3DS Catch-all

Every time a new Animal Crossing is announced I say I won't get it this time since it's the same every time. And every time I end up getting it anyway.

We can probably set up some good fruit and turnip networks here

DSGamer wrote:

I agree about Fire Emblem writ-large, BTW. Fire Emblem 7 and 8 would be my two favorite SRPGs were it not for Tactics Ogre. The recent TO port takes that title, but otherwise I find Fire Emblem not only more enjoyable than Advance Wars, but more enjoyable than Disgaea, FFT, etc.

That's why I asked. A couple convincing reviews could talk me into trying it out again while we wait for the 3DS FE. I pray that's not coming in Fall 2013, but I fear it is. Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem are my most anticipated 3DS games.

If you enjoyed the other FE games, I see no reason why you wouldn't enjoy Shadow Dragon. It does show that it's a remake of an old NES game, but that doesn't make it bad. It's still FE down to the core.

ahrezmendi wrote:
DSGamer wrote:

I agree about Fire Emblem writ-large, BTW. Fire Emblem 7 and 8 would be my two favorite SRPGs were it not for Tactics Ogre. The recent TO port takes that title, but otherwise I find Fire Emblem not only more enjoyable than Advance Wars, but more enjoyable than Disgaea, FFT, etc.

That's why I asked. A couple convincing reviews could talk me into trying it out again while we wait for the 3DS FE. I pray that's not coming in Fall 2013, but I fear it is. Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem are my most anticipated 3DS games.

If you enjoyed the other FE games, I see no reason why you wouldn't enjoy Shadow Dragon. It does show that it's a remake of an old NES game, but that doesn't make it bad. It's still FE down to the core.

So I picked it up tonight. So far, so good. The game looks beautiful in that way that only FE games look, the art style, I mean. I don't remember this game at all. So it's basically a brand new game to me. This is a fun little warm-up until Fire Emblem for the 3DS arrives. Plus I actually picked up a DS Lite to play it on and I'm happy with that choice. You forget how much easier that was to put in your pocket and thus how much more likely you were to pack it around with you. In addition I can dip back to the other two FE games until the 3DS game arrives. I might have to get an OG 3DS when it drops in price simply for games like Fire Emblem.

I've come to realize that I don't really like most 3DS games. Most of my favorite DS games are still DS games. So the 3DS has a ways to go for me. And I hate the circle pad. So it's basically going to be a system where I play games that either use the touch screen or the D-Pad predominantly.

PSA: Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is out today. It's probably excellent. It's probably also not a revelation if you know what's up with Layton, or you've moved past Layton.

Personally I can't resist a chance to catch up with this lovely lady.

IMAGE(http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m596/LaytonsAssistant18/Professor%20Layton%20Pics/EmmyAltava.gif)

Blind_Evil wrote:

PSA: Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is out today. It's probably excellent. It's probably also not a revelation if you know what's up with Layton, or you've moved past Layton.

I don't think I've moved past Layton, so much as I got distracted and am now 2 games behind. If I get Miracle Mask I'll have to pick up the 4th one so I know what's up with the new characters and stuff :\

I'm about halfway through the 3rd and I picked up the 4th recently so I have a lot of Layton to get through. But, I did play a bit of the new one on a demo unit and the characters are really attractive at the higher res.

Isn't it just one new character (pictured above)?

I'm coming at this from the opposite end, I've *only* played the fourth.

By the by, I got my hands on a 3DS XL for the first time today while buying Layton. I'm going to buy one of those eventually (next Summer seems likely) because it felt great, but I'll feel guilty about it because that's a horrible waste of money.

Picked up Code of Princess, like it so far.
I'm amazed at the (apparent) depth of the multiplayer combat.
That is typically the kind of sh*t I stay far away from (cause I would lose a lot).
Lots left in single-player though.

Dragon Quest VII is getting a remake for the 3DS. It's slated for release in Japan in February, with hopefully localization to North America to follow.

And then, you know, Square-Enix can announce localization plans for Bravely Default while they're at it.

I really, really didn't like DQ7 on PS1. Entirely too simple, plot never went anywhere in the 20ish hours I played before quitting.

Clocky, Theatrhythm is supposed to be a lightning deal tonight on Amazon. $20 seems like a possibility.

I'm in the opposite camp, I loved it. It was the first DQ I played as an adult (played Dragon Warrior back in Nintendo Power days), and its combination of unforgiving RPG mechanics (read: grinding) and charming presentation really cemented my love for the series. I can totally get why it wouldn't be universally liked, though. While I thought the fact that you didn't get in a single fight for the first two hours of the game was pretty cool, I can see how that could also feel like a drag. And it is a very linear experience overall. Still, there's just something about DQ worlds that makes me actually want to be in them.

