Topic: Streetpass, my favorite and most missed feature of 3DS

While is seems clear that Nintendo intends to keep the 3DS going as an entry level product the system is clearly past its prime. The biggest loss I feel is streetpass. To me, far far more that the 3D feature, streetpass was THE cool, defining and truly unique part of the 3DS. Something no other system did anything like with any level of success. For years I carried my 3DS on me everywhere I went, everyday, work, college, friend's dorms, study abroad, restaurants, shopping, conventions, everywhere! I collected over 5100 streetpasses, every prefecture in Japan, 2/3 of the states in the US, and countries on ever continent but Africa. And I am only missing 3 birthdays.

From Animal Crossing homes, to the Pokemon ORAS Eon Ticket event and secret bases(which annoyingly did not come back in SM/USUM), there were some really cool streetpass events. A game that made no use of the feature - or very little use - was always a let down to me.

5 years ago, when I first came to Japan on study abroad, in cities like Kyoto I literally could not keep up with the streetpass. I was annoying my classmates and friends pulling out my 3DS every 10 minutes to run through another 10 tags. But just last week, I spent all day in Kyoto again( go there a lot ), and only got 8 tags all day. To me, that's a sign that the feature is really and truly ending. Sure certain places still get a lot, like the Pokemon center stores and I imagine conventions - especially gaming and or anime conventions - but even that is fading.

What Streetpass event or feature do you remember most fondly?

I enjoyed it when I went away on a trip somewhere but my city is not an exciting place for Streetpass. I would always pass the same 5-8 people no matter where I went!
But if I go to the next big town or city such as Edinburgh I get a lot more, and then it's fun! I thought it had some cool integration with many games, but I didn't like having to deactivate Streetpass to use it on another game after you used it on so many. Animal Crossing was definitely a highlight for the feature!

I think it was cool but it didn't really work in countries or cities were Nintendo wasn't popular. It must have been great in Japan, you might have actually completed all of the puzzle boards...

Every, Summer and Holiday Season when I bring my lil girl to the mall. And Someone from Nintendo special visit. I even bought the Mii Plaza Game Bundles. When I didn't enough people, I walk around the blocks to collect play coins just so I can play some of the games.

When I read/heard that they discontinued the Nintendo Zone (?) I stop bringing my 3ds out.
Edit to add that I never use the router to do the relay points. People talk about how to tune your router setting for nintendo relay points. I didn't want to mess with my internet so never done it.

@Kimyonaakuma There were actually some puzzle boards that were oddly America only, and thus I never finished them because my primary 3DS is American and I have lived in Japan for the past 3 years. But all the rest that were both America and Japan, yes, years ago.

@Heavyarms55 I remember the American only ones! I went to Florida for a connecting flight when I visited some of my family years ago and I remember getting one or two pieces from those. Sadly I didn't get to finish most of the normal ones either, but that's just how it is when you pass the same people all the time

@UnknownReader I used to think that I passed those Nintendo Miis in real life and I would get really excited for some reason...but I was 11 or 12 at that time...

Nintendo Zone was so random in the UK, it only worked well in GAME stores but the shops were so small that you couldn't walk about with a 3DS. I think it worked better in Japan because they got Nintendo Zone exclusive furniture in Animal Crossing.

@ReaderRagfish I have seen a few of those, fairly rarely but I have seen it.

I love StreetPass, but I stopped taking my 3DS with me, at least when the Switch launched. I now primarily take my 3DS to work for the train commute (gotta complete that catalogue of games that I have hoarded over the years), but I usually leave my bag at work if I go out for lunch, so I could potentially be missing out on some StreetPass hits. I've been a bit slack lately and I can show up to work at virtually any time I wish so long as I complete my contracted hours, so I have been departing and returning during off-peak periods, but even during really busy periods, StreetPass hits are still quite rare, and it is not unusual to receive no SteeetPass hits whatsoever.

I used to get heaps back in 2012-14 when I used to travel to Sydney for film school and later Japanese, but I didn't have much reason to go back until I started working full-time in the city from 2017.

One of the eeriest StreetPass hits I got was when I ended up StreetPassing the same person in a completely different location some months later (the two locations were four hours apart).

I have just checked my 3DS and I only have 5 Mii Plaza hits dating back a whole month. 4-5 years ago, I would typically get at least a few per commute, and occasionally max out my Mii Plaza hits on some days.

Walking into a shopping centre would also typically yield a StreetPass hit or two, but I don't find myself carrying my 3DS around in those situations anymore. In situations where I feel that I may run into someone I know, I would be more inclined to take my Switch with me.

@ReaderRagfish I get a lot of those who either don't set up their mii plaza or that they don't play. They don't have troops for me to collect on Warrior's Way.
edit: Oh, I also hate it when they don't collect Puzzle piece, which means I can't complete the picture.

I like the newer games on when they release it on New 3DS.
Slot Car Rivals and Battleground Z was my favorite.

@Kimyonaakuma I get most mii when I do drive thru McDonald, lol! And I tag regular when I visit the Gamestop in the Mall. Otherwise, in the mall the highest tag is all the way on the other end of the mall where barnes and noble is at.

@ReaderRagfish It has local wireless, so it probably could be programmed to do something like that, but it would need to stay in sleep mode and run low power wireless all the time. With the Switch's already limited battery life, it probably wouldn't catch on.

@ReaderRagfish : I'm sure it's possible, but Nintendo would also need to design an app that can be used in tandem to justify its inclusion a la Mii Plaza.

I wish they had included Mii Maker as a plaza-style app at the very least, as opposed to unceremoniously dumping it under Settings.

@Silly_G Hell, Mii Plaze 2 would be fine.

I really miss their inclusion. There is a Japanese exclusive Mario Party-like game by Bandai which uses them. I hope Mario Tennis Aces will incorporate Mii functionality as well, at least until Nintendo release a successor to the "Wii" series of games. (e.g. Wii Sports, Wii Party, Wii Fit etc.)

I've been playing Miitopia again lately and I would love a sequel. Hell, I'd be happy with a HD port if they can't be bothered making a new game from scratch.

I used to take my 3DS everywhere in the UK, but as StreetPass was deliberately abandoned/killed off by NIntendo I saw a dramatic reduction in hits, until I got none at all most weeks (or only meeting the same non-puzzle collector), so I no longer take my 3DS anywhere now. I really miss StreetPass. Collecting new puzzle pieces really was a lot of fun, not to mention the other benefits to the other SP games.

Yeah, pretty much the only way to guarantee getting a piece is have lots and lots of coins.

Also, has anyone noticed that the puzzle pieces are NOT random? I found that the bottom right corners are always really hard to get; I seemingly got every other piece at least twice or more before that corner came up, whtever the puzzle.

I remember laughing when the UPS truck passed by and I got a StreetPass, I live in a small town and I don't travel much, so I only got a few StreetPasses.

I love StreetPass, and I am going to miss it. From 2011-2015, I brought my 3DS with me places out and about probably at least once a month. My only trip to NYC to date in April 2014 was awesome because I went to the Nintendo World store and some other parts of the city. I got some people from Japan, France, UK, a lot of U.S. states and the like.

As is, I don't even remember the last time I got a new StreetPass tag, because I rarely ever use the 3DS outside of a family member's house. I know Nintendo said they aren't putting StreetPass on the Switch, but I hope they reconsider.