Breath of the Overrated

So I preordered a Nintendo Switch.... received it in the mail about 5 days after launch (stupid Best Buy) and have been playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild ever since. There are some great, great elements to the game.

Unfortunately, one of the worst things is the combat. It's so bad it actually RUINS the entire game. It's not about dying a lot, which does happen, but the targeting is so inaccurate yet it demands precision. Link is always getting hung up on climbing a nearby obstacle, making him a easy target for a one-shot kill-- which even the lowest enemies are capable of, by the way. Not only capable of, but they do it often, leading to frequent deaths.

Link can only target in 4 basic directions, think 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 yet he needs to be able to target in 8 directions. Makes for a frustrating experience.

 All the enemies can do one-shot kills, but it takes about 100 hours of gameplay before Link is strong enough to one-shot kill even the lowest enemy. Gee, that sounds fair. This is supposed to be the "Champion" the game keeps going on about.

The enemies are faster than Link. He's so unbelievably sluggish you'd think at least he'd have enough health to compensate. But nope. Again, play for 100 hours and maybe you can last 10 minutes before getting one-shot killed.

It's ridiculous how game reviews are giving this a 10/10 when the combat mechanics are nearly completely broken. A big part of the game is broken, so it's impossible to rate a game like that 10/10.


There's so much wrong with the combat, and the game requires you engage in combat to advance. If there was only exploration, that part of the game gets 10/10. But the combat gets 3/10. Average the 2 together and Breath of the Wild is a 6.5/10 game overall.

While it's immensely fun to wander this huge world, especially on a handheld, and the puzzles are usually fun, the broken combat mechanics destroy so much of the fun and it's a shame that Nintendo won't get the message to improve it because of all the fawning reviews.

New Nintendo 3DS XL backplate chipping

Man... This happened just this afternoon... I was even playing my New Nintendo 3DS XL this morning and I didn't see it. I have no idea why it's chipping away, looks like a top layer coating.

It's also starting on the other side, these are where my hands grip the console.

I think there's a quality control issue with whatever they used to coat the NN3DSxl. I've had this unit since launch.


Later
Don

Nintendo and the second screen

 

When the Wii U gamepad features were first laid out by Nintendo, I was very excited. Being able to use touch, having a second screen ala a tablet while gaming, and being able to transfer some entire games to the gamepad screen. Basically, this is a handheld-ification of a home console. I have to admit handhelds have become my favourite consoles, so this got me so hyped and intrigued.

Nowadays I almost always have my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 tablet with me when I watch TV. I'm surfing the net during commercial breaks, or looking up stuff.... so I thought that the second screen philosophy Nintendo is going for would fit in with my lifestyle very comfortably.

Now that we've had some time to try out the features, I have mixed feelings about the gamepad.

It was such a bold and frankly, weird direction Nintendo chose to go with this generation of console. On paper it sounds great. But in real life gameplay..... I find it unwieldy.

Playing games like Lego City Undercover, which relies on the Gamepad for the map... I know it sounds lazy but it's kind of a drag to have to look down to see the map, then look back at the tv again. It's not as easy as it sounds, especially if you're involved in a fast chase or being pursued and have to look down at the map to plan your destination route while you're driving. And even in slower paced situations, having to regularly trade focus between the screen that is 12 feet away (TV) and the one that is 1.5 feet away (Gamepad) just kinda messes with your eye focus. It would almost be easier to just have the traditional onscreen map in the corner. Playing Infamous on my PS3, having to use the SELECT button to bring up the map screen, as clunky as that is, is still easier than using the gamepad for the map because all my focus stays on the TV screen.


When I first unboxed my Wii U, I was carefully going through all the peripherals and cables... and was rather shocked to find *ONLY* an HDMI cable for TV hookup. My thought was something like, "What the F--???"  At the time, I only had a 27" CRT TV, so I cannibalized my Wii AV cables to hook up the Wii U to my TV. It works ok, but I felt like the Wii U was never meant to be used on a CRT TV, just like PS3/Xbox 360 weren't... which is why I never bought those systems.

But this past Xmas, I got a nice 55" LG smart 3D TV. So nice... sigh..... *ahem*, yeah, and I was *so* psyched to hook up my Wii U to it. Of course it looks great and it's awesome to play games on the big screen. But that great TV screen also makes it harder to go back down to the smaller, crappier resolution/screen quality of the gamepad screen. I have tried playing Darksiders II (Wii U) on the gamepad, and it looks good. But unless I *have to* play it on the screen, as in the TV is being used by others, it's not preferable to play games fully on the gamepad. If only it was *MORE* handheld-ified and games could be fully loaded onto the gamepad for truly portable play anywhere... that would be awesome.

