3DS Catch-all

Quoting myself from the deals thread:

ClockworkHouse wrote:

Supposedly, Target is discounting the 3DS XL and 3DS by $40 for the week of the 24th through the 30th. That puts the XL at $160 and the 3DS at $130.

Plus, if you register a 3DS XL and either Luigi's Mansion or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon on Club Nintendo, you'll get a free digital copy of Super Mario 3D Land, Starfox 64, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, or a couple other less exciting games.

So potentially a 3DS and two games for the price of a vanilla 3DS.

And yes, this sale does include the new Pikachu XL.

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D has a release date: May 24th.

Also, I played the demo for HarmoKnight and really enjoyed it even though I suck at it. It's a cross between an infinite runner and a rhythm game—not entirely unlike bit.trip Runner but much more forgiving. You run along, jump over obstacles, whack enemies with a big stick, and collect musical notes. Each musical note you pick up contributes to the background music so that your actions intermingle with and create the soundtrack. It's neat.

There are also some call-and-response levels that remind me of Rhythm Heaven. Here's a pattern of notes; now, repeat that pattern with good timing.

I'm lousy at it in the same way I'm lousy at almost all rhythm-based games, but I definitely enjoyed it and will be getting the full version at some point.

Oh that might finally be the deal. Target had something close to that for the XL before Christmas but I missed it.

I really want an top-down 3DS roguelike game. Does this exist? Shiren the Wanderer was decent on DS, if a bit lacking in depth.

imbiginjapan wrote:

I really want an top-down 3DS roguelike game. Does this exist? Shiren the Wanderer was decent on DS, if a bit lacking in depth.

The closest you'll probably get right now is Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. It's a top-down, turn-based RPG with randomly generated environments. The biggest difference between it and a traditional roguelike is that you don't lose all progress when you die. However, given that it's developed by the same studio that made Shiren the Wanderer, I suspect you might feel that it's also lacking in depth.

imbiginjapan wrote:

I really want an top-down 3DS roguelike game. Does this exist? Shiren the Wanderer was decent on DS, if a bit lacking in depth.

Izuna and Izuna 2 are good rougelikes. A little pervy but not bad.

IMAGE(http://dsmedia.ign.com/ds/image/article/767/767542/izuna-legend-of-the-unemployed-ninja-20070223042606041.jpg)

I recently started playing Fire Emblem: Awakening and have noticed that the 3DS is causing my hands to cramp (don't remember this problem with the DS Lite I had). Any thoughts? Is the XL any better for someone who thought the original Xbox controller was comfy?

magnumjack wrote:

I recently started playing Fire Emblem: Awakening and have noticed that the 3DS is causing my hands to cramp (don't remember this problem with the DS Lite I had). Any thoughts? Is the XL any better for someone who thought the original Xbox controller was comfy?

It's dependent on the individual, but I found the 3DS to be terribly uncomfortable whereas the XL is one of the more comfortable handhelds I've played overall. I've put over 100 hours into Fire Emblem: Awakening (as well as countless hours into Advance Wars and other DS strategy games) and I feel ok. A little thumb pain now and then, but overall it's much better.

Thanks DSGamer. Now I just need to sell my red 3DS. Wish there was some sort of trade up program.

magnumjack wrote:

I recently started playing Fire Emblem: Awakening and have noticed that the 3DS is causing my hands to cramp (don't remember this problem with the DS Lite I had). Any thoughts? Is the XL any better for someone who thought the original Xbox controller was comfy?

Absolutely. I think its a combination of the small size, weight, placement of the analog thumbstick and the rather clicky buttons. The XL is still pretty hefty, but its a lot more ergonomically friendly than the regular 3ds.

Motleyai wrote:
magnumjack wrote:

I recently started playing Fire Emblem: Awakening and have noticed that the 3DS is causing my hands to cramp (don't remember this problem with the DS Lite I had). Any thoughts? Is the XL any better for someone who thought the original Xbox controller was comfy?

Absolutely. I think its a combination of the small size, weight, placement of the analog thumbstick and the rather clicky buttons. The XL is still pretty hefty, but its a lot more ergonomically friendly than the regular 3ds.

Yep. It's that combination for me. I still hate the Circle Pad. HATE it. And I'm not in love with the clicky buttons. But overall it's very comfortable thanks to the size and the the placement of things.

Anyone from 3DS GWJ going to the PAX meet and greet on Friday? We need to street pass!

You know I'll be there (you're talking that 7:30pm Slap & Tickle, yes? I'll be sure to have my 3DS on my person)

BNice wrote:

Anyone from 3DS GWJ going to the PAX meet and greet on Friday? We need to street pass!

I intend to have mine on me pretty much the whole weekend.

Can't wait for PAX Prime. Hopefully they get rid of the 10 person limit by then.

DSGamer wrote:

Can't wait for PAX Prime. Hopefully they get rid of the 10 person limit by then.

Is there any indication that that is on the docket? That would be great. Or would have been great when I was in Japan anyway.

imbiginjapan wrote:

$189 felt like a lot for the DSi XL, and I only justified that because of the big screen. The 3D stuff does not feel that compelling to me. Perhaps I will demo one and see the true face of God, but until that happens I'll likely not be buying one.

