Nintendo 3DS: You're not supposed to pickle your 3ds

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Nintendo 3DS: You're not supposed to pickle your 3ds

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Is there still new old stock of original DS games or is everything bootleg now?

I was checking out some old DS games on Amazon (Chrono Trigger, Golden Sun, TWENEY as examples) and they're still readily available from affiliates. I might pick up some ones I'm missing but not interested in bootlegs.

# ¿ Mar 9, 2017 04:31

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 15:11

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Dehry posted:

The Nintendo Store added some white New 3DS refurbished units for $125 + $5 shipping.

Is this a good option if I'm casually interested in a 3DS/XL/2DSXL to play Zelda LBW and the new Metroid? I've been thinking of getting a New 2DSXL since my last handheld was a DS Lite. I guess this works out to be the same price (with AC adapter) but does have the 3D.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2017 23:58

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Just bought a refurb New 3DS for Metroid and to go through some of the 3DS back catalog.

Curious though, do 3DS physical release games have downloadable updates (aside from DLC) like Switch games do?

In other words, if I'm only interested in single-player physical release games is there a reason to bother with the 3DS eShop or connecting online at all?

# ¿ Sep 9, 2017 06:04

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

My Amazon Prime preorder of Samus Returns isn't arriving until Tuesday it appears. I've been used to release-day arrivals of Switch games. Did I get unlucky or is it the same for everyone who preordered from Amazon?

# ¿ Sep 12, 2017 02:14

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Hadlock posted:

and the Metroid platformers seem to vary widely in quality.

The 2D Metroids have been pretty consistent in quality. It's been 13 years since the last one came out, though.

# ¿ Sep 12, 2017 21:42

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Mierenneuker posted:

The original version was, mainly because you didn't have a map and there was one section of the game where you'd just get hopelessly lost.

So not only is there not a map, but the map geometry is non-Euclidean. In exchange the game itself has fairly linear progression. I recall my first playthrough when it came out was just about 10 hours, but if you know where you're going the game can easily be beat in 1.5.

# ¿ Sep 12, 2017 21:46

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

s.i.r.e. posted:

So what system version are those 2DS XLs selling for because when that white and orange one drops I might need one.

The 2DS XLs are 11.5.0. As a data point I picked up a refurb n3DS this week from store.nintendo.com that came with 11.3.0.

# ¿ Sep 14, 2017 14:34

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Is there a benefit to making a NNID and linking it to a 3DS if all I do online is occasional eShop purchases? Would it automatically associate with my past purchases (didn't need an NNID for them) and would I be able to transfer them to a new device in the future if I couldn't do a system transfer?

# ¿ Sep 22, 2017 15:07

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

eshock posted:

What's the deal with the New 3DS price in America?

The regular-size New 3DS (the non-XL with swappable face plates) is available refurb for $125 from store.nintendo.com. I bought one a couple of weeks ago and, aside from shipping in a fairly generic box I couldn't tell you that it wasn't brand new. It also ships with an older firmware version that's easier to hack if you have any interest in homebrew.

In North America the New 3DS is the oddball. The XL is the one that has mass market distribution and the non-XL didn't even come over initially, and when it did it was mostly in bundles and that black Friday deal. No, I wouldn't expect another deal.

eshock posted:

I know Nintendo stuff tends to hold its value, but for the price to more than double in the same year they release the successor console? Has that ever happened?

Where are you seeing prices for $200? Third-party Amazon retailers and open eBay auctions don't count, as those are just third-party sellers trying to take advantage of scarce availability and consumer ignorance. In that sense, this happens every time there's a discontinued product. It's not like Target is selling them for $200 on shelf.

In 2006 there was a $50 black Friday sale on the AGS-101 (backlit) model of the GBA SP to clear out stock since the DS and DS Lite were both on the market. AGS-101 models have definitely held their value since it's the best GBA screen, was very worth it at that price even late in the game.

# ¿ Sep 25, 2017 14:46

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Waltzing Along posted:

Yes, people will pay a premium for illegal poo poo. It's unethical as gently caress, but if you load it up with a buncha poo poo, some other unethical person will pay extra. Don't do this.

Selling a hacked unit isn't unethical and probably lawful (although DMCA circumvention stuff makes it fuzzy). What would be unethical would be to wipe it totally clean and sell it without disclosing that it was previously hacked.

I mean, obviously he shouldn't go out of his way to load additional ROMs on it, but I'd basically sell it as is after disclosing the state of it.

# ¿ Dec 2, 2017 23:41

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

TFRazorsaw posted:

3D Land wasn�t already a Selects game? Wtf.

