Poll: Should I get a 3DS?

[clippen05]

Hello Escapists, I'm having a dilemma. For a couple months, I have been considering buying a 3DS. I don't really know why; I never played my DSi that much. But for some reason, I find myself looking to buy it. I have the money to, but I'm not convinced. On one hand, I fly a lot to go to and from University abroad. So, having a 3DS when I'm on a plane would be pretty nice. But on the other hand, I'm at University and ANOTHER games platform isn't necessarily a good thing, especially considering I have a bunch of Steam games I've yet to beat/play.

Even though I'm primarily a PC Gamer, I have a soft spot for Nintendo first-party games. I'd be interested in buying the Mario and Luigi edition of the handheld, and the Mario and Luigi series is one of my favourite game series of all time. I'd also consider getting Mario 3D land and Paper Mario. However, I don't really know what other games stand out in the 3DS library. I know people are going to suggest Pokemon, but I haven't really been interested in the series since Diamond and Pearl. I did like the mystery dungeon games though... If anyone can give me any recommendations on games to get, I'd feel more confident in getting it.

Any advice on the games and on whether or not you think I should get the 3DS would be appreciated. I should note however, this is pretty last minute. My flight back to University is tomorrow night. So my decision to buy it before my flight is only going to be influenced by posts in the next 18ish hours. However, I could buy one in the UK in the future, but I don't know if it would be more expensive than to buy it here in the States...

NOTE: Don't recommend me a 2DS, I'm not interested.

 

[suntt123]

Pretty sure the 3DS may be region locked so you may wanna wait till you get to UK to make sure games will be compatible with your system. If/when you do get one I'd recommend
3DS:
Anything by Atlus (especially Shin Megami Tensei and it's spinoffs)
Fire Emblem Awakening
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Super Mario 3D World
Kingdom Hearts 3D

I think the DS games aren't region locked (strangely enough) so they should work with any 3DS.
DS:
Still anything by Atlus
Anything by Square Enix (Remakes of Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger, The World Ends With You, etc.)

 

[sextus the crazy]

The 3DS (like the DS) is a great console for japanese games. Tons of jrpgs and platformers and the like. If that's your thing then get one. The Nintendo handhelds tend to have really good libraries.

 

[Camaranth]

The 3DS IS region locked!

Just warning you cause my sister got stung by that. She recently moved home and brought hers from the UK, she could not play the game I bought for her birthday and now has to order them in from amazon.co.uk etc.

Anyway I'm actually having a similar dilemma I used to travel far more frequently than I do now so my ds has been gathering dust. Having said that there are a number of games out that interest me for it. SMT IV being the one that has really made me consider the purchase. The two Zelda games, Fire Emblem and the Ace Attorney series also interest me. Not to mention it is backwards compatible and the are some DS games that I never got around to that are now dirt cheap.

My general rule for a console is simple: A system seller and at least 3 other games that if I already had the system I would definitely buy. Alternatively 6 games that I would definitely buy if I already had the system.

So yeah if there are about 5 games that in some way catch your interest pick one up at the airport in duty free, have a good flight and good luck this semester!

 

[Camaranth]

Hello Escapists, I'm having a dilemma.

Sorry I meant to quote you in my above post and I just wanted to be sure you would see that the 3DS is region locked. I know that might be a deal breaker for some people. Especially if you live between regions like I have for many years.

 

[TehCookie]

The 3DS IS region locked!

Just warning you cause my sister got stung by that. She recently moved home and brought hers from the UK, she could not play the game I bought for her birthday and now has to order them in from amazon.co.uk etc.

I've heard some people in the UK like to get the US version because of that. Even if you have to order games online you don't have to worry about UK not getting the game, since the US tends to get more localized games. Just another thing to consider.

Anyway I'm actually having a similar dilemma I used to travel far more frequently than I do now so my ds has been gathering dust. Having said that there are a number of games out that interest me for it. SMT IV being the one that has really made me consider the purchase. The two Zelda games, Fire Emblem and the Ace Attorney series also interest me. Not to mention it is backwards compatible and the are some DS games that I never got around to that are now dirt cheap.

My general rule for a console is simple: A system seller and at least 3 other games that if I already had the system I would definitely buy. Alternatively 6 games that I would definitely buy if I already had the system.

So yeah if there are about 5 games that in some way catch your interest pick one up at the airport in duty free, have a good flight and good luck this semester!

Otherwise Camaranth already said what I was going to. If there's enough games you want get it, and they even already the games I'd suggest. If you like JRPGs you can look up Tales of the Abyss. It's a very polarizing game, but if you fall into the love it side, it's amazing.

 

[clippen05]

Hello Escapists, I'm having a dilemma.

Sorry I meant to quote you in my above post and I just wanted to be sure you would see that the 3DS is region locked. I know that might be a deal breaker for some people. Especially if you live between regions like I have for many years.

