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Topic: Thinking about buying a N3DS XL next week~ Should I?

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Blynyork

Hello everyone!

I am thinking about buying a N3DS XL next week, but I am still wondering whether or not this is the right console for me.
Basically, I grew up with both a Gameboy color and ps2, so I already know that I enjoy handheld systems as I kept playing pokemon silver, red and yellow over and over.
Now, I usually most enjoy games like pokemon, kingdom hearts and final fantasy but also platform games such as mario (and the first jak and daxter for the ps2). So, now you also know what kind of games I like. One more thing, I have never played a Zelda game from scratch, so I am definitely curious about getting one.

I have two questions.
1) Do you guys recommend me getting this console? Why not/Why so?

2)Provided that I get one, my console would be coming with Pokemon X and I'd like to get 4-5 additional games. I'll write down the 10 I am most interested in and maybe some of you could tell me which games you think I'd most enjoy.

1-Animal Crossing: New Leaf
2-Fire Emblem: Awakening
3-Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
4-Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
5-Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
6-Xenoblade Chronicles
6-The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
7-The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
8-The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
9-Mario Kart 7
10-Monster Hunter 4

So these are the games I am most interested in. Other games I also want to play are Final Fantasy Explorers, Fantasy Life, Bravely Default, etc, but I usually enjoy playing only 1 rpg at a time (overall).
I know this is a bit lengthy but I'd really appreciate some constructive feedback from you guys as this will slightly affect my overall final stand on either buying the new 3DS or not.

Best Regards~

PS: I am new to the forums and this is my first post, so if I did anything wrong or this is not the right category please kindly tell me so ^^

Edited on by Blynyork

Blynyork

VoltageX

Hey =]
I think that you should go for the new 3ds (or new 3ds XL if you prefer the bigger size) without a doubt! its everything you mentioned you like and even better- an RPG heaven, and lots of fun games similar to pokemon and final fantasy.
Since you said youre gonna have one with pokemon X and want 4-5 other games, Id recommend the following games:
bravely default
kid icarus uprising
fire emblem awakening
fantasy life
the legend of zelda: a link between worlds

the only game here similar to final fantasy is bravely default, since you said you wanted just one RPG like that at a time. you also mentioned zelda, and the best one in the series to get you satrted, in my opinion, is ALBW. the other 3 are also great- strategic RPG, action adventure and a life sim combind with very light RPG elements.

dont forget the themes, the other options, the cheaper games and all other little neat things the console have to offer- its not only about the big games, you have plenty to choose from in almost every aspect. hope I helped! =]

VoltageX

ocelot20

This is just my personal opinion. I think you should get a 3DS. But not a 3DS XL. Again this is just a personal thing issue for me. But I can't be the only one with this issue. Last year I got a New 3DS XL. I consider my self to have big hands. The XL just didn't feel right to me.

I using the C stick on the XL started to hurt my right hand after a bit. To a point where playing games on the 3DS was no longer fun. So I sold it and forgot about the 3DS. Until recently when I bought my self a New 3DS (the smaller one). This fitted perfectly in my hand. The C stick is a joy to use and now am having fun playing 3DS titles.

So yer get a New 3DS if you can. Plus being able to change the face plates is a nice feature (you can't do this on the New 3DS XL).

ocelot20

Blynyork

Hi Voltage!
Thank you so much for your very thorough reply!
It definitely pumps me up to get the 3DS!

I have been researching a lot about the console and its games and It seems to me that the most popular picks for long games these days are 'Monster Hunter', 'Animal Crossing' and 'Fire Emblem' (though this is based on what I've been reading from other Nintendo players'.

Personally, I think that the first 3 out of 5 games I'd be getting myself would be:
1 Zelda game (I'll go with you on this one and start with a link between worlds)
1 Mario game
Animal Crossing: New Leaf

This leaves 2 open slots.
In your opinion, - fantasy life, kid icarus, bravely default and fire emblem - if I was to buy only 2 games from those 4 for now, which ones would come out on top for you and why?
Overall, I value having a blast while playing and replay-ability (either because the game is very addicting or has end-game content/online multiplayer features) ^^

Thanks again!
Best Regards

Blynyork

Blynyork

ocelot20 wrote:

This is just my personal opinion. I think you should get a 3DS. But not a 3DS XL. Again this is just a personal thing issue for me. But I can't be the only one with this issue. Last year I got a New 3DS XL. I consider my self to have big hands. The XL just didn't feel right to me.

I using the C stick on the XL started to hurt my right hand after a bit. To a point where playing games on the 3DS was no longer fun. So I sold it and forgot about the 3DS. Until recently when I bought my self a New 3DS (the smaller one). This fitted perfectly in my hand. The C stick is a joy to use and now am having fun playing 3DS titles.

