Round Table: Let's Talk About the 3DS

I haven't touched my 3DS in almost a year. >.>
I hope they reveal something I can't resist buying at E3.

3DS is finally coming into it's own this year....and it's not even finished with the great games either: Animal Crossing, New Leaf, Shin Megami Tensei, Ace Attorney, Pokemon XY, Bravely Default, Phoenix Wright vs Professor Layton (?), Fantasy Life (?), Youkai Watch (?) and those are only the ones I'm personally interested in.

The ? are because I'm not sure if we'll get them...but they're more possible because Nintendo said they wanted more Japan made games to make it across + the eShop makes it easier to localize games that wouldn't otherwise.

It's hard to keep up with them all, kinda annoying how the first two years were so quiet and now everything is coming at once....

I've had tons of hours of fun on my 3DS, and know I will get plenty more in the rest of its life

3DS is doing great

2014 has

bravely default
smash bros likely

thats enough

@stealth I doubt Smash Bros. will release next year, unless they rush its release.
Brawl was delayed quite a bit, iirc.

Good point at the end Tom!

@JayArr I don't know how you've managed that my moogley friend, when there are so many great games being released for it this year!

I'm with Orla and Martin I have put about 90 hours in monster hunter but I'm not even half way done (I really like free hunting)

If I ever have free time, I always go to my 3DS, not my Wii U.

@Shadow100 It might even release this year. This isnt a small team working on it. Its thousands

I love the 3D and i put it on all the time because i think it's even better that 1080p.

I am SO GLAD I purchased a 3DS. My only regret is I didn't get it before the price cut, as playing GBA games on it would turn it into gaming Nirvana for me. I've been gaming since the NES days, and my 3DS has the largest library I've ever owned (It helps that I don't have to ask my parents to buy me games anymore). I will own and use this thing well past its life cycle, I'll probably play it until I break it, like my poor beaten up GBC.

"Stephen: If the 3DS’ full library was on the PSP Vita, would there really be a good reason to not jump ship? When push comes to shove, it’s all about the games!"

PSP Vita, the DS3's major handheld competitor!

I haven't played anything on the XL since getting the WiiU and nothing else has sparked up any interest like RE Mercs/Revelations online & Heroes of Ruin... The next game will be Cult County for me

I am really happy about my 3ds, what I hate is this week release of old titles, they should release more gb, gbc even snes every week. Why cant I play castlevania 4 on my 3ds?
I havent got the altered beast on the japanese 3ds, it doesnt interest me, but I will get hang on or sonic.

I'm a big fan of my 3DS, lovely little console. I'm taking a little break from it at the moment to finish up the titles I still had lying around for Wii U, but I'm certainly going for the "too many games"-promotion. Now all I need to do is get my girlfriend one as well, so I can finally experience some local multiplayer fun!

The 3ds is here to stay and will be going strong for a long time, once pokemon x and y get here, there will be absolutely no reason to not pick up a 3ds. Not to say that fire emblem and uprising aren't killer apps themselves

The 3DS has quickly become my primary gaming console here lately.

@JayArr
Wow, must suck to not like good games!

@JayArr

You must be a tough one to please, good sir. Either that or your taste for video games is so out there that not even your genre of choice has been breached by the gargantuan 3DS library as of late. Perhaps you might reconsider, sir, your video game values?

lol, I don't think you guys really needed to re-introduce yourselves. I haven't beaten Skyward Sword either, I feel terrible

I love the 3DS' game library, I had an original 3DS and didn't like it and sold it, but than the 3DS XL came out and now I'm jealous of people I see with one lol Instead, I own a Vita and so far, that has been a big waste of money. I have 7 games for it, and all I ever play on it is Sonic and All Star Racing I miss playing Super Mario 3D Land, alone

@Cotton love your icon! GIR!!! They need to bring Invader Zim back...

@stealth The 2014 date for Bravely Default is for NA. Here in Europe we're getting it in 2013, assuming no delays!