So I have some trepidation as to Nintendo's second screen direction for this generation. I am going to stick with it, and maybe it will grow on me more. But unless the console gets a lot more quality titles and unique uses for the gamepad that set it apart from the other systems, my doubts may continue to grow about this second screen philosophy.... and I still have to really devote a lot more time to Darksiders II, hopefully it will click more with me...



later
don

Got my 3DS XL!

Sunday, August 19, 2012: The North American release date for the 3DS XL. Can be bought at major electronics retailers. Since I pre-ordered ONLY to get a $20.00 e-coupon, I have to wait.

Monday, August 20, 2012 10:11am: Canada Post delivers my red 3DS XL! Yay!

In a nutshell: it's a bigger 3DS. 'Nuff said!

But going more in depth, there;s obviously more to the system than that.




What's bizarre is that the 3DS XL box is smaller than the 3DS box. It is packed really tight. 

I was a bit... apprehensive when I noticed the box had been a bit scrunched. Luckily it was on the side that has only the manuals & paperwork. But that's another reason why I would rather be able to buy my system from a store, rather than be at the mercy of Canada Post.







The design is more simple than the 3DS, it feels more like a throwback to the DS Lite. It reminds me a lot of my red & black DS Lite that came in a Brain Age 2 bundle. There are only 2 tones to it, the outside is a flat red with a slight metallic sheen to it, it actually looks quite nice. But even though it's flat, it still picks up fingerprints & oil pretty badly. Only after a short time of owning it, it's gotten prints on it. Also it is a lot more slippery than it looks-- in fact even though the old 3DS has a more glossy body, the 3DS XL outer panels are MORE slippery than the 3DS!

 





The inside is a black matte that really reminds me a lot of my DS Lite. It seems more fingerprint resistant than the outside, and the gloss surface of the old 3DS. It also has a very minimalistic look.


















The hinge is very reminiscent of  the DS Lite.. so much so, that I'm a bit worried about the hinge crack issue that plagued that model... hope not....

I may be in the minority here, but I really liked the look of the original 3DS, sandwich tones and all. The original 3DS managed to straddle the line between the sophisticated look of a quality electronic gadget for adults and the toy-like colours of a fun game console for kids. While some could choose the black to give it a more adult look, I loved that contrast with the blue. But overall, the 3DS XL skews more towards the cheaper, toy-like feel that Nintendo consoles have traditionally had.

But the  rounded underside makes for a more ergonomic feel than perhaps any previous Nintendo handheld.Unfortunately the bubbly feel of the bottom shell also sorta feels hollowish... like you could put a dent in it if you pressed down hard enough. And the outer red plates aren't seamless, some areas on my 3DS XL they have a very slight gap where it meets the black part, marring the overall build quality and adding to the cheap, toy-like feel of the XL. it doesn't have as solid a feel as the original 3DS.





















Where it does improve, are the bottom corners....  they used to jab into my palms on the original 3DS and now they.... jab less on the 3DS XL. Yes, they still do jab into my palms but the corners are so large that it's not as bad. I will have to really put in a lot more gametime to see for sure. I can't feel the holes in the bottom corners for the straps when I hold the XL, even though they look huge in all the closeup pictures, in reality they are not that big.

The analogue nub feels more or less the same, though mine seems to have some excess plastic flashing along the bottom edge, which screams cheap build quality, though it doesn't affect gameplay in any way.



The shoulder buttons, D-pad & face buttons feel exactly the same to me as my DS Lite. I'm HATING how all the reviews and first impressions are saying they are stiffer than the original 3DS..... gee, a new console right out of the box has STIFFER buttons than your 18-month-old console that has gone through hours and hours of gaming sessions... REALLY? DO TELL.Wow, I never would have thought that! Sheesh, what dumbasses.... the only way to properly compare that would take at least a few weeks of using the 3DS XL a lot, if not like 3 months of heavy use.

















