Got my new 3DS, it seems pretty neat so far. I don’t understand why they insist on the glossy surface, though - I’ve had this thing out of the box for 30 minutes, and it’s already covered in fingerprints.
Man, I’m still bummed about them not releasing the regular-sized New 3DS here. I really had my eye on that white one with the colorful buttons…
The new 3d effect is really good, it is how the system should have been all along. I barely used the 3d at all before, but I could actually see leaving it on most of the time now.
This is a large device. I miss the size of my DS Lite. I guess even the regular 3DS versions have always been bigger than that too, but still. This is not really a carry-in-your-pocket situation. Oh well.
I carry mine in an interior coat pocket occasionally but the main mode of transport for my 3DS XL is a black version of this universal folio.
It’s awesome. Holds at least eight games and offers complete exterior scratch protection. Also doesn’t look like a video game machine unless you look closely at the relatively small Nintendo DS branding mark. I got one for each of my kids too. Super safe!
Just import one - oh wait, you can’t. Because Nintendo.
This is a large device. I miss the size of my DS Lite. I guess even the regular 3DS versions have always been bigger than that too, but still. This is not really a carry-in-your-pocket situation. Oh well.
Yeah, I’m torn between normal size and XL. I’d like the extra battery and screen size, but being able to carry it in your pocket is huge.
I really wish they had made the XL a bit more streamlined. The fact that it’s actually larger than the old XL is super frustrating. Like Ginger I’m torn between battery life and size…
I always want the largest portable I can get. The bigger the better.
So what’s the best looking use of the 3D part of the 3DS? The 3D looks great in Majora’s Mask and the head-tracking does a good enough job of keeping it looking right. Are there shooters or anything that really show it off even more?
Kid Icarus is a rail shooter that does a pretty good job with the 3D.
I can’t really think of other great examples. Your best bet is to look at 1st party stuff, as Nintendo actively work to make sure it works. Most things that are ports tend to have it either half assed or not at all.
I upgraded from a DS Lite to the New 3DS XL and I’m super happy with it. The larger screen even enhances the old DS game experience for me… and I wasn’t expecting the analog stick to work for them, but what a nice added bonus that turned out to be.
I didn’t think I was going to like 3d and expected I’d leave it off all the time, but I was wrong about that. It really does a nice job of taking ‘decent’ level graphics to the next level. The anti aliasing effect it seems to create makes everything look sharper. Also, the face tracking is flawless.
Anyway, I’m sure I just created another large game backlog for me to happily churn through.
I think Super Mario 3D Land is one of the killer apps. It really does help you judge things so much better to have that depth of 3D. Download Sub Wars (free) and play that too. I am a huge fan of Ridge Racer 3D also. It’s not going to wow you with depth of gameplay, but it sure does wow me with depth of 3D. One reason to upgrade to a New 3DS for me is just to play that game again with the head tracking 3D! Star Fox 3D is another one I’m sure I’d revisit now with the new head tracking feature too. I concur with Kid Icarus as well.
For some eShop options, try any of the Sega 3D remakes or the Nintendo ones like Excitebike. They’re just plain cool in 3D.
It’s not necessarily the best looking, but the 3D adds a lot to Monster Hunter gameplay, so much that I find it difficult to play without it now. It really helps in determining position and judging attack distances.
I think the worst 3D is the newer Pokemon games, where the overworld has none at all and using 3D in the battles tanks the framerate.
Bumping this thread because why not? There’s a local game shop near me, and I got to play around with a 3DS XL today, and I was sold, so I’m picking one up Wednesday. I want to get at least one or two great games for it, so based on my love of space games, roguelikes and strategy games really above all else (I do love RPGs too), what are maybe 1-2 games I should get with it? That Ghost Recon game up thread looks amazing, for example, so I might get that.
Thanks in advance!
There are not a lot of space games on 3DS, nor much in the way of rogue-likes. Are you sure you’ve made the right hardware choice? ;)
Etrian Mystery Dungeon is fairly rogue-like, but it hasn’t released outside of Japan/US yet so I haven’t played it. I don’t think the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is very good. Outside of those there are some good dungeon crawlers, like the main Etrian Odyssey games, Shin Megami Tensei IV, and Persona Q.
There are decent amounts of good RPG and strategy though, and a bunch of quirky life-sim stuff (Animal Crossing, Rune Factory, Fantasy Life etc).
If I had to pick just two 3DS games, they would be Fire Emblem Awakening and Monster Hunter 4U. Two more and I’d also consider Bravely Default and maybe a Pokemon game like Alpha Ruby/Sapphire.
Oh and there are also Mario and Zelda games. ;)
Brian, I’m really enjoying Shin Megami Tensei IV. It’s a quirky rpg with a really cool post-apocalyptic neo-Tokyo setting. It has an uncomfortable yet engrossing atmosphere that really gets under your skin.
I’m not sure if there’s a wrong way to build your character but there’s a lot of options available so you can customize the protagonist to fit your play style which is always good.
There’s a lot to take in but I’m finding the whole experience pretty empowering. I was impressed by how carefully Atlus balanced both boosting your characters stats and affinities, without it turning into either a dull grind-fest or a paper-scissors-rock game. It’s a system that rewards careful selection of party members, and it’s pretty enjoyable for someone who’s not an JRPG guy (the only JRPG-style game I love is Anachronox). Check out Jeremy Parish’s review if you’re interested.
Lots of people really love Bravely Default and Fire Emblem: Awakening.
Fire Emblem.
Ohhhhhh, Etrian Mystery Dungeon looks amazing. As does Bravely Default. Has anyone played that Ghost Recon game?
It’s in my backlog. Matt Lees, formerly of Video Gamer, said it was fantastic. I believe it’s a Julian Gollop game.
There’s a port of Xenoblade: Chronicles, Tom Chick’s no. 2 game of 2012, that’s a New 3DS exclusive. I haven’t tried it yet, so I don’t know how it stacks up to the Wii version. Seems awfully ambitious for a handheld RPG.