The Nintendo 3DS is easily becoming one of my favorite gaming systems of all time due to one thing that some of the editors mentioned as well. This system reminds me of the Nintendo 64 days when games were purely about the gameplay and having fun. I was just recently playing some of my games on the N64 and I was thinking to myself, they don't make games that are this fun very often anymore. At least for me they don't.

There are some recent games that still use that tradition, but they are far less frequent than they used to be. As a result, the Nintendo 3DS is a godsend for my gaming time. I would be pretty happy if Nintendo kept up the killer amount of games that they have released thus far for the indefinite future. At the very least, this is going to be one incredible year for gaming on my Nintendo 3DS.

@Dpullam I agree with everything you said, especially the N64 comment. Other than Nintendo, most companies don't make games designed purely for fun, and that is why I have always had more fun on Nintendo consoles than any others.

gaz, you are not alone

I like my 3DS, but I wouldn't say I love it, as it's build quality is rather poor. The d-pad is horrible and chipped and there are lots of scratches on the system. I'm waiting for E3 for a 3DS plus.

The 3DS is swiftly becoming my favorite handheld console of all-time. I think I'll even use it for my new Dual-Scream design. The ghosts will pop out and scare that skinny Italian brother! Hehe. He is brave though, or more brave than he looks! King Boo was no slouch.

I love my 3ds too but its kind of sad that nintendo's handheld is more relivent than there home console

Hell, I don't leave home without it!

3DS is the best console ever, Nintendo should give up on the Wii U and concentrate on the console that'll be putting food on their table for the rest of this generation

Im always playing starfox 3d trying to beat my high score atleast once a week, play mario tennis with my brother online, mk7 and i just picked up donkey kong last night. I still havent finished luigis mansion yet so i have a good amount of games i can play for a while.especially when animal crossing comes out. Im having so much fun playing 3ds this year and i still have games like kirby mass attack and super star that i want to replay again when i finish donkey kong.

Nintendo consoles rule the roost for me. Most games are essentially puzzle-solving of some kind or another - where to jump, who to target with which weapon, where the secrets are in a level, more traditional brain puzzles like in Professor Layton, who to form an alliance with, what you need to collect to complete a task...etc Nintendo are always, in my opinion (and it's only an opinion), the best at finding new ways to innovate gameplay. I love that you can play games like Trauma Centre or Phantom Hourglass using the touchscreen, Fire Emblem and Mario with the buttons, rhythm games, RPGs, text-heavy games like Hotel Dusk and Phoenix, open world games like Animal Crossing, collection games and shooters. There's something for every taste at every age. And most games (with a few exceptions) are a perfect fit for the console whatever their genre.

And there's spotpass and streetpass connectivity that generates a sense of community in the way that no other console can. I take out my console in my bag and get (perhaps lamentably given my age) happy when the green light flashes. I get puzzle pieces and enhancements for games from other players. It's a great system.

Only thing that lets it down is the lack of special mii releases! When, o when, Nintendo UK?

@Harrison_Peter rub it in my face will you

Nintendo needs to develop some connectivity between the 3DS and the Wii U. I liked Mr. Miyamoto's idea of using the 3DS as a controller for the Wii U.

for me the e-shop is fundamental. ok, i didn't even know of its existence when i got it, didn't even have a wifi connection, but once i got one and discovered the eshop, and later eshop cards, it became fundamental, as i'm more at ease spending 15 euros for two games than 40 for one. if i was more stable i would buy more retail games, but for now i'm ok with an eshop game once in a while (and once in a wider while, a retail one that really interests me, if there's good wind)

the 3DS is my favorite of all handhelds of all time!!

and it has only lived for 2 years. count 4 more fruityful years =)

@TwistedRabbit I'm hoping for some "Four Swords Adventures" type of feature with Windwaker HD/Zelda 3D.

We have some PureXbox people here, but no PushSquare?

@Mollutje I'm still so jealous of you guys for that promotion! I could have gotten a free copy of Fire Emblem. XP

@ferthepoet Never. Remember the people who also like large flat screen TVs, and sharing gaming experiences with family and friends. I suppose I could understand your point of view since you must be a lone gamer.
And don't forget how the 3DS was selling poorly at the beginning just like Wii U is at the moment. Wii U will eventually put food on the table too. Why focus on one handheld console, when you can get double the money in the near future.

