Along with the system-level friend code comes a persistent friends list that you can pull up from the home menu. Here you get little friend cards for each person, showing their Mii, their friend code, a status message (like an Xbox Live motto), and, potentially, a pair of games. You can select your favorite game via a list of anything you've run on your 3DS... even if it isn't a game. Me? I chose the "Health and Safety Information" screen as my favorite. Safety first, right? If your friends are online, their cards will light up and the game they're currently playing shows up when they're selected. This is, of course, an option that you can disable, if you want your game choices to remain a secret. Showing that kind of presence is pretty cool. Obviously, it's something that the modern consoles have been doing for years, but it's not something I'd expect to see on a handheld. I've seen people online taking photos, messing around with their AR cards, and so on.
I sort of expected to dislike the 3D feature--every time I've seen a 3DS up until this retail release, it's been the same old story of eye fatigue and an inability to stay focused on the 3D screen for any serious length of time. I'm not really having that problem anymore, and the whole "faster frame rate in 2D mode" thing that some games offer hasn't ended up being as big of a draw as I thought it might be. I'm pleasantly surprised by all of this.
A review of Shadow Wars from some random site, it looks legit enough...maybe some bad news for Lunker though. And it really fellates Gollop, assuming the reader knows all about this sort of game already.
There are around 35 hours of single player challenges and 10 multiplayer maps. I would normally decry games that put the emphasis on single player modes, but here the quality on offer more than makes up for any shortfall in multiplayer variety.
But more than any of this, it is the personal history that this game evokes that makes me want to play it for hours. This is more about people and spiritual succession than it is about franchises or branding. For me Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Shadow Wars is simply Laser Squad by another name.
IGN reports that the 3D really does make a difference in playing games.
I'm currently working my way through PilotWings Resort. I'm earning points and progressing through Mission Flight Mode's various difficulty levels, all by flying in planes, gliders and rocket belts. The game isn't particularly difficult at this point, but in one mission I found myself taxed slightly more than usual. I was trying to gauge my flight path, lining up a path marker with the next major goal. Hitting both would earn me critical points, so my choice was clear – don't miss either target. My grip on the 3DS tightened, as I was almost certain I was going to miss one or the other. Determining the proper depth was so tricky…
Wait a second.
Up until this point, I hadn't been playing in 3D. It's late as I write this, and, as my eyes grew tired, the 3D had started to bother me a bit. Plus, with the 3D on, the smoothness of the game takes a hit. Why not ease the demand on the system, its battery and my eyes?
As I reached for the 3D adjustment slider, I wondered if turning on 3D would make any difference. Why would it? This stuff is just a graphical gimmick, right? A cool hook to get the mass market curious about games, right? I'm the biggest defender of the Nintendo 3DS, but even I admit that gameplay isn't going to change because of a 3D effect.
But then I turned on the 3D. Suddenly I could properly figure out some last minute adjustments to my glider's flight path. I could figure out one object's special relationship with another. I knew how far apart they were, and how much time I'd have to move until the next. This wasn't so problematic after all. I coasted through one target, earning my points, hit the next, and pulled the analog slider back to soar back into the air. It was a breeze.
Consider me schooled. Consider me convinced. Though the 3D effect certainly applies to gameplay in a critically different way than a Wii Remote or touch control, it nevertheless changes the way a game is played. It changes the way a gamer is able to perceive the worlds created by developers. It's different than pressing A or swinging a device to hit a ball, but it's important nonetheless. Just as increased graphics afford developers the ability to change environments and levels, so does the ability to add greater depth. Is anyone else more excited for Mario 3DS now?
When it works well (Kid Icarus' shooting stages or Pilotwings) it works really well. Otherwise, you can take it or leave it (DOA or SSFIV). So it will all come down to what the developer does with it. Another tool in the arsenal.
That Shadow Wars review seems pretty positive, although there's little info in there that wasn't in one of the previews... I half wonder if it's someone writing a "review" without actually playing the game so that they can get hits to their crappy site...