It wasn't, but both 3D Land and NSMB2 have had multiple printings and been consistently available since release, and selling for $25 for at least a year.

LBW is the one that's needed as Selects release, it's been out of print for a while and fetching $30+ used.

# ¿ Jan 19, 2018 16:12

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Nintendo sells refurb 3DS XLs for $160. They're indistinguishable from new units so you can save $40 that way.

# ¿ Feb 8, 2018 01:40

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Chronojam posted:

All these people who worry about having enough 3ds games and meanwhile I still have a loving og ds backlog.

It's especially embarrassing when Nintendo announces remakes for games where I have the original in backlog.

# ¿ Mar 11, 2018 20:33

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Ugly In The Morning posted:

For the longest time I thought the 3DS was just a DS with 3D effects for certain games. ... How do they come up with that poo poo?

I can see the 2DS and especially the New 3DS being confusing, but back when the OG 3DS was released was there really that much confusion that it was a new handheld?

# ¿ Jun 7, 2018 18:47

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Why is Bravely Default $40 everywhere, but Bravely Second only $20?

Did they over print? Is the latter not as good?

# ¿ Jul 4, 2018 20:25

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

curried lamb of God posted:

Ugh I'm kicking myself for not ordering the new 3DS on sale during prime day. I already have a Switch, but my old 3DS XL is a bit beat up and I really want to play SNES games

Nintendo sells refurbished units for $150 on their website. Sure they're not "new", but they're indistinguishable.

# ¿ Jul 24, 2018 15:04

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Probably the biggest criticism of Samus Returns is that there's just way more enemies than your typical 2D Metroid to slog through. You don't have to use the melee counter all the time, but it's definitely a slaughter all the way through.

Which, as a remake that aspect results in the eerie atmosphere of Metroid 2 being lost a fair bit. As it's own game it's pretty solid though.

# ¿ Sep 28, 2018 17:47

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

jivjov posted:

Yeah, I googled what the cartridge is supppsed to look like and the label on mine is super dark and blurry compared to a real one. I'll file a claim now

Did it come CiB with the manual, or just a small plastic case or loose cart?

voltcatfish posted:

basically, gently caress bootlegs

Also this. I mean, I'm OK with ROMsing DS games that are no longer available new-old-stock but bootlegs suck.

# ¿ Nov 5, 2018 01:16

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

jivjov posted:

Little plastic case, no original box or manual

Yeah I think that right there indicates it's a bootleg. Did Nintendo use those cases in any market?

# ¿ Nov 5, 2018 18:04

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

All three of my Castlevania carts (NA first prints--I don't know if they did multiple print runs outside of the Konami's Best) have serials. I think all my DS carts do.

# ¿ Nov 14, 2018 17:08

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

univbee posted:

There's also a fan which is a non-starter for a classic portable.

It's pretty obvious by now that Nintendo is holding out on the 32DS until Moore's Law makes it possible to manufacture a baked-joycon Switch that runs in the portable-only performance profile with decent battery and no fan for ~$150 MSRP. Sure, such a device would only have compatibility with 99% of Switch titles, but that's actually pretty great.

Also, such a device would be a strict subset of the real Switch's capabilities, so there's no downside to the real Switch aside from price and maybe size.

# ¿ Feb 13, 2019 21:54

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

THE AWESOME GHOST posted:

Like I cannot imagine they make a switch that doesn't plug into docks.

Neddy Seagoon posted:

Also if you make a Switch with no joycons it'll make a couple of games outright-unplayable because they expect a single JoyCon being detached.

Nintendo will easily sacrifice compatibility with "a few" Switch games in order to make a $150 handheld that supports the 1000+ Switch titles that do work fine in handheld mode.

Sure, dock and Bluetooth support would be great, but if adding those capabilities pushes handheld-Switch's price point much north of $150 they will get dropped. The goal of the handheld switch is not to replicate the current model's console/portable hybrid, but to replace the aging 3DS platform with a handheld that's compatible with the majority of titles in the Switch's now-vast library. But it needs to be cheap enough for parents to buy one for each of their kids. Frankly, dock/Bluetooth compatibility just isn't important for that market.

# ¿ Mar 26, 2019 18:13

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

an actual dog posted:

I'm not sure how you can look at the history of nintendo and think they wouldn't push forward with something like this regardless. They'll put on the box "works with most switch games, except ones that require multiple controllers" or something.

The back cover of all Switch games already states what control schemes are supported. If a handheld-only model is released they may make such notices more prominent, but it's something that already exists.