The SELECT, HOME, START buttons are better.... but not what people might expect. Even though they look like regular physical "push straight down" buttons, I think they are hinged at the top, sorta like piano keys. They work great if you press them at the bottom edge of the button, but if you press in the center or top, they don't work as well. I am really growing to hate the membrane buttons on the original 3DS, so I'm fairly happy with the new ones.

Audio quality definitely took a hit with the 3DS XL. The speaker output is less than the 3DS, and sound is tinnier. The 3DS wasn't exactly known for having loud audio in the first place, and the XL is slightly worse. 

The headphones jack is moved to the bottom left corner. I thought I would like this, because it's more like the PSP, but I kinda wish it was a bit more like the Vita where it is to the side, but not too close to the corner.

The screen: If there ever was a reason to upgrade to the 3DS XL, it would be the larger screen(s). We all know about the lower pixel density, but the image quality is not bad, it is more or less the same 3DS on a larger screen. The 3-D is also more or less the same.... BUT... there are some issues. People have been complaining of a smaller sweet spot, and also black banding lines. I have encountered the banding lines, to me they are more like vertical shadows of pillars  across the screen, they don't obscure the image but kinda darken it in places.

This is a simulated photo of what they kinda look like:



 They are more like shadows across the screen or refractions of some sort.

I notice them more when I'm not wearing my glasses or contact lenses, but they are definitely more prominent when comparing the 3DS XL to the 3DS side by side. Maybe Nintendo was considering this screen size for the original 3DS but because of the "instability" of the image quality, perhaps that's why they went with such a small screen on the original? If this was what it was like on the original, the first mainstream exposure to glasses-free 3-D, I think I would have chocked it up to the new technology and still been grateful for having a dynamic experience with my first 3D gaming console. But seeing this after the original 3DS screen quality, it is disappointing, and again smacks of cheapness.

So basically, what I'm trying to say is that it isn't yet a dealbreaker for me, I'm going to keep playing my XL for awhile to see if my eyes adjust or if it becomes more tolerable. I almost always play my old 3DS with 3D on full all the time.

But the 3D itself does look really good, it is basically the same as the original 3DS only bigger. I'm playing Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D on it and I am amazed how much easier and smoother it is to play on a larger screen. I can pull off more precisely aimed shots than I can do on my original 3DS. It looks SO GOOD on the bigger screen.

Screen scratch issue-- is there (a new) one? I breathed a sigh of relief when I opened my 3DS XL and found the screens to be scratch-free. Also, when closed, I shone a flashlight through the center to see of there was a visable gap between the panels... yes, it appears so. I have heard of screen scratches-- odd little circle marks-- appearing on the top screen after owning a 3DS XL for awhile, but I can't figure out what would cause that. So only time will tell for sure... I hope it doesn't happen to me.

Unlike the original 3DS which was packed with a foam sheet to protect the screens, the XL didn't come with any sheet or anything protecting the screens, only the foam bag holding the system itself. Nintendo is either supremely confident they have the screen scratch problem fixed or they are super cheap...

There is another click setting for the screen angle, about 100 degrees, making the 3DS XL look like a laptop. At first I thought it might be really handy for watching Nintendo Video, but because of the black lines issue, if you are off the sweet spot they are very visible, and I personally see them when my XL screen is propped at that angle. I think this "feature" is more of an attract mode for stores and advertising to display the 3DS XL in a sexy way. Not very practical in real-world use.

On the bottom screen there is a strange gritty feel to it... I don't like it, but I think that it might be a coating to protect the touchscreen? I think it will wear off over time.

 

It's really  nice to see my 3DS XL is about "equal" to my PS Vita... at least in physical size. but with both devices turned on, the Vita screen does put the 3DS XL to shame a little bit. But the Vita doesn't do 3D...



All the reviews basically say the same; the 3DS XL is nice, but not an essential replacement for the 3DS. And while I am liking it so far, if I had to stick with my 3DS, I'd be ok with that. The 3DS is not perfect, but it is still a nice portable system that has a quality build, although not as ergonomic as the 3DS XL. At this point, I haven't done a System Transfer of my data to my new XL... I will wait at least a week to check for any major problems. But I'm not sure what I will do with my 3DS if I switch to my XL. the old 3DS is nice and compact, the screen is sharper, and it is lighter.

