Topic: What are you playing on 3DS? (2023 Edition)

@Tyranexx Yeah, some DS and 3DS games have got quite pricey over here as well, especially Atlus releases. I would say most games on those systems are still reasonably affordable in the UK for now though, but there are a few 3DS games (including DQ7 and 8) hovering around the £35-40 range, which is approaching the upper limit of what I'd call 'affordable' and I could see those becoming quite expensive in the future.

I've only played two Dragon Quest games before: IX on the DS - which I loved but never managed to beat the final boss, so I'll probably replay it all the way through after I've played VII and VIII - and the Switch version of the original Dragon Quest, which is very basic but still enjoyable in the right mindset. I definitely want to play the rest of the series, though I may have to hold out hope for Switch ports of IV and V (or play the mobile versions, but I don't tend to play that kind of game on my phone) as they're very expensive on DS now

@Dogorilla I've actually found that UK prices tend to be more reasonable when it comes to used games; I bought a used copy of IX from a UK seller on eBay a few months ago. Unfortunately due to region locking, that isn't always an option unless I buy a compatible unit as well. New copies of sought after JRPGs are especially high over here. For example, I've seen used copies of VIII listed over $100. Depends on the storefront though.

I also have XI S on Switch backlogged. I'd like to pick up the first two on Switch eventually. I'm holding out for the HD-2D remake of III. As for VI...that probably isn't happening unless it's ported or I cave and get it on mobile. That game was rare even when it released since it allegedly has a small print run.

@Tyranexx DQ VI on DS is actually not too badly priced in the UK, at least compared to IV and V; it's currently £40 at CEX (a second-hand game shop chain whose prices tend to reflect the average prices games go for on eBay and the like) so maybe you could import it?

I'm also waiting for the remake of III, assuming it comes out in the west (I don't think that's been confirmed yet but I'll be surprised if it doesn't). Seeing as II seems to be considered the weakest in the series by modern standards I'll probably hold off on that one until I've played as many of the other games as I can, and maybe by that point it will also have a remake that will improve it. Although I believe the Switch releases of DQ I-III are the only console (i.e. non-mobile) releases of those games in Europe ever, so maybe I should just appreciate the fact they exist at all!

@Dogorilla Hmm...That route for VI would certainly be worth looking into. The nice thing about the regular DS is it isn't region locked, unlike the 3DS. That copy of IX I mentioned was CIB, whereas I could only find loose copies of the game for near the same asking amount. No clue why demand seems to be higher for the North American market....I do appreciate the suggestion!

I don't see why HD-2D III wouldn't come out in the West, though I admit SE's treatment of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters has been confusing to say the least. I've been waiting on II for similar reasons, though I'd eventually like to play all localized DQ titles. And DQ X Offline, though my hopes that'll come over are faint (I wrote off the actual MMO years ago).

@Tyranexx I seem to remember IX being pretty popular in the UK when it came out; it was probably the first time I became aware of Dragon Quest, at any rate. So maybe it sold more over here than in the US - that would explain why it's more readily available here, and VI could also have had a larger print run in the UK in response to IX's success. But I may be completely wrong about that.

I remember reading previews of DQ X in a magazine and being excited for it, and then they announced a 3DS version which I thought might come out here, and then there was the offline version (which would be good enough for me, I'd probably prefer it to the MMO in fact) but still no sign of a western release... I'm still hopeful we might get it one day though, stranger things have happened in the last few years after all.

I've sunk about 10 hours into Dragon Quest VII so far. It is indeed becoming a bit more formulaic, but this doesn't bother me so far.

@Dogorilla The only thing that'll stink about IX is that I know half of its appeal is playing with others, which is an option I don't really have presently. As for VI, when I first became aware of the Dragon Quest games, Square Enix actually still manufactured some of their DS games in-house and sold them on their online store front. I managed to grab V for $20 on sale (always half off sales) and sorta regret passing up IV at the time, but I was on a tighter budget then. Luckily I found it for not much higher brand new (~$28) online a few months later. Even then, they never had VI in stock to my recollection. I just seem to recall reading somewhere that it was a limited release. It isn't known as a strong DQ title either, so that might have factored in.

