Topic: Compared to the DS, Nintendo's 3DS games are kind of safe

What was interesting about Nintendo's DS output was that Nintendo seemed to take a lot of risks on the DS. Elite Beat Agents, Trace Memory, Hotel Dusk, Rhythm Heaven, Electroplankton, Nintendogs, Jump Stars. Even established series like Kirby and Advance Wars were taken in unique directions.

Now, Nintendo's 1st party output on the 3DS so far has been really good. But it mostly feels like familiar territory, lots of sequels and established names. That's not a bad thing, but it lacks the unique, quirky edge the DS had. I know they have a struggling HD system on their hands, and the 3DS isn't the same sales juggernaut the DS was, so they probably can't afford to take many risks with the 3DS under those circumstances. Still, part of me hopes Nintendo gets risky again with the NX, since it's supposedly just one integrated platform.

Well when I think of 3ds games I always see sequels. But I also see how much they improved and developed to their DS counterparts. Pokemon, Mario and Luigi and even Monster Hunter all come to mind with games that changed so much on a single platform. The 3ds itself just gave developers more power to expand upon idea made in the DS era and I respect that. And there are still quirky spin offs on IPs. Kid Icarus, Monster hunter, Chibi robo and even Metroid (like it or not).

Kid Icarus uprising was not a safe game but unfortunately it is the only 3DS first party game I can think of that wasn't safe.

@Sleepingmudkip: Does fed force count? That was a risk.

I don't disagree tbh. Actually this is something I've been thinking for quite a while. Way too many 3DS games just feel like a new version of a DS or Wii game, even by Nintendo sequel standards. I've honestly waited to get games just because they seem too similar. Like there's a huge difference between the creativity put into the new Luigi's Mansion and Animal Crossing compared to most of the Mario releases.

Only in the last year do I feel like the 3DS lineup has consistently seemed different from last gen Nintendo systems.

It doesn't help that Japanese 3rd parties have been lazy and refuse to localize video games.

I think I see what you're getting at. Aside from a couple of exceptions (KI U, Chibi Robo getting a sidescroller...Federation Force, but nobody really cares about that.), Nintendo has really just been playing it safe.

For Nintendo first parties I don't disagree. NSMB, Luigi's Mansion, Mario Kart, Fire Emblem's gameplay, and, of course, Animal Crossing and Pokemon all felt like they were walking in well trod-upon footsteps. The 3DS' best new games being Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask kinda serves to underline that point.

I do think some third parties like Monster Hunter have evolved on the 3DS, though. Some of the monster designs in 4 Ultimate are crazy-inventive and the new weapons are very different from what came before them. Cross also looks to be increasing the polish and feel of the series even more than ever before.

It's not so much that the 3DS doesn't have experimental games, it's just that they haven't been extremely successful or well received. There are games such as Steel Diver or Rusty's Real Deal that provide both unique gameplay and pricing models; these got attention when they were first revealed because they were so left-field but the hype died down quickly. Then there are games like Codename STEAM that fit the 'too quirky for me' category and were largely ignored. We also have 3rd-party experiences that probably would have never been possible before such as Moon Chronicles with its DLC structure, IRONFALL with its payscheme, and the religiously-controversial Binding of Isaac. Nintendo is always trying to create new experiences for its consumers, but whether or not those experiences are remembered is dependent on the fanbase.

Yep.

This. I love these games, but I couldn't help but feel that these games were really safe and not as bold as their DS equivalents. They felt like souped-up but safe sequels.
Wow. And I thought I was the only one thinking that 3DS games were safe.

Literally all of those games came out at least 2 1/2 years into the 3DS' lifespan. And honestly while I feel Nintendo's digital games are usually underappreciated, at the same time Nintendo decided that Pushmo, despite being the best 3DS game when it came out, wasn't cool enough for a retail release (though to be fair i think I've seen download cards at Gamestop).

Had to play safe. The start of the 3DS' life didn't warrant anything but sure sellers. People don't buy handhelds to play games anymore because mobile takes care of that broader demand. People buy handhelds because Nintendo still makes good games for its top franchises. Unfortunately that means less experimental stuff because there's no return. Look at codename steam. Not typical Intelli Sys style and it got left in the dust

@DreamOn: There's that reasoning again. Now I won't deny that mobile is a big threat to handhelds, but it's silly to think that handhelds will go away forever. People don't buy phones to play games, and even then gamers don't want to fumble around with some inconvenient controller attatchment to play games that require actual buttons. I'm sure Nintendo is aware of this issue, as they've merged their home console and handheld divisions together. Which leads me to believe the NX is an OS based platform like iOS rather than purely hardware based. I also expect a lot of interaction with mobile devices in the future.

I get that feeling more with Wii U than 3DS, but both of them are very safe.

@kkslider5552000: Please remember that the original Steel Diver, as well as Pilotwings, were console launch releases. Kid Icarus and Rhythm Thief arrived shortly after (yes Rhythm Thief is 3rd Party). Further down the line are Theatrhythm, Harmoknight, and Senran Kagura (EXTREMELY risky Nintendo release).

All said, yes there are fewer 3DS releases. There are fewer releases all-around due to increased development costs associated with a newer system. On the bright side, there's also a lot less shovelware on the system (excluding the occasional eShop abomination).

@TheMisterManGuy: I don't think handhelds are going away for Nintendo. There are still key multi million sellers for Nintendo and third party on their systems. People don't buy phones for games and that's the challenge for Nintendo because few people carry around a gaming handheld and have no phone. The game apps at this point are unavoidable to mobile users. So when it comes to portable gaming, the general consumer really has to feel compelled to look away from their phone, making the choice to not just conveniently open up a game app but instead pick up another screen (that demands much more space if carried around) and turn it on to play a game there instead. This where software really has to sell hardware now more than ever.

Can you blame them? They few times they have tried with the 3DS the game was either forgotten or sold like garbage case in point Code Name: Steam.

Honestly I blame the fans more than the developers at this point. It's as if everyone's standards have just dropped over the last 5-10 years.

Games being safe sequels have nothing to do with quality, so nobody's standards dropped.

Well what about Uprising, Smash, 3D Land, Awakening and Link Between Worlds?

Awakening doesn't play safe because it does a lot of things right like DLC, appealing to more audiences and pairing. I can say New Super Mario Bros 2, Dream Team, Star Fox 64 3D, the two legend of zelda 3ds remakes and animal crossing does play it safe. But the reason why its underwhelming compared to the DS is of two reasons.

Why does everyone say that 3D Land is safe? Honestly, it does its own thing and if world were on 3ds instead of Wii U, it would have been known as the definitive platforming game period. But the thing is, its very creative and its actually one of the only games that does 3D right.

• Movement is now on the top screen instead of it being at the bottom because of the 3D effect being there. It still has that lovely map interface idea but its not something good enough.
• More games need to be there to satisfy fans. Seriously though, Where's Advance Wars? Golden Sun? How about any Wario game for that matter? the DS easily has these IP's in mind but the 3DS doesn't.