Topic: eShop search inaccuracies

Is it just me or is searching games by their tags just a inaccurate piece of junk? You get results that do not have the tag you're searching for. For example, the "Download Play" tag results in 7 pages of games, most of which to my knowledge do not have Download Play. It's extremely misleading. (Like when Demon King Box shows up under the "Demo" section, yet it doesn't even have the "Demo" tag, nor a downloadable Demo)

I want to buy some good download play titles but these bugs means I have to check each and every game's tags and description.

I've tried that too but I haven't been successful in finding what I've been looking for. Unfortunately, relatively few 3DS games have Download Play functionality.

If you are looking for some cheap games to play with friends, you may want to check out the Clubhouse Express series (DSiWare) [supports up to 8 players and you can also play with Nintendo DS and DSi users], Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure, Kirby Fighters Deluxe and the Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate demo is obviously free and unlike most eShop demos, can be used an unlimited number of times, and while it isn't a Download Play game, you can play cooperatively with your friends if each of you have the demo installed on your system. There are a number of NES titles with Download Play as well, but aside from what I've just mentioned, most Download Play games are full retail titles (and there aren't that many of them anyway)

NES games with download play? I haven't seen any. Do tell.

A few examples I can recall are Balloon Fighter, Ice Climbers, Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super C, Double Dragon II: The Revenge, Yoshi (known as Mario & Yoshi in some markets) and Street Gangs (also known as River City Ransom in some markets).

"Supports Download Play" is listed under each compatible NES title, so do give it a look.

Bear in mind that only games with simultaneous multiplayer have Download Play while hot-seat multiplayer games (in which two players take turns) do not (at least from what I've seen).

@sillygostly:
Yoshi, Balloon Fight, and Ice Climber are described as 1-2 player games, but have no Multiplayer nor Download Play tag.
Super C is not tagged as Download Play, nor Multiplayer, and is described as a 1 player game.
Mario Bros 3, River City Ransom, and Double Dragon II are tagged as Download Play, and Mario Bros. both tagged and and described as Download Play capable games.

However, I own Balloon Fight, and I just confirmed that it does have Download Play capabilities. (Don't know why I never noticed that before. Then again, I only updated recently)

I would also like to note that games that have a 2-player option and do not have the Download Play function are completely useless in that mode, even if they are hotseat. (Like Super Mario Bros.) The emulation expects input from the second controller, and because there is none, the whole concept falls flat on its face.

I don't know why that is because I have an Australian 3DS (and I've checked your profile and you've indicated that you're from Australia as well) and the "Download Play" tag in the eShop appears on my system for Download Play compatible games. I can confirm without a doubt that they have Download Play because they are installed on my system and I've tested them. In fact, Super C's page specifically reads "1-2 Players; 2 Players Download Play".

If your NES games were issued as part of the 3DS Ambassador promotion in late 2011, then you will need to update all of your NES games to take advantage of Download Play and any other new features that may have been implemented since their initial release.

You can switch the emulated controller input by holding the L and R shoulder buttons and then pressing Y. This will switch controllers for hot seat games in which two controllers are required. Oddly, this also works for games without any multiplayer capabilities whatsoever (such as Metroid).

My 3DS is NTSC, so I guess it's just the US eShop that's lax. Typical.

I was not part of the Ambassador promotion, but I had not used my 3DS since 2013.

Thank you for explaining this. I probably should have gone and checked the manual lol.

No problem. Even if the games I've mentioned are not listed as "Download Play" supported titles in the U.S. eShop, they still should be. All the best.

Question:
When searching by category, do you see multilple copies of the same publisher? (In my case, two identical CAPCOM tags)

I've just checked and no, not in the Australian/European eShop. Mine has "Capcom" and "Capcom Europe" as separate entries but there are no identical games between them (Capcom Europe includes Super Street Fighter IV and any Phoenix Wright and Resident Evil games; all other games, including the Monster Hunter games and Virtual Console releases fall under the plain "Capcom" tag).