justinr

FFTA2 is on the DS and uses a (very slightly) more advanced engine than FFTA. I would suspect it's practically trivial to port FFTA2 to the same engine and at least release it on DSiWare. It's probably equally trivial to 'update' it for native 3ds.

There's no real reason FFTA can't be on the 3DS, too.

Maybe some day we'll see Metroid: Zero Mission on the 3ds...

So much easier to play on the 3ds than on mobile. And, this is the game that finally got my wife hooked - she's picked up her 2ds again and has been playing with me!

I highly recommend it, Terraria is one of the funnest build/explore games out there, and while the 3ds version is somewhat limited and does have some bugs, it's still incredibly fun- especially multiplayer.

3DS VC is officially abandoned.

Considering the amount of DLC and other paid content that exists in similar markets (Google Play, iTunes, PSN, XBox, etc), and is a huge source of profit for the creators, Nintendo's making a "smart move" by these simple DLC experiments. Chances are, they'll get hooked like everyone else does and it'll end up being widely accepted by their fanbase as the new normal.

It's already been done, they're really not breaking into new ground here. Nintendo's just the last bastion of sanity in this crazy world, in this regard, and they're finally succumbing.

That decal is a special edition for the chinese 'Year of the Sheep'. The 'official' version has a somewhat plainer decal on the face.

This whole "article" is misleading and really doesn't tell us anything new.

@Platypus101 you're missing point. None of us ever said that our opinion and ONLY our opinion mattered. What we're saying is that our opinion DOES matter, just like everyone else who voiced an opinion.

The real issue is that Nintendo is denying us the 'consumer choice' - that same choice they've given the entire rest of the world. So, you got your N3DSXL - I'm happy for you! I'm sad that I didn't get my N3DS (regular size), and instead of banding together with us and helping other people be happy like you are, you're spending more time and energy telling us how stupid we are for wanting the other unit. The 'core gamer' demographic is now fractured thanks to you and people like you.

We all should be working together to communicate effectively with Nintendo instead of fighting amongst ourselves.

I'm not going to consider 'the bigger picture' as you suggest, and here's why: Nintendo is so clumsy at connecting with their target audience that the damage has already been done. Period. They've damaged my relationship with them, and the's little they can do to redeem themselves. I'm not buying a N3DSXL. Period. Forget cutesy faceplates, I don't care. I want the portability, and the XL is not, in my opinion, portable.

But beyond that, my personal reasons are irrelevant. Nintendo basically said we Americans are too confused and stupid to understand our consumer choices, and thus took the actual choice away from us. This may have not been their intent, but this was the definite result. And they're too damn proud to admit that their choice of naming the new console may have played a significant factor in whatever confusion exists. Just call it the Super 3DS, for crying out loud! Problem solved!

Give me the CHOICE to buy the N3DS OR the N3DS XL. I'll gladly continue to support you by shovelling my money into your hands. Until then, you're not getting a single red cent. My wallet wants the freedom to choose, for itself. Catering only to the greater segment of the market's only going to piss everyone off, in the long run.

Fix the problem, Nintendo.

Basically feels we're too stupid and that they made the best decision for us, AND THEN their dude Dimon cites a desire to connect more with the user base? If they connected with us in the first place, they wouldn't have made such a poor decision!

They need to release the non-XL N3DS already. I'm never buying this oversized thing!

They can expand our 'consumer choice' by offering the regular-sized New 3DS in ALL markets - including North America.

There's already plenty of low-cost apps on the eshop. Introducing smartphone apps will merely dilute the quality level of the line-up. If Nintendo is looking to expand the user base with such a move, this is one way to do it. But if they're looking to expand their profit margin by doing this, it won't work.

They need to open NA to getting both sizes of the N3DS. People are more swayed by having the choice of hardware than they are by what software is available.

I'm tired of 'daddy nintendo' telling me what I do and don't want, without even asking me. They're clearly far out of touch.

smells like fertile ground for a class action lawsuit.

I had my heart set on a regular-sized n3ds, but Nintendo soundly dashed that dream. Looks like I'm buying nothing at all.

He didn't breathe a single word about the regular-size new 3ds, which feels a lot like being crapped on.

It'd be really cool if Nintendo Japan, USA, and EU all got on the same page, or at least coordinated their strategies, where interesting things like this are concerned.

