What are you playing on your 3DS/DS right now?

Managed to get WarioWare Gold in the Argos sale and to my surprise my 3DS actually worked when I gave it a try so I played it until my battery went last night. I'm fairly sure this didn't get a great reception when it came out but I've really enjoyed it and I can safely say I'm ready for a new WarioWare on the Switch.

Haven't looked at the overall package so I suppose the problem might be there wasn't enough to it for the full price at the time as I've nearly finished the story mode in one sitting.

Its a kind of best-of, right? I dont remember people disliking it, just saying it didnt give anything new.

Yep, same with Rhythm Paradise Megamix and that Mario Party game they did. Combined with the heavy amount of remakes and such towards the end of the 3DS generation, it gave the impression that Nintendo were running low on ideas - or, perhaps, time.

Would have said it's because the focus was moving towards Switch development. Remakes of course are a bit less resource intensive, presumably even when they're not made with the same code since it skips some planning stages. Nintendo was getting flak as it was for the few new stuff it was releasing late in the 3DS's life like Samus Returns - which is a remake, yeah, but a pretty extensive one that reimagines it and adds a fair bit of new stuff.

Also yeah as has been said in regards to Warioware Gold, it was received well but there was some criticism levelled at it not feeling as fresh. I recall there was quite a lot of content - to be honest I think I stopped playing it well before I exhausted it. Had already played the DS and Wii Wariowares to death so I guess I had my fill already.

Do want to return to it eventually since it's great but I need to fix up my 3DS a bit first.

Don't get me wrong, I loved some of the stuff they released late on - you mention MSR, and there's also Balla-fave Ever Oasis and the remake of my favourite Mario & Luigi. You're probably bang on as to the reason too, and there's no shame in that - we're talking about games released after the Switch was, and the Switch had a blinding year.

It's probably time.

I was going to do a post after having a 3DS day and playing some Monster Hunter Stories, New Style Boutique 3, Metroid Federation Force, Yo-Kai Watch 2 and Fire Emblem Echoes.

I've not done that as I've been mainly using my 3DS whilst watching a podcast or something and Fire Emblem Echoes is dam good that I've not been able to put down to put something else in the cartridge slot.

On the 3DS though, after using this phone I'm typing this on, Switch and even the VITA which sure it's only a 540p screen but great quality along with size that the 240p screen of the 3DS would be awful.

Sure I've used what would be worse screens like a Wonderswan not to long ago but those I sort of just look past because retro or nostglia where 3DS is just last gen.

Yet Fire Emblem look's great especially the anime cutscenes, the issue with the 3DS even on my New 3DS XL is the load time to the OS and loading anything for the first time especially the eShop.

Talking of the eShop, it's dead as in hardly any deals and very little of the way new games that I think Persona Q2 is on the first page of new games.

Even though I've only played the one game, my view of the 3DS in 2020 is almost in the same way as a retro console, buy and play physical single player games and that's about it. Such as I'm doing with Fire Emblem and the games I mention to begin with along with ones I might look to play.

Sure I've not tried Mario Kart 7 which I reckon would be active but I would think very few games are online, just like the eShop.

2017 was the final year for the 3DS in my opinion. We got our last 3DS Pokémon game, some bigger releases like Metroid Samus Returns, Monster Hunter Stories and Fire Emblem Echoes, but I remember seeing a line-up of 2018 3DS games and it was literally just Atlus games. I'm not surprised the eShop is sparse - why should Nintendo bother keeping up with it when it's effectively been a dead machine for two years?

Not Nintendo but you'd think some sort of 3rd party, this year we've had 5 games (more in Japan) come to the VITA already a console on paper is even more dead.

Now not saying these are quality games along with the audience for them being #VITAisland, just even if the 3DS had like 1.5m active users, would still seem possibly worth looking at if the VITA is.

The Vita didn't have a successor though. The Switch, no matter how much Nintendo might have tried to pretend otherwise, was a successor to both their portable and home console lines. I reckon there's not much audience, although I'm sure we'll get some 'alternative' developer coming up with games for it 20 years down the line because 'only stereoscopic 3D and two screens could truly allow their vision to unfold' or summat.