I was actually just thinking today about ripping my game discs so I could play it on PSP. Sounds like I will wait now. I hope they jazz it up a little bit.

According to Wikipedia, one of the defining characteristics of DQ VII was that it took around a hundred hours to complete without pursuing any side material. That's insane.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

According to Wikipedia, one of the defining characteristics of DQ VII was that it took around a hundred hours to complete without pursuing any side material. That's insane.

I'm out! I am finally old enough to admit that if a game boasts anything over 25 hours I should never play it.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

Dragon Quest VII is getting a remake for the 3DS. It's slated for release in Japan in February, with hopefully localization to North America to follow.

And then, you know, Square-Enix can announce localization plans for Bravely Default while they're at it. :P

Assuming they eventually get GBA (or SNES) and DS titles on the eShop, the 3DS could easily become the little JRPG device that could.

I'd be really surprised if we don't see Bravely Default here. The main reason we haven't heard much about it is because it was delayed in Japan until earlier this month.

EDIT: This also gives me hope we'll see more PSOne games revamped for the 3DS.

Honestly, if there's any system that lends itself to DQ's mechanics, it's the DS/3DS. Being able to just open the system for quick 1 -3 minute exp grind sessions here and there during the day works very well. DQ9 and all of the other remakes worked beautifully on the regular DS.

Yep. I spend 100 hours a year on the sh*tter alone. (For the sake of argument, anyway. I wonder if there is a national average anywhere.) Combine that with time spent waiting for sleep, eating lunch at work, on a plane, etc., and handhelds are *the* place to play RPGs for a grown-up.

Hoping this mythical resurgence of RPGs on the 3DS coincides with their increasingly non-idiotic approach to downloadable games.

farley3k wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

According to Wikipedia, one of the defining characteristics of DQ VII was that it took around a hundred hours to complete without pursuing any side material. That's insane.

I'm out! I am finally old enough to admit that if a game boasts anything over 25 hours I should never play it.

Same here. I am more convinced than ever that anyone complaining about games being too short either doesn't buy many games, doesn't have a job, or doesn't have anything they do other than play video games. At this point an 8 hour game is a f*cking blessing for me. "You mean I can have it beat in a week? Score!"

If I can beat it in a week then the chances of playing it again increase.

necroyeti wrote:

Yep. I spend 100 hours a year on the sh*tter alone. (For the sake of argument, anyway. I wonder if there is a national average anywhere.) Combine that with time spent waiting for sleep, eating lunch at work, on a plane, etc., and handhelds are *the* place to play RPGs for a grown-up.

This is why I would pay unreasonable amounts of money for portable Dark / Demon's Souls and Valkyria Chronicles. They're the only games I own right now that I want to play really badly, but can't make time for because of them being on a console.

necroyeti wrote:

Hoping this mythical resurgence of RPGs on the 3DS coincides with their increasingly non-idiotic approach to downloadable games.

Yeah. A giant SD card filled with a ton of RPGs is something else. I had that with the PSP and now have that with the Vita and it's really sweet. As much as I dislike the ergonomics of the 3DS, there is something different about being able to close the lid and slip the system in a bag/pocket without a case. It makes it more portable.

DSGamer wrote:
necroyeti wrote:

Yep. I spend 100 hours a year on the sh*tter alone. (For the sake of argument, anyway. I wonder if there is a national average anywhere.) Combine that with time spent waiting for sleep, eating lunch at work, on a plane, etc., and handhelds are *the* place to play RPGs for a grown-up.

This is why I would pay unreasonable amounts of money for portable Dark / Demon's Souls and Valkyria Chronicles. They're the only games I own right now that I want to play really badly, but can't make time for because of them being on a console.

You know VC2 is on the PSP, right? It's not quite at the level the first one was, but it's still darn good.

Also, I don't want to open up a huge can of worms (this comparison has probably already come up and been beaten to death) but you may be able to scratch your unforgiving hack-and-slash itch with a Monster Hunter of some stripe. Talk about a time sink.

necroyeti wrote:

Yep. I spend 100 hours a year on the sh*tter alone. (For the sake of argument, anyway. I wonder if there is a national average anywhere.) Combine that with time spent waiting for sleep, eating lunch at work, on a plane, etc., and handhelds are *the* place to play RPGs for a grown-up.

I'm pretty sure Final Fantasy Tactics: Advance was heralded as a great "potty time" game by several journalits/"celebrity" gamers.

Probably more a topic for the JRPG thread, but there's been a noticeable drift of JRPG franchises to the portable scene. Plus, from what I've read/heard, portables tend to be very popular in Japan so I think it makes sense we're seeing a bigger push for portable RPGs lately.

