Nintendo 3DS (XL)

[ZellSF]

OK....I THINK I may have it working most of the way. However, I am at FW 11.2

Most of the programs are working, but Safehack isn't. I'm guessing maybe it isn't needed after installing the other programs?

If you have arm9loaderhax installed and you're running the latest Luma cfw version, you can update to 11.4.

Safehax isn't needed once you have arm9loaderhax running.

OK, I'll look into it.

I'm glad I didn't totally destroy the thing. All this for a few better translated games. Ugh.

Well, besides that you get a cheat system, converting roms to VC releases (GBA!), homebrew, and if you so wish, free games (don't do this, etc.). Also no more region locking.

You also get to run the New 3DS at full speed on non-New 3DS enhanced games. It can help quite a bit with framerate in some games.

Dumping all your game cartridges to a single SD card is a good reason too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lxNHhgMuTg
New Nintendo 2DSXL, what a mouthful.

Colour schemes:
[img]http://images.eurogamer.net/2017/articl ... at/jpg[img]

I wonder if it'll make me regret getting a New 3DS XL. It probably won't unless it's moddable and there's no panel lottery and all the panels are IPS. I like that they've seemed to have saved some vertical space. I'm going to assume the sound is going to be worse since there's no longer speakers on the left and right of the screen.

I've gotten my New 3DS XL, but really unimpressed with the New 3DS features though. C-stick is terrible. Why did Nintendo go for something this bad? The PSP Go had a better analog, ThinkPads have better trackpoints.

Super stable 3D is still super headache inducing.

I like the volume slider's new placement, but I don't see any logic behind where the headphone output, power button, SD card slot, start and select were moved.

My new 3DS XL is pretty good on QA issues. No defects except a slight amount of backlight bleed on the lower left of the bottom screen. Perfect color temperature across both screens. TN, but I was expecting that.

[evil_ash_xero]

Just a quick question about Link Between Worlds.

Everyone says that it's too easy, but I know you unlock a hard mode once you beat it. It was said earlier in the thread that it wasn't that hard. Does it at least put it at "normal" difficulty?

[Shelcoof]

Instead of coming out with a new 2DS why not redesign new 3DS to be more affordable?

I personally enjoy playing all my games in 3D.... I mean that was the point of the system after all

[BryanM]

Instead of coming out with a new 2DS why not redesign new 3DS to be more affordable?

I personally enjoy playing all my games in 3D.... I mean that was the point of the system after all

Because the stereovision feature itself costs $50.

Just like the gyros and USB-C rack on the Switch costs like $120.

Nothing is free.

[Shelcoof]

Instead of coming out with a new 2DS why not redesign new 3DS to be more affordable?

I personally enjoy playing all my games in 3D.... I mean that was the point of the system after all

Because the stereovision feature itself costs $50.

Just like the gyros and USB-C rack on the Switch costs like $120.

Nothing is free.

Not expecting to get anything free

You'd expect though after about 6 years they'd be able to redesign the hardware so that it would be more affordable at least

[TransatlanticFoe]

Switch needs games!

NES Mini proves popular!

So.... Nintendo cancels NES Mini and releases hardware revision of a system they're likely to ditch later this year. This would have made sense to launch alongside the New 3DS and I'm glad they've moved away from the derpy flat 2DS, but at this point who is going to buy this unless it's going to be super-cheap?

[Immryr]

I'm considering getting one of these. I don't own a 3ds, but have been considering it for some time. I have no interest in the 3D anyway so this is great imo. There was no way I would have bought one of the old 2ds models since the design is......awful. If this is modable I'll probably get one around Christmas or something.

[HydrogLox]

Instead of coming out with a new 2DS why not redesign new 3DS to be more affordable?

We didn't need the Wii Mini or PSP Street E-1000 either - but this seems to be in the same vein.

Silly question - does it even support the 3DS Shop?
(Given that Nintendo may not want to be bothered with keeping it up and running for longer than "necessary".)

[ZellSF]

Sigh, spoke to soon on the QA lottery, found some dust under the screen now. Weird how I didn't see it earlier. May consider taking it apart to fix it. I'm afraid of making it worse but my PSP looks more dust free than my New 3DS XL (and I replaced the face plate on the PSP).

[Strider77]

Instead of coming out with a new 2DS why not redesign new 3DS to be more affordable?

Because all that matters is having an excuse to release "limited" Pokemon and Zelda edition hardware all over again.

[evil_ash_xero]

Have they came up with a safe downgrader for 11.3?

I would like to mod my other 3DS. I got this one running great now. It's awesome.