I'm surprised how much of a difference it makes in game play. It feels easier to pull off moves in Resident Evil: The Mercenaries-- in fact, at first it felt like I was almost cheating(!) ... and Super Mario 3D Land looks and plays better on the larger screen too. Despite the more plasticy toy-like look to the 3DS XL, I think it is more of a focused-on-gaming machine.



later
don

Super Mario just plain sucks

I'm sorry, but the Super Mario franchise just plain sucks. I actually *AM* sorry that it does, because there is so much that's appealing about it... it is truly heart-breaking for the gameplay to be so bloody awful.

It's on the even of the release of New Super Mario Bros. 2.... a game that I WOULD NOT OWN if Nintendo PAID ME to own it. Let's put it this way--  I'd rather stomp on the cartridge, smash it to pieces with a hammer and set it on fire than try to finish it. I'm sure that smashing MYSELF with a hammer would be more fun than playing it.

I already know it's complete garbage, because every other Super Mario game blows. The basic construction and gameplay design of them is deeply flawed.

What's really bad is that the look of the game is so nice and cheerful. It fools a lot of people into thinking these are accessible games for children, when in reality they are so hard most children can barely complete 10% of the game. This franchise is largely responsible for driving the casual game market. People try out a Mario game, find out it's way way harder than it looks, give up on games, and come back as an adult when they find a few casual games on their iPhone. Nintendo's insistence on creating the same stingy-hard, with unchanging basic gameplay philosophy is what is killing Nintendo and slowly driving people away-- these games are less inviting, more elitist "hardcore gamer pwns" bullshit.

A game shouldn't require a walkthrough just to finish it. And power-ups-- how stupid is it to give only 2 slots for them? So basically if you don't ever die, you can use them... otherwise the game may as well not have power-ups at all because you die and they're gone just like that... making them almost useless. The Mario games are only good at giving players what they need only when they don't need it-- like being able to save at any time in New Super Mario Bros. *ONLY* after you've finished the game... when it almost doesn't even matter.

Then there's the damn LAG in the game controls... 1-2 seconds of lag before Mario reacts to any command-- jump, run whatever. Plus using the same buttons to do different things... moronic game design 101. Mario can do "special" jumps using the trigger button, but the game misinterprets the commands all the time since they use the same buttons, like trying to pull off a long jump or roll. Why is control lag railed against any time a game suffers from it--except the Mario games get a total free pass? Super Mario 3D Land is so laggy it's almost unplayable.


Just die already, Mario franchise.


All that said... there are times that, while I don't necessarily LOVE the Super Mario games, I do like them. They are fun-- at times. But so frustrating MOST of the time.


later
don

Summer of Handheld Gaming Discontent

Wow. No doubt about it now-- we are in the handheld gaming dark ages.

I ranted about a handheld gaming drought of early 2012 back in April... better revise that to drought of mid 2012 now.

The 3DS has been out for a year and a half now, and even though I have a bunch of games, I only play ONE  game on it regularly, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries.

The Playstation Vita has only been out since February, and I have a few games for it, only ONE of which I play on it regularly, Unit 13.

One game for each system is not enough, as much as I played the hell out of them, they are starting to wear out their welcome.

What's worse, there's practically nothing coming for these systems in the future. I haven't heard about ANY upcoming titles for PS Vita, and 3DS only has a VERY FEW games of note. The most anticipated title, hell I think it may be my most anticipated title of this year, Heroes of Ruin will finally drop in North America in mid-July. Other than that there's Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, and maybe the Castlevania game. That's all I see on the horizon at this point. Don't get me started on New Super Mario Bro 2. At this point, I've given up on Mario. I'm done with that franchise.

The PS Vita looks completely abandoned. Did Sony or anybody announce *ANY* new Vita games at E3 2012?

This does feel like the dying days of dedicated handheld gaming consoles. If I was being optimistic, I might equate the dedicated handheld gaming market to the blockbuster movie: big established studios pour a lot of $$$ and resources into making a few big-budget event movies, while smaller independent studios use little money & resources to put out much smaller movies. It's not a great analogy, but it's about as close a comparison as I can get to Sony & Nintendo handheld games that cost $40.00+, compared to a slew of iOS & Android games that cost 1/10th that price.

Before the iPhone, handheld gamers could only expect maybe 6-12 big game titles a year. Even though the vast majority of iOS games are derivative rip-offs of not only bigger console games but mostly each other(!), most handheld gaming is done on smart phones. So are we seeing the death of even the 6-12 blockbuster titles per year? I am really pissed about this. It feels like third-party studios and even Sony itself has abandoned the PS Vita, not even 6 months after its release! Why did Sony even release the Vita? It feels like they don't care much about handheld gaming other than to say, "hey, we do it". Like it looks good on their resume or something.