So yer get a New 3DS if you can. Plus being able to change the face plates is a nice feature (you can't do this on the New 3DS XL).

I see!
Being able to customize one's console is indeed a neat perk!
However, I still think I'll go for the extended screen size and overall better-refined gaming machine.
Thanks for your recommendation though!
I was wondering what games you'd also suggest to a complete newcomer (seeing that I haven't played anything made by Nintendo since gameboy color and Pokemon Crystal came out)

Best Regards

Blynyork

VoltageX

First of all, you are welcome =]
Hmm... you said you wanted a mario game- I think you cant go wrong with super mario 3D land. best mario expereince I have ever had.
about the 2 slots left... I think monster hunter is less newcomers friendly so I wont highly recommend it. since you chose animal crossing, fantasy life might be too much since they have similar aspects. Id say go for bravely default and fire emblem- both are long, fun RPGs (bravely defauly is a JRPG and fire emblem an SRPG) and you can always play them again and tri different charactersjobs. so replay value is there as well. kid icarus might be fun, but the controls are a bit of an issue for some people, so I cant recommend it in full confidence.

if you feel unsure, you can always check reviews and videos and see for yourself =]

VoltageX

Blynyork

Hi Voltage! Thanks for getting back to me so quickly ^^

This pretty much answers all my questions!
I think I'll settle for Mario 3D Land, Animal Crossing, Zelda: Link, Fire Emblem and Bravely Default.

I can always get me some more games in the long run
Thanks again for your suggestions!

Best Regards~

Blynyork

Shinion

I could go on a rant about how much I love the 3DS and how I would unequivocally recommend it to anyone interested in it, but it's late where I am so I'll just say yes get it, and out of those games get:

. Fire Emblem Awakening
. Xenobalde Chronicles
. Monster Hunter 4
. Ocarina of Time
. Mario Kart 7

And I have to give recommendations to the Professor Layton and Ace Attorney games, as they're my favourites from the DS's libraries.

Oh and yes Pokemon X. Love that game too.

Shinion

ocelot20

@Blynyork:

At the moment I am not in a position to recommend any games for the 3DS as I only recently just got one my self.

However when I had one for a short period of time last year. Mario Kart, Monster Hunter and Resident Evil Mercenaries where really fun games. I have recently downloaded Urban Trial Freestyle which is a cheap but very addicting game.

I have just ordered Pokemon Omega Ruby. Plus Pokemon Red,Blue,Yellow is out later this month I believe on the eshop (the old gameboy games).

ocelot20

Slain

Absolutely YES you should get one. The 3DS has been by far my favourite system since I bought one when they launched. Even with my other current Gen systems like Wii U, PS4 and Vita I still play my 3DS more then them. Gamers are spoilt by choice when it comes to the 3DS' fantastic library of games.
I would go with the XL model. I had the original and upgraded and the larger screen is oh so much better on the eyes. Also, playing games in 3D is amazing. It takes a little to get used to but the games look so clear in 3D it's great. As for games, all on you list are great games. I would definitely go with Fire Emblem Awakening and all the Zelda games (eventually). Another game you might consider is Smash Bros. Anyway, if your into Pokémon and JRPG's your pretty much covered. Trust me when I say there's a good reason the 3DS is the best selling system of this generation. Almost forgot, If you like Pokémon you will definitely want to look into Yo-Kai Watch. It's probably one of the best Pokémon type games out there.

Edited on by Slain

Slain

Blynyork

@Everyone
Hello everyone! Thank you so much for your replies! Let me get back to you one at a time ^^

@TheLastLugia

Haha, feel free to rant anytime on how much you like the system! Personally, I enjoy seeing people who are still passionate about gaming ^^
Honestly, Mario Kart 7 pops quite often! It definitely looks as one of their most famous titles. I was wondering if you could answer me 2 questions about Mario Kart 7.
1) Is the game fun while playing offline with bots? 2) Is the online game stable on the 3DS? Does it run smoothly, does it struggle with loading times, does it lag, etc?
Thanks for your recommendations on DS games! Although I don't know much about Ace Attorney (I'll look into it soon) I am deeply interested in Professor Layton!

@Everyone
While digressing a bit from the topic, I was wondering how I can purchase DS games while still buying them new and supporting the company.
Honestly, stores in my small country are more like the 'greatest hits for everything'. I would not even be able to find Pokemon Diamond there by now.
Also, I heard that DS games are not available in the E-SHOP since the 3DS can fully read them and a lot of people have/buy the cartridges.
So, basically, if I want to get DS games, I know I can buy them used on ebay. Is there any other way though?

