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[VN1X]

This made me realize I bought Ever Oasis and Sushi Striker not that long ago and have yet to play them!

 

[stranno]

I have a New 3DS XL with a Katsukity capture board and, to be honest, it is one of the most disappointing consoles I ever had.

Crappy CPU, crappy I/O and uber-crappy GPU. Although catalog is decent enough and some games showcase really cool graphics given the hardware.

AR was already a thing on DSi, by the way. And by 2011 it was a fading trend, very exploited on iOS or even Symbian S60v3.

Compare that game you are showing with the Catapult tech-demo for Gizmondo (2006).

 

[Umbasaborne]

The new 3ds xl is honestly one of my top 3 systems of all time. The game line up is amazing, i feel more drawn to that system still than i do the switch.

 

[UltimaKilo]

It is the last proper handheld console. Weak hardware (but who cares ?), low resolution, good battery, passive cooling. Vita also had some good exclusive efforts, but started seeing shit ports with no optimization for the handheld screen. Switch nowadays is 100% this (games for TV but on a small display) so that's basically unpractical as a handheld.

When the 3DS died, many studios and types of games died with it. It was not viable anymore to make small RPGs. Remember when Atlus made games such as Radiant Historia, Etrian Odyssey, Persona Q, Strange Journey ? All of this was thrown away, which sucks, because they were great handheld games.

Thankfully I still have a nice library of physical games for both 3DS and Vita, but I will run out eventually.

This is quite sad, and true.

I understood Nintendo's reason for unifying their portable and home consoles, and at the time it seemed brilliant (I thought we'd get more unique first-party titles since they could now deploy to both home and to portable with the same game), but in reality we have seen a huge loss in the category of games that thrived on portable Nintendo devices. Everything has to be some kind of headliner that can stand alongside home console offerings, and that's a terrible pattern.

Looking back at this situation, I find myself hoping that they spilt their platforms again in the future, and create a handheld that is dedicated towards the kinds of titles which have no interest in being console-ready compelling TV experiences. I'd even like to bring back the concept of a portable differentiator like the 3D screen, making portable experiences feel decisively different from TV games. But that seems unlikely.

There’s nothing stopping developers from creating those games on Switch, and they have: Bravely Default 2, Octopath Traveler, Triangle Strategy, etc.

Hopefully Atlus gives us another Radiant Historia at some point.

 

[Skifi28]

Contrary to the switch, an actual portable you can just take with you on a whim without any special preparation or protective bag.

 

[Trogdor1123]

Always one of those xl 2ds units…. Wonder how much they are

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

AR was already a thing on DSi, by the way. And by 2011 it was a fading trend, very exploited on iOS or even Symbian S60v3.

While the little bit of AR they included with the 3DS was just a fun and simple toy, I wouldn't compare it at all to other AR of its era. The 3D is the clear differentiator here. Watching AR on a flat screen is totally pointless and just looks like a video background with characters drawn on it, but having it draw 3D objects onto your table with depth preserved by the 2 cameras was really a neat thing unlike any other experience around at that time. The new AR frontier will obviously be in VR/AR combination... flat screens still have absolutely nothing to offer.

 

[stranno]

While the little bit of AR they included with the 3DS was just a fun and simple toy, I wouldn't compare it at all to other AR of its era. The 3D is the clear differentiator here. Watching AR on a flat screen is totally pointless and just looks like a video background with characters drawn on it, but having it draw 3D objects onto your table with depth preserved by the 2 cameras was really a neat thing unlike any other experience around at that time. The new AR frontier will obviously be in VR/AR combination... flat screens still have absolutely nothing to offer.

The depth doesn't add anything to the experience. Just 3D models floating around and shattered glass effects layered on top of the video footage, regardless of the depth of the image. It's just the same kind of game as on iOS/Symbian, 5-7 years before, but with the 3D gimmick.

What I mean is that AR was already FAR more complex than anything showcased on 3DS, several years before 3DS.

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

The depth doesn't add anything to the experience. Just 3D models floating around and shattered glass effects layered on top of the video footage, regardless of the depth of the image. It's just the same kind of game as on iOS/Symbian, 5-7 years before, but with the 3D gimmick.

Strongly disagree. AR with flat screens is totally pointless IMO. Its only use is to test paint colors on your wall in a Home Depot app or something, where immersion isn't a factor at all.