As nice as a larger 3D screen would be with the 3DS XL, why buy one if there are no games to play on it? What would be the point?

Maybe I'm expecting too much, handheld games should only come out once every few months? But it has been 6 months since I bought any newly released games, and there isn't much left in the 3DS & Vita back catalogue to pick up.



later
don

3DS screen still scratches

Awhile back I posted about how the top screen of the 3DS gets a line scratch when closed, and I posted a "fix", basically making the rubber bumpers stick up higher.

I have to update this story and say that the top screen on my 3DS *STILL* gets the line scratch if it's in my backpack or a case, any time it's put into close quarters. So the fix DOES NOT completely work. Luckily for me the line hasn't become permanently etched into my 3DS screen. Now when I put my 3DS into my case I always put the foam screen cover that came with the 3DS over the screen. That is enough to stop the 2 screens from touching. But I can see the line forming in the foam! Better that than my 3DS screen but seriously, whenever Nintendo does the inevitable 3DS redesign/hardware refresh, they'd better take care of this simple design flaw.



later
don

10 free GBA titles for 3DS Ambassadors available now

Crazy morning today, not only did I get the Super Mario shoelaces, but the 10 GBA titles became available in North America! They are:

• F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
• Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi’s Island
• Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap
• Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
• Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
• Mario Kart: Super Circuit
• Mario vs. Donkey Kong
• Metroid Fusion
• Wario Land 4
• WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames

Downloading them is a bit of a non-intuitive process to say the least. I had to remember how I did it with the NES titles. You go into the Nintendo eShop, then to Settings/Other, then Your Downloads. Then scroll down-- what screwed me up was that I had to go to the next page to find the 10 GBA games on my list. Once you find the above titles, tap Redownload, then Download, then it gives you a choice to either Download Now or Download Later. If you pick Download Later, then Continue shopping, you can go through all 10 titles, then close the eShop, close the 3DS (put it into sleep mode) and it will download all the titles while it's closed. if you choose Download Now, you'll have to repeat the process for each game.

Also something to note: You can get the original GBA screen resolution using the same method as for DS games-- hold down either the START or SELECT button (you don't need to use both) while loading the game-- make sure to hold down the button until graphics pop up onscreen. Some games just look much better in their native resolution like Yoshi's Island. Though Kirby looks good using the full 3DS screen, I bet GBA games made later in the GBA lifespan look better in general.....


All these free games, man... there's so much to play and so little time....





later
don

Club Nintendo Super Mario shoelaces

[UPDATE 1/02/2012] - I've noticed that the designs on the laces are NOT WATERPROOF. So if you're thinking of ordering these, be aware of that important fact.


So I ordered the Super Mario shoelaces from Club Nintendo earlier this week. As usual with Club Nintendo Canada, shipping was fast, I got them today.... I was hoping that they'd come this week, but you never know.

They came with the Thank You card that typically accompanies these coin purchases, but I expected the packaging to be just a simple plastic bag. Instead, there's a little light cardboard design decorated with Mario characters. A somewhat more fancy presentation than past Club Nintendo rewards, in line with the Platinum Reward I got last week. Maybe Club Nintendo is trying to dress up their stuff a bit, maybe they're getting the hang of Club Nintendo better now that they've gone through some growing pains.... on one hand, I like the little touches... I don't want to throw away this stuff... but on the other hand, flourishes like this are not much use to me and only serve to clutter up my space. I'm sure I'll lose it or it'll end up in the recycling bin.





2 sets of laces: 2x white, 2x yellow. Ok, I'm really stupid-- until I looked at this picture, I had no idea that each set of laces has DIFFERENT characters on them. The yellow has "bad guys" while the white ones have "good things" (power ups)... I thought both sets of laces had the same characters on them.




I went for the yellow ones right away because I figure they go better with my shoes. But now that I'm aware that the white ones have different characters... in fact, probably more recognizable Super Mario characters to the general public.... maybe I will try the white ones out next week.




The yellow laces on my shoes. Not sure how good this actually looks... I don't wear anything yellow though I do wear a purple hoodie so maybe they do complement that....




These last 2 weeks have been pretty darn awesome for Club Nintendo and 3DS Ambassador early adopters. Having those games be bought using coins, the 10 free GBA games, and even these laces rewards, now is a good time to be a Nintendo fan. Thanks Nintendo!