@Ocelot20
Hey! Thanks for getting back to me!
Well, thanks for recommending me games you personally had fun with!
I will definitely get Mario Kart and Monster Hunter this month or in March!
About Resident Evil - I played RE4 and 5 and their respective mercenaries mode. Is that resi game for the DS the compilation of those merc modes? Or are they new altogether?

@Nomad
Haha, reading posts like this really make me feel itchy to buy one
I remember so well being a kid and playing the first 2 generation pokemon games on my gameboy color in the dark with a cellphone as a flashlight!
Now that was fun and memorable!
It's interesting you'd say that! Because I'll get a PS4 in case I decide not to buy the 3DS for whatever reason.
Seeing that you have so many gaming platforms, including the fairly fresh PS4 but you'd still rather play on your 3DS really goes to show that the console provides a lot of fun for its users!
Yep! I am quite interested in Yo-Kai! When I saw it at first I tried my best to have an open mind and not shout 'pokemon rip-off'. So I did a little research on it and the game looks fresh and quite cool!
Could you please elaborate a lil' more on why you prefer the 3DS rather than the PS4, Vita or even Wii U?
I am quite curious about this!

@Everyone
Thank you all for your replies! Please excuse me for my long post!

Blynyork

ocelot20

@Blynyork: I don't know if it's new all together or not as I didn't play the merc mode on Resi 4 or 5. The stages are from Resi 4 and 5. But the characters you get to play as are from also from previous resi titles. Well worth a pick up if you are from the UK amazon have it for less than £5.

ocelot20

Slain

@Blynyork: Yeah no worries. OK I'll start with the Vita. Its a great system but at the end of the day the 3DS just has a better library of AAA games. The Vita has some great games but a lot of them are niche JRPG's with chibi anime girls or games that are already on PS2/3/4. The 3DS XL's top screen is about the same size as the Vitas, and although the Vita has higher definition graphics I personally think the 3D option on the 3DS makes the games look better. The Vita is also not seeing many new releases now whereas there is always new 3DS games around the corner. This year alone there is 2 new Fire Emblem games, Dragon Quest 7 and 8 ( and 11 probably in 2017), Bravely Second, Metroid: Federation Force, Monster Hunter X and Stories and there are other unannounced Nintendo games coming as well.

As for the Wii U, It's got some great AAA games but the releases are few and far between. It feels like the Wii U has been in a games drought since it launched.

To me the PS4 feels like a very slight upgrade to the PS3. It's getting some great games but nothing I haven't already played before. There's not much innovation. It's just more of the same.

Then you have the concept of fun. It's not always easy to define what makes a game fun, but for me, I have found that I am having a lot of fun with my 3DS games. I also like that I can play my 3DS games anywhere I want. I'm not tethered to one room and one TV. And it is a lot easier to get gaming. I can just flip my 3DS shut if I'm busy and flip it back open when I'm ready to game again.
Hope that helps.

Slain

Blynyork

@Ocelot20
Thanks for your suggestion! I don't live in the U.K but I can definitely try to check out if there's any good deals on Amazon for me or even the Eshop.
I remember having a lot of fun with Resi 4 (and having mixed fun with Resi 5 xD)

@Nomad
Hi Nomad!
Thank you so much for your very thorough reply!
To be honest, if I end up getting the N3DS (which I have until tomorrow to decide - deadline set by myself haha) I won't be playing it on the go, only at home.
This, because when I go out, I really go out and I like to enjoy the countryside with my wife and being technology-hermit for a week or two.
I remember having the PSP and really enjoying it! I had Sims:Castaway, Daxter and Ratchet & Clank.
Castaway was fun at first, daxter was great (even the minigames were great) and I didn't like ratchet that much.
So basically, I really enjoyed playing on the PSP just not the games themselves that the console had to offer.
Because of this, I am pretty sure I'd enjoy the N3DS because there seem to be so many fantastic games out there!

Since I have until tomorrow, I'd like to ask you 2 more questions, in case you have free time and are willing to help me out ^^
1) Since you can provide valuable feedback concerning so many gaming consoles, which has a better social aspect (PS4, WII U or N3DS)?
PS: I particularly dislike online FPS games, that's why I am not that curious about Sony's online features seeing that it has such a heavy focus on FPS and war games.
So, to make friends (from other countries), play together, have a nice chat, etc which console have you most enjoyed using?
2) My wife is really eager to play some games with me for fun. The idea is if she enjoys playing the N3DS we'd get an extra one for her so we can play together.
So between the N3DS and WII U, do you think I should reconsider and get the Wii instead so we can enjoy playing games together?
My biggest concern for the Wii U is I wonder if I'd then enjoy playing games just by myself when she doesn't feel like it.
There are Zelda games and Xenoblades, but no Animal Crossing, MonsterHunter, Bravely Default, Persona Q, Handheld Pokemons, etc

Thanks in advance!

