Topic: The Chit-Chat Thread

So the other day I dusted off my 3DS so I could get an Alolan Marowak with 0 speed for VGC in SW/SH and it got me thinking...

I finally see why I have some issues with 3DS now despite the thousands of hours of game play I put into it and the like 6 I have owned. It's in a strange place where graphically many of its games use quite modern style graphics, but obviously on a screen that is extremely dated. Older style games on it, still look awesome. But things like the Fire Emblem and Pokemon games which use much more modern 3D models on the system bug me because they look like they are newer games weirdly displayed at really low res. Like watching a YouTube video today, in like 144p.

I'm not bashing on the 3DS, like I said, I played it loads and loads and owned too many of the things. It got me thinking of a "what if" scenario - the HD-3DS or just HD-DS that we never got. I was sitting there playing Pokemon and a few other titles on the system and imagining basically the same games, but on a screen like even my old Galaxy 3 had and I really liked the idea.

The Switch does remain for me, even now, just on the edge of comfort while portable. If it were really any larger or heavier, I'd probably get annoyed. The light weight of the 3DS and the form factor are really nice. If the thing had 2 proper thumb sticks (not that terrible little nub) and brighter and just slightly higher resolution screens, I think it could have been a pretty successful little device if we never got the Switch.

Especially if it remained backward compatible with older DS and 3DS games as well. And just tweaking the idea a little more, what if, with the added power needed for that higher res, they were able to bring over more of the Virtual Console games from Wii U? GBA, N64?

It's a fun little thing to imagine.

Heh quite coincidentally, I ended up buying Pokemon Ultra Sun last week.

Mind you, Ultra Moon took me like an entire year to beat because I just kinda got tired of gen 7 at that time, but I suddenly got... Nostalgic about it? Dunno, I've been jumping between Pokemon games lately.

So instead of being a normal person and starting over on the game I own, I bought another one. It was cheap though so that's ok.

Ironically enough, I've been playing slowly and finding random stuff I completely skipped the first time around.

@Heavyarms55 HD screen with 3D would have been so cool. I love that 3D effect. I almost pulled out the 3ds xl to play Mario 64 recently.

Is Pokémon Ultra S/M better than S/M?

@BabyYoshi12 they're nearly identical.

In my opinion the story is slightly better in SM, while the after-game content is better in USUM.

@WoomyNNYes Honestly over the thousands of hours I put into the system, I don't think I used the 3D feature itself for more than 5 hours total. For me the 3DS was a better DS and the 3D was just a sales gimmick. I don't hate it or anything, it's just sorta there.

@BabyYoshi12 I completely agree with @Eel the games are 80% the same game, with different endings and post games. I like the story ending of SM better but agree with Eel that the post game in USUM is far better. I argued for a long time that USUM should have been a DLC expansion to SM instead of "new" games. And I'm glad that's what they have done with SW/SH.

On a side note - my main issue with the story in either SM/USUM overall is that it's not your story, it's Lily and Gladion's. You're just the soulless, personality-less, weapon everyone points at every problem in the region and asks you to solve.

Are Ultra Pokémon still in SM?

Well at least you have a bit more of a role in Alola hah. SS went a bit too far with the "it's not your story" angle.

But yeah haha these protagonists would be great at poker.

Edit: Ultra beasts debuted in SM, so yes.

Edit 2: oh before I forget, USUM are also a bit more challenging than SM, assuming you don't go out of your way to overlevel your Pokemon. Which is a nice thing.

Crazy day work-wise, and on top of that I have an irritated bug bite on my ankle. The reaction is bad enough that it's weeping a bit, and it's in an area where my foot touches the rim of my shoe. The urge to scratch it is almost constant. 😬 Gonna try some at-home stuff for a couple days, then the doctor if things don't improve.

@Heavyarms55 The bits I have seen of Mythbusters were quite informative and entertaining! I'll be tracking the full show down at some point, but when and how is another question entirely...depends on my will and wallet I suppose. XD

Yeah, probably best to leave the politics alone for now before we really breach the topic.

@BruceCM Will do!

@BabyYoshi12 Agreed with the above comments on Su/Mo vs. US/UM. I liked some of the story in the original two better, but most of US/UM feel like what the original two games should have been in terms of variety, content, and the post-game. The first two games feel pretty barebones by comparison, almost like they could have used a bit more time in the oven.

@Tyranexx Now I want to rewatch the show... Gotta look up the rocket car episode.

@Eel Thanks!

Got a neat surprise this morning from a FedEx courier

Both arrived together from LRG

OBITUARY

K.K.Slider has passed away this morning.
His last performance was Coffin Dance at the church to celebrate the wedding of Cyrus and Reese last night.
Nobody knew the caused of his death but the rumors said he got bumped with Sherb and Raymond while playing his guitar on the street.
David.H as the fan of K.K. Slider and with some of villagers really lost him as true talented musician. Sherb and Raymond also felt guilty for making K.K.Slider died by their carelessness. If only they didn't have chat while walking on the street and bumped with someone.
To give some tribute, a small ceremony dedicated only for him....

Psych!! He is not died yet. He still alive 😜

@Heavyarms55 You don't like the 3D effect? Well, personally, I definitely have to agree with @WoomyNNYes here. In fact, I've done the exact opposite of you: I hardly ever turned it off. And there's plenty of games on the 3DS that make excellent use of it and in a number of titles it also truly adds to the experience, so I'd say it isn't just a sales gimmick.

Of course, much like with the Wii's motion controls, there were always developers who just threw the 3D effect in for the sake and/or hell of it, but those that did the 3D capabilities justice truly made it a more interesting and immersive experience, in my opinion.

@Zuljaras That's a neat surprise indeed. Although obviously, since you ordered them yourself, it isn't really a surprise...

@ThanosReXXX Yeah but I never tracked the orders It was a surprise because the courier woke me up

@Zuljaras Ah, okay. A pleasant wake up call, then.

@Heavyarms55
Are you also watching the new show of Pokémon?
Im catching up at episode 15 so far and I’m enjoying it a lot more then I thought I whould

Yeah, @thanosrexxx, I just put @heavyarms55 on ignore 🤪🤪 (I'm just playing heavyarms55 😉. I know not everyone cares for the 3ds effect.)

For me the 3d was just one of those things that I would activate at specific times because "oh I wonder how this looks in 3D!", and then turn off to conserve battery and because ghosting would eventually set in.

It was cool, but I don't really miss it.

@Heavyarms55 "The Switch does remain for me, even now, just on the edge of comfort while portable. If it were really any larger or heavier, I'd probably get annoyed. The light weight of the 3DS and the form factor are really nice. If the thing had 2 proper thumb sticks (not that terrible little nub) and brighter and just slightly higher resolution screens, I think it could have been a pretty successful little device if we never got the Switch."

That sounds awesome. I put together a mock-up of what such a thing might look like:

I, for one love the 3D on the 3DS. It took a tiny screen and made it seem far bigger than it really was by adding a Z dimension to it. I wish that tech took off and was here to stay. It really worked so well, and is the one thing I really miss about 3DS. It also fixed the perception of the "low resolution" screens. With depth, things looked much more solid than the pixelated 2D mode. Especially the "super stable" 3D on the New 3DS's. It worked so great.