Can't you buy most games on the 3DS E-Shop? So, even if I bought a US 3DS, I could by E-Shop, for example, Paper Mario, while I'm in the UK. Because I'm not that attached to physical hardware so if that's the case it's not that big of a problem for me. Unless there's something that prevents that? I don't know how big 3DS games are though so I could potentially run out of space I presume?

 

[The_Lost_King]

get it and buy Fire Emblem Awakening. It is my game of the year and has earned its place alongside DA:O, Oblivion, and Fallout New Vegas as one of my favorite games of all time. Totally worth a 3ds for just that, and then there is monster hunter 3 and pokemon which are both great.

 

[kilenem]

Pretty sure the 3DS may be region locked so you may wanna wait till you get to UK to make sure games will be compatible with your system. If/when you do get one I'd recommend
3DS:
Anything by Atlus (especially Shin Megami Tensei and it's spinoffs)
Fire Emblem Awakening
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Super Mario 3D World
Kingdom Hearts 3D

I think the DS games aren't region locked (strangely enough) so they should work with any 3DS.
DS:
Still anything by Atlus
Anything by Square Enix (Remakes of Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger, The World Ends With You, etc.)

The R4 chip, a cartridge that allowed you to play booteleg games, did a hell of a lot damage in the European DS market. I think the 3DS is religion lock to prevent privacy

 

[Roxas1359]

Pretty sure the 3DS may be region locked so you may wanna wait till you get to UK to make sure games will be compatible with your system. If/when you do get one I'd recommend
3DS:
Anything by Atlus (especially Shin Megami Tensei and it's spinoffs)
Fire Emblem Awakening
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Super Mario 3D World
Kingdom Hearts 3D

I think the DS games aren't region locked (strangely enough) so they should work with any 3DS.
DS:
Still anything by Atlus
Anything by Square Enix (Remakes of Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger, The World Ends With You, etc.)

The R4 chip, a cartridge that allowed you to play booteleg games, did a hell of a lot damage in the European DS market. I think the 3DS is religion lock to prevent privacy

Thing is though, region locking doesn't stop piracy at all, not even in the slighted possible way. As for R4 cartridges, they are illegal to sell in Japan, and most European countries. The only large country with a high gaming populace where R4 cartridges are still legal is the US. There is however apparently a 3DS R4 cartridge that works because it uses the DS backwards compatibility as a work around to it. Same thing with how people could get around the Wii's systems by abusing the GameCube's backwards compatibility, and how the Wii U can be hacked through the Wii menu. Nintendo's main problem is that they just slightly modify their hardware each generation, so the pirates, hackers, and modders just have to make slight alterations as well. Nintendo's used the same Optical Disc Drive since the GameCube, and the DS line to 3DS use the same card readers, only slightly modified.

Hello Escapists, I'm having a dilemma.

Sorry I meant to quote you in my above post and I just wanted to be sure you would see that the 3DS is region locked. I know that might be a deal breaker for some people. Especially if you live between regions like I have for many years.

Can't you buy most games on the 3DS E-Shop? So, even if I bought a US 3DS, I could by E-Shop, for example, Paper Mario, while I'm in the UK. Because I'm not that attached to physical hardware so if that's the case it's not that big of a problem for me. Unless there's something that prevents that? I don't know how big 3DS games are though so I could potentially run out of space I presume?

Well when you're buying games off the eShop, it's better to save it to the SD card instead of the console's built in memory. As for being able to access the store, some handhelds I know lock you out of their online shops if they are not of that region. Plus, if you have a 3DS from another region, you can't do download play with your friends at all, even if everyone has the same game but from different regions.

 

[Guffe]

The 3DS IS region locked!

I have a question regarding this, I'm not too into this whole regionlock thing...

How does it work with games purchased from the EShop?
Those are just automatically downloaded to the machine, and therefor "locked" to one 3DS, so for those it doesn't matter where, when or why you DL them?!?!?!

I've been thinking this same thing, maybe getting it later, there are a number of games out there I'm interested in for this handheld....

 

[Sack of Cheese]

snip

If you ever want to buy one, get the 3DS XL, bigger screen size is always better! I'm too used to my 3DS XL my friend's normal 3DS seems too small for me.
Plus 3DS XL has longer battery.

The 3DS IS region locked!

I have a question regarding this, I'm not too into this whole regionlock thing...

How does it work with games purchased from the EShop?
Those are just automatically downloaded to the machine, and therefor "locked" to one 3DS, so for those it doesn't matter where, when or why you DL them?!?!?!

I've been thinking this same thing, maybe getting it later, there are a number of games out there I'm interested in for this handheld....

Just like with PSN, Eshop only offers games for specific regions. For example if you have a UK 3DS, you cannot purchase Shin megami tensei 4 on eshop unlike a person who has US 3DS.

 

[Camaranth]

I've been thinking this same thing, maybe getting it later, there are a number of games out there I'm interested in for this handheld....