I'd love Dragon Quest X Offline, in fact I'd prefer it since I swore off MMOs years ago for various reasons, one of which is because they can be major timesinks. However, still no peep on this title outside of Japan....I admit I'm starting to lose hope on that version too.

@Tyranexx I've heard the PS1 version had an unbearably slow start, but that the 3DS port streamlines this somewhat. I kinda regret not picking up DQVII while it was still in print!

@Tyranexx I wouldn't say the multiplayer is half the appeal personally, I played IX entirely by myself and still loved it. Admittedly it's been quite a while since I played it so I've forgotten a lot about it (which will be good for when I eventually replay it) but I don't think I ever felt like I was missing out on too much by playing solo. And wow, you were lucky to get IV and V for those prices!

@Ralizah Regarding the PS1 version of DQ VII, I've heard the same. I believe they cut out some early fetch quest bits and unnecessary walking? I unintentionally skipped a few minutes of meandering around that the game sorta made me feel bad about via the dialogue, but in the grand scheme of things I'm unbothered lol. It was still about two hours before I saw any combat, but I tend to explore quite a lot and talk to most NPCs in games like this.

@Dogorilla I think it depends on one's experience. I believe you are correct that the game is perfectly playable alone. I've read that some people had the most fun with the game when playing locally with others, but that is something I can live without. I certainly lucked out with Square Enix's online store at the time even despite needing to pay for shipping. Probably the best deal I scored was the DS version of Chrono Trigger since they did allow you to sign up for email alerts. I'd been wanting to play the game for years by that point and wasn't disappointed when I finally did...though I need to go back and try to get some of the other endings. I haven't used their online store recently though; they no longer sell a lot of retro titles (any good ones last I checked), and any modern Switch titles are easily picked up elsewhere.

@Tyranexx Ooh, Chrono Trigger is another one I'd love to play but will probably have to hold out hope for a Switch port (which I'm surprised hasn't happened yet, since Square Enix has released a lot of other retro games on Switch). That's cool that they used to have a good selection of older games on their store, shame they don't do that over here.

@Dogorilla I highly recommend Chrono Trigger if you're into 16-bit JRPGs. Beautiful game, fun ATB-esque battle system, neat story, and the game has aged well overall. I believe there's a PC port if that would be an option, though I've heard mixed things about it. Unfortunately it's very hard to get a DS copy even secondhand these days....

I gave SE's online store a browse since it's been awhile, and it appears they completely cleared any Nintendo systems that aren't the Switch at first glance. It's a shame, but it kind of makes sense; the last time I gave their 3/DS sections a browse, the small handful of games that could still be purchased were basically shovelware or no longer in stock.

@Tyranexx I remember hearing the PC port wasn't great too, but I just looked it up and apparently the issues with it have been patched now. It also includes most of the new content from the DS version, so it seems like that would be a good option. I do prefer playing games on console/handheld though, so I'll wait a bit longer to see if a Switch port comes out. Surely it will happen eventually - I mean, they remastered Chrono Cross along with Radical Dreamers, which must have been way more work than just porting Trigger! The other possibility is buying a Japanese copy of the DS version, as it's a bit more reasonably priced on eBay and I've heard it's one of the few Japanese DS releases with English support, but that would still cost three or four times as much as the PC version so I'm not sure I could justify it.

@Dogorilla I slightly prefer console gaming but am fine with going to PC if I need to...depending on supported control schemes anyway. I'd be surprised if Chrono Trigger didn't eventually make the Switch. You brought up the Chrono Cross remaster, which also gives me hope! That's one I admittedly need to try, though the sheer amount of party member choice gives me pause. If all else fails, it probably wouldn't hurt to track down that Japanese DS version if it does indeed support English (or if you're fluent in reading Japanese).

Gosh, it's been a while, hasn't it

@Ralizah Sorry I never replied, but it's never too late, I guess. Despite EO I-III coming to switch, I'll still pick up IV before e-shop doomsday. I just love playing RPGs on the 3ds, it feels nice and nostalgic, so I'll update you when I finally get to it. I also want to use the touch screen for the map. Using buttons in another window on the same-screen sounds very impractical, no thanks.

