Topic: 5 Apps the eShop should have by now

I agree with dissapointment with Eshop it doesn't just stem from apps but games as well. Right now the Eshop is Running about 80% in just bad software but this seems to be the model now with all the shops (apple and android) load up on horrible software and watch the bucks roll in. My oppinion is nintendo should be doing it better than the other guys and sorry to say they are not

Erm, if we're talking 3DSWare solely here, then no, so far the track record is surprisingly good. Only if we include DSiWare can you say that fairly

Breakdown IMO (some of which I haven't played and I'm basing off reviews)

Bad games: Crazy Chicken Pirates 3D, Touch Battle Tank 3D, Johnny Kung-Fu, Zombie Slayer Diox, Mad Dog McCree, Samurai Sword Destiny
Mediocre/Mixed games: SpeedX 3D, Planet Crashers, Phantom Thief, 3D Solitaire, Bird Mania 3D, Both Mini-golf games, Pyramids, all 5 of the Nikoli games
Good games: Dot Runner, Family Tennis 3D (honestly surprised at the positive reception), Marvel Pinball 3D, Ketzal's Corridors, Order Up, Zen Pinball 3D, Bomb Monkey (also disagree), Colors 3D, Freakyforms, Sakura Samurai, DRW, Mighty Switch Force, Pushmo, VVVVVV, Mutant Mudds, Art of Balance: Touch

That's 19 bad/mediocre games over 15 good games. While it's not the majority good games, I'd say thus far it's doing much better then the average console, and of course some will disagree on placements.

A year and a half and the 3DS has 35 eShop games (you missed Blackjack: Sweet Memories there in the "bad" category).

35.

That's the real story about how poor the reception to the eShop has been.

^ He also missed 3D Classics: Urban Champion in the "bad" section, 3D Classics: Kirby's Adventure, 3D Classics: Kid Icarus, & 3D Classics: Xevious in the "good" section (not sure how 3D Classics: Excitebike & 3D Classics: TwinBee would rate).

Yes, the 3D Classics are officially classified as "3DS Downloads" (3DSWare) instead of VC, by Nintendo themselves. That's why they are labelled as such, and have never featured in the VC tab.

He also missed Outdoors Unleashed: Africa 3D, but to be fair, I haven't heard any official reviews on it yet. Heck, IGN & Nintendojo haven't even acknowledged the game's existence (they both left it out of their eShop update lists on Thursday. That's a first).

I want a plain and simple e-reader. I don't even care if they have to be DRM-free because of licensing issues or whatever. I don't own a Kindle, and it's very easy and nice reading fanfics on FF dot net Mobile.

Nintendo needs to put some more classics on there and advertise it more so people start using it, and developers have a reason to develop for it. I think being able to have Super Mario 1,2,3, and heck 64 would all be something worthy of tv commercials and whatnot. They need to follow their own example and put out exceptional eShop games in order to get people to use the platform, just like any of their other platforms.

3DS needs a (free) video communication system.

Agreed. I really don't see the point in any kind of apps like those mentioned. Skype would be pretty bad on the device, and pretty much everyone has something that does a much better job at it. News apps can be replicated well enough with the web-browser, so there's no point in those either.

I can see the point in making apps that aren't really on other devices, like an inevitable Nintendo Network app, but outside of that I can't think of much that people would use or that would entice others to buy the system.

I guess I could see the point in 3D youtube, but the first thing that comes to mind for that wouldn't exactly be kid friendly... so I think it's best if Nintendo avoids it.

No less kid-friendly then the "chatrooms" of Flipnote Hatena, nor the vast majority of the internet available via the browser.

I know that news and weather reports can be received through the web browser, but a good app would download updates via SpotPass and make that info available even when you don't have an internet connection - not to mention it would be more convenient for many people to use as a "one-click stop". In fact I'd be happy to pay for an always-available news app that offered the same AP content you get via Wii as long the user interface was half-way decent.

But what I want most is a simple podcast management tool. Getting content on and off the SD card is a pain, because you need to turn your 3DS completely off during the process. The built-in sound tools aren't very useful right now, but if I could open my 3DS and discover that it had already (wirelessly) downloaded and synced my favourite podcasts without me having to do anything then sound tools might be more useful. With SpotPass, the console could make intermittent checks throughout the day and update the list whenever a new episode is available. Not an app that offers tremendous value or unique functionality, but is something that I'd be happy to pay a couple of bucks for and would make me think twice about carrying a competing entertainment device in my pocket at the same time.

Video chat isn't that appealing to me, but why shouldn't it be available? Skype might be the best option as long as the 3DS hardware is up to the task. That program is so commonly used, there is no reason to avoid the platform.

I want Skype really badly, if only just for chatting and not using the camera.

You're not missing out on much. It won't work on my 3DS, I have to power off my 3DS and it takes up WAAAAY more bandwidth than the Wii so no one else can even browse the internet. Out of the 4 3DS owners in my house only 1 was able to get it to work and we had to stop my little sister from using it because it destroyed our bandwidth like I said before.

No, I think an Instant messaging system would work better, after all swapnote sucks to be honest, it takes so freaking long to open and save letters and no, that has nothing to do with my SD card. I'd rather nintendo develop a proper messaging system in the way Pictochat was, but only this time with the ability to chat over the internet. I mean why didn't they do that in the first place? If they could, they should make an update for Swapnote so you communicate live rather than wait ages to hear back via swapnotes, i mean they could still have swapnotes but have a main menu to choose between live or mail communication.

@RetroGBHippie92

true, I agree

Skype and maybe a possiblity you can use it for any online game that don't use voice chat.

"possibly" I doubt that Nintendo will put Skype on the 3DS but maybe there own Live chat, though I could be wrong

They might as well team up with companies to put apps on their devices. Facebook, for example, would be awesome on the 3DS if it had a dedicated "3D" app, something like that. Nintendo needs to start competing with the App Store and Apple whether it likes it or not. It couldn't hurt to try new things and bring in new customers! Twitter, for example. They could use a simple 3D interface (or have different designs available) and just have the text/tweets on screen or flying by on the bottom. THere are so many untapped ideas for e-Shop apps. Come on, Nintendo!

It's time for some more apps! 3D ones would be nice

The e-shop has Picross.
Your argument is invalid.

Uh, so does the iPhone and IPad. Not picross by name, but nonograms.

And the a couple of hundred thousand other games.

Point stands.