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Nintendo 3DS European Launch

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With the launch of the 3DS in Europe, it's time for a thread to discuss its launch there! Join us as we share news, photos, and impressions of the new Nintendo handheld system in its first days available on the market.

FAQ

Where are the North American and Australian launch threads?

The North American launch thread is here.
The Australian launch thread is here.

How is the Internet browser?
How can I access the eShop and what will be available?
How can I transfer my DSiWare to the 3DS?


This functionality will be included in the May firmware update.

Will DSiWare be available from the eShop?

Yes.

Will I be able to use my old Wii/Nintendo Points on the eShop?

No, the eShop will use a payment system based on actual currency, and old point cards will not be redeemable.

Does the Circle Pad work with any old DS games?

Yes, it seems that the position on the Circle Pad gets translated to its d-pad equivalent. YMMV.

Does the 3D slider click or anything when switching between 2D and 3D?

No.

What language options does the 3DS have?

Language options depend on the region of the unit. In Europe, German, Dutch, Spanish, French, Italian, and English should be available.

Is the 3DS region-locked?

Unfortunately, 3DS and DSi-specific games are region-locked.
Eurogamer said:
We can confirm that the software is locked by region; inserting one of our Japanese 3DS games into our European machine produces no result at all – it's as if no card has been inserted. This remains a deeply disappointing decision for handheld devices which will be taking a lot of long-haul flights. (However,our European and Japanese 3DS consoles were able to swap data via StreetPass.)

How about Australian games? Can I play them?

Yes, Australian and European hardware and software are compatible.

Are old DS games region-locked, too?

No, they're all playable.

How do old DS games look on the 3DS?

By default, they're stretched to fit, though it's possible to reduce the display output to the original resolution. Hold the start and select buttons as you run the DS game.

Do old DS games get logged like 3DS games do in the activity history?

Yes.

How do you set your favorite game?

Scroll to your profile in the friend list and tap the icon at the top of the screen to change your favorite game. The Mii-related options are spread out across the friend list, Mii Studio, and Mii Plaza, so this can get a bit confusing.

Can you name an old DS game as your favorite for your Mii profile?

No.

Does the system come charged out of the box?

It reportedly has about half a charge, long enough to get set up and start playing.

How long does the battery last?

Depending on the settings and usage, between 3 and 5 hours. Standby has yet to be precisely measured, but it lasts longer than one is away from the charging cradle.

What's the point of the charging cradle?

Ease-of-use, really. It's easier to slap the system down in the cradle than to stick the wire into the back of the system and set it so it won't come out. The aim is probably to make the 3DS something that you want with you at all times.

Can I plug in the 3DS while I play instead of hooking it to the cradle?

Yes.

Will the 3DS take the same charging adapter as the original DS?

No, but the AC adapter for the 3DS and DSi, model number WAP-002, is included.

What kind of memory storage does the system have?

The 3DS comes with a 2GB SD card for your data and has 2GB of internal flash memory for system use. SDHC cards of up to 32GB are supported.

How are pictures stored?

3D pictured are saved to the SD card as two files, one JPG and one MPO.

Can I view pictures taken on another 3DS?

Yes. Files are stored as such...
\DCIM\100NIN03\HNI_0001.JPG
\DCIM\100NIN03\HNI_0001.MPO

You can have multiple folders at the "100NIN03" level with different digits, containing pictures that are identically-named in different folders.

Can the 3DS will display MPO images from a non-3DS source?

Yes, FinePix MPO files were successfully loaded here.

How is music stored?

The 3DS Sound Channel will detect MP3s stored anywhere on the SD card.

Is the Sound Channel usable for things like playing/downloading RSS podcasts or Internet radio streams?

For the music app, there doesn't appear to be anything specifically for downloading streams, but you could load MP3s anywhere on an SD card and the system will find it.

How do Friend Codes work? How long are they, and can you rename them?

Friend Codes are shared by all software system-wide. They are 12 digits, with hyphens after the 4th and 8th digits. There doesn't appear to be an option to rename your friends, as you automatically get their name and Mii when registered. Friend names are the same character length as the old DS. It also shows what your friends playing if online, how recently they were online if not, their pick for favorite game, and their greeting. All of 3DS online games use this friend list.

Do both people need to add Friend Codes, or is it a request based system?

If your friend adds you first, you will not see any sort of request on the system. When registering in exchange, though, your friend's profile data comes up right away.

Can we now simply scan a Mii QR code with the 3DS camera, and not have to input the long Friend Codes?

No, scanning QR codes simply adds custom Miis to the Mii Studio, not the Mii Plaza or friend list.