# ¿ Mar 26, 2019 18:15

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Detective No. 27 posted:

I don't see the point. It's gonna have a USB C port in it to charge.

There's more to running docked than just having a USB-C port. The Switch itself runs at a higher performance profile and has greater cooling needs. We don't know yet if the handheld model is running on the same Tegra X1, but if it's possible for Nintendo to support the handheld profile without actively cooling, that's a major cost and "sturdiness" win. Supporting docked usage would also require Bluetooth.

# ¿ Mar 26, 2019 20:26

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Ursine Catastrophe posted:

A brief history of nonstandard and mutually-incompatible nintendo charging ports,

So the frontlit GBA SP and phat DS have compatible chargers and ports, but the actual GBA SP charger is bulkier than the DS charger.

The phat DS and DS Lite have identical charger housings save for a slightly different color, but the DS Lite uses a different port and marginally higher charging current.

The backlit GBA SP straight up ships with a NTR-002 (DS) charger.

# ¿ Apr 10, 2019 16:32

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Bloody Hedgehog posted:

What's happening with the 2DS/3DS now?

If you mean the New 3DS non-XL model that was discontinued in North America in 2016.

I don't think the New 3DS XL has officially been discontinued but I imagine Nintendo has been selling existing stock of it since 2017 aside from a few special edition (limited quantities).

The New 2DS XL has been Nintendo's primary "3DS" model during it's sunset.

There's no officially announced replacement, but it's clear that the Switch platform is the future of Nintendo handhelds. The (frankly, unsurprisingly) rumor is that a cost-reduced Switch model will be released to fill the gap in the market for a ~$150 USD handheld with the 3DS platform going away, but nobody knows exactly what form that will take or exactly when it's coming. This fall is a very likely bet though.

Also Nintendo's refurbs are great so don't hesitate to get one if they have a model you like.

# ¿ Apr 21, 2019 15:03

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Ghost Leviathan posted:

Though that should be taken with as much a mountain of salt as any unconfirmed rumour about Nintendo.

What's the alternative though?

Nintend's own development studios have been working on the Switch platform exclusively for years and there's no 3DS releases slated after Persona Q2.

That means Nintendo is either going to announce a new handheld compatible with Switch software or they're going to abandon the lucrative sub-$200 handheld market that they've dominated for 30 years now.

# ¿ Apr 21, 2019 15:08

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Andrast posted:

The alternative is just having the switch

No, it's not. The Switch is $300 and not kid friendly in the way that it's fairly large and destructible. Parents may (and have!) buy a Switch as a household console but won't necessarily buy more than one or let their kids take them out of the house.

There is absolutely a market for a sub-$200 handheld that the 3DS used to target and the Switch doesn't. If Nintendo can sell something at that price point that's compatible with most of the Switch software library they absolutely will.

# ¿ Apr 21, 2019 15:24

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Gripweed posted:

It seems odd that they'd do so many remakes on a backwards compatible system

It keeps their games on the shelf/eShop though.

I assume a bunch of the late-DS Atlus games had low print runs, are expensive on the secondary market, and Atlus sees none of that money now. If they can sell a remake for a modern platform (even if backwards compatible) then people have (legitimate) access to their games and they make money.

Heath posted:

If it can natively play Gamecube, why the gently caress didn't they enable that feature?

Aside from the DS/3DS, I can't think of an instance where Nintendo was selling a backwards-compatible console without titles from the previous generation still on store shelves. By the time the Wii U was coming to market, the Gamecube was really done and the most-recent Wii revision had already dropped compatibility.

# ¿ May 8, 2019 17:34

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Heath posted:

Hospitals will use old iPhones running apps to record patient information. Why not a 3DS for vision testing?

It's amusing, sure, but since 2011-era fad of stereoscopic displays has long past (as 3D tends to do every time it comes around) you're not going to find an auto-calibrating stereoscopic display that's better, and certainly not cheaper, than the New 3DS XL for a long time. If physicians are able to use it a diagnostic tool, that's great. The cost of the software is totally reasonable in that context, and it since it's not expected to do high volume sales they're probably not going to profit significantly from it.

Too bad the asset quality doesn't look great, from the screenshots anyways.

# ¿ May 29, 2019 16:09

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

So I have a regular New 3DS, but have come to the conclusion that I could benefit from a larger screen as I don't see as well as I used to even a few years ago. I recently noticed that Nintendo is selling refurb New 3DS XLs for $120 in their online store, which while not a great price (third-party refurbs are going for $100 and eBay straight-up used is obviously cheaper), I've been a fan of Nintendo refurbs and it's considerably cheaper than what they were selling for two years ago. But I can't commit to getting one because, honestly, they're just kind of ugly. The regular New 3DS design is better, as is the New 2DS XL. I actually like the 3D though. I guess this is a complaint post.