That's one of the reasons I've waited. There is a substantial library out now and with the release of the XL picking up an original should be fairly cheap. The few demo XL,s I've played with are uncomfortable for my little hands.

I don't know how the region lock works, it might be like the App Store where you sign in to a specific shop but can technically access said shop from anywhere in the world. In which case it win't be too big a barrier.

Hello Escapists, I'm having a dilemma.

Sorry I meant to quote you in my above post and I just wanted to be sure you would see that the 3DS is region locked. I know that might be a deal breaker for some people. Especially if you live between regions like I have for many years.

Can't you buy most games on the 3DS E-Shop? So, even if I bought a US 3DS, I could by E-Shop, for example, Paper Mario, while I'm in the UK. Because I'm not that attached to physical hardware so if that's the case it's not that big of a problem for me. Unless there's something that prevents that? I don't know how big 3DS games are though so I could potentially run out of space I presume?

The only other thing to consider is where you are based. I was based in the uk but visited the us a lot so my handheld got the most use in transit and in the US when I was killing time so I frequently bought my games in the US (cheaper too).

Like I said unfortunately I can't tell you anything about the e-shop except that my colleague loves it. I don't know if you can access the US shop from the UK or not... Sorry

 

[Yopaz]

Hello Escapists, I'm having a dilemma.

Sorry I meant to quote you in my above post and I just wanted to be sure you would see that the 3DS is region locked. I know that might be a deal breaker for some people. Especially if you live between regions like I have for many years.

Can't you buy most games on the 3DS E-Shop? So, even if I bought a US 3DS, I could by E-Shop, for example, Paper Mario, while I'm in the UK. Because I'm not that attached to physical hardware so if that's the case it's not that big of a problem for me. Unless there's something that prevents that? I don't know how big 3DS games are though so I could potentially run out of space I presume?

Get a big SD card for downloads. Unlike the Vita any SD card will do.

The problem with the eShop is that you might encounter problems with adding funds to buy games (GameStop sells point cards if that's OK), however this link might be helpful http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blog/26572

Personally when it comes to digital distribution on the 3DS I have to say that I prefer that over physical copies. A handheld system that can also carry most of the game collection on its internal memory makes it a lot easier to bring on flights and trips than one where you have to bring lots of game boxes with you.

If you want to get Shin Megami Tensei IV then an American 3DS is preferable, but if you don't care about that then I would get one form the region you think you'll eventually settle down in.

I've had a 3DS since its launch and I don't regret it, but honestly if you're not sure don't take my or anyone else's advice too much to heart. Take the time you need to make up your mind and consider if the region lock will make things hard or not.

I don't have any experience with imported systems myself so I am not sure about the specifics of it.

 

[Souplex]

Every time this thread comes up, the answer is yes.
Buy one. Now!
Just do yourself a favor and turn the brightness down. You'll double the battery life.
Can people stop making these threads? It's been clearly established that everyone should have a 3DS.

 

[Objectable]

Buy one
Get Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies
Thank me later.

 

[kilenem]

Pretty sure the 3DS may be region locked so you may wanna wait till you get to UK to make sure games will be compatible with your system. If/when you do get one I'd recommend
3DS:
Anything by Atlus (especially Shin Megami Tensei and it's spinoffs)
Fire Emblem Awakening
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Super Mario 3D World
Kingdom Hearts 3D

I think the DS games aren't region locked (strangely enough) so they should work with any 3DS.
DS:
Still anything by Atlus
Anything by Square Enix (Remakes of Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger, The World Ends With You, etc.)

The R4 chip, a cartridge that allowed you to play booteleg games, did a hell of a lot damage in the European DS market. I think the 3DS is religion lock to prevent privacy

Thing is though, region locking doesn't stop piracy at all, not even in the slighted possible way. As for R4 cartridges, they are illegal to sell in Japan, and most European countries. The only large country with a high gaming populace where R4 cartridges are still legal is the US. There is however apparently a 3DS R4 cartridge that works because it uses the DS backwards compatibility as a work around to it. Same thing with how people could get around the Wii's systems by abusing the GameCube's backwards compatibility, and how the Wii U can be hacked through the Wii menu. Nintendo's main problem is that they just slightly modify their hardware each generation, so the pirates, hackers, and modders just have to make slight alterations as well. Nintendo's used the same Optical Disc Drive since the GameCube, and the DS line to 3DS use the same card readers, only slightly modified.

I haven't checked on the hacking of the 3DS since the summer but I thought getting through the region lock was still a obstacle. Like they hacked the 3DS but didn't break the region lock

 

[Roxas1359]

I haven't checked on the hacking of the 3DS since the summer but I thought getting through the region lock was still a obstacle. Like they hacked the 3DS but didn't break the region lock

Recently they broke the region locking by using the R4 cartriges. My main point though is that if Nintendo is region locking to try and stop piracy, then they are really ignorant to what is actually being used for piracy on their systems.