It's also weird to call the stereoscopic 3D part a "gimmick" when even the best produced AR was always far more gimmicky as a gaming feature than anything I've seen in 3D since the early days of red-blue glasses. How could 3D somehow make AR more of a gimmick. Unless you just categorically hate stereo 3D, which is what I'm picking up as theme above.

Anyhow, I'm not sure what the argument is, because AR on the 3DS was just a cool toy, even it felt totally new since most of us had never interacted with a 3D AR implementation (VR obviously exceeds it now). I don't remember anyone saying the AR was a technical masterpiece--was that somewhere in this thread that I missed?

 

[cireza]

The depth doesn't add anything to the experience. Just 3D models floating around and shattered glass effects layered on top of the video footage, regardless of the depth of the image. It's just the same kind of game as on iOS/Symbian, 5-7 years before, but with the 3D gimmick.

What I mean is that AR was already FAR more complex than anything showcased on 3DS, several years before 3DS.

The depth doesn't add anything ? In this about AR specifically ?

Because the depth is awesome and helps a lot in 3D games. It makes platformers such as Mario much better since we can evaluate precisely were things are. You never wonder where you are going to fall. AR was the useless feature here, but 3D was great and worked perfectly well.

 

[Doczu]

Still using my n3DS regularly as an all-in-one Nintendo handheld. From the GB to the 3DS, enough games to play for years to come.

 

[Doczu]

I've been using the 3DS system since it's launch, moved over to the n3DS for official optimized games and to jailbreak the unit to use the extra processing power to smooth the standard games and allow for better emulation options.
You can say the DS had a better game library, but with the 3DS you have the option to play some of the best exclusives on the system and the entire back catalog.
I loved the f2p grapling hook game where you could draw pins to customise your home screen, miiverse was fun when it was online and even though the system was weak when it came out it still had some serious lookers, mostly thanks to Capcom.

Revelations really looked amazing, booting up the demo made me pre-order the limited edition with the CPP.

Shame the system wasn't dual analog from the beginning and even then the nub on the New models is plain bad. Honestly a regular 3DS with the CPP gave me better accuracy in twin stick games.

 

[tvdaXD]

You should see the PSP!

 

[Tams]

I miss the StreetPass feature. That was fun, especially at conventions or the like. Pokémon GO and Pikmin Bloom just aren't the same.

I'm not sure most people would put up with it these days, and the Switch is just too big to bother carrying around all the time.

Swapnote (Nintendo Letter Box) was a lot of fun before smartphones *really* took off (Flipnote Studio on the DSi being even more impressive for the time).

 

[Tams]

I was not sold on its price and specs, but when I actually played Zelda: TOoT remake at a mall before launch I was hooked. 3D effect was real. The console had DS BC and had lots of charm. So did the Wii U.

The Switch, while it is a great console for what it enables and it is successful, does not have much Nintendo charm in its UI and system built in apps. Apple is the same in its modern OS UI’s too, more and more sterile :/.

It was the age of Frutiger Aero.

Frutiger Aero

This article is part of a series on the Frutiger Family Frutiger Aero (also known as Web 2.0 Gloss) is a broad design style and aesthetic that was prevalent in advertising, media, stock imagery and technology from roughly 2004 to 2013, following the end of the Y2K era. Overlapping with the...

aesthetics.fandom.com

It could be bizarre, too much, insincere, somewhat soulless, etc. But it was never so plain, boring, and soulless as the minimalist design we have now.

 

[ValiantTraveler]

So many gems on this console, I hade four years of absolute joy with it.

 

[Lillie]

I have the New 2DS XL and it's great

 

[GymWolf]

Only tried once inside a gamestop because i was curious about the 3d effect and i wasn't let down one bit, it was as gimmicky\useless as i was expecting

 

[calistan]

Only tried once inside a gamestop because i was curious about the 3d effect and i wasn't let down one bit, it was as gimmicky\useless as i was expecting

I always turned the 3D slider all the way off on mine. It's okay to look at for a very short time, but when you're playing a game and you move even slightly out of the sweet spot and the picture breaks up, it's just nasty. My daughter uses it now, and she soon wanted to give up on it until I showed her how to get rid of the 3D.

Apparently the new 3DS was a bit better in that regard, but I never tried one of those.

