towards the more popular system.

 

Oh yeah, it's also region locked. There can be no forgiveness for such travesty.

Edited July 20, 2014 by Miharin

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

Just thinking... Autumn will be a great time to be a 3DS owner right? With Smash and Pokemon.

[nekunando]

Just thinking... Autumn will be a great time to be a 3DS owner right?

 

..umm.. maybe for some people..? My 3DS is basically dead at this point, unfortunately, and I became too impatient in my desire for Majora's Mask 3D that I downloaded it on the Wii Virtual Console this week

 

I'm sure I'll get Super Smash Bros for 3DS at some point, but there's no way I'll be paying £30 for it so dear knows when I'll eventually pick it up..

[RedShell]

Just thinking... Autumn will be a great time to be a 3DS owner right? With Smash and Pokemon.

Smash and Fantasy Life for me. But yeah, some great games on the way for 3DS.

[Mr-Paul]

This year has paled in comparison to last year, which is a shame, because I love the 3DS. Still, I'm sure Smash Bros. will get plenty of time spent on it for the rest of the year

[Ronnie]

Last year was incredible for 3DS though, it'd be hard for any year to live up to that kind of quality. Having said that things are a little barren at the moment. Still Fantasy Life, Pokemon and Smash on the way...

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

..umm.. maybe for some people..? My 3DS is basically dead at this point, unfortunately, and I became too impatient in my desire for Majora's Mask 3D that I downloaded it on the Wii Virtual Console this week

 

I'm sure I'll get Super Smash Bros for 3DS at some point, but there's no way I'll be paying £30 for it so dear knows when I'll eventually pick it up..

 

I hear ya about MM - its so long overdue, I cant be asked to think about it.

 

This year has paled in comparison to last year, which is a shame, because I love the 3DS. Still, I'm sure Smash Bros. will get plenty of time spent on it for the rest of the year

 

Wasn't it pretty much A Link Between Worlds and X/Y that highlighted last year? I reckon we will have the same vibe by the time Pokemon is released.

[Mr-Paul]

I hear ya about MM - its so long overdue, I cant be asked to think about it.

 

Wasn't it pretty much A Link Between Worlds and X/Y that highlighted last year? I reckon we will have the same vibe by the time Pokemon is released.

 

Just looking at the what I have in my collection:

 

2013

Castlevania

Luigi's Mansion 2

Fire Emblem Awakening

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon (this was crap, admittedly :p)

Animal Crossing

Pokémon X/Y

Professor Layton

Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

 

You also had the likes of Monster Hunter 3, Donkey Kong Country, Mario & Luigi, Phoenix Wright, Bravely Default, and loads of other japanese RPG type things like Inazuma Eleven, Project X Zone, Shin Megami Tensei.

 

This year, I realise, I haven't actually bought a 3DS retail title yet. I received Senran Kagura Blast as a review copy, but haven't really been too compelled to pick anything up.

 

This year's main releases:

 

2014

Mario Party: Island Tour

Yoshi's New Island

Phoenix Wright vs. Ace Attorney

Kirby Triple Deluxe

Tomodachi Life

Mario Golf

Fantasy Life

Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire

Smash Bros.

 

If your point was the amount in the last few months of the year is comparable, yeah I'd agree to an extent that we're getting around the same no. of releases. But it's hard to deny that 2014 up until now matches the first 8 months of 2013.

[Ike]

I feel the library isn't as good as the DS's but the 3DS does have a load of quality titles that have already been mentioned. Last year was fantastic but feels lacking this year.

[M_rock]

idk, I found Kirby Triple Deluxe very fresh and platforming perfection. It is the only 3DS retail title I found worthwhile to pick up this year though...

 

There is alot of great content in the eshop though, I really feel like 3DS has gravely surpassed the DSi in that area.

I can't wait to play smash and fantasy life too!

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

Has this Majora's Mask leak been posted yet:

 

[Debug Mode]

3DS homebrew is around the corner, Smealum says that a region free exploit is definitely possible.

[Dcubed]

3DS homebrew is around the corner, Smealum says that a region free exploit is definitely possible.

 

Supposedly the hack can only work within the confines of the game that is being exploited though (meaning that permanent changes can't be made) and they're not certain if the region lock can actually be deactivated from within the game itself...

 

The actual system wide encryption hasn't been broken into, but rather it's something specific to one particular game (not unlike the one DSiWare game that allowed hackers to bypass the DSi security before Nintendo took the game down - following which, the DSi was never successfully hacked).

 

Of course if this is a retail game (and by the looks of things, it is), then that complicates matters...

Edited August 26, 2014 by Dcubed

[Debug Mode]

Yeah, it's looking like it's going to exploit Dead or Alive Dimensions, so it'll only be capable of whatever Dead or Alive could, which is essentially just user mode. I'd love for region locking to be undone this way, as it'll get rid of the horrid feature without opening the floodgates to piracy.

[Dcubed]

If it's just the one game, I wonder if Nintendo might take a blunt hammer approach and just outright disallow the game to run from a retail card by blacklisting it through a system update?

 

Since it was an early launch window title, it came out before the period where retail games could be patched, so there's no way to update the retail version of the game itself (the eShop version of course is a different story).

 

What they could do is blacklist the game via a system update, withdraw the game from retail shelves, issue a recall/free transfer to a digital version and put out an updated version. It's very much a brute force tactic, but it should work...

[drahkon]

They could also just remove region lock as it's stupid.

[Goron_3]

They could also just remove region lock as it's stupid.

 

That, alongside joint architecture between their next consoles, would really help Indie devs out too

[Miharin]

3DS has an incredible six region codes, it has to be some kind of record. Knowing Nintendo we'll probably just get more locks in their next consoles. They could still divide Europe and Australia (they are already different codes but compatible), North and South America, divide UK and Europe, Europe and Russia... So many possible region locks, I think some Nintendo exec is wetting his pants at the thought.

[Rummy]

What did MS do with that game that was being used to run code to softmod the original Xbox? Iirc correctly they essentially fixed the bug/exploit, and released new prints of the game essentially. No idea if they recalled old versions, though I'd guess maybe on a retailer level. I definitely recall knowing you needed a specific version of the game to HB the console though(and just imagine, without Xbox there'd be no XBMC!)

 

 

I whole heartedly support the idea that region locking should be done away with though, it's so archaic in this current global world, and frankly a bit ridiculous(again, am I right in thinking MS and Sony don't region lock anymore?) - pushing people to break region locks also inadvertantly pushes towards homebrew hacking, reduce the risk by just allowing it.

[Happenstance]

Nintendo have told Eurogamer that the new 3DS' wont reach Europe until 2015

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-08-29-nintendo-announces-new-3ds-and-3ds-xl-designs-with-extra-buttons

[Dcubed]

Nintendo have told Eurogamer that the new 3DS' wont reach Europe until 2015

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-08-29-nintendo-announces-new-3ds-and-3ds-xl-designs-with-extra-buttons

 

Yup. Said it in the other topic, but that is just sheer lunacy. They've pretty much destroyed their potential hardware sales until next year now.

 

Getting it out in time for Smash would've been the perfect way to explode hardware sales, now the game is going to barely make a dent