I'd like to save up for the T-shirt, but right now all my coins are going towards the downloadable games.



later
don

Club Nintendo Elite Status Reward 2011

Cool... my Club Nintendo Elite Status Reward came in the mail yesterday.

Doesn't seem as good as the previous years Elite reward, that Mario statue, which I didn't get-- however I *DID* see it for sale at a night market in Hong Kong... though I'm pretty sure it was fake. It was somewhat cool-looking, but not worth the effort of trying to drag it home with me so I didn't buy it.

So back to the 2011 reward... these are a series of pins. Hanh??? Pins? Doesn't seem all that "elite" to me. But this reward is all in the presentation.

Frontside:




Backside:







As you can see, the packaging is very prim and a lot of care went into the design.

On one side there's even a classic Mario image.



Opening it up, the pins are fitted on top of the thin cardboard packaging.




The bottom:








The pins themselves are thick & bubbly... somewhat resembling, dare I say... a mushroom top??







The overall package has a minimalist elegant design, and the pins are nice. But I can't really see myself wearing them. I'm not sure what to do with it. This whole package feels like it was meant to be unopened & kept on a shelf to be admired from afar. But when I think about it, had I gotten a statue, that's pretty much what I'd be doing with THAT as well. And can't beat the price (free)


Thanks Nintendo.




later
don

The War of the Buttons

So, all this recent news about the 3DS Slide Pad accessory, and the PS Vita.... I think I'm starting to see where the second front/phase of the Handheld War is going.

2004: Sony jumps into the handheld gaming market, expectations are high & they deliver a pretty powerful machine in the PSP. Nintendo's DS is no slouch either, and through the DS Lite becomes the most successful gaming handheld.

So between 2004-2006/2007 or so, the main gaming handheld battle was between Sony & Nintendo. But in that time Apple jumps in with the iPod Touch, and in the last few years the Apple App & Android App market have exploded (mostly Apple)... Smartphone gaming is a significant share of handheld gaming-- and it's only growing bigger.

With the upcoming release of the 3DS Slidepad accessory, looking at it... how it's kind of "core audience" in that it looks built for gamers (duh).... I think Nintendo is saying, "we have physical controls". That's completely what the accessory is about isn't it?

And that's the key fundamental difference in gaming on a smartphone or iPod Touch, than gaming on a 3DS/PS Vita.

The same strategy was used by Sony when they announced the Xperia Play: they based a whole ad campaign, creepy as it was, on that what sets the Xperia Play apart from other phones is that it has physical game controls. (Of course Sony being Sony, they had to find a way to screw it up-- making the analogue touch pads, rather than actual nubs.)

It's a big contentious point that touchscreen controls can't substitute for actual analogue sticks & buttons.

This seems to be where the next phase of the handheld war is going. Do you want actual physical controls on a dedicated gaming device, or do you want a one-size-tries-to fit-all touchscreen controls on a more versatile, pocketable device which is not necessarily optimized for gaming?

Nintendo seems to have solidified that philosophy with the Wii U controller, how it harkens back to dual analogue controls & buttons yet still keeps the touchpad for fleixibility. But they either shipped the 3DS too early, or just didn't get the memo with that console, because it's really far too much like a DS than it should be in terms of buttons, controls, shape, etc. Way too conservative a step for a next-gen console.

So now they're trying to backtrack a bit & get a bit more "hardcore" with it?

The physical controls feature & deeper gameplay are the 2 biggest assets Nintendo/Sony have with their handhelds. The problem with the deeper gameplay argument is that the nature of handheld gaming itself kinda plays against the idea of games that need to be played for hours & hours to make progress. I personally *DO* play my handhelds for hours & hours but a lot of people argue that if they wanted to do that they'd just play a full-sized home game console, especially if it's between the same franchise of game (God of War PS3 vs PSP for example)

So that basically just leaves physical controls as the biggest draw for the 3DS/PS Vita. The key to all this is... now what are the software developers going to DO with those physical controls... if we get some amazing killer apps to come out for the 3DS/PS Vita-- games that people will buy the systems just to play-- the war will shift in their favour. They kind of need an Angry Birds sort of success. (Yes, Angry Birds is available on their handhelds, but it's way more ideal on the iOS/smartphone platform.)




later
don

More pics of the 3DS Slide Pad Accessory

4gamer.net posted some new pics of the 3DS Slide Pad accessory. I have to say, the more I see of it, the better it looks. While I wouldn't say it's exactly stylish, it's not as bad as the first picture made it look.