I'm still amazed we don't have a "sleep/suspend game" mode for consoles. Hard drive space and RAM is cheap now. This needs to happen.

I agree. I have the benefit of having console space in my office, so I can often leave the 360 or PS3 running for days at a time, but even then it's not as convenient. I guess I (along with DSG and others here of course) am the mythical person who still gives a sh*t about a dedicated portable gaming console.

necroyeti wrote:

I agree. I have the benefit of having console space in my office, so I can often leave the 360 or PS3 running for days at a time, but even then it's not as convenient. I guess I (along with DSG and others here of course) am the mythical person who still gives a sh*t about a dedicated portable gaming console.

Us and the entire nation of Japan. I think I might just be in the wrong country. Maybe it's time to just learn Japanese in order to play all the really great games.

necroyeti wrote:

I guess I (along with DSG and others here of course) am the mythical person who still gives a sh*t about a dedicated portable gaming console.

In general I still think a dedicated system is worth it if you care about games. There's some good experiences on iOS/Android, but I think a number of those could've existed on Nintendo and Sony's platforms if a) the barrier to entry was lower and b) if Nintendo and Sony had their act together on downloads back in 2007.

A good cellphone/tablet game is still a good game. I'd easily drop money on 3DS/Vita versions of Jetpack Joyride, Infinity Blade, Fairway Solitaire, etc. if I was given the option.

"Really great" is subjective, of course.

But no, it's something I've noticed for a while now. The handheld gaming scene resembles the SNES and Genesis days in a lot of ways, with the majority of a Nintendo system's library made up of Japanese developed games. There are some Western games, but they tend to be shovelware (from the Carnival Games variety to the "Hey, let's try and make a sh*tty ass Call of Duty on a handheld"). I'd say PSP or PSVita would be more equivalent to Genesis, but I didn't own a Genesis nor have I owned a PSP or Vita so can't really say.

But yeah, Japan's studios are smaller and selling to a primarily smaller audience where being able to game on the go is at greater value, especially since commuting via public transportation is bigger there than it is here in the states. So you could already see this shift in the original DS, and now with the 3DS it has...well, I'm not sure. Now the 3DS is flashier, there are more expectations and the tech is more expensive. I don't know what to expect to see.

ccesarano wrote:

I'd say PSP or PSVita would be more equivalent to Genesis, but I didn't own a Genesis nor have I owned a PSP or Vita so can't really say.

That's pretty fair comparison. Sony is much more dependent on 3rd parties and so was Sega. Both have some original franchises/games of their own, but not in the same quantity that Nintendo has.

Now the 3DS is flashier, there are more expectations and the tech is more expensive. I don't know what to expect to see.

I believe the 3DS is relatively close to the PSP in terms of specs. It's not a huge step up from what developers had access to a couple years ago.

shoptroll wrote:

I believe the 3DS is relatively close to the PSP in terms of specs. It's not a huge step up from what developers had access to a couple years ago.

I thought this way until today, when I first played RE:Revelations. It looks far better than anything I played on PSP, and the retail game looks noticeably better than the demo.

My biggest fear is that people feel the need to make 3D games for the 3DS. Part of why the GBA and DS were a renaissance of JRPGs is because they were so 2D-centric.

DSGamer wrote:

My biggest fear is that people feel the need to make 3D games for the 3DS. Part of why the GBA and DS were a renaissance of JRPGs is because they were so 2D-centric.

Eh. I think NSMB2 following 3D Land is enough proof there's less push for 3D than N64/PSOne. Also, isn't the new Castlevania 2.5d? If anything, I'd expect we'll see more 2.5D stuff than sprite based 2D (mostly because the depth perception 3D effect (if people still care about it) is baked automatically baked into the models). The market has pretty much said that there's enough interest in 2D (sprite based or not) games for them to be profitable.

It also seems easier to swallow on a handheld versus a full blown console, but I'll still be cautious and not make any assumptions.

In any event it's too early to tell.

ccesarano wrote:

It also seems easier to swallow on a handheld versus a full blown console, but I'll still be cautious and not make any assumptions.

Pixel density on a handheld is a lot higher on a handheld vs. a 30" TV. The top screen resolution is only 400x240. That's not much more than the NES's 256x240 resolution, which is fairly blocky when displayed on a large screen. 2D can look "good" on a larger screen but you really need to up the resolution on the art to get rid of that "blocky" look (unless you intentionally want it).

EDIT: It's also why screenshots for the DS/3DS usually look horrid. A number of sites and company PR reps tend to blow up the screen shots to 200% or more (so you're not looking at a postage stamp) which unfortunately distorts the image a bit.

In any event it's too early to tell.

We're barely through 1.5 years of the 3DS. Definitely agree with you.