[soprano1]

Have they came up with a safe downgrader for 11.3?

I would like to mod my other 3DS. I got this one running great now. It's awesome.

Good. As for the downgrader, not sure. gbatemp should know.

[ZellSF]

Have they came up with a safe downgrader for 11.3?

Yes. Follow the guide. Do not deviate from the guide, no matter what.

Assuming you want to downgrade to hack it and not permanently downgrade it for some other reason (which is possibly, but I fail to see why you would).

Oh. And never try to disassemble the New 3DS XL to get to the display from the back. Broke the cable that does the 3D handling

[evil_ash_xero]

Have they came up with a safe downgrader for 11.3?

Yes. Follow the guide. Do not deviate from the guide, no matter what.

Assuming you want to downgrade to hack it and not permanently downgrade it for some other reason (which is possibly, but I fail to see why you would).

Oh. And never try to disassemble the New 3DS XL to get to the display from the back. Broke the cable that does the 3D handling

Ah, I see it.

Is there anyway to back up my saves? I'm guessing they'll get deleted (or will they not?).

Have they came up with a safe downgrader for 11.3?

I would like to mod my other 3DS. I got this one running great now. It's awesome.

Good. As for the downgrader, not sure. gbatemp should know.

They know a lot, but they still can't help me figure out why I can't rip and install games on my Wii U.


EDIT: I modded my other 3DS. It didn't delete the saves.

[ZellSF]

Well since I broke my 3DS I ordered a new one. It had a huge piece of dust under the middle of the top screen. Returned it and got a new one, it had a massive (covered two pixels entirely) piece of debris in the middle of the bottom screen, returned it and got a new one and it "only" has dust on the far bottom right corner so I'll keep that one. I wonder if the Switch is equally bad on this. It's weird, I haven't seen this issue on any other display I've seen, but my 3DS XL and the 4 (!) New 3DS XL I've seen all had this issue to varying degrees. All displays on the (EU) units I got were TNs if anyone's wondering. If you want a IPS you should specifically order one from eBay or something, but with all the other QA issues you can run into I wouldn't. Just buy a 3DS from a place with good return policies and hope for a decent TN (and realize those are high expectations for Nintendo hardware...).

There has been some really interesting developments in 3DS hacking lately. One allows hacking of a 11.4 device by modding places (not something you can do on your own unless you already have a hacked 3DS or you're willing to do a bit of a complicated hardmod). Another one was very nice to me, I thought I'd have to spend 30 minutes hacking my New 3DS XL. But no, firmware downgrading is no longer a required part of the process. Took me like 5 minutes, most of it spent reading the instructions.

Not having to downgrade, upgrade then upgrade again saves a lot of time. Less risky too since you could brick a New 3DS if you closed the lid while it was downgraded.

[soprano1]

Well since I broke my 3DS I ordered a new one. It had a huge piece of dust under the middle of the top screen. Returned it and got a new one, it had a massive (covered two pixels entirely) piece of debris in the middle of the bottom screen, returned it and got a new one and it "only" has dust on the far bottom right corner so I'll keep that one. I wonder if the Switch is equally bad on this. It's weird, I haven't seen this issue on any other display I've seen, but my 3DS XL and the 4 (!) New 3DS XL I've seen all had this issue to varying degrees. All displays on the (EU) units I got were TNs if anyone's wondering. If you want a IPS you should specifically order one from eBay or something, but with all the other QA issues you can run into I wouldn't. Just buy a 3DS from a place with good return policies and hope for a decent TN (and realize those are high expectations for Nintendo hardware...).

There has been some really interesting developments in 3DS hacking lately. One allows hacking of a 11.4 device by modding places (not something you can do on your own unless you already have a hacked 3DS or you're willing to do a bit of a complicated hardmod). Another one was very nice to me, I thought I'd have to spend 30 minutes hacking my New 3DS XL. But no, firmware downgrading is no longer a required part of the process. Took me like 5 minutes, most of it spent reading the instructions.

Not having to downgrade, upgrade then upgrade again saves a lot of time. Less risky too since you could brick a New 3DS if you closed the lid while it was downgraded.

The new method is required for future luma updates, fyi. It is an interesting development indeed.

[soprano1]

https://hackinformer.com/2017/05/25/nin ... t-get-hit/
Since some users have been trying cfw here, fair warning. Even people not using a certain app to pirate games directly from the eshop are being banned.

[Udderdude]

But they said there was no way to get caught .. they said they had full control of the hardware ..

[soprano1]

But they said there was no way to get caught .. they said they had full control of the hardware ..