I had no doubt the 3DS would have a great library of games.

Same goes for the Wii U. Just wait....the Wii U will have the same article written about it after its been out 2 years.

I'm just glad capcom decided to use the 3ds as a platform for MH3U and allowed the audience for the game to expand in the west with nintendo. and it was successful enough to get MH4 exclusively on the system too.

I just bought a 3DS XL along with Fire Emblem: Awakening and soon to be Ocarina of Time 3D. Needless to say I'm already in love with it

i got mine on the first day and i've gotta say that i have much more hours on my 3ds then i do on any other system. over 300 hours on monster hunter, and 200+ on KI:U. didn't spend much time on oricarina of time, after i beat it i sort of got bored, and fire emblem was too easy on lunatic because of how OP kellam and and the dragon girl was, though their conversations were pretty entertaining. personally though, what i would like more than anything on the 3DS is another Tales of game, and not a straight up port like Tales of the Abyss. i'd really like a completely new Tales of game exclusive for the 3ds

Excellent round table!

Page 1 - If I were a stranger to NL, I would write off the website as a bias, Nintendo-loving bunch! But since I visit the site regularly, I know that the comments are honest .

Page 2 - I'd have to disagree with the majority of you as I personally feel the eShop is an essential success to the 3DS. Yes, I was one of the few that said I'd never buy digital over retail but my 3DS tells the story. Out of all the games I own and all the time that I spend with the system, the eShop is in the top five of apps played! Why?! Because I was one of those snobby kids in the retail store that retailers hated: the kid that would want to look at every game and not buy a single one. Let's admit it, we all love window shopping. And with the eShop, it's giving my ten year old self a fix. I was the kid that loved to read the back of the boxes and look at the still images to give myself a taste of what the game was like. With the eShop, not only do I get to read and look at still images, but also look at videos of gameplay which help me better decide my gaming purchases. So, yes, the eShop is good and can be better with more games: both old and new.

Page 3 - In regards to the trajectory of the 3DS's lifespan, reading on this matter actually made me think of the past. It reminded of the DS phat and DS lite days. When the first DS came out, people were not all into it. Once the DS lite came, the DS was in full stride and didn't make any hardware changes for nearly three years (DSi). I see the same thing happening now. The first 3DS did not "Wow" people because of the small screen and the difficulty of finding that sweet spot for the 3D. Plus, many were confused that it was just another DS! Ever since the XL model came out (along with NSMB2), the 3DS has been in a better trajectory and people are more comfortable with the new size for both ergonomic and visual reasons. All in all, I see no new model for a 3DS for at least another two years. Not a new system, but a new model (with one circle pad ). If all goes accordingly, I don't expect to see a new portable from Nintendo (3DS+) until the year 2017-18.

@JayArr
Good god, what is wrong with you.

I would love to hear about F-Zero coming out on both the Wii U and 3DS.

Man, I can't wait to buy a 3DS.

Jon: Apart from stereoscopic 3D and StreetPass there really isn't anything that 3DS can do that virtually any other console can't

......try putting an xbox in your pocket.

i love my 3DS XL and i love my library of games that are both digital and retail.

If SMT4 actually gets released in EU before 2014, i'll be satisfied with the year's output. Much better than last year's 2 worthy games, at least.

I'll be praying for surprise Metroid and Advance Wars E3 announcements... otherwise those series can probably officially be declared as dead (to be buried beside Fzero and Starfox, R.I.P.)

I LOVE KID ICARUS!!!!

HAHA!!! I posted this comment from my 3DS XL

am i the only one that prefers getting a game with its case rather than from the eshop

I'm happy with the 3DS library. I have a good collection and there are still titles like DOA and Castelvania which I have yet to pick up

The only thing missing for me is GBA games on the Virtual Console.

I've been watching this little system since its incarnation and though I'm not too thrilled about the "3D" aspect (it gives me motion sickness which is a precursor to a seizure), the New Mario Bros 2 and Donkey Kong Country games look fantastic. It wasn't until I saw videos of a new Zelda - Link to the Past (one of my favourite SNES games - I stayed up night/day and went to Middle School at the same time until I beat it) that I actually started getting interested in the console.