 

[GymWolf]

I always turned the 3D slider all the way off on mine. It's okay to look at for a very short time, but when you're playing a game and you move even slightly out of the sweet spot and the picture breaks up, it's just nasty. My daughter uses it now, and she soon wanted to give up on it until I showed her how to get rid of the 3D.

Apparently the new 3DS was a bit better in that regard, but I never tried one of those.

Good 3d, that is actually immersive and without stress for the eyes is extremely difficult to achieve even for imax movie theaters, there was no chance in hell that the 3d inside a portable console was any good unless you have lower than low standards, it was a neat gimmick to make people buy the console for the novelty, like the 3d inside flat panels or the infamous curved screens for "better immersion" from some years ago.

Ah, youth.

 

[cireza]

Good 3d, that is actually immersive and without stress for the eyes is extremely difficult to achieve even for imax movie theaters, there was no chance in hell that the 3d inside a portable console was any good unless you have lower than low standards, it was a neat gimmick to make people buy the console for the novelty, like the 3d inside flat panels or the infamous curved screens for "better immersion" from some years ago.

Ah, youth.

I don't know what's your problem with the 3D, but it simply works. And no shitty glasses that ruin the colors. You don't have to put the slider at the top, it depends of the level of depth you want.

 

[GymWolf]

I don't know what's your problem with the 3D, but it simply works. And no shitty glasses that ruin the colors. You don't have to put the slider at the top, it depends of the level of depth you want.

I only tried super mario bros in 3d and it was barely noticeable.

I thought it was a me thing before posting but a rapid search on goggle tells me otherwise.

 

[cireza]

I only tried super mario bros in 3d and it was barely noticeably.

Which one ? In 3D Land the effect is very well implemented and extremely useful for precise platforming. Every time I play a 3D platformer without the 3D effect of the 3DS, there are moments where I find that the depth is greatly missing to make some precise jumps.

In New Mario Bros 2, the effect is useless and simply adds stupid blur.

 

[GymWolf]

Which one ? In 3D Land the effect is very well implemented and extremely useful for precise platforming. Every time I play a 3D platformer without the 3D effect of the 3DS, there are moments where I find that the depth is greatly missing to make some precise jumps.

In New Mario Bros 2, the effect is useless and simply adds stupid blur.

I can't remember what mario it was, sorry, it was eons ago.

Bit i get that some games were better and some not much, right?

 

[Raven117]

Yup. Its great.

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

I've discovered that people see 3D very differently. It's strange, they'll act like turning on the slider doesn't change anything and for me it's 100% qualitative difference that completely changes the visuals into something unlike any other device screen, even on the more subtle games (eg. 2D to 3D conversions with layers, like Kirby's Adventure). It's like going from a black and white image to a color one.

Anecdotally, people all on one extreme or the other. So there appears to be a real difference in 3D perception.

I grew up loving 3D, by the way -- every 3D thing I could get my hands on in those days, from red-blue glasses to stereographs ("Magic Eye" -- I even learned to create my own by reverse engineering them). I immediately see the 3D prominently when I turn on the slider, and I never have even a moment's difficulty staying in the correct position to view it.

 

[cireza]

Bit i get that some games were better and some not much, right?

Of course. It had to be implemented by each development team. Sometimes there were some issues, but in many games it is very well done.

 

[calistan]

I don't know what's your problem with the 3D, but it simply works. And no shitty glasses that ruin the colors. You don't have to put the slider at the top, it depends of the level of depth you want.

It works in that it does look 3D when you look at it from exactly the right angle, but if you move it even a tiny bit you get the image for one eye going into the other eye and it looks like shit.

I just fired up the Metal Gear 3D demo, to make sure I wasn't misremembering, and yes, it's still a gimmick. Everything looks clear and crisp with the 3D off, but the more you turn it up, the more it's like staring at a Magic Eye picture. It's just a lenticular screen, there's zero magic going on in the 3DS.

 

[GymWolf]

Of course. It had to be implemented by each development team. Sometimes there were some issues, but in many games it is very well done.

Clear.

I just can't imagine a strong 3d effect from a small screen, without special glasses when 3d inside super pricey tvs and movie theaters rarely get it done right.