The Wii has a "send Mii to..." option that you use to send Miis to registered friends. Does the 3DS have something like that available instead of scanning each other's QR codes?

No, there currently isn't any private messaging to people on your friend list. Exporting and scanning Mii QR codes is how you would add Miis to the Mii Studio.

Do you get the other person's Mii into the Mii Plaza by exchanging Friend Codes?

No, exchanging Friend Codes adds a person's Mii and profile to the friend list, not the Mii Studio or Mii Plaza.

How is StreetPass Puzzle?

You get puzzle pieces from new people you meet through StreetPass. There are 15 tiles in each 5x3 puzzle to collect to form some image. The images will show scenes of Nintendo characters.

Where can you wear the hats you earn in StreetPass Quest?

Anywhere within the Mii Plaza program: StreetPass Puzzle and the Plaza itself. Hats do not appear in your friends list or the Mii Studio. In StreetPass Quest itself, your Mii is wearing a crown as the abducted royalty.

Is turning StreetPass on & off quick and easy? Can it be done while you're playing a game?

StreetPass settings are in the options for each game that uses it, so ease-of-use will vary by title. Wireless communications can be turned on and off by flicking a switch on the right-hand side of the unit.

In Super Mario 64 DS, in the Options, there was an in-game option to turn the backlight on or off. Does this still work?

Michan has helpfully provided the answer...
Michan said:
When you use the Backlight: On/Off option in Super Mario 64 DS, it not only shuts off the lights, but switches both screens completely off. It acts almost like sleep mode, except the system is still active.

I was too afraid to leave this option permanently "off", since neither screen displays any content so there is potential for it to leave you without a playable 3DS (unless you are somehow able to navigate back).

I'd recommend against tweaking this option, due to the above.

For people who are having eye strain/motion sickness, are you just switching the 3d between max and off? I'm pretty sure the slider doesn't make the effect stronger, it adjusts the focus because everyone's eyes are a little different.

I'll be the first to tell you that you have to get the slider adjusted correctly, but a lot of the stress comes from getting out of the sweet spot and seeing cross-talk, getting light from the opposing image in the wrong eye. If you move your head or the system fast, it'll shutter the image like a lenticular card. It makes AR Games or anything using the gyro hard to play with 3D on.

What if I damage/lose some of my AR cards?

You can print out new ones with no problem. There is no data on the cards, only patterns which the AR-enabled software recognizes. You can even print out super-sized cards for some interesting AR photos with bigger characters.

Is there rumble functionality?

No.

Is Pictochat still available?

No.

Can I use the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector with the 3DS?

Yes.

Are there any bugs or strange design choices?

Yes.

1. The indicator light for online friends and StreetPass doesn't always turn on when it should be. The indicator light for 3D doesn't always turn off when it should be.
2. When new Miis appear in the Mii Plaza via StreetPass, exiting the Mii Plaza or going to the entrance to retrieve more new Miis before utilizing them in StreetPass Puzzle or StreetPass Quest forfeits their help. New StreetPass arrivals are limited to 10 people at a time. In Japan, the Mii Plaza was not explained in the manual itself, but briefly outlined in an additional leaflet.
3. You can see what your friends are doing in the friend list, but you can't message them individually. You can only set one message at a time to be broadcast to everyone who happens to look at the friend list. There are no friend requests, only mutual registrations.
4. StreetPass functionality in the Sound Channel is limited to measuring affinity in musical tastes, and track picks are not shared. While tracks continue playing with the lid closed when headphones are inserted, it's not possible to keep them playing going into another program.

Are there any DS accessories that are incompatible with the 3DS?

Yes.

Face Training [NTR-014]
Slide Adventure Magkid Slide Controller [NTR-012]
Nintendo DS Browser Memory Expansion Cartridges [NTR-011][USG-007]
Nintendo DS Headset [NTR-019]
Nintendo DS Magnetic Stand [NTR-022]
Nintendo DS Rumble Cartridges [NTR-008][USG-006]
Arkanoid DS
Daigassou! Band Brothers (Jam with the Band) Request Selection
Guitar Hero: On Tour

Do normal headphones work?

Yes.

I have an addition/question/correction!

For questions, please post here in the thread. If you're a 3DS owner and want to add additional info or provide corrections, please PM me.