With Mario, Donkey Kong and Zelda I think my wait has paid off as I can now get a 3DS XL for less then the price of the original 3DS. It does pay to wait to buy these thing you know

Jon: Apart from stereoscopic 3D and StreetPass there really isn't anything that 3DS can do that virtually any other console can't
...I think they are forgetting WHY the system has DS in its name...

I have been amazed at how many games I have bought for my 3DS as well as how much I play it just when I have 10-20 mins here and there. I don't need the 3d to play any of the games but it ands so much to the immersion when playing I can't imagine being without it. The depth makes me feel more a part of the action. The battery is the biggest disappointment of the whole thing. My whish list of games that are out is huge and the new ones coming out are simply going to add to it.

I currently have a little more than 170 titles downloaded from eshop to my 3DS , and I have 20 titles I've purchased in hard copy form I've never owned a system that I had that much software for in a year and ahalf time frame as well I play mine daily the 3DS simply ROCKS ! I love mine , Fav system of all time for me ..

No real love for RESI's raid mode from the team shame.

next year give me Advance wars, Smash bros., a sequel to 3D LAND, Pikmin Portable™, Miiverse 3DS, Donkey Kong Crash Course 3DS as a small eshop title with more boards and i would be set.

P.S to Ken stop being a troll leave the Wiiu alone

As an owner of almost every system that a decent amount of games, I have found that I have played more hours on my DS/3DS than any gaming system, with a possible excepetion being the SNES. Even than I still think the DS/3DS wins out. Favorite system ever?? No, that will always be the DC for me. but my 3DS comes closer than I would have though a year or 2 ago.

MiiVerse, unified accounts and Neo-Geo Pocket and GBA games on Virtual Console and my life will be complete. It's a great wee system right now.

What I don't agree with is mentioning new Nintendo IPs on 3DS as something so rare. So far we have seen Pushmo, the Rolling Western, Sakura Samurai and I could even include Harmoknight. Wii U is an entirely different thing, though....

I am very happy with my 3DS and I haven't picked up things that seem to hook people so much like MH or Fire Emblem. I may get the latter, though. Don't care about Miiverse on Wii U and don't care about it here, although I like having more sales on eShop as of late.

The 3DS is one of the best Nintendo consoles since the SNES in my opinion. It has so many incredible games!

About the eshop, I think it's an important part of the system at least for me. I have a lot of download only and retail download games (which I do wish could be backed up by some sort of account system). A lot of great titles on the 3DS might not exist without the eshop so it's an important part of it for me. I can't wait for Miiverse. About streetpass, I just wish that puzzle swap didn't allow you to get the same puzzle pieces over again, and especially I wish it didn't have the pink pieces. I get so few streetpasses where I live that it's virtually impossible for me to finish a lot of those puzzles, and I really want to finish some of them like LMDM or The Last Ranger.

@zipmon "Hi! I'm Morgan, I review games and drink an awful lot of tea." I hear you on the tea. I drink unsweet every day, it's so good!

3DS Best system ever nuff Said

I'm definitely getting a lot more use out of my 3DS than I did my DS lite but to be fair I only got that for Pokemon. I don't own a Wii U but Miiverse does seem like something I would get a lot of use out of so definitely hope that comes to the 3DS soon.

side note: I wish people would stop asking for a second circle pad. 30 million+ units sold at this point with at least a couple million more to be bought once big titles like AC:NL and Pokemon X/Y come out, I don't see Nintendo turning around and releasing a new handheld(because in my mind that's what it'd be) and give a big eff you to those who bought one early.

having a wii u and a 3ds, i have to say that i am equally pleased at owning both. the wii u is a baby still and needs time to mature, such as 3ds did last year. Wii U offers things that i dont like or dont have on my 3ds, such as amazing web browser- the 3ds pales in comparison. My Wii library, especially VC games. There are some for 3ds i dont have for Wii or Wii U, but i have a vaster collection on my Wii which i transfered over to Wii U. Wii U chat, and absolutly a must have, miiverse. i use my Wii U about as much as my 3ds. My3ds is amazing and i cant game without it, as it offers things i cant find on my wii u, GB/C games on VC, 3D GOODNESS, while sometimes distracting during game play, cut scenes are the best to veiw in 3D... i use it about half the time while playing and always when veiwing story elements of the game. an unique gaming library found no where else.