 

[MadchesterManc]

The face tracking 3D on the new3Ds is the real deal. I do enjoy me some stereoscopic 3D but even I found the implementation on the original models a bit naff.

Still carry a new3DS XL, has the most eye catching way to enjoy some of SEGA's old stuff funnily enough with the 3D ports.

 

[cireza]

but if you move it even a tiny bit you get the image for one eye going into the other eye and it looks like shit.

Well try playing without moving then ? I have a standard 3DS XL and it is not an issue.

 

[mistuhcahlos]

I love mine too, but mostly for the Fire Emblems, River City games and Rhythm Heaven

 

[stranno]

The depth doesn't add anything ? In this about AR specifically ?

Because the depth is awesome and helps a lot in 3D games. It makes platformers such as Mario much better since we can evaluate precisely were things are. You never wonder where you are going to fall. AR was the useless feature here, but 3D was great and worked perfectly well.

Who exactly is talking about the depth in 3D games? We are talking about AR here.

Strongly disagree. AR with flat screens is totally pointless IMO. Its only use is to test paint colors on your wall in a Home Depot app or something, where immersion isn't a factor at all.

It's also weird to call the stereoscopic 3D part a "gimmick" when even the best produced AR was always far more gimmicky as a gaming feature than anything I've seen in 3D since the early days of red-blue glasses. How could 3D somehow make AR more of a gimmick. Unless you just categorically hate stereo 3D, which is what I'm picking up as theme above.

Anyhow, I'm not sure what the argument is, because AR on the 3DS was just a cool toy, even it felt totally new since most of us had never interacted with a 3D AR implementation (VR obviously exceeds it now). I don't remember anyone saying the AR was a technical masterpiece--was that somewhere in this thread that I missed?

Very innovative was the wrong fact I was arguing about. If you are fine with that firmware mini-game, ok. But, again, it is exactly the same thing as previous generations devices, including DSi.

I still don't see why the depth add anything to the crappy floating things with live backgrounds mini-games. 3D depth in the live footage is barely noticeable, unlike the depth between the floating things, the layered effects and the video, which is quite obvious for anyone.

AR in VR headsets is a completely different thing. Even the Google AR toolkit for phones is FAR more complex and interesting. But that's not fair at all since it is a much more evolved technology. I'm talking about a 5 years earlier examples.

--

3D in 3DS could have been ALMOST ok in a much more powerful handheld, unfortunately it just adds more strain to an already weak system. At least it worked fine in the New model with the improved face detection and the dedicated core (talking about wasted resources), but it was really bad on the original model. Of course there were worse examples, like those 3D-enabled phones from LG or Sharp.

 

[Black_Mamba]

I've discovered that people see 3D very differently. It's strange, they'll act like turning on the slider doesn't change anything and for me it's 100% qualitative difference that completely changes the visuals into something unlike any other device screen, even on the more subtle games (eg. 2D to 3D conversions with layers, like Kirby's Adventure). It's like going from a black and white image to a color one.

Anecdotally, people all on one extreme or the other. So there appears to be a real difference in 3D perception.

I grew up loving 3D, by the way -- every 3D thing I could get my hands on in those days, from red-blue glasses to stereographs ("Magic Eye" -- I even learned to create my own by reverse engineering them). I immediately see the 3D prominently when I turn on the slider, and I never have even a moment's difficulty staying in the correct position to view it.

I don't know if there're scientific studies about perception of 3D, but to me it seems like it's clear that some brains react totally different to the effect, just like perception of color, shapes, harmony can be totally off for some people. Unfortunately, most people dislike 3D in any situation, except maybe for 3D cinema, and we probably won't be seeing more developments of the technology.

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

3D depth in the live footage is barely noticeable

This is where I disagree strongly. I still remember the moment in the AR game when the card drops down into the table, making a hole that you can peer down into, and it was simple but amazing. The depth was why it felt so real, when everything else of that era, even the best tech in AR, was never more than just a green screen on a bad movie set. The depth made it feel totally different.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

The 3D effect on the new3DS models was a night and day difference compared to the original models. You have no idea how good it could be if you only tried the original models.

I loved the 3D even in graphically simpler games like Ace Attorney. Really no reason to leave it off except to save battery or (in some games) to improve the framerate.

 

[calistan]

Well try playing without moving then ? I have a standard 3DS XL and it is not an issue.

