Topic: Still Playing 3DS in 2022?

@Not_Soos
Our tastes are very similar, GameCube is my number one favourite console.

I agree that Warioware Gold has some strange and unneccessary artistic changes but doesn't ruin it for me. My favourite is Twisted - imported it years ago & still rate it top! I was extremely disappointed with Get it Together, missed the mark completely for me.

2021 was the first year since 1998 that I haven't purchased a new Nintendo developed game, since Iwata's passing and the abandonment of separate handheld /console divisions I haven't seen the magic. I was holding out hope for Super Rush, I love Toadstool Tour & World Tour. Wow, how sterile and uninteresting it turned out, what a shame. All those animations and personality from Toadstool that should have been built upon...

I can only speculate that Nintendo under Furukawa is primarily focused on pleasing shareholders, as the software line up, hardware features and quality of software has diminished drastically. Most Switch owners didn't have a Wii U and the GameCube was so long ago with no easy way to discover those games so people in general aren't aware of how much things have changed for the worst.

I still have faith in Nintendo but with Miyamoto approaching retirement, Furukawa's leadership direction and the fickle nature of the industry I fear Nintendo will suffer a period of apathy following the Switch due to lost momentum. I prefer a console library like the GameCube - adequate with a large number of genre-defining titles, rather than what we have with the Switch - some decent Wii U ports and indies hidden within a festering mountain of shovelware.

I will have to look at Miitopia, I skipped that one because the adverts were major cringe. Which is best, Switch or 3DS version?

@TommyTendo
I would love a new true handheld, 3DS held my interest between main home consoles many times. It was nice to have a separate handheld library to dip into between major game releases & 3DS spanned multiple console generations. It made me smile a lot, and still does

@Kayvoo Switch version is much better than the 3DS version (Miitopia)
Much more to customize, plus you get a companion horse and there are some more new nifty things that aren't on 3DS.

I kinda miss the Streetpass and the Activity log from 3DS!

@TommyTendo
Thanks Tommy! I'lll grab it.

@Not_Soos If you've never played it, Kirby's Epic Yarn should be a delight, though I'm wary to recommend it if you think the visuals in Yoshi's Woolly World are a disappointment - I think it looks great. And I have both versions of both these games.

I have to admit to not yet having turned on my N3DS in 2022, but that is primarily due to a commitment I made in December to catch-up on Tetris 99 themes, so my first port of gaming call every day at the moment is Tetris 99 tickets.

I started a playthrough of Samus Returns before Metroid Dread released, but put it aside for Dread and haven't got back into it since, so that's where I'm itching to get back to.

And my commitment to 3DS is total. Around the time the Switch released I invested in a number of used but like new 3DS' getting sold off, so I've got about 7 backups sitting in boxes that should hopefully see me through to the next life. And I have a library of 250-300 DS and 3DS games, most of which are still backlog. I love my Switch, but I love my 3DS too.

I'm still using my 3DS from time to time. My latest games were Hana Samurai, Liberation Maden, Steel Diver and Yokai Watch 2. Among those I'd highlight Steel Diver which surprised me on several levels with its depth, replayability and that Nintendo magic we used to have in the old days (it's an early 3DS title after all).

I'd say one glaring omission in 3DS library is the lack of scrolling shooters (aka shoot'em ups, if you prefer that term). There are some of them, maybe 2 or 3 games, but no defining examples of the genre and must-have releases. Even though the dual screens potentially suit really well for a TATE mode.

I totally agree with the sentiment that Nintendo lost its inherent charm with the Switch and in the last maybe 4 years we encounter very business oriented, pretty much all corporate approach for churning out new releases.
With the Switch I really started to miss those old days of 3DS/Wii U era when they have put more resources into adding more UX features, developing smaller cozy experiences that try something different for a change.
To my believe all of that will never return to Nintendo consoles because let's admit it this direction most certainly was Iwata's influence on the company. I don't think they'll ever come back to to it as it's all cost money to develop, and we're talking about Nintendo that tries really hard to maximize their profits and minimize costs and effort.

Still play the 3ds. Heck I still play the nintendo 64

i wish i could get a new 3ds xl.

right now i got the standard launch model and i rarely play it when i visit my parents. at my place i only play on PC.

Yeah! I'll stop playing my 2DS XL when Ever Oasis gets ported to switch lmao.

@VIIIAxel Yeah, I figured I would get Fire Emblem suggestions. Since I do mostly play on Switch, if I ever decide to give FE a chance, I think I would start with Three Houses and then work my way backwards if I like it. I do have the Kirby games, and I own Samus Returns but never finished it. I would like to do that someday. Probably not in the very near future, as I recently watched somebody stream it, so it's still fresh on the mind. Would like to forget it a little first.

Good to hear you still think DQ7 is quite good--best 3DS game is high praise! Federation Force (as well as Tri Force Heroes) is a game I'd definitely like to check out in spite of the bad review scores. I just don't know if there would be much of an appeal in playing them when I know for a fact I'll never find a party of people to play with me. I would really like to see Federation Force included in a Prime collection for Switch; the popularity of the system and the better timing of such a game could really make it become a beloved classic.

Currently through Kid Icarus and Ocarina. Sakurai should really allow himself to do something other than Smash.