I say: I'm impressed of their unconditional support, his great contribution to restore classic portable consoles and now 16-bit impressed with 3D, thanks for all SEGA ... thanks to you, I bought a Japanese 3DS to enjoy what NOA market wasted.

i have some good games for my 3ds. ssf4 is really good for it. im about to pick up fire emblem this week and i can't wait for the new zelda game to arrive. but the 3ds is a great system and i always play with the 3d on.. can't wait to play the new arriving titles

I've really enjoyed my 3DS so far. I've had to rely on the smaller eShop games, rather than retail recently (since I don't have too much money), so I'm thankful for the service.

The retail games I have played, have mostly been superb (particulary Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, Tales of the Abyss, Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, Dead or Alive Dimensions, and Ocarina of Time 3D), and it's finally gotten to the point where some retail titles I've wanted have dropped in price to be affordable to me (Resident Evil: Revelations, here I come!).

I bought my 3DS in April 2012 and I LOVE it!! I'm constantly playing games on it when I'm not playing some Wii games. The library is now getting strong and there are great games coming soon.

Now, they need to apply the same strategy to the Wii U so Nintendo can sell more consoles and rub it in EA's greedy donkey face! lol

Just recently got Donkey Kong Country, Luigi's Mansion, Monster Hunter, Fire Emblem, Tales from the Abyss, Devil Survivor Overlocked and Mario Tennis Open. Never had this much fun with portable gaming and I started all the way back with Gameboy Pocket.

3D, and GCN like graphics were what made me want 3DS the most. I knew there wouldn't be much at first(like basically every console in their first year), but I knew there would be eventually.
3DS is a great system that can stand on its own.

"Gaz: [...] Although I did like Colors 3D! as an app (apart from the misspelling of colour...)"
Heheh

Never had this much fun with video games in a while. 3ds has surpassed my expectations in almost every area.

@Shadow100 I bet smash bros will release sometime next year. Namco is helping out with development.

I bought 3DS at launch and must admit it was pretty disappointing. Thank goodness for the Tom Clancy game at launch which is really a vy good little SRPG and I recoomed it if you haven't tried it. Finally after months eShop came and then they gave us ambassador. Those GBA games are all awesome.....Then the flood of good titles came. Last month I finally moved to the XL and it is a HUGE improvement. The promos are what pushed me to upgrade. I was able to find a Mario Kart bundle at Walmart and got the new Luigi DM game and then got the Layton game on promo...So basically 3 great games or the price of one. Then gamestop was running a trade in promo so I got $110 credit for my original 3ds and mariokart cartridge....after I transferred my ambasator titles of course. Now the system is so rich....I own 10 cart games, all those good gba and retro titles, a few dsi goodies and some nice 3ds ditties. I agree they need more VC patricularly DS classics at a reduced price like their own stuff, layton, castlevania. Also more GBA for everyone. These game would be eay to offer as the 3ds is essentially compatible with these titles without emulation or modification. I was suprised they didn't mention Nintendo Video which I like and find fun. My only request is please Nintendo bring us a new side scrolling Metroid game this generation as it has been wayyyyyy to long. Aso I think more should be explpred in 3DS/WiiU cross play and promos like Sony is doing. MHU was a good start but needed special pricing or even a free download code for 3DS when you buy WiiU retail. Something with Fire Emblem where you could transfer people from 3DS to U and pokemon as well. A new advance wars for both systems with cross play/save. The things would help sell WiiU as 3DS already has 30mil and fast growing audience and it would encourage those gamers to buy a U!

are you the guys of the picture? if so, then you are very handsome!!

Link to the Past: 2, Pokemon X/Y, and tentative "Advance" Wars would/will sell 3DS systems.