I'm surprised after seeing these angle shots how curved & ergonomic it is. It's shaped like a console controller. Actually, it kind of reminds me of the accessories for the DS/PSP that tried to replicate the console controller feel-- like the PSP one I reviewed awhile back.



It also looks like it takes slight cues from the Wii U controller. But it's cool that it's curved & meant to fit in the hands at least a little, unlike the rectangular DS Lite design, which is more about looks than practicality.

And the shoulder buttons look robust! The bottom L + R buttons are big.

If anything, now that I've seen the controller from a couple angles, I'm less convinced that a 3DS redesign would come from it. This looks like an accessory-- not a direction that the actual handheld would take in design. I can't imagine Nintendo releasing a 3DS followup that would look like a console controller. Still, what do I know? Anything could happen, I guess...

I really hope that this accessory makes it out of Japan. For $19.99, and Resident Evil: Revelations, Monster Hunter 3G, Ace Combat: Cross Rumble supporting it (which I also hope makes it in the localized versions of the games)... and of course I'm hoping that a Star Wars Battlefront game gets announced someday, and other games support it too.... if these things come to pass, I'll honestly be first in line for this thing. I hope it comes in blue.

What's disturbing is that Nintendo didn't seem to even mention the accessory during their entire conference. Remember how Nintendo said that it was the enthusiastic positive initial response by gaming news journalists/bloggers when they revealed the 3DS which helped set the "premium" price for it? Maybe Nintendo pays more attention to the interwebz than we think.... so the huge negative backlash that initially came from that one picture of the accessory might have scared Nintendo. I hope it doesn't cause them to change course rashly--again....



later
don

3DS Slide Pad accessory added to Nintendo Japan site

Leave it to Nintendo3DSblog to spill the details on the 3DS 2nd analogue nub accessory.... they've posted the updated page for the Nintendo Japan 3DS accessories list, which now includes the slide pad expansion.


Here's what it says courtesy Google translate:



Nintendo 3DS special enhanced slide pads

[CTR-009]

Suggested retail price 1,500円（税込） 1,500 yen (tax included) Release Date 2011/12/10 December 10, 2011

When installed in the Nintendo 3DS, a wider range of playing styles slide pad and buttons have been added.

AAA alkaline batteries ※ (operation status) with 1.

※ extended slide pad alone will not work.
Slide the pad can be used only with compatible software extension



※. The corresponding software has an icon on the right in the package:

List of planned listing of supported software

December 10, 2011
Monster Hunter 3 (tri) G
Capcom

2012 Early 2012
BIOHAZARD REVELATIONS
Capcom

This winter
METAL GEAR SOLID SNAKE EATER 3D
KONAMI

This winter
ACECOMBAT 3D CROSS RUMBLE
Namco Bandai


2012

2012
Dynasty Warriors VS
Tecmo Koei Games


Undecided

KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance]
Square Enix

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Six major games slated to support the accessory, though only Monster Hunter Tri 3G has a solid release date.

And the slide pad expansion takes 1? AAA battery? It's going to cost 1500 yen, which is $19.32 Canadian dollars. So if that's any indication for a Canadian price, maybe $19.99? Not that there's even any indication at this point that it'll be released outside of Japan. I remember having to buy the Play-Yan Micro imported because there was no worldwide release for that.


Ace Combat is one of my fave game franchises. Having it on the initial 3DS games list when the handheld was first announced, that game alone pretty much cemented my decision to buy a 3DS.


And honestly, the one game I want the most on 3DS is a *NEW* Star Wars: Battlefront game.... like Renegade Squadron & Elite Squadron that were on PSP. That's kinda the reason I'm so hyped for a 2nd analogue nub, I'm secretly hoping for a new Star Wars Battlefront game that would be cross-released on 3DS & Playstation Vita. A PS Vita version would use both analogue sticks so the 3DS needs the 2nd nub.

But the new Ace Combat game, I would get the slide pad expansion for that alone, though I'd also use it for Monster Hunter 4 & Resident Evil Revelations...

Oddly enough, I don't know why I'd need a 2nd nub for Ace Combat, it controls just fine on the PSP with only 1 nub.