HARDWARE

Screens: 3.53" 400x240x2 3D parallax barrier screen, 3.02" 320x240 resistive touchscreen
Weight: 230g
Dimensions: 5.3" x 2.9" x 0.83" (134mm x 74mm x 21mm)
Colors: Cosmo Black, Aqua Blue
Graphics: PICA200
Input: Circle Pad, touchscreen, microphone, accelerometer, gyroscope, 3D depth slider, buttons: D-pad, A, B, X, Y, L, R, Start, Select, Home
Cameras: 3 640x480, 0.3 megapixel cameras, 1 interior and 2 exterior for 3D photos and possible future video
Media: 3DS cartridge, DS cartridge, SD card
Connectivity: 802.11b/g wireless
Region-locking: All DSi and 3DS software region-locked, DS software remains region-free.

AVAILABILITY

Approx. 900,000 units on Friday, the 25th of March @ an open price.

LAUNCH SOFTWARE

25.03


Asphalt 3D
(Ubi Soft)

Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (LucasArts)


Nintendogs + Cats: French Bulldog & New Friends
(Nintendo)
Nintendogs + Cats: Golden Retriever & New Friends (Nintendo)
Nintendogs + Cats: Toy Poodle & New Friends (Nintendo)


PES 2011 3D – Pro Evolution Soccer
(Konami)

Pilotwings Resort (Nintendo)

Rayman 3D (Ubi Soft)


Ridge Racer 3D
(Namco-Bandai)


Samurai Warriors: Chronicles
(Tecmo-Koei)

The Sims 3 (EA)


Super Monkey Ball 3D
(Sega)


Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition
(Capcom)

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars (Ubi Soft)


Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 3D
(Ubi Soft)

POST-LAUNCH SOFTWARE

31.03


Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D
(Ubi Soft)
Madden NFL Football (EA)

Rabbids 3D
(Ubi Soft)

22.04


Puzzle Bobble Universe
(Square-Enix)

TBA
Dead or Alive: Dimensions (Tecmo-Koei)

Steel Diver
(Nintendo)

REVIEWS

CVG: 3DS Hardware
Eurogamer: 3DS Hardware
GameFocus: 3DS Hardware
MSNBC: Six Things to Love and Hate about the Nintendo 3DS
The Sixth Axis: 3DS Hardware Unboxed
Telegraph: 3DS Hardware

Game Rankings 3DS game reviews
Metacritic 3DS game reviews

Stumpokapow said:
Early Metacritic rankings for 3DS titles:

Super Street Fighter IV: 3d Edition - 84
Ridge Racer 3D - 78
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars - 77
Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D - 74
Pilotwings Resort - 71
Nintendogs + Cats: Toy Poodle & New Friends - 70
Nintendogs + Cats: French Bulldog & New Friends - 70
Nintendogs + Cats: Golden Retriever & New Friends - 70
Rayman 3D - 69
LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars - 68
Samurai Warriors Chronicles - 59
Super Monkey Ball 3D - 58
Steel Diver - 58
Asphalt 3D: Nitro Racing - 54

LAUNCH PHOTOS

Coming soon!

LAUNCH VIDEO

Coming soon!

PODCASTS

Coming soon!

LINKS

Nintendo 3DS Official Site
Amazon UK 3DS Sales Rankings
Nintendo 3DS Japanese Launch |OT|
Nintendo 3DS North American Launch |OT|
Nintendo 3DS Australian Launch |OT|
Nintendo 3DS™ - Friend Codes - The official thread of sharing numbers... in 3D!
The Sixth Axis: 3DS Hardware Unboxed
Cheesemeister's 3DS photos from Kyoto
 

borghe

Loves the Greater Toronto Area
hmm.. weird that we have separate launch threads for each region. still, gl guys... I can't wait for sunday here in the states. I canceled my Amazon pre-order just so I could get it on Sunday (also, Kmart has a nice offer here where you get $25 off a single game when purchased with the system.. a no brainer really)
 

Woffls

Member
Door2Dawn said:
Is your body ready Europe?
Mostly. My eyes might not be, but I'll get over it because I'm a Nintendo loyalist and I do as they instruct me without question.

I have Ridge Racer 3D here on my desk already, and apparently Game Gears haven't shipped the console despite taking the payment yesterday. It's 1st class delivery, though, so I expect I'll get it on thursday. I'm looking forward to the AR more than anything, and I think that has more relevance to how the console will offer unique content.
 

AstroLad

Hail to the KING baby
do we know what the good launch games are yet? trying to decide if i should keep my preorder or not.
 
Cdammen said:
I won't be preordering, I'll just pick one up on friday or saturday. The won't be scarce... right?

Depends where you buy... Stores that stick to the original price (£220) will probably have some left.. The shops that have dropped to under £190 will probably sell out early
 
Keyser Soze said:
Amazon have not yet dispatched... 0_o

I don't see Amazon dispatching before Thursday which means for me at least I won't see it till Monday or Tuesday thanks to them taking a little longer to deliver to Ireland. I'd love to be wrong but I've only ever gotten one thing early from Amazon and that was because it was Christmas.
 