Yeah, right? It was probably some data Spotpass was sending to Nintendo. At least that's the theory right now.

[ZellSF]

If you want online play, the generally rule has always been to not hack your console, or have a separate online console.

[soprano1]

Well, looks like this will be a thing, so here's the warning: be careful when buying used 3DS consoles, you might get a banned one.

[ZellSF]

Well, looks like this will be a thing, so here's the warning: be careful when buying used 3DS consoles, you might get a banned one.

I'm going with "duh". Be careful when buying ANY used console, you might get a banned one. I think it's detestable that companies ban hardware, because there's just a way too high chance it will end up hurting people who have done nothing wrong.

I didn't revive this thread to answer that though, but to mention there's now a new hack for all 3DS versions. It needs one of two specific NDS flash cartridges (one is the very common Acekard 2i) and a device that supports the flash cartridge you can use to install the exploit (the target system does not need to be able to run the flash cartridge).

[soprano1]

http://www.siliconera.com/2017/08/22/su ... ctober-13/
Cool. I would love one.

[soprano1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOrkRW2NPQ8
Overview trailer for Samus Returns. Narrator is boring.

[TransatlanticFoe]

Getting my 3DS on at work lunch breaks but still a bit of a JRPG (and co.) n00b. Opinions on the following anyone?

Fire Emblem Fates
Only played Awakening and Echoes, vastly enjoyed the latter for its complete lack of reinforcement-based bullshit, more strategically challenging gameplay and weaknesses not being horribly overstated. Birthright is said to be more of the same from Awakening (i.e. easy) but I'm concerned Conquest would go too far the other way, being a linear annoying mess of trial and error against reinforcements. Getting caught out of position and swamped by unexpected reinforcements was honestly the worst thing about Awakening.

Etrian Odyssey
Honestly no idea what to make of these and haven't really played anything similar (first Phantasy Star maybe?). Can I jump in anywhere or is there a place to start (given the first two have remakes with a story mode)? Is there enough variation in enemies to keep things interesting?

Going through Project X Zone and Bravely Default at the moment, so anything new will be a while away.

[soprano1]

Getting my 3DS on at work lunch breaks but still a bit of a JRPG (and co.) n00b. Opinions on the following anyone?

Fire Emblem Fates
Only played Awakening and Echoes, vastly enjoyed the latter for its complete lack of reinforcement-based bullshit, more strategically challenging gameplay and weaknesses not being horribly overstated. Birthright is said to be more of the same from Awakening (i.e. easy) but I'm concerned Conquest would go too far the other way, being a linear annoying mess of trial and error against reinforcements. Getting caught out of position and swamped by unexpected reinforcements was honestly the worst thing about Awakening.

Etrian Odyssey
Honestly no idea what to make of these and haven't really played anything similar (first Phantasy Star maybe?). Can I jump in anywhere or is there a place to start (given the first two have remakes with a story mode)? Is there enough variation in enemies to keep things interesting?

Going through Project X Zone and Bravely Default at the moment, so anything new will be a while away.

Not a fan of FE, the others are nice games. BD's OST is marvellous.

[soprano1]

https://youtu.be/X91dsHGGHwY
Amiibo trailer for Specter/Plague/King Knight. Just watch it.

[Vanguard]

Etrian Odyssey
Honestly no idea what to make of these and haven't really played anything similar (first Phantasy Star maybe?). Can I jump in anywhere or is there a place to start (given the first two have remakes with a story mode)? Is there enough variation in enemies to keep things interesting?

I've played 2 and 3 and can recommend both. 3 might be the best non-roguelike dungeon crawler I've ever played.

Enemies in the series tend to be more varied and dangerous than typical RPG fare, but what really makes them stand out are the way they interact with the dungeon itself. There are special enemies called FOEs that roam the dungeon, and are fought by entering their tile rather than meeting them in random encounters. FOEs tend to be much stronger than random encounter enemies on the same level. They all have their own movement patterns, some are completely static, some chase you around, and the dungeon designs are generally built around trying to avoid fighting them. They still move around while you fight, and FOEs can join in during random encounters or even fight with another FOEs which will cause things to get out of control in a hurry.

EO2 is largely characterized by aggression. Both the player characters and the enemies tend to have stronger offensive options than defensive options and major fights are often decided in a few turns. There isn't a whole lot of room for meaningfully customizing individual characters - there are plenty of skills you can choose from, but some are much better than others, and most classes will only have a few good builds to choose from. Variety between different classes is pretty good though, and there's lots of room for customizing your team by choosing which classes to bring.