Blynyork

martinskrtel37

the 3DS has better games than the PS4, Xbox One or Wii U.

i think it'd be more worthwhile to get two 3DS' instead of one Wii U, but it's kind of similar. 3DS has more better games but you might never experience them all so you could be content with a Wii U.

you and your wife would have a lot of fun on the Wii U, many great tag team games like Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze and New Super Mario Bros, great multiplayer like Mario Kart and Smash Bros, other titles like Splatoon and Mario Maker. but there is just more of everything on the 3DS really.

Edited on by martinskrtel37

Octane wrote:

everyone needs to relax and enjoy the games that are released today and stop worrying what Nintendo will do in a year or two from now.

3DS Friend Code: 0130-1906-5039 | Nintendo Network ID: martinskrtel37

Slain

@Blynyork: I don't actually play my 3DS outside the home either, but the portability of the system means I can sit or lie anywhere in the house where I'm comfortable and play.
I'm the same as you mate, I don't like online FPS or FPS in general, which is as you said, a big part of the PS4 gaming scene. 3DS and Wii U are both pretty good systems for both online and local play. I would go for the 3DS because it has a larger library of games for when you are playing on your own. I play both Wii U and 3DS games socially with family and friends but play the 3DS games a lot more then the Wii U games when playing alone, mainly because there are more great games on 3DS then Wii U.
I think you would enjoy the 3DS more then the Wii U on your own, it has a lot of good RPGs and the like to dig into on your own. I guess it comes down to how much time you are going to be playing with your wife.
I know outside of socially gaming both myself and my kids spend way more time on our 3DS', and that includes social gaming. Truth is, my Wii U is often gathering dust while I've still got 3DS games which I'm yet to finish. I'm also a big fan of replaying my games, and I have found that most Nintendo games are games I can come back to over the years to play through again. I can't say the same for a lot of games from other developers.
Anyway I honestly don't think you can go wrong with the 3DS. Overall its a better system then Wii U.
Also check out Shantae and the Pirates Curse, It's brilliant.

Slain

Blynyork

@martinskrtel37
Thank you! I totally agree with you! Of course, I am excited for games such as FF XV, Last Guardian and KH 3 but the multiplayer scene pisses me off quite a bit.
I mean, am I to spend 359 euros and play something like rocket league with my wife? I think we can get better for the same or perhaps, less money.

@Nomad
Again, thank you so much for your valuable and thorough reply!
Seeing that you, just like me, dread the current gaming scene that seems to overcrowd some of the other consoles, it makes me excited to buy either the Wii U or N3DS because I just want us to have fun while I myself have a blast at solo play.

What I might end up doing is buying the Wii U at first (since we already bought a brand-new Led TV which was supposed to be for the PS4), having fun with games we never played - Smash Bros, Mario Maker, Splatoon, Mario Kart, even Minecraft haha and then going for the N3DS in the next 3-4 months.
This way we can get the best out of both systems, put the new TV to good use since it is a gaming-only TV anyway, and when the lack (if we ever come to feel it) of good titles for the Wii U becomes tangible as the months go by, we can always get the N3DS.

Thanks again! I'll keep an eye on both systems and the games I'd potentially buy for each.
Cheers!

@Everyone
Alright, I think all is settled by now! I want to thank all of you for your great and constructive replies! I was totally surprised by the amount of different opinions I got and how thorough they generally were.

Blynyork

emmit643

I'd say go for it. I just got the new 3DS XL maybe...two weeks ago now? The last portable I owned was a Gameboy Advance. So a looooonnnnnnng time ago. And I have to say, I'm loving the 3DS! Holy games have come a long way since the Advance. Kinda bummed I didn't pick it up sooner lol.

I went a little wild and bought a lot of games.

The ones I'm loving most so far are:
Fire Emblem Awakening
Fantasy Life
Super Mario 3D Land (which is fun but taking some getting used to the 3D, I keep accidentally falling/jumping off stuff and dying :/)
Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon
Pokemon X

I also bought but have not yet played Persona Q.

I got Super Smash Bros, but I suck pretty bad at it. Still fun though.

The only thing I will say as a caution, my eyes were not used to the 3D and for about the first 4 days it gave me really bad head aches. That went away though.

emmit643

Blynyork

@emmit643

Awesome! You are just like me then! The last Nintendo product I had was the gameboy color, and a friend had temporarily lent me his gameboy advance. The games do look rather impressive!

Lemme know what you think about Persona Q, that one looks quite formidable!

So after those 4 days did the strain in your eyes along with the headaches you experienced go away altogether? Or do they still occasionally relapse?

Blynyork

emmit643

@Blynyork: They seem to have gone away all together. I will say, I also wear glasses, so maybe that made it worse for me. But they're completely gone now.

emmit643

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