:) Cant wait and I really think this will do better then DS, Im getting Pilotwings and i can get one other but not sure what to get think about Rayman never played it i know it a port so im not sure if to get it now or when it come down £30 for a port is a bit of a balls buster

and Amazon alway send thing out on time to get here on the day it out so 25th I never had anything from Amazon early
 

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
That Post-Launch Software segment is extremely depressing. At this rate I'll be playing the launch stuff and then nothing until May, at best.
 

nofi

Member
"Does the Circle Pad work with any old DS games?"

Works with everything, doesn't it, just digitally? Acts as a d-pad in Mario Kart, at least.
 

beje

Banned
gofreak said:
That Post-Launch Software segment is extremely depressing. At this rate I'll be playing the launch stuff and then nothing until May, at best.

Isn't this the case for mostly every console launch ever?
 
demonturkey said:
YES, Euro peeps!

Amazon UK is dispatching soon my 3DS + SSFIV. :eek:

Delivery #1: Not Yet Dispatched :(. When did you order yours? Mine was 26th Jan. I really hope what I said earlier is wrong and they dispatch today/tomorrow gives a chance of getting it Friday then.
 

BY2K

Membero Americo
You lucky bastards, getting it 2 days before us.

What's with Europe getting stuff before NA, anyway? Normally, it's the other way around.

Suggestion for Thread title: Add "Take a Look Inside" after "OT".
 
I thought anything that works with a D-pad works with a slide pad as it just converts the analgoue direciton pressed into a D-pad button pressed, right?

Anyway, I'm waiting for region free and/or 3DS XL so enjoy people buying.

Extensive OP. One minor correction/suggestion.
Cheesemeister said:
Face Training [NTR-014]
Slide Adventure Magkid Slide Controller [NTR-012]
Nintendo DS Browser Memory Expansion Cartridges [NTR-011][USG-007]
Nintendo DS Headset [NTR-019]
Nintendo DS Magnetic Stand [NTR-022]
Nintendo DS Rumble Cartridges [NTR-008][USG-006]
Daigassou! Band Brothers (Jam with the Band)
It might be a bit quicker to mention anything that uses a GBA slot (plus a few miscilanious things) so any games that require those to play. Also 3rd party options like the Guitar Hero controller and the Taito paddle are absent from this list.

But If you keep the list as is re: a few which could be ambiguous or give people the wrong idea: Face Training maybe state its the camera which the EU only DSi Only version does not use. Does the Band Brothers expansion cartrdige even work with Jam with the Band?

Edit: Might be worth mentioning the EU Club Nintendo stuff. So games 250 Stars, System 750 Stars. Also 3rd party games of participating publishers come with codes now.
 
Cheesemeister said:
Do old DS games get logged like 3DS games do in the activity history?

Yes.

How do you set your favorite game?

Scroll to your profile in the friend list and tap the icon at the top of the screen to change your favorite game. The Mii-related options are spread out across the friend list, Mii Studio, and Mii Plaza, so this can get a bit confusing.

Can you name an old DS game as your favorite for your Mii profile?

No.

i'm not totally sure about this, but i could swear i've come across surechigai miis with old DS games in their profile.
 
BY2K said:
You lucky bastards, getting it 2 days before us.

What's with Europe getting stuff before NA, anyway? Normally, it's the other way around.

We are not getting Steel Diver, so you can still mock us.
 

Shiggy

Member
Would anyone from those coutries, where Club Nintendo is not available (Sweden/Finland/Norway) like to send me his/her codes? :)



Are there any DS accessories that are incompatible with the 3DS?

Yes.

Face Training [NTR-014]
Slide Adventure Magkid Slide Controller [NTR-012]
Nintendo DS Browser Memory Expansion Cartridges [NTR-011][USG-007]
Nintendo DS Headset [NTR-019]
Nintendo DS Magnetic Stand [NTR-022]
Nintendo DS Rumble Cartridges [NTR-008][USG-006]
Daigassou! Band Brothers (Jam with the Band)

Jam with the Band is fully compatible with the 3DS, you probably mean the "Request Selection", which was a GBA cartridge.
 
MiloFoxburr said:
Delivery #1: Not Yet Dispatched :(. When did you order yours? Mine was 26th Jan. I really hope what I said earlier is wrong and they dispatch today/tomorrow gives a chance of getting it Friday then.

19th Jan. I was a keen bean. Mine might still not dispatch until tomorrow though... Amazon has left me waiting a while on "dispatching soon" before.
 