Any decent pre-order deals/options out there? Will this be in-stores on Sunday? Makes ordering online seem like the bad option
Supposed to be in stores on Sunday, some places doing midnight launches Saturday night. I always like buying systems at a real store because it's much easier to take it back if something's wrong with it (like dead pixels).
I preordered at Toys R Us, they're just selling when they open normally on Sunday.
I've never actually played any of the Paper Mario games. Do you guys have any links to a good walkthrough/let's play by chance? I'd like to prep myself.
Thanks for posting all that stuff, Sporky, especially the Gerstmann impressions. It's the little stuff like that which I feel hits people harder than sprawling page upon sprawling page of a review.
And now I'm at least assured of one thing: being able to give our Friends proper definitions instead of a bunch of numbers across multiple games and a small hashtag. Now it's like a phone number for your 3DS and you can give them proper names. Now only if it did the Xbox Live thing where you can add the random recently played with people without knowing their number prior.
V Faction on
Nintendo Network ID: V-Faction | XBL: V Faction | Steam | 3DS: 3136 - 6603 - 1330 PokemonWhite Friend Code: 0046-2121-0723/White2 Friend Code: 0519-5126-2990
"Did ya hear the one about the mussel that wanted to purchase Valve? Seems like the bivalve had a juicy offer on the table but the company flat-out refused and decided to immediately clam up!"
I've never actually played any of the Paper Mario games. Do you guys have any links to a good walkthrough/let's play by chance? I'd like to prep myself.
Don't have any specific links, but check youtube, I'm sure there are quite a few out there. Paper Mario (64) is also available on Virtual Console if you have a Wii - that's definitely worth grabbing if you have the chance - it's still quite fun, and one of the few N64 games that doesn't look like ass compared to modern games
Any decent pre-order deals/options out there? Will this be in-stores on Sunday? Makes ordering online seem like the bad option
At least in the UK, the major retailers are guaranteeing that shipped 3DSs will reach you on launch day (March 25th) unless you opted for slower delivery or something.
Amazon.co.uk went a little crazy with the pre-order stuff today - dropped the base price again to £187, are giving away official screen protectors with every console, giving a further 50% discount on official cases bought with it, and offering a game from the 'second-tier' (Monkey Ball, Ridge Racer, Ghost Recon) for £15. I'd be astonished if online retailers in the US aren't doing similar things prior to release - with a week to go, they're all getting locked into a price war.
US doesn't work that way for console sales. Nintendo sets the MSRP low enough and they all go for that price. Best you'll ever get is discounts on accessories or the like.
Soooo, just finished playing Pioletwings 3D at my local Best Buy. Holy shit! It was like a minifigure hang glider on a tiny thread behind the screen. I am blown away.
They really like white in Europe. These look better than the US equivalents, though. The RETM3D cover art looks kind of like a placeholder.
mntorankusu on
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PaperLuigi44My amazement is at maximum capacity.Registered Userregular
edited March 2011
Yeah, I'm in Australia so I'm familiar with those boxart (boxarts?), although our RE4 on GC was this:
Which I'm quite fond of.
The difference is that the pictures you posted have effort put into them while Mercenaries has just removed the background. I'm hoping it's just a placeholder, as you say.
Yeah, I fully acknowledge that I've been slacking on the OP as of late. My bad! I'll get started on the next one later on tonight if no one else wants to tackle it though.
Also, happy Saint Patrick's Day fellow game enthusiasts!
Rehab on
NNID: Rehab0
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The_SpaniardIt's never lupinesIrvine, CaliforniaRegistered Userregular
Joystiq reviews Pilotwings Resort, yet weirdly omits any mention of how the 3D is in it. Take this with a grain of salt but one of the commentors on the article said it was because the writer of the article has admitted in the past that he is incapable of seeing the 3DS's 3D. If true, way to go Joystiq, that's some quality reporting there, I have a blind friend that would love to review movies for you if you'd like to give him a shot.