Yeah I know it's a tad different but why I said a small percentage of the overall 3DS as not all would have jumped over to Switch. I guess most left on 3DS active, I guess would be kids with 2DS not bothered about the eShop.

I do think think 3DS could get a second life, like you say, might be a tad harder because Nintendo and making carts.

Finally started Spirit of Justice. It was one that I was reluctant to start because I had pretty mixed feelings about Dual Destinies overall, but somewhat recently I've been hearing positive things about SoJ, and Great Ace Attorney got me back into the mood for these types of games.

Only a little into it but so far I am liking the dialogue more and the premise seems interesting. Also I like how Payne wants revenge against Wright but then it quickly escalates to him wanting to put the death penalty on him??

I think Spirit of Justice is easily the third best in the series and I could probably make an argument for it making the number two spot as well. The cases and the dialogue are just a lot sharper. Man, I'm jonesing for a new Ace Attorney now.

And yes, Khura'in is a silly place when it comes to its legal system.

Ooft, whattagame. Hope you enjoy it Kriken, I think we all thought it was better than DD! (About which mixed feelings are pretty common - still has the worst overall villain of the series.)

Just finished Spirit of Justice tonight. I really enjoyed it.

It has been like eight years now since I played Dual Destinies (since I got it on release), so my memory may be a bit hazy, but I feel like the writing in SoJ is sharper - more reminiscent of the classic quadrilogy - and has an occasional endearing cheekiness to it. That was my main issue with Dual Destinies honestly - it was so blatant that it was being helmed by a new team, and I felt disconnected to the old characters because they just didn't feel the same (but I remember liking Athena and Blackquill a lot).

I'm not really sure where I'd rank this game and wouldn't want to do so amid post-game hype, but I do feel like it's up there. I found all the cases engaging and the strengths of the mainline Ace Attorney games were in full force. The presentation in this game is so good, with all the expressive 3D models and the music being as good as ever.

Anyway, some other random points I had:

Rayfa is maybe my fave (and surprising) assistant. Mostly because she's a tsundere and is adorable, but I also like how she's just clearly bored and has not much else to do which is at least part of the reason why she follows you around.

Nahyuta

Spoiler:

 

is decent, but I've liked all the prosecutors. But I don't think his approach as a prosecutor always makes sense. He's under Ga'ran's thumb, but there's no reason for him to be so gungho when it comes to the cases outside Khura'In. It's just a contrived way to hide that he's actually a good person (?) - something that ultimately turns out to be true but he was still trying to prosecute clearly innocent people right until the end of each case?

Comparing him to other prosecutors: Edgeworth - *is* very gungho in his approach to cases, but it makes sense because of his background, and then his character develops so he starts doing the right thing. Sort of similar deal with Franziska. Gavin: I was pretty eh on him as a prosecutor, but from what I recall his character makes sense. He's just a good guy, at least when it comes to prosecutors.

Apollo & Athena

Spoiler:

 

These two were fun as a team. I wish Athena got a bit more to do on her own, but I don't mind the extra emphasis on Apollo in this game as it's due. Given how this game ended, if there's another game in this storyline I hope Athena gets more to do or maybe even gets her own game. It's been a while though.

I liked both 3DS Ace Attorneys, and they both had strengths and weakness. Spirit of Justice is definitely the better game overall.

My attempt to play through all the Super Mario platformers has lead me to the 3DS generation. I polished off New Super Mario Bros. last month and I'm playing Super Mario 3D Land now. The game is still good fun, although my 3DS is really struggling at this point. The rubber has come off my circle pad, and that means too much dust is getting in there so I'm regularly having to clean it out.

Part of me feels like I can skip New Super Mario Bros 2, it does seem forgettable and it is full price on the EU eshop. On the other hand, I've actually never played it and I'll be playing every other game in the series so it would be silly to miss this one out. I might just pick up a Japanese 3DS and a copy, it probably won't cost much more than digitally buying it through Europe.

I'm pretty sure I'll end up playing it, probably in some dumb way

New Super Mario Bros. 2 is a strange one to recommend you bothering with. On one hand, it's far too similar to the 2006 NSMB, and seeing that you'd just played it last month you'd probably not be too impressive with any of it. Apart from the coins gimmick, the DLC and the 3D effect, it's got no ideas of it's own...