I haven't even replayed SMT IV yet, because I'm busy with a certain other RPG series of seemingly varying quality...

I've decided to go in a Fire Emblem binge recently. For some ungodly reason, I have been corrupted by the hype of Engage (and the very fruity forum discussions y'all are having over there), even though that game is wildly divisive.

I found a fairly cheap copy of Awakening (40€, which isn't too bad, I usually see it at more than 50) and I finished it earlier this month.
It completely took me by surprise. I really underestimated how much your units possibly dying makes you care about them (played on normal classic). They're very tropey but I do think having supports available between most characters makes them way more interesting to pair up together and watch the chaos unfold. Shame it lacks same-sex marriage though, but eh, I can look past it. The writing is also surpisingly solid for the most part. Great character design too! ahem Engage ahem.

The main story isn't that great but I do like it for its simplicity. It's not very ambitious but it does have its moments, and I do like the characters.

I didn't think I'd like the lack of full voice acting, but strangely enough, it makes the dialogue very snappy and fast to read through. I actually don't really mind it.

The music is pretty good, all the 'Id' variants are great. I love the game's style, the combat is engaging (love the pairing up mechanic), it creates some strangely cinematic monents of crushing defeat.

It's almost a survival horror RPG, when you're forced to take risks and end up crushingly losing your favorite units.

By the way, on my playthrough, I had an hilariously bad encounter on Tiki's side story. I was overwhelmed with fliers, and I think I missed the fact that I had to kill the Risen leader to stop the onslaught. So basically, everyone died. Frederick (RIP to the MVP), Lissa, Vaike, Anna, Henry (good riddance though) and most crushingly, Lucina died, or "retreated" I guess . It went so poorly, I was panicking the whole way through, it's hilarious in retrospect. It also made the encounter with Walhart incredibly tense. I only had like, 7 units, but I love them to pieces now (Cordelia, Lon'qu, Kjelle, Stahl, Panne and Say'ri the MVPs). That was memorable, to say the least.

So yeah in short, I really like the game. Will probably replay it soon

And now I have made the unreasonable decision to play Fates, thanks to @JaxonH 's recommendation over on the Engage forum. I knew what to expect, story bad but gameplay good. But so far, Birthright actually kind of exceeds my expectations. I just love the Awakening formula so much that I don't mind the okay story, and the support conversations are actually pretty good. I'm kind of loving it (playing on Hard Classic since it's considered pretty easy) and the fan-service is hilarious more than anything. Love the 240p cliche hot spring. It's so dumb

And I also started Kirby: Planet Robobot. Really loving it too. I'm on a roll this month!

I purchased Freshly Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland at the beginning of February, and it arrived a week ago from Europe.

Good lord, this game is unhinged crazy.

@GreenTea Nice. If you can only play one game in the series, EOIV is the one to main. The overworld navigation is a lot more freeing and fun than the sailing in EOIII.

Definitely hit me up when you get to it. The series is awesome, but it can also be a little intimidating at first.

I hadn't played my 3DS since 2020, and even then I didn't play it much then.
I just started playing again with the closure of the eShop and started playing Persona Q. It will likely be my most-played 3DS title of 2023. I didn't snag Persona Q2 on the eShop so I'll have to wait for an unlikely remake one day or pay up for the physical copy.

I play some Pokemon Picross. Kind of a nice game but the need of picrites ruins the game quite a lot.

Picrites are some kind of in game items which you could either get through playing, or buy. But buying is no longer an option since the closure of eshop and not being able to add funds.

Playing and getting picrites is another option but you only get like 6 picrites at most for completing a level. and you need like 70-80 picrites to advance to the next area in the pokemon world.

@Simon97 Make sure you do the daily training too for extra picrites. As the training level goes up you get more picrites per day.

@dmcc0 yeah, i have been playing it a few days in a row now and it seems like you onyl get 6-7 picrites right now, but maybe it increases after a few weeks.

Well, at least i caught some of the pokemon locked behind codes.