Joystiq reviews Pilotwings Resort, yet weirdly omits any mention of how the 3D is in it. Take this with a grain of salt but one of the commentors on the article said it was because the writer of the article has admitted in the past that he is incapable of seeing the 3DS's 3D. If true, way to go Joystiq, that's some quality reporting there, I have a blind friend that would love to review movies for you if you'd like to give him a shot.
3D is a visual enhancement. It won't make a bad game good.
CygnusZ on
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The_SpaniardIt's never lupinesIrvine, CaliforniaRegistered Userregular
Joystiq reviews Pilotwings Resort, yet weirdly omits any mention of how the 3D is in it. Take this with a grain of salt but one of the commentors on the article said it was because the writer of the article has admitted in the past that he is incapable of seeing the 3DS's 3D. If true, way to go Joystiq, that's some quality reporting there, I have a blind friend that would love to review movies for you if you'd like to give him a shot.
3D is a visual enhancement. It won't make a bad game good.
Who said it did? But 3D is one of the basic tenants of the system, it's in the friggen title, so it's a re-God-damned important thing to cover.
Joystiq reviews Pilotwings Resort, yet weirdly omits any mention of how the 3D is in it. Take this with a grain of salt but one of the commentors on the article said it was because the writer of the article has admitted in the past that he is incapable of seeing the 3DS's 3D. If true, way to go Joystiq, that's some quality reporting there, I have a blind friend that would love to review movies for you if you'd like to give him a shot.
3D is a visual enhancement. It won't make a bad game good.
Who said it did? But 3D is one of the basic tenants of the system, it's in the friggen title, so it's a re-God-damned important thing to cover.
I have to agree with Spaniard on that one - it is a launch title for the 3DS. Even if you aren't interested in 3D, that is the biggest thing about the new system and the launch titles.
Joystiq reviews Pilotwings Resort, yet weirdly omits any mention of how the 3D is in it. Take this with a grain of salt but one of the commentors on the article said it was because the writer of the article has admitted in the past that he is incapable of seeing the 3DS's 3D. If true, way to go Joystiq, that's some quality reporting there, I have a blind friend that would love to review movies for you if you'd like to give him a shot.
3D is a visual enhancement. It won't make a bad game good.
Who said it did? But 3D is one of the basic tenants of the system, it's in the friggen title, so it's a re-God-damned important thing to cover.
I have to agree with Spaniard on that one - it is a launch title for the 3DS. Even if you aren't interested in 3D, that is the biggest thing about the new system and the launch titles.
Plus there's that other review that mentioned that turning the 3D on suddenly made it much easier to judge distances. For anything with that sort of interaction with distance, 3D isn't just a visual enhancement.
Joystiq reviews Pilotwings Resort, yet weirdly omits any mention of how the 3D is in it. Take this with a grain of salt but one of the commentors on the article said it was because the writer of the article has admitted in the past that he is incapable of seeing the 3DS's 3D. If true, way to go Joystiq, that's some quality reporting there, I have a blind friend that would love to review movies for you if you'd like to give him a shot.
3D is a visual enhancement. It won't make a bad game good.
Who said it did? But 3D is one of the basic tenants of the system, it's in the friggen title, so it's a re-God-damned important thing to cover.
As weird as it might seem to be quoting IGN, here's something for you to chew on CygnusZ.
But then I turned on the 3D. Suddenly I could properly figure out some last minute adjustments to my glider's flight path. I could figure out one object's special relationship with another. I knew how far apart they were, and how much time I'd have to move until the next. This wasn't so problematic after all. I coasted through one target, earning my points, hit the next, and pulled the analog slider back to soar back into the air. It was a breeze.
Going from 3D on to off certainly makes the game feel like it's missing something. But the claim that the reviewer couldn't judge the distances with the 3D turned off strikes me as wrong. After all, I've been doing exactly that since Stellar 7.
