Well, I took some time to jot down some thoughts on the one handheld that everyone seems to agree was the bee’s knees: the Nintendo 3DS (and all its various iterations thereafter!)
It’s one I’ve gone through a few ‘phases’ with - collecting, modding, selling, then buying a ‘perfect’ one, then…the pattern just repeats and repeats. I love how truly customizable it is now that it is…essentially an abandoned generation. The community took things to great new heights (those themes!!!), 3D printed docks and displays, vinyl stickers…it makes me so happy to see how very few 3DS consoles look like anyone else’s.
The market is getting crazy though. Prices are only going up (and special editions are going waaaay up), but it’s nice to see options like the Thor, Pocket DS and Anbernic’s RG DS coming up to give modern users some solutions to playing.
Anyway
Don’t expect anything wonderful here, I wasn’t even sure what to write for this article. I guess while I call it a retrospective, it just touches on some key points in the lifetime of the 3DS system.
P.S. 100% ready for any 3DS games recommendations to be shared!!!
I cannot describe how disappointed I was in the switch when it came out, and the situation isn’t much better now. It took one huge step forwards, yes, bus also ditched a ton of really good features :
- No cameras !?
- No microphone !?
- No analog triggers
- No 3D display
- No stylus support
- No Streetpass
- No personality (fun apps, menu music, themes…)
Even the Motion controls, which are still a thing, do not feature any IR reference point, making the Wii still the best implementation of motion aim outside of VR.
The games are great, but these days I personally play the Wii U and 3DS more often, because unlike the switch these platforms still offer some experiences that are just not possible elsewhere.
In fact, the Wii U and 3DS are currently the only consoles I would recommend actually possessing physically. Wii U emulation is really annoying (though Steam Deck can get there, with a cable in the way), and good luck finding anything for the 3DS that does the 3D part any better than a New 3DS XL.
After finding out that you can (rather easily) jailbreak the 3DS family consoles, I promptly did so for my childhood 3DS, loaded a bunch of Layton games onto it and gave it to my SO for her birthday two years ago. She’s had a blast with it. No way in hell will I be paying 100+€ just for two used copies of the 3DS Layton games if I can just jailbreak the console and get all the games I could want.
After clowning on it for years, I also got myself a 2DS because it was the cheapest 3DS-family handheld I could afford and have had a lot of fun with it too
That’s a nostalgic pic.
I loved my 3DS. And yeah it’s actually pocket sized, unlike the Switch or Steam Deck. I’m still not sure about the choice of the 3D screen instead of just making it higher resolution lol. The 3D effect was cool but kind of a gimmick.
Like most, it never really interested me. I just liked the clamshell self-protecting design. The 3D slider was firmly set to the ‘off’ position for me!
One thing I’ll add, since reviewing the AYN Thor, I have been playing a LOT of 3DS games. Upscaled and looking so beautiful. I just love the games they made for this console. I wish the Switch had more…pocketability? But seeing how the size increased for the S2, I don’t expect that will come about again :(
Exactly this, I’ve modded out 3DS and sold them for a while as a fun project. But it wasn’t until I got the Thor that I could really get into the games. I’m 16 hours deep into my first time playing Pokemon Y and looking forward to the dragon quest titles
I’ve never really been into any Pokemon games before, but I am getting closer to wanting to try sink into one! How beautiful is the upscaling for 3DS games on the Thor?! The games just sparkle. I have gotten slightly distracted by Metroid Prime 2 though…
Leave Pokémon behind, play some Shin Megami Tensei, thank me later.
There’s a pipeline of former Pokémon fans thinking “Huh, these games have kind of gone to crap, I wish I had this same monster-collector style game but with a real plot and interesting characters” and then SMTIV falls from the sky like manna from heaven unto them.
I don’t think IV is actually the best SMT game, I think that honor goes to Nocturne - which is available on the Switch - but SMTIV is a good showing of the series that is available for 3DS. If you have the option, pick up SMTIV-Apocalypse, it’s an expanded “GOTY-style” re-release of IV, but the base game is also fine.
Apocalypse is a sequel to the neutral route of iv
Edit: In case anyone seeing thinks I’m wrong because some weirdo down voted this, just look at wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV%3A_Apocalypse
It is the sequel to Shin Megami Tensei IV, set in a post-apocalyptic alternative world.
Hey I was that weirdo that down voted this, and I assure you it was by accident and I changed it now. I actually never got the chance to play Apocalypse and hot damn, I had no idea it was a whole sequel, I thought it was an expanded release in the same vein as a bunch of the Persona games have (P3->FES, P4->Golden, P5->Royal).
So, amending my statement, play SMTIV and then play Apoc.
Also, excuse me, I have some shopping I need to do.
I have a feeling that a Switch 2 Lite is on the horizon, Nintendo loves a console variant. Not that the S1 lite is pocketable, but maybe they will shrink it more this time. I went down a somewhat similar path, only for me it was GBA and emulation on my Steam Deck that really made me realize I missed having pocket games that are real games and not mobile bullshit. I modded my old GBA with a modern screen and battery and it’s been my goto device for portable games. The OG DS dropped as I was graduating highschool and going into college, and the 3DS completely passed me by. I keep thinking about getting a used one but their prices are still a little high for me.
Recently got an r36s to scratch this itch. I love the little thing.
Edit: just beat the battle toads arcade. Highly recommended when you got unlimited quarters.
