Wii U 3DS compatibility?

[Pestneb]

I was just thinking. Recalling the GC-GBA link attempts a few years back.. and seeing the Wii U gamepad. I remember hearing about a handheld that took GC discs. I imagine the current Wii U controller being based on that idea somewhat, with some modification, buuuut....

 

Would it be possible for Nintendo to have the 3ds and Wii U communicate?

I'm thinking Pokemon stadium for example, as a downloadable program, allows the Wii U to communicate with linked 3DSs, and you can play the full game on your tv screen, with boosted graphics, or w/e really... just.. in general is it possible, and if so, why are they not doing it?

[M_rock]

I think it's certainly possible as the Wii and DS were also able to communicate in certain games. The WiiU already communicates with the 3DS for the game Monster Hunter 3G and the Mii maker BTW. I just think it's not implemented in games because there isn't really a need for it? The WiiU has controller options enough (maybe even too many...), so I guess handheld compability isn't really a priority or a necessity.

[Aneres11]

Interesting topic.

 

To be honest I've always hoped for the Pokemon example you've given there way back when the DS was released. It was a perfect opportunity for the DS Pokemon games to link to a Stadium style Wii game and allow you to use your caught Pokemon in battle as per the original Stadium modes. Or even allow you to throw the DS game up onto the big screen.

 

I'm sure there are techy reasons as to why that never happened or couldn't happen but it will no doubt go over my head!

 

Now we have the Wii U gamepad though, I can't really think of many ways the 2 could link together?

I mean, with this new 3ds update providing Miiverse integration onto the handheld and also unifying the accounts somewhat, it goes someway to adding a small degree of compatibility - but nothing exciting yet!

 

I don't think we will see it where a game is played on the Wii U through the 3ds or anything like that as it would probably devalue the game pad experience which is something Nintendo can't really afford to do.

 

However if a Pokemon Stadium style game did get made, and it was compatible with X&Y in some way - I'd be a very happy boy. :wink:

[The Peeps]

It might be nice to have a 3DS as an optional controller for the Wii U as it could function similarly to the GamePad and allow extra multiplayer functionality to the home console. At the moment you can only have one GamePad tied to a Wii U at a time so why not be able to hook up a 3DS too?

 

Eventually you might end up with the home console simply being a kind of streaming hub and you can use any tablet device to connect to it. The console itself could even be portable with it's own specific controller (a traditional handheld that could even have its own library of games to carry on their handheld market) and you can take it over to a friend's house and it wouldn't matter what console he has so long as he has a tablet or phone with the right app. Probably not something for Nintendo though, I can't see them allowing you to play their games with devices that don't have the Nintendo Seal of Approval. I like the idea of it though.

[Rummy]

It might be nice to have a 3DS as an optional controller for the Wii U as it could function similarly to the GamePad and allow extra multiplayer functionality to the home console. At the moment you can only have one GamePad tied to a Wii U at a time so why not be able to hook up a 3DS too?

 

Could it even have been an alternative? Could they make a cheaper Wii U(as some say the Gamepad pushes the cost up largely) for those who are happy to use their 3DS as a controller? Ofc there's some of the other features such as NFC etc that'd be missing, but it'd be interesting if it had been designed either/or.

 

Eventually you might end up with the home console simply being a kind of streaming hub and you can use any tablet device to connect to it. The console itself could even be portable with it's own specific controller (a traditional handheld that could even have its own library of games to carry on their handheld market) and you can take it over to a friend's house and it wouldn't matter what console he has so long as he has a tablet or phone with the right app. Probably not something for Nintendo though, I can't see them allowing you to play their games with devices that don't have the Nintendo Seal of Approval. I like the idea of it though.

 

Def like the idea of it myself, and there's movements towards with WiiU/Smartglass/Vita. Think there's more and more constant movement towards unification of things, which might be good.

[Clownferret]

I'm sure a big part of what Nintendo are doing with linking the 3DS to the Wii U at present is a push to get 3DS owners to purchase a Wii U, so going forward it would seem the next logical step would be to release a 3DS smash hit a'la Monster Hunter and find some clever way of making it so that the game is improved vastly by connecting it to the Wii U. The gamepad basically acts as a portable screen already so any clever linking of the two systems is only really going to work in opposite direction anyway. But who knows what they could come up with to make this a "must have" rather than just a gimmick.

Just being able to play 3DS games on the big screen would be a start I guess?

[Ike]

Nintendo' already said they are going to move home and handheld architecture's closer to together so we might start seeing more of this in the "next generation".

 

I really liked the GC-GBA link up features and it should be even easier now you don't need a million link cables but unfortunately

it never really got used that much with GC or Wii.

 

A new Four Swords game would be great, at least one player will be able to use the Gamepad so that solves needing 4 3DSes and the 3DS install base should be large enough anyway. They could build the game on the Link Between Worlds engine so most of the work is already done.

 

A "3DS Player" would be nice as well.

[Dcubed]

Cross game play is something that has already been done in several Wii U/3DS games (notable examples include Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Mii Maker and Sonic Lost World).

 

Playing actual 3DS games on your TV though is not possible however. That being said though, Iwata has already said that the next Nintendo console and handheld after Wii U/3DS will share the same hardware architecture - meaning that playing your handheld games on your console natively could be done very easily

[tapedeck]

Integration of devices will be key moving forward and almost an expectation. Now that handheld graphics are at a higher standard I would expect to be able to play future handheld games on my TV as well. When playing Luigi's Mansion 2 I kept thinking it would have been amazing on the WiiU GamePad or TV.

This approach will also appease the droughts Nintendo seem to face. Will be interesting to see what approach they take. The Wii U GamePad seems like a small step into integrating handheld usage in the home and TV home console use. What's next from Nintendo I'm not sure, but I would welcome the Vita's Ps4 approach.

 

More 4 swords experiences would be great though.

[Pestneb]

 

Playing actual 3DS games on your TV though is not possible however.

 

playing current 3DS games perhaps, but I don't see why in future this couldn't be incorporated. All a game has to do is transmit a set of data to the Wii U. naturally the Wii U would need a program running on it that told it what to do with said data, but say the Wii U had pokemon stadium on it, and the 3DS had a new pokemon game in it....

 

tbh I would love to play through the original pokemon games in a windwaker style pokemon world, searching for pokemon, finding new side missions etc. The 3DS could be a real life pokedex. Battles could be made a bit more complex, having them run almost in real time, with pokemon regaining energy through the battle - so either wait for them to gain back some energy, or feed them- but all in real time. idk - is that how it works? so long since I last played pokemon.