So many of you guys love Monster Hunter. Is the 3ds version better than on the Wii? I had it, and tried really hard to enjoy it. But I found it hard to control in the fights, and all the areas seemed small which led to watching a load screen every 5 seconds. Every time I played it, I thought about how I'd be having way more fun playing Skyrim. Even still, I'm tempted to try again...

This was a brilliant read. Thanks NL for showing there is still some enthusiasm for positive Nintendo news. And Like many of you, my 3DS is my go to system of choice. I play it every day.

Just downloaded Lego City: Chase Begins and Donkey Kong 3D today, having fun with them both.

3DS FTW

@Funbunz
The Wii U version of MH3U is better than the 3DS version due to a bigger screen, better controls and online.

There are so many 3DS games that I need to get this year - DKCR 3D, Paper Mario, Lego City Undercover, Soul Hackers, Shin Megami Tensei IV, Project X Zone, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate and The Legend of Zelda LTP2 (I don't expect to see Bravely Default, Monster Hunter 4 or Smash Bros until 2014 at least). It's an awesome system, the only things it's missing for me are unified accounts (as I have 3DS, 3DS XL and Wii U) and MiiVerse.

For me, no console comes close to 3DS at the moment.

Roll on Smash Bros.

I'm addicted to MH3U and DKCR3D right now.

Can't.. stahp.. ;_;

I'm constantly using 3D. It makes objects seem more "solid" and immerses you more. Sure beats 1080p for me.

@Funbunz 3DS version is 10x better. Better graphic effects like self shadowing, better AA, 3x the content, literally.

The game does have loads between sections, but Monster Hunter always has and so far i'm around 150hours clocked and still hardly into the more challenging quests. Pick it up! It controls better with a CPP, mind you.

@CaPPa
what about pokemon x and y which are going to be the best games on the 3ds

just think they have been able to bring alot of games to the 3ds.
they must have equal amount or more coming for the wii u
this year and next they are releasing games such as luigi mansion 2, fire emblem awakening, pokemon x and y, pokemon mystery dungeon, donkey kong, monster hunter, castlevania, mario tennis, mario and luigi, animal crossing, zelda, mario party, lego city, shin megami tensei lV, soul hackers, yoshi, sonic lost world, smash bros, project x zone, monster hunter 4, pacman.
so if any of these games here along with other games such as mario kart, 3d land, new super mario bros 2, kid icarus and sticker star dont make people buy and play the 3ds I dont know what they like playing

There are things I regret buying but my 3DS is not part of those.

I can't believe some people don't like or use the 3D on this system. I play my
games with the 3D slider turned all the way up. The games just look way better and more alive with the 3D on. After playing with the 3D on, if I turn it off, it just doesn't look as amazing. 3D is definitely not a gimmick.
Anyway, yup, the 3DS is the best system out there at the moment, its amassing an exceptional library of games so far with more great games on the way. 3DS is on a roll.

@JayArr Since then, there's been a TON of stuff released that most people consider must-own. If you've overlooked those, you should probably just sell the thing. =)

The 3DS already has a much better library than the DS. 90% of the quality games on DS consists of RPGs, puzzle games, casual games, games with excessive touchscreen controls, and/or games ported from consoles. I can only play so many RPGs.

@ecco6t9 If you were an ambassador, you would have 10 GBA games like me!

@Yoshi3DS "am i the only one that prefers getting a game with its case rather than from the eshop?"

No I always buy physical copies too. I want to actually own the games. Because of Nintendo's DRM, downloaded games can be lost in the future when they are no longer supported and I need to replace my 3DS (presumably from an ebay one etc). Also if my unit breaks I would lose all digital copies on that unit as there is no way to transfer from a broken unit. I can see myself going back to the 3DS in the distant future to replay some favorites. Sure the GFX won't be as good as the newest but it may be the only system with 3D.

I am one of the few that plays with the 3D on full at all times. Games just look so bland to me in 2D now. If I play the vita (which is not often, haven't touched it in months) that is the first thing I miss. Yeah it is like wow the colors and resolution are so nice, but it is so ....flat.

@DaveC Couldn't you just ask Nintendo to get your games back?