EDIT: Maybe I'm being too dismissive. On a big TV or a computer monitor it may not be a problem, but handheld monitors are tiny and the space added by depth may be making a big difference.
I think any sort of tunnel-forward games will look really nice with the 3D effect; Pilotwings is a good example, it's why I think a rail shooter like Kid Icarus will look great, and I'm dying to see what Etrian Odyssey looks like with lush 3D. I can't speak to how much it can really add as far as gameplay mechanics, though; I'd like to try Pilotwings, but I'll probably rent or wait to buy used and see if it's the kind of thing I'll keep.
I think any sort of tunnel-forward games will look really nice with the 3D effect; Pilotwings is a good example, it's why I think a rail shooter like Kid Icarus will look great, and I'm dying to see what Etrian Odyssey looks like with lush 3D. I can't speak to how much it can really add as far as gameplay mechanics, though; I'd like to try Pilotwings, but I'll probably rent or wait to buy used and see if it's the kind of thing I'll keep.
See, one of the things I kinda want to see are sidescrollers. I just can't help but imagine you could do some really cool stuff with the depth. Hell, think of a game like Yoshi's Island, with the crayon-drawings look. It'd make for a perfect diorama sort of thing.
...Also, I want a fucking portable Smash Bros. already. I'm tired of relying on other fighting games and off-brand copycats when I crave ass-kicking!
Joystiq reviews Pilotwings Resort, yet weirdly omits any mention of how the 3D is in it. Take this with a grain of salt but one of the commentors on the article said it was because the writer of the article has admitted in the past that he is incapable of seeing the 3DS's 3D. If true, way to go Joystiq, that's some quality reporting there, I have a blind friend that would love to review movies for you if you'd like to give him a shot.
3D is a visual enhancement. It won't make a bad game good.
But trouble judging your position in 3D space can make a good game bad. So in that sense it CAN actually make a bad game good, if that was the only thing that made the game appear bad.
Soooo... I played the 3DS today at Best Buy and was going to post my impressions... but they might be a bit long and this is page 100. Someone make a new thread?
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(I appreciate all feedback, so take a few minutes to check it out)
Pokemon White: 5371-9705-4895
3DS Friend Code: 2105-8646-1262
Nope. I think that's been confirmed. Not a lot of online stuff at launch.
Jeff Gerstmann's first 48 hours with the 3DS
A review of Shadow Wars from some random site, it looks legit enough...maybe some bad news for Lunker though. And it really fellates Gollop, assuming the reader knows all about this sort of game already.
IGN reports that the 3D really does make a difference in playing games.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/
I write about video games and stuff. It is fun. Sometimes.
I think it's a definite buy though for me.
Supposed to be in stores on Sunday, some places doing midnight launches Saturday night. I always like buying systems at a real store because it's much easier to take it back if something's wrong with it (like dead pixels).
I preordered at Toys R Us, they're just selling when they open normally on Sunday.
Thanks for posting all that stuff, Sporky, especially the Gerstmann impressions. It's the little stuff like that which I feel hits people harder than sprawling page upon sprawling page of a review.
And now I'm at least assured of one thing: being able to give our Friends proper definitions instead of a bunch of numbers across multiple games and a small hashtag. Now it's like a phone number for your 3DS and you can give them proper names. Now only if it did the Xbox Live thing where you can add the random recently played with people without knowing their number prior.
Pokemon White Friend Code: 0046-2121-0723/White 2 Friend Code: 0519-5126-2990
"Did ya hear the one about the mussel that wanted to purchase Valve? Seems like the bivalve had a juicy offer on the table but the company flat-out refused and decided to immediately clam up!"
However, I'm not sure i can go through with buying one. The more i think about it, the more i doubt I'm going to put enough playtime in to justify it.
I hardly ever play my ds as it is. I think I'm going to have to fight my desire to purchase something new and shiny this time.