Besides, it will likely take me a good three years to finish all the DS games I have to play.

I noticed this quote of mine on the first page of the thread. I just found it a bit funny as I ended up buying a 3DS only after the XL came out at $199, and it took me about 2.5 years to get to the point where I ran out of DS stuff to play.

Question for those with the 3DS XL: does the larger screen make things look pixely? I understand the XL uses the same resolution as the original 3DS and I'm wondering if that makes things look pixely. (I'll be getting a 3DS soon, you see. Trying to decide which to get.)

Please forgive if this thread has already discussed this, 129 pages is a lot to go through :/

Forte wrote:

Question for those with the 3DS XL: does the larger screen make things look pixely? I understand the XL uses the same resolution as the original 3DS and I'm wondering if that makes things look pixely.

The only time I have really noticed things looking off is when I loaded up Pokemon on my 3DSXL. On the 3DS, it looked like your regular game, but it looks slightly off on the XL. Everything else that I have played looks totally fine, and the XL is such a sexier piece of hardware that I would suffer a small adjustment in some games readily.

Forte wrote:

Question for those with the 3DS XL: does the larger screen make things look pixely? I understand the XL uses the same resolution as the original 3DS and I'm wondering if that makes things look pixely. (I'll be getting a 3DS soon, you see. Trying to decide which to get.)

Please forgive if this thread has already discussed this, 129 pages is a lot to go through :/

Slightly, although not very noticeable.

On a side note, I know pixely is different from jagged edges but if you dislike aliasing, a lot of games apply anti-aliasing if you play them in 2D.

Forte wrote:

Question for those with the 3DS XL: does the larger screen make things look pixely? I understand the XL uses the same resolution as the original 3DS and I'm wondering if that makes things look pixely. (I'll be getting a 3DS soon, you see. Trying to decide which to get.)

Please forgive if this thread has already discussed this, 129 pages is a lot to go through :/

Yes the pixels are bigger, no question. A couple of the more detailed games I've looked at show up a bit jagged. It's not as bad as you might think since the bigger screen means you are probably going to hold it a bit farther from your face. Outside of that there are so many positives to the XL it's really hard not to justify the extra 30 dollars. When I was shopping for one the Gamestop guy let me compare the 3DS and 3DS XL side by side. If you have a local game store that will let you do such things give them a comparison and you'll see what I mean. That will help compare the pixelation effect as well.

For an adult, the XL is easier to hold and the bigger screen makes the 3D effect easier to see and less finicky. Structurally the clicky screen hinges are better, there is a locking slider for the 3D on/off switch, and the bottom button row are real buttons instead of a membrane. It would have been nice if they could have made the ABXY buttons a bit bigger on the XL but the extra space goes to screen size over everything else.

And man, that screen is big. And bright. Much bigger and brighter even than the DSi XL. If you plan on playing DS games on it you can add an extra plus because the smaller resolution window is easier to see on the XL than the original.

Oh, there are a couple other pluses I forgot to add. The XL doesn't have that weird layered bezel which makes it look sleeker. It is matte rather than gloss, so smudging is reduced. And finally the stylus port is on the side of the machine next to your hand rather than on the back of the unit. This is a small but important difference, especially if you're familiar with the DSi.

PAX is such a streetpass smorgasbord. I practically filled my US map last year.

Thanks for all the info! XL it is.

I can't resist the 3DS now that Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and Etrian Odyssey 4 are out. The library has swelled with Fire Emblem, a bunch of Marios, and so forth so I can feel comfortable I'll have enough to choose from.

Forte wrote:

Thanks for all the info! XL it is.

I can't resist the 3DS now that Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and Etrian Odyssey 4 are out. The library has swelled with Fire Emblem, a bunch of Marios, and so forth so I can feel comfortable I'll have enough to choose from.

I would say at this point that the 3DS has the best early library of any handheld. It's pretty can't miss right now. All of a sudden.

This week's sale is on Mutant Mudds for $5.99. You should buy it. It's a difficult but fair retro platformer that has you moving between the foreground, midground, and background to collect stuff and shoot blobs of mud. It's also one of my favorite games on the system.

DSGamer wrote:
Forte wrote:

Thanks for all the info! XL it is.

I can't resist the 3DS now that Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and Etrian Odyssey 4 are out. The library has swelled with Fire Emblem, a bunch of Marios, and so forth so I can feel comfortable I'll have enough to choose from.

I would say at this point that the 3DS has the best early library of any handheld. It's pretty can't miss right now. All of a sudden.

About a half dozen announcements and releases I can't resist have come out of nowhere over the past and upcoming few weeks. It's crazy go nuts time.

Forte wrote:

Thanks for all the info! XL it is.

You are waiting until Sunday right?

$159 sale on the XL at Target. All colors, even the new Pikachu one.

Stele wrote:
Forte wrote:

Thanks for all the info! XL it is.

You are waiting until Sunday right?

$159 sale on the XL at Target. All colors, even the new Pikachu one.

And if you get Luigi's Mansion or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon and register them with your XL on Club Nintendo, you'll get a free full game and enough coins for the month's reward game.

Yeah that's really making me think about Luigi's Mansion too. To get Super Mario 3D Land for free, which I would definitely buy anyway.