There are many reasons this display tech never took off, but that’s probably one of the biggest.

 

[cireza]

By the way, the 3D effect on the old and new console is exactly the same, the only difference is the tracking.

 

[vodka-bull]

Majoras Mask is your „happy place“? There‘s literally everyone aware of their death and you‘re happy with that? To each their own I guess…

 

[Gambit2483]

It was truly amazing the graphical achievements they were able to pull off on that little system.

I still can't believe they fit the entirety of MGS 3: Snake Eater (with improvements) on the system...and in competent 3D!

 

[EverydayBeast]

3ds wouldn’t be my first choice of handheld (honestly 2ds) and the switch gives Nintendo no reason to return to handhelds.

 

[TLZ]

It was truly amazing the graphical achievements they were able to pull off on that little system.

I still can't believe they fit the entirety of MGS 3: Snake Eater (with improvements) on the system...and in competent 3D!

The 3DS is gamecube-like with enhancements and released in 2011. So it's nothing surprising it plays PS2 era games with improvements. It's expected.

 

[Mopey bloke]

I was surprised then, and disappointed, that Nintendo didn't move to remake Link to the Past on the same engine as the sequel. It just struck me as the obvious thing to do. Then I can say I played the game without having to play the original. Please, Nintendo. Oh wait, I'll never buy one of your machines again.

 

[Doczu]

It was truly amazing the graphical achievements they were able to pull off on that little system.

I still can't believe they fit the entirety of MGS 3: Snake Eater (with improvements) on the system...and in competent 3D!

Sad thing is they force locked.the framerate at 20-something. Wven playing it on the n3DS i couldn't force brute above the steady sub 30fps. Shame, cause some of the shaders and graphicsl updates were very nice to look at

 

[cartman414]

This is quite sad, and true.

I understood Nintendo's reason for unifying their portable and home consoles, and at the time it seemed brilliant (I thought we'd get more unique first-party titles since they could now deploy to both home and to portable with the same game), but in reality we have seen a huge loss in the category of games that thrived on portable Nintendo devices. Everything has to be some kind of headliner that can stand alongside home console offerings, and that's a terrible pattern.

Looking back at this situation, I find myself hoping that they spilt their platforms again in the future, and create a handheld that is dedicated towards the kinds of titles which have no interest in being console-ready compelling TV experiences. I'd even like to bring back the concept of a portable differentiator like the 3D screen, making portable experiences feel decisively different from TV games. But that seems unlikely.

Questionable if this will ever happen, sadly. Especially since that unification means even smaller retail games are forced into the dreaded $59.99 price point.

The only way forward now is to have your game pushed as an indie tier downloadable, but how much mindspace will that leave in the long run?

 

[Pasta la Vista]

It's the last great Nintendo system and worth owning specifically the New 3DS XL. Not the 2DS. You are missing out on some games in the library that make clever use of the 3D with the 2DS.
Along with the DS backwards compatibility it makes the library absolutely massive and with a very good amount of quality games and some very unique ones due to the gimmick of the dual screens.
Also due to its design, its full of games exclusive to the system.

 

[Ozzie666]

This made me realize I bought Ever Oasis and Sushi Striker not that long ago and have yet to play them!

Ever Oasis deserves much more appreciation and deserves a proper sequel. The last game I bought for the 3DS I think was Persona Q2.

 

[frap]

One of the few disappointing aspects of its library is the lack of a dedicated Advance Wars game.

 

[Gambit2483]

The 3DS is gamecube-like with enhancements and released in 2011. So it's nothing surprising it plays PS2 era games with improvements. It's expected.

Sad thing is they force locked.the framerate at 20-something. Wven playing it on the n3DS i couldn't force brute above the steady sub 30fps. Shame, cause some of the shaders and graphicsl updates were very nice to look at

Still, this was 2014, pre-Switch, pre-Steamdeck days when seeing a full fledged PS2 game, portably, with very few compromises visually being made, and in 3D...it was impressive

Other notable games that were graphically impressive

Resident Evil Revelations
Dead or Alive Dimensions
Super Smash Brothers
Super Street Fighter 4 3D

 

[Fat Frog]

What the heck????

Indeed. What the heck ??? Link to the past had beautiful 2D. What is that cheap 3D shit ???

Good library though.

Nintendo hardwares...LOL