It's my understanding that the Game Boy Light was always intended as only limited-edition units. The release date would have always been too close to that of the GBC to make it profitable in anything other than collector's editions and such.

The EL backlight would have been incompatible with the GBC, as it emitted a pale green light. At that time, CFL backlighting was not only too bulky, but required more power draw than a pair of AA's could provide, and white LED tech was not available yet.

the genre is sorely underrepresented on the 3ds, but what this game offers is way too similar to speedx to make it worthwhile, unless there are indeed leaderboards, as XCWarrior stated.

This continual lack of virtual console love on the 3DS is utterly depressing.

The default 'black' theme is the only one worth having - simple, dark (easier on the eyes, especially at night), and fast. The question, though, is how often does one sit around on the home screen? I've almost always got a game going on...

But even then my inner graphic designer cringes at the white-bordered black text on the top screen, and hideous white border on the top menu items.

Pricing isn't always the biggest issue, it's content. Going weeks with zero VC releases on both flagship consoles (Wii U AND 3DS) is unacceptable: releasing even one title per console per release period shows the fanbase you're paying attention.

There's no gamble involved in re-releasing classic titles. Even the bad ones; it's a guaranteed moneymaker (even if barely). But if Nintendo and the various studios aren't willing to do the minimal amount of work required to get them out, AND they're picking and choosing what gets released, they're never going to be successful with it. Period.

Personal note: I love my 3DS. I can't/won't ever get a Wii U. But when I can't play classics on my 3DS, I will go to the other options, legal or not. Yes, I'd rather give Nintendo my money and play these games legally, but play them I certainly will, however I can.

All of you who are on the fence about buying this are probably too young to remember the thrill of playing the original the first time. Now get off my lawn!

meh, I for one am tired of the "take what you're given" nonsense that's going on here. Someone wake me up when there's something offered that people actually want, instead of some random semi-hit from the past.

Who the heck cares about ANY of this when there's 3d Classics: Kid Icarus waiting out there somewhere? Come on, NoA, you're killing me!

@Kirk: your remarks are known as "trolling" on the real internet.

Whether it's an actual physical button, or one emulated on a screen that you touch with your finger, it's still a button. Anyone that makes blanket statements like "we cannot go back to button controls now" is not only spreading misinformation, but living in a dream world.

EVERY video game ever made, past, present or future (up to a point) must have an interface between the player and the game world. Right now, and for the foreseeable future, this means there will be buttons - like I said, either on a touch screen/virtual, or on a controller - and there is no way to change that.

If any other person other than Aonuma or Miyamoto said what he did, they'd be instantly labelled a troll and flamed. He, and all of Nintendo already know that the Zelda fanbase is big enough to guarantee profit, regardless of what weird and crazy things they do with any future game.

Just because it's offered, doesn't mean it's worth purchasing.

Too bad you can't actually play the soundtrack on the wii!

They're charging what they know the collectors there will pay. Knowing how much more "rabid" japanese video game fans can be, a move like this not only makes sense, but seems completely natural. In comparison, however, many Apple fans here in the USA pay outrageous premiums for their iPhones, and consider it "money well spent".

@Nintenzo: Because they're not in touch with their fan base! "Fans? They're not many fans outside NYC! No, that's impossible, it's a barren wasteland out there!" /sarcasm

@Graph: I merely pointed out the perspective of the game developers, which is generally accurate (go ask a game developer, if you don't believe that). Your perspective as a collector and a consumer is, quite obviously, different.

I also, as a consumer and player, don't see play sessions in terms of monetary value - I'm simply pointing out that this is what developers look at when they build and sell products, including games. Your attempt to force your point of view upon others (including the game developers) as a universal fact is both pointless and short-sighted. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying your opinion isn't shared by everyone, but ONLY BY LIKE-MINDED CONSUMERS.

Anyways, we can argue about this for the rest of our lives and get nowhere. So I bid you good day and good luck with your 'wasted' money.

@Graph and others: You haven't "paid for nothing" when they shut off the servers years in the future and your disk/cartridge/download is rendered useless. Think of this from the point of view of the game developers:

They're in the business of creating consumable content, which you have consumed from the very first time you played it. This means that you pay for a product which has a limited lifespan and uses, as opposed to paying for a product designed to last a very long time (such as a house, or pick-axe, for example). So, every time you play that game, be it in 'play sessions', hours, whatever, you're lowering the original cost paid when you purchased that game/consumable product - PER USE.