100YrsofAttitude posted:

but I also wanted to play the Bravely's because of Octopath,

After holding out since the rumors of a potential Bravely 1+2 remake for the Switch, I broke down and bought both for the 3DS on eBay. So that Switch port is imminent. At least Bravely Second was $13 sealed. They must've printed a ton of those.

# ¿ Jul 14, 2019 02:57

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

ExcessBLarg! posted:

I recently noticed that Nintendo is selling refurb New 3DS XLs for $120 in their online store, .... But I can't commit to getting one because, honestly, they're just kind of ugly. The regular New 3DS design is better, as is the New 2DS XL. I actually like the 3D though. I guess this is a complaint post.

So I did pick one up and it's as I expected. The large screens are great, but the case feels flimsy compared to the non-XL model. Taking the back off to get at the SD card is even more annoying than the non-XL because of that, and now it doesn't sit quite flush since the small band near the cartridge slot bends easily. But that 3D!

Amusingly it shipped with firmware 10.6.0. I would've assume Nintendo refurbs would run a newer (if not latest) version, but maybe they have a pile of New 3DS XLs sitting on the shelf from several years ago?

# ¿ Jul 26, 2019 19:58

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

succ posted:

or should I get a refurbished New 3DS XL from Nintendo?

I bought Nintendo refurb for both a New 3DS and a New 3DS XL. Both were indistinguishable from "brand new".

If you think you might want to hack it (at this point just do it, in case it's helpful down the road) the New 3DS XL I bought last week came with a pretty old firmware version that's easy to hack.

# ¿ Jul 29, 2019 02:43

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Detective No. 27 posted:

Yeah. Square's output on 3DS was surprisingly weak compared to Atlus, even if Atlus's 3DS library was half DS remakes.

I wonder how much of that was Square overprinting certain DS titles they thought would sell better than they did, that ended up sitting at $20 for years. Namely Chrono Trigger (surprisingly?) and Bravely Second. I'm not sure if that was a problem in Japan too or not.

# ¿ Jul 30, 2019 14:45

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Rinkles posted:

didn't realize that even xi didn't get localized

The Switch version having the 2D/3D thing more than makes up for it I think.

# ¿ Jul 31, 2019 02:35

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

succ posted:

i just bought a refurbished new 3DS xl and was looking to hack/homebrew it. what is the easiest method?

Soundhax.

succ posted:

according to 3ds.hacks.guide my version # is 5.0.0

That's not right. It has to be higher. New 3DS XLs didn't ship with anything older than 9.0. You're probably doing soundhax either way but this is the kind of detail you want to pay attention to and get correct, particularly since you have to download the correct version of otherapp.bin.

# ¿ Aug 5, 2019 18:15

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

...! posted:

I just bought one of these, how is it eol already

Do you have a Switch? If so, you'd understand.

# ¿ Dec 1, 2019 19:11

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Waltzing Along posted:

The switch still isn't a handheld.

I'm certain this is a joke, but there is this attitude that the Switch isn't a handheld in the same vein as the 3DS or Vita even though there's a handheld-only hardware model, the Switch Lite. I could get the argument that the OG Switch isn't (a very good) handheld since it's a hybrid thing, but the Lite is unambiguously so.

# ¿ Feb 26, 2020 18:32

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

That's a pretty weird problem to have.

I'd probably be a bit unhappy to have a cart like that, but since the 3DS is effectively EOL I would also just homebrew it (which you should do anyways) and use GodMode9 to dump the cartridge to a .cia, then use FBI to install the .cia to your SD card. If you have any saves on the cartridge you care about, you can use Checkpoint to backup the saves from cartridge and install them on your SD card as well. All three of those utilities are installed if you follow the homebrew guide.

As a general point, while Nintendo hasn't said anything about the 3DS or Wii U eShop closures, I expect them to happen some day. Also, titles are being delisted from those shops now, including some DSiWare. Meanwhile the homebrew methods are mature are will eventually become necessary to safeguard and preserve your collection.

# ¿ Mar 9, 2020 02:01

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 15:11

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

I can't definitely answer that, but Pok�mon hacking is pretty common and a cursory search shows that people don't have too much trouble getting even hacked Pok�mon into the bank. Which, you're not even trying to do that, you're just use a legitimate copy of Pok�mon that was installed via homebrew.

Yes, you can use Checkpoint to restore a save to cartridge.

# ¿ Mar 9, 2020 02:23

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