...yet on the other hand, is more New Super Mario Bros. such a bad thing? It's a straightforward and safe-playing sequel, but a good and fun one all the same. 

I guess it depends how much you mind that it's forgettable and full-price to be honest.

@The Cappuccino Kid wrote:

...yet on the other hand, is more New Super Mario Bros. such a bad thing? It's a straightforward and safe-playing sequel, but a good and fun one all the same.

Depends what you're comparing it to I guess. I still remember people talking in hushed tones about how 2D Mario had been the best thing ever. I actually reckon it's probably better playing it now, straight after NSMB1. You know what you're getting yourself into, and NSMB1 sets your expectations at the right level.

@Kriken wrote:

Just finished Spirit of Justice tonight. I really enjoyed it.

Ah, now here's a belting game! Definitely 'up there' in terms of the series to my mind.

I think the consensus is that the writing/translation is indeed better than DD. That's probably the only real reason I preferred Nahyuta to Blackquill. Gavin is definitely 'eh'.

Definitely up for the next three new AAs being the Athena trilogy. That said, we've got some new (old) games on the way now!

I investigated at the weekend; yep, I can literally get a Japanese copy and a 3DS for less than downloading on the eShop. I know what I'm doing after 3D Land then!

Not entirely as a celebration of the new release, but not entirely not as a celebration of the new release either, The Lady and I have gone back to the original Ace Attorney for another playthrough. Y'all know I don't usually enjoy replaying games, but - arsehole Edgeworth! Mia's death! The Judge not seeming entirely like an incompetent old duffer! It's great, I love it.

I was also replaying the first Ace Attorney. I like how competent Phoenix seems in that game. Honestly forgot how different he seems here than in the new games, even though I remember feeling disappointed with his portrayal in DD. In Spirit of Justice which I just played through recently, the game has to highlight at every corner how often he's just talking out of his ass (and of course it's the same for Apollo). Kind of annoying when the answer is sometimes even pretty obvious to the player, as well as for the character inconsistency but hey ho, Dual Destinies was like a soft reboot.

Anyway, while I'm most of the way through AA1 again, I've also started playing the Mario & Luigi Superstar saga remake. It's really fun so far. I didn't really like the change of art style at first - which I know is based off a newer M&L game I've not played - as I felt it look kind of bland, I suppose screenshots on the internet weren't really doing it justice because it does look quite nice on the 3DS screen. I really liked this game when I was younger and I'm enjoying the improvements and quality of life stuff so it should be a good ride.

I'm really glad somebody else played M&LSS&BM (yikes)! It remains one of my top games of all time and nobody else seemed to be interested in the 3DS remake. Personally I don't like the art style as much either, but I think the game as a whole benefited from a freshening up, especially in the sound department. Wait 'til you get to the final dungeon...

Yeah the final dungeon remix is good.

Finished it the other day and, well, it's still a really fun game. I like how faithful it is to the original but has some good quality of life updates. It's been a very long time since I played the original all the way through, but bros moves were clearly made a lot easier to pull off, something which I don't really mind.

I'm just kind of itching for more since the main game wasn't as long as I remember (I guess because it was easier), and there's nothing like a hard mode or any optional bosses.

It's 20h or so isn't it? Not super-long but it fits a lot of good stuff in, and there's no fluff or time-wasting - something that Dream Team Bros. could have learned from. It's a real shame that was the best game in the series by a distance IMO, so anything else could be a disappointment. I did think that Partners in Time was better than the reviews said though.

Partners in Time got a 86% on metacritic. Not that much worse than Superstar Saga at least in terms of the score average.

I got the sense the audience reception wasn't as good though. Coming off from SS, the more linear format was disappointing. I also didn't like the addition of the babies and felt the writing was a bit weaker too.

I remember digging the music though, as well as the (albeit modestly) improved visuals. I'm thinking that maybe if I go back to it now with more managed expectations I might like it a bit more.

Bowser's Inside Story seems to be pretty well-regarded but I never got too far into it. Could be something I played along with PiT again though.

I didn't like BIS as much as every other bugger.  The linear platforming sections for the Bros. wasn't good, and the overworld didn't feel like it had as much character.  Then again, I liked the addition of the babies, so maybe don't take my advice...