EO3 allows subclassing your characters, which means there's immense variety in how you can customize your party members. Definitely recommended for anyone who likes to min maxing or making wacky character ideas work. The dungeon's shorter than EO2 with 25 floors instead of 30, and the missing floors are made up for with a sea exploration minigame. I think losing 5 floors for sea exploration is a bad trade, but there are lots of nice optional boss fights at sea, and you can ignore the whole thing if you want to. 3 focuses more heavily on story than 2, though it still won't take up much of your time. There are a few choices that cause the plot to diverge a bit, leading to different plots, boss fights, items, etc.

I hear that 2 is mechanically very similar to 1, but 1 lacks some QOL functions like the ability to sidestep and an autofight feature. 4 supposedly has really nice class design and balance, but a lowered difficulty. I won't touch the remakes of 1 and 2 on principle for including a story mode. Supposedly their character building systems also involve gaining skills as random drops. Gross!

As usual, the games aren't nearly as hard as their reputation suggests. Every game has an optional postgame area with higher difficulty and lots of complex boss fights which I consider to be one of the series's highlights. The games rarely provide actual numbers for what your skills do, so look those up if you want to make informed decisions. This guide is good for EO2 and this is good for EO3.

[ZellSF]

I got a IPS New 3DS XL to play with. I don't see it worth bothering with. Especially with the massive QA lottery in addition to the panel lottery, I think you have better chances of winning the lottery than getting a good IPS 3DS XL (then again, your chances of getting a good TN 3DS XL aren't too good either).

It has slightly more vibrant colors and slightly better blacks. It's nothing like the difference between a TN and IPS PC monitor. On a bright scene it's actually pretty hard to tell the difference.

Tempted to order a New 2DS XL next... At least those are cheap. And then I'll have more 3DS systems than PSPs, even though PSPs are clearly superior in every single way.

[TransatlanticFoe]

Etrian Odyssey
Honestly no idea what to make of these and haven't really played anything similar (first Phantasy Star maybe?). Can I jump in anywhere or is there a place to start (given the first two have remakes with a story mode)? Is there enough variation in enemies to keep things interesting?

I've played 2 and 3 and can recommend both. 3 might be the best non-roguelike dungeon crawler I've ever played.

Enemies in the series tend to be more varied and dangerous than typical RPG fare, but what really makes them stand out are the way they interact with the dungeon itself. There are special enemies called FOEs that roam the dungeon, and are fought by entering their tile rather than meeting them in random encounters. FOEs tend to be much stronger than random encounter enemies on the same level. They all have their own movement patterns, some are completely static, some chase you around, and the dungeon designs are generally built around trying to avoid fighting them. They still move around while you fight, and FOEs can join in during random encounters or even fight with another FOEs which will cause things to get out of control in a hurry.

EO2 is largely characterized by aggression. Both the player characters and the enemies tend to have stronger offensive options than defensive options and major fights are often decided in a few turns. There isn't a whole lot of room for meaningfully customizing individual characters - there are plenty of skills you can choose from, but some are much better than others, and most classes will only have a few good builds to choose from. Variety between different classes is pretty good though, and there's lots of room for customizing your team by choosing which classes to bring.

EO3 allows subclassing your characters, which means there's immense variety in how you can customize your party members. Definitely recommended for anyone who likes to min maxing or making wacky character ideas work. The dungeon's shorter than EO2 with 25 floors instead of 30, and the missing floors are made up for with a sea exploration minigame. I think losing 5 floors for sea exploration is a bad trade, but there are lots of nice optional boss fights at sea, and you can ignore the whole thing if you want to. 3 focuses more heavily on story than 2, though it still won't take up much of your time. There are a few choices that cause the plot to diverge a bit, leading to different plots, boss fights, items, etc.

I hear that 2 is mechanically very similar to 1, but 1 lacks some QOL functions like the ability to sidestep and an autofight feature. 4 supposedly has really nice class design and balance, but a lowered difficulty. I won't touch the remakes of 1 and 2 on principle for including a story mode. Supposedly their character building systems also involve gaining skills as random drops. Gross!

As usual, the games aren't nearly as hard as their reputation suggests. Every game has an optional postgame area with higher difficulty and lots of complex boss fights which I consider to be one of the series's highlights. The games rarely provide actual numbers for what your skills do, so look those up if you want to make informed decisions. This guide is good for EO2 and this is good for EO3.

Cheers, that's really helpful info! Gives me a few things to think about anyway, while I finish up with other games.

I think the remakes of 1 and 2 also include the option to play the original (non-story) with the new engine, but the 1 remake at least seems to be uncommon (at least for the UK release) anyway so won't be rushing to that.