@TommyTendo I just couldn't get into Island Tour, I found it pretty disappointing. All the Mario Party games on 3DS were pretty bad, in my opinion. The DS one is incredible. Glad you were able to get enjoyment out of them, though! I don't really see the need for a 3DS successor when we already have the Switch now. Would love to see some of its features implemented into a Switch successor though, like 3D capabilities and maybe even an attachable second screen or something.

@Not_Soos Nah, I don't think I did either. Considering I have never unlocked Bowser Jr. lol
We just play it because the soundalike star show minigame is fun to do.

Mario Party DS is amazing. It's pretty much a real portable Mario Party. I do think Star Rush was a bit interesting, though. Even if it didn't quite hit the mark.

@Patendo Yeah, I'm not really into hacking, personally. Don't wanna mess up my console, and I prefer playing games legit if i can. It's also just way too complicated for me.

@Nagi Rythm Heaven is fantastic. Megamix was my first and only game in the series, so the content felt absolutely massive. Never beat it though, because some of the later songs got incredibly hard for me. I hated having to pay those guards at the gate and then having to grind for money if I kept losing and couldn't advance. It's a game I never had the opportunity to play multiplayer, but I bet it's a blast. Would really benefit on the Switch from being able to gather round a TV.

@Kayvoo I guess that's an idea I can look into later.

Currently I am going through Castlevania Mirror of Fate for a second time. I love the 3D effect in it!

Despite the lack of Castlevania games, for me , (unlike the GB, GBA and the DS where each have 3 Castlevania games) the 3DS is one of the greatest consoles ever made

@Kayvoo Our tastes may be similar, but I'm not nearly as down on the newer games as you are. I understand what you mean, though. As I said, the Switch is my favorite game system period. But I do admit, it's the only Nintendo system where the third-parties are better than the first-parties. A lot of the games feel way too light on content.

I think the only first-party Switch games I actively dislike, though, are Kirby Star Allies and Origami King. I never played the latter, but I watched a playthrough and it's not for me. Nintendo have been making questionable Paper Mario games since before Furukawa though, so it's nothing new. I probably would have disliked 1-2 Switch, too, if I picked it up. Super Rush somewhat scratches an itch for me, and the core gameplay is okay, so I wouldn't say I hate it. But it's definitely mediocre and straddles a line for me.

Personally though, I absolutely adored Metroid Dread and Mario Party Superstars. Two amazing returns to form for their respective franchises. I'm not the biggest 3D World fan, but Bowser's Fury made it worth it to double-dip; I was disappointed a little with Odyssey, but Bowser's Fury--while short--feels much closer in line with the Mario 64 sequel I always wanted. I think Super Mario Maker 2 is phenomenal and improves on the first in every way. Then you have games like Breath of the Wild and Smash Ultimate, though you could argue those were being developed while Iwata was still alive so it doesn't count.

I'm also really excited for Nintendo's 2022 lineup. I feel like even when a Switch game is a flop, they usually fix it by the next one. I thought Star Allies was incredibly lazy and uninspired; 100% completed the $60 game in about five hours and felt patronized by the mind-numbingly easy gameplay the whole way through. Absolutely hated it. But The Forgotten Land is doing some very ambitious things, and it may very well be my new favorite Kirby. Mario Party Superstars was also a huge glow-up over Super Mario Party.

Nintendo is 100% more corporate and less pro-consumer under the new leadership, but I feel like a lot of that comes down less to the quality of games but more so their questionable business practices. Products are overpriced and a lot or the things they do are ethically pretty scummy. The first-party games can be a mixed bag, but overall, I would say they are better than Wii U, even if they aren't all bangers like Nintendo's previous systems.

Nintendo used to be all about surprising us with stuff we didn't know we wanted, but that doesn't always work out. I kinda like that they seem to be listening to fan feedback a lot more lately and just doing what we say we want. Making open-world Mario games again, putting Kirby in 3D, bringing back portrait ghosts and removing the mission structure for Luigi's Mansion 3--it's good stuff, imo. Really hoping the next Paper Mario will finally deliver for old-school fans.

Twisted is probably the WarioWare game I've played the least. I don't even remember it that well. Should probably revisit it. It's annoying only being able to play it on a DS, though, where the cartridge sticks out. It's very easy to hit it and crash the game. I don't own a GBA anymore.

As for Miitopia, the Switch version is DEFINITELY the way to go. I don't know if it would even be that good without the drastically revamped Mii Maker. It unfortunately doesn't let you view popular Miis, but if you go online and search various Mii creations, you can find codes for some incredibly awesome ones to download. You can literally make whatever you want now. Spot-on depictions of your favorite cartoon characters, video game characters, celebrities, politicians you love to satirize...it's great stuff. And it surprisingly looks great on Switch. So yeah, skip the 3DS version and download the free Switch demo to see what you think. It won me over. Don't expect the RPG mechanics to have very much depth, it's a pretty easy and repetitive game where the main draw is seeing the character interactions, but it's still way more hands-on and with a ton of content compared to Tomodachi. The music is way better than it has any right to be (https://youtu.be/Skqi7h16ZLA - try not to read the title, minor spoilers) and the story even takes some interesting turns. Almost gives me the whimsy of playing a classic Paper Mario game again.

I still play it regularly. It's extremely convenient and I just love having something on my TV while I play my 3DS.
I'm playing Zelda: Spirit Tracks right now and will be starting Ocarina Of Time once I beat ST. I still have a bunch of games on my bucket list to purchase, so I won't be bored with my 3DS for years!