Also a bit ironic: The slide pad accessory is meant for Monster Hunter 3G. Pretty clear that this accessory makes using any 3DS extended battery add-ons impossible. And if there are ANY games that *NEED* a lot of battery power to play, it's the Monster Hunter series.




later
don

Nintendo pre-TGS conference

Some highlights of the Nintendo Conference Sept. 2011:


New Mario Tennis, Fire Emblem, TheaterthymFinal Fantasy, Dynasty Warriors-ish game, Kingdom Hearts 3D, Monster Hunter (Tri) 3G... but NO mention of the "boat" 2nd analogue nub add-on(?!)

Pink 3DS coming to Japan Oct. 20...

But the biggest announcement seems to be: Monster Hunter 4(!!) for 3DS!



later
don

Nintendo 3DS announcement coming Sept 12

Nintendo will be holding a pre-TGS press conference focused on the 3DS. IGN will be streaming it starting 8:00PM (PST) on Sept. 12.

I'm really curious as to what will be announced. Top of my list I want more info on the "slide pad expansion" accessory. A lot more info. But I kinda doubt there will be much more than what's been leaked already except maybe more about Monster Hunter 3G. I kinda expect that the bulk of announcements will be for upcoming software.... though it would be wild if they used this press conference to announce a 3DS redesign. I'm sure a redesign is coming, but not likely this early. Still, with the sluggish sales & Nintendo making drastic moves lately, who knows....


Can't wait for 8:00PM Sept. 12.




later
don

Putting the Slide Pad Expansion into context

UPDATE: IGN posted these better pics of the slide pad accessory... it looks better than the original pic, which made the 2nd nub look smaller.






So... Nintendo has tersely confirmed that the Slide Pad Expansion i.e. 2nd analogue nub, is a real accessory coming to the 3DS. From the sounds of it, there is only 1 game scheduled so far that will use it: Monster Hunter 3G.

Nintendo has stumbled into the same controversy that dogged Sony's PSP for the life of that handheld. Will making a 2nd analogue nub split the console userbase between those who have it & those who don't? That's the reason Sony always gave to not put a 2nd nub on the PSP, they didn't want some games to only be playable with a 2nd nub making them unplayable to those who have older PSPs. By making the 3DS one an add-on, it's possible for all generations of 3DS's to play games that may require it. I suspect that Nintendo will revise the 3DS to incorporate the 2nd nub. Maybe that $80.00 price drop is starting to make more sense now, hey?

But... one of the main questions has to be, how many games are actually going to use this 2nd nub? I've already talked about the many add-on peripherals for the Wii. I own the Balance Board, Wii Motion Plus dongle (x2), Wii Zapper, Wii Wheel, & the Classic Controller (a third party one anyway)

And most if not all of them only have a few games that support them.

Closer to home, look at the peripherals released for the DS:

The most famous one might be the Guitar Hero button controller. But as far as I know, only the game it came packed with supports it.



It did have the unfortunate luck of coming out just as Nintendo released the DSi which eliminated the GBA slot it needs to plug in to. Activision must've been pissed about that.


Here's one I was sorta interested in, the paddle controller. It seems like it would be really cool to play Space Invaders Extreme with it.... but again, as far as I know, only 2 games support it (Arkanoid being the other)



Here's one that I actually own! This was such an oddball peripheral, when I saw it + the game on sale at Play-Asia a while ago, I bought it for a cheap price. It lets you slide the DS across a flat surface like a mouse to interact with the game. I actually haven't tried it yet.... it's all in Japanese, but when I have time....







So again, with all these peripherals for Nintendo consoles, all of them have one common factor: very few games support them. Perhaps the widest accepted one is Motion Plus which is now incorporated into all Wii remotes. But personally, I only have like maybe 2 games that need it.

Judging by this history, how will this "Slide Pad Expansion" be any different? Obviously, Monster Hunter 3G will support for sure. Right now it isn't even confirmed that game is coming to North America (I hope it does) but what else? If any third party developer wants to support the 2nd nub add-on, they'll also have to provide alternate controls for those 3DS owners who don't have/don't want/can't get the 2nd nub add-on. I bet even Monster Hunter 3G will have alternate controls to allow this.

Although this is the one peripheral I might say I want-- or feel that we as gamers have a need for-- the most, the track record for peripheral support isn't very good. It will be interesting to see if this one has more success than all the past ones.



later
don