For example, suppose you go out and buy a brand new game for $50. You head home, pop it in and play it for a while. That first time you play it, that session of play costs you $50. Then, you turn it off, go do your stuff, etc and the next day, you fire it up and play it some more. Now, you've played it twice, so that original $50 investment is broken down into $25 paid per play session. Each time you play, the cost per play session is reduced. A hundred sessions later, you're paying 50 cents per session.

All the developer/distributor is doing by tying the game to a subscription is making that downward curve more of a flat and stable line for themselves, until they decide to end-of-life that consumable product.

So, you haven't 'paid for nothing', if you're still playing that game 5 years later - which also is very highly unlikely. If you ARE still playing it when they EOL it, that means they've made a great game, and you've got your money's worth, and they haven't made a new product to replace it (which you'll inevitably complain about as well).

I'm not saying I'll be buying this (I'm NOT a fan of the DQ style artwork at all, it looks like crap), but I feel the need to play devil's advocate here: Everyone has been saying the Nintendo family of consoles suffers from few and poor online and online-multiplayer games, and needs more. Now, when someone wants to defray the costs associated with such a move by asking for a monthly fee from the Japanese (remember, nothing is confirmed for us western or european folks yet), you all get upset and say you're not interested? Make up your minds!

NO WAY I'll be getting that alpaca, which is disappointing. Starfox 64 3D was the last game I'll buy and/or prepurchase at the Gamestop. It just ain't worth it anymore to be a console player... there's just no honest retailers out there, and it sure doesn't help when the developers (including Nintendo) pushes you in the direction of the dishonest (GameStop).

this game, no, nevermind.

@pizzacore: the shops update at around 9 AM Pacific time (so 10 am mountain, 11 am eastern)

@SteveW: that's assuming that you care enough at that point to buy a WiiU. I'm on the fence about it now, because with all this lackluster cheerleading that Nintendo's doing for it's own products, what's there to get us excited about their support of the WiiU being any different? They'll squeeze it for a couple of years like they did the Wii/DS, then slowly let it dwindle to oblivion as they romp in the piles of cash they've made at our expense.

This review sums up this week: http://glitboy.com/?q=node/11

Sorry, this late in the game, I'm less than impressed in NOA's ability to even perform basic math problems.

@LordJumpMad: there's no explaining the actions of business leaders of our world.

Well, GOOD FOR YOU, EUROPE

Rule #1 of Jagged Alliance: Don't talk about Jagged Alliance.

an old, tired franchise, dragged from its dusty grave and beat again and again, until the tiniest spark of life (is it undead?) makes it seem like a few bucks more could be squeezed from it.

it doesn't bother me much that we don't have Nintendo Video Service yet, but what bothers me is the crappy treatment their marketing and PR has given it: "Nintendo Video is out today!" So we all assume it'll be out with the eShop update, but it's not?!? Least they could do is give us some explanation for the delay, or tell us that the intern/turd that screwed it all up has been fired.

@pntjr eShop updates show up around 9am PST.

We're supposed to care now? Why should we care?

I don't have a PS3, and don't want one, the return on investment just isn't there for PS3 games. As a result of the RPG drought on the Wii, I've supplanted the addiction with more book reading.

And like motang has said, this game has pretty much been MIA, so even though I WAS kinda looking forward to it, I don't care at this point, especially after NoA's recent announcement that they know what's best and the fans do not.

If I say I WANT a product, I generally do. This means that I'm very likely to purchase said product, regardless if it's out now, or won't come out for a year. And this is no different than 99% of the wallets out there. I WILL purchase Skyward Sword - that's certain. If Nintendo pulls its head out of its butt and releases Last Story or Xenoblade Chronicles, I WILL purchase them.

But at this point, it's going to take some fancy action by NoA and a whole hell of a lot of warming up to their fans in order to convince me to buy the Wii U - after all, what's to stop them from pulling the same crap as this later on? They've done this multiple times in the past, they're likely to again. The damage to their reputation, honor, and relationship with the consumers has already been done. What needs to happen now is to fix that. Or lose.

At the very least, do a small-scale test release of these games - localized or not - that's the real litmus test of a product's viability, not some market research and consumer polls.

Just the fact that NoA won't substantiate their decision with facts and reasoning (justifying why they think it's not a good idea / is not profitable) lends credence to my belief that they're a bunch of lazy good-for-nothings.