[Nintex]

Member
Order hasn't shipped yet. I want to blow peoples minds with 3D skydiving and Ridge Racing, Ghost reconning fuck yeah
 

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
Do you think Amazon fulfils orders in order they were received, or do they prioritise by delivery type? E.g. if you went with priority express, would you join the end of a queue that will be dealt with first, vs a mixed queue of all orders?

I'm in Ireland too, I'm rather impatient and went with priority delivery. At the moment it estimates dispatch for Mar 24, delivery on Mar 25-26 (and, indeed, I have had things arrive from Amazon in the past next-day using that delivery. It's pricey though.)

beje said:
Isn't this the case for mostly every console launch ever?

It's true, it's not untypical, but I'm sore there isn't even a 3DSware at launch to help out.
 

BY2K

Membero Americo
Keyser Soze said:
We are not getting Steel Diver, so you can still mock us.

I don't care about Steel Diver, I can't really mock you for something I don't care about, can I?
 
Has anyone heard whether Pro Evo is any good? For the record, I really like PES2011 on console. My 3DS has been shipped but I have no games yet. Looking to choose two from Pilotwings, SFIV and PES3D.
 

Sadist

Member
Firiday Friday Friday I so excited! Wait, I'm not getting one :/

Well, guess I'll need to save up.

lochnesssnowman said:
Has anyone heard whether Pro Evo is any good? For the record, I really like PES2011 on console. My 3DS has been shipped but I have no games yet. Looking to choose two from Pilotwings, SFIV and PES3D.
I've seen one review for PES (Dutch) and it got a 5.5 score
 
gofreak said:
Do you think Amazon fulfils orders in order they were received, or do they prioritise by delivery type? E.g. if you went with priority express, would you join the end of a queue that will be dealt with first, vs a mixed queue of all orders?

I'm in Ireland too, I'm rather impatient and went with priority delivery. At the moment it estimates dispatch for Mar 24, delivery on Mar 25-26 (and, indeed, I have had things arrive from Amazon in the past next-day using that delivery. It's pricey though.)



It's true, it's not untypical, but I'm sore there isn't even a 3DSware at launch to help out.

How much was Priority Delivery? Might change to it if it's not too high.
 

phisheep

NeoGAF's Chief Barrister
I shall try to be patient. Ordered from Amazon, so may come a bit late - but cheaper than Gamestation (who seem to have a nice habit of delivering a day or two early) and I'm in a cheapskate mood at the moment.

Looking forward to the thing though.
 
AstroLad said:
do we know what the good launch games are yet? trying to decide if i should keep my preorder or not.

In my opinion (Ive played through six games the past couple of weeks): Ridge Racer, Lego Star Wars and Street Fighter.

If you have money to spend, Pilotwings, but to me it feels like a tech demo.
 
HYYYYPE!

Bring on 00:01 on Friday when I'll be picking up an Aqua Blue 3DS, Ridge Racer and Street Fighter. I have been quietly hyped in the weeks leading up to launch, but now that we're mere days away, I'm really starting to get the new system launch excitement!

So, Belfast-GAF - anyone else getting theirs at Forestside at the midnight opening?
 

AstroLad

Hail to the KING baby
Moz La Punk said:
In my opinion (Ive played through six games the past couple of weeks): Ridge Racer, Lego Star Wars and Street Fighter.

If you have money to spend, Pilotwings, but to me it feels like a tech demo.
thanks, that's rough b/c i'm not a big street fighter or ridge racer fan hahah
 
If people are still debating games... Even though I have not played it, I will still recommended Ghost Recon to everyone. It has a great team behind it (Xcom guy is the lead!!!) and it seems like one of the best games in terms of gameplay

Of course, it is original DS game in technical terms, as Ubi changed platforms at the last minute. Still, people should at least have it on their radar.
 

BGBW

Maturity, bitches.
Well since I've ordered online I doubt I'll even have a chance at trying to be one of the first to register the 3DS with Club Nintendo.

I'll be out of the house before the postman comes on Friday so I'll have to hope for a Thursday delivery.
 
SPAIN GAF REPRESENT!

I will hopefully have it tomorrow at 2pm from Gameshop were the owners are friends of mine. It will be awesome because we are going to try in situ.
Aqua Blue here!

I was going to go with SSFIV and Pilotwings, but certernly that SSFIV has all unlocked (apart from the figures) and that Pilotwings is said to be very short is making me question about it.

I would love to play Ridge Racer because I have never played one, and is 35euros in Mediamarkt, so its surely tempting.

Im not pleased we are missing Steel Diver. I hope it gets released here and doesnt get Exciteboted. :(
 
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