Switch: 6200-8149-0919 / Wii U: maximumzero / 3DS: 0860-3352-3335 / eBay Shop
Don't have any specific links, but check youtube, I'm sure there are quite a few out there. Paper Mario (64) is also available on Virtual Console if you have a Wii - that's definitely worth grabbing if you have the chance - it's still quite fun, and one of the few N64 games that doesn't look like ass compared to modern games
At least in the UK, the major retailers are guaranteeing that shipped 3DSs will reach you on launch day (March 25th) unless you opted for slower delivery or something.
Amazon.co.uk went a little crazy with the pre-order stuff today - dropped the base price again to £187, are giving away official screen protectors with every console, giving a further 50% discount on official cases bought with it, and offering a game from the 'second-tier' (Monkey Ball, Ridge Racer, Ghost Recon) for £15. I'd be astonished if online retailers in the US aren't doing similar things prior to release - with a week to go, they're all getting locked into a price war.
Top of page 96 in this thread.
And the European version:
I've really only seen the stuff they released official shots of.
Subscribe to Official Nintendo Magazine (UK), get Ridge Racer 3D for free. It turns out you have to get a 12 month subscription, you're billed every six months. Wish they'd do that kind of thing over here.
And here is 11 minutes of direct feed SSF4, and [VIDURL="
Resident Evil Mercenaries: White Version?
They really like white in Europe. These look better than the US equivalents, though. The RETM3D cover art looks kind of like a placeholder.
Which I'm quite fond of.
The difference is that the pictures you posted have effort put into them while Mercenaries has just removed the background. I'm hoping it's just a placeholder, as you say.
Yeah, I fully acknowledge that I've been slacking on the OP as of late. My bad! I'll get started on the next one later on tonight if no one else wants to tackle it though.
Also, happy Saint Patrick's Day fellow game enthusiasts!
Joystiq reviews Pilotwings Resort, yet weirdly omits any mention of how the 3D is in it. Take this with a grain of salt but one of the commentors on the article said it was because the writer of the article has admitted in the past that he is incapable of seeing the 3DS's 3D. If true, way to go Joystiq, that's some quality reporting there, I have a blind friend that would love to review movies for you if you'd like to give him a shot.
3D is a visual enhancement. It won't make a bad game good.
Who said it did? But 3D is one of the basic tenants of the system, it's in the friggen title, so it's a re-God-damned important thing to cover.
I have to agree with Spaniard on that one - it is a launch title for the 3DS. Even if you aren't interested in 3D, that is the biggest thing about the new system and the launch titles.
Plus there's that other review that mentioned that turning the 3D on suddenly made it much easier to judge distances. For anything with that sort of interaction with distance, 3D isn't just a visual enhancement.
As weird as it might seem to be quoting IGN, here's something for you to chew on CygnusZ.
http://ds.ign.com/articles/115/1156183p1.html
The important part for the TLDR crowd:
EDIT: Maybe I'm being too dismissive. On a big TV or a computer monitor it may not be a problem, but handheld monitors are tiny and the space added by depth may be making a big difference.
See, one of the things I kinda want to see are sidescrollers. I just can't help but imagine you could do some really cool stuff with the depth. Hell, think of a game like Yoshi's Island, with the crayon-drawings look. It'd make for a perfect diorama sort of thing.
...Also, I want a fucking portable Smash Bros. already. I'm tired of relying on other fighting games and off-brand copycats when I crave ass-kicking!
Pokemon White Friend Code:0089 1626 3393
But trouble judging your position in 3D space can make a good game bad. So in that sense it CAN actually make a bad game good, if that was the only thing that made the game appear bad.
I didn't know the packaging was thinner than DS cases.
Twitter 3DS: 0860 - 3257 - 2516
Twitter 3DS: 0860 - 3257 - 2516
I think they got rid of those like a year ago when they went for the "eco friendly" cases. I know pokemon doesn't have one