Nintendo 3DS (XL)

[Udderdude]

It seems unlikely it'll get a port.

[BryanM]

Well yeah, it's a 3DS game.

It'll be localized definitely though. That it sold a million worldwide is why it got a sequel in the first place. Otherwise we'd be at Four Heroes of Light 3, if that game had done as well.

[NTSC-J]

I played about an hour of Bravely Second and it's pretty close to the first in terms of gameplay and structure it seems. Hopefully that won't mean another notorious Chapter 5 flub-up.

The characters seem fine but the music tracks so far haven't been real stellar and the world map is oddly pixelly. Nice to see some new job classes, though.

[soprano1]

the music tracks so far haven't been real stellar.

No Linked Horizon makes me real sad

[hien]

I played about an hour of Bravely Second and it's pretty close to the first in terms of gameplay and structure it seems. Hopefully that won't mean another notorious Chapter 5 flub-up.

The characters seem fine but the music tracks so far haven't been real stellar and the world map is oddly pixelly. Nice to see some new job classes, though.

Still thinking about buying the first game, though I'll probably have to finish DQ7 first. What bothers me about BD is that I haven't heard much about it's story. Is it any good or your standard fare with the focus being the game's mechanics?

[professor ganson]

I love how Nintendo has been coming out with these themed 3DS XL systems. The latest is one for Persona Q. Looks pretty cool. Maybe not quite as nice as last year's Zelda one, though. The Fire Emblem one was also really nice, though unfortunately not XL.

[NTSC-J]

I played about an hour of Bravely Second and it's pretty close to the first in terms of gameplay and structure it seems. Hopefully that won't mean another notorious Chapter 5 flub-up.

The characters seem fine but the music tracks so far haven't been real stellar and the world map is oddly pixelly. Nice to see some new job classes, though.

Still thinking about buying the first game, though I'll probably have to finish DQ7 first. What bothers me about BD is that I haven't heard much about it's story. Is it any good or your standard fare with the focus being the game's mechanics?

I'd say it's pretty good, but it is your standard fare. I haven't run into a JRPG that isn't, to be honest. The characters have character and that's the best you can hope for with this genre, I think. At the very least, it's much better in the story and writing department than Dragon Quest 7.

(I should mention that I played it in Japanese, so the quality of the English localization may be even better).

The biggest gripe with the game is the notorious Chapter 5 plot twist (more of a plot face-plant). For me it wasn't enough to ruin the game, but it was for others.

[hien]

I'd say it's pretty good, but it is your standard fare. I haven't run into a JRPG that isn't, to be honest. The characters have character and that's the best you can hope for with this genre, I think. At the very least, it's much better in the story and writing department than Dragon Quest 7.

(I should mention that I played it in Japanese, so the quality of the English localization may be even better).

The biggest gripe with the game is the notorious Chapter 5 plot twist (more of a plot face-plant). For me it wasn't enough to ruin the game, but it was for others.

Okay, thanks. DQ7 is btw. exactly the reason why I'm asking. I don't really expect a deep storyline or great storytelling from RPGs but I think at least the main quest should keep you interested in what's going to happen next. DQ7, though certainly being a good game overall, at some point feels like it totally loses it's focus and more like a collection of not that interesting sidequests that also seem to drag on forever. Just wouldn't want to play another game like that right after it and after not hearing much about the story of BD and that it has a kinda classical approach, I thought that it might fall into the same category. Even concerning the way it approaches the story (which for me means focusing even the main story on standard fetch quests without much happening during those).
Have a japanese 3DS as well, so a verdict aimed at that version is totally fine.

[BrianC]

I like Bravely Default, but the having to repeat the same actions over and over after chapter 5, when it should have been more streamlined, is a bit tedious.

[CMoon]

Are you playing DQ7 in Japanese? I thought it wasn't out in English.

Back to playing EO4. Must have genuinely just been tired of the franchise when I stopped playing it last because I'm having a lot of fun with it now and the class system seems more balanced than 3.

[hien]

Are you playing DQ7 in Japanese?

Yes, though I switched over to Xenoblade now. And seeing how good it is I feel like the biggest idiot for not having done that earlier.

[SuperGrafx]

If anyone is looking to pick up a 3DS XL for Christmas, all Target stores have them on sale this week for $149.
This is for brand new units, not used / manhandled crap.

Wii U systems are also on sale for $249 this week.

[professor ganson]

If anyone is looking to pick up a 3DS XL for Christmas, all Target stores have them on sale this week for $149.
This is for brand new units, not used / manhandled crap.

Wii U systems are also on sale for $249 this week.

Noticed that as well. The 3DS XL is awesome. It will likely never have the vast & diverse library of the DS, but there are some excellent games, no doubt.

[nosorrow]

I'll end up getting one someday, but only for Super Mario 3D Land, New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Recca (maybe Mario Kart 7 as well).

[BulletMagnet]

It's worth noting that a release announcement for the "New" 3DS is probably not too far off, and the sale might have been conceived in part to clear out some old stock; if the new revision doesn't appeal to you then by all means snag the old one for a discount, but others might want to hold out.

[ZellSF]

The new version will run exclusive games too.

So everyone should hold out until they are sure they won't be any games they've released that will be n3DS exclusive.

Probably a bit late to mention that though.

[CMoon]

Just wanted to get this off my chest: The new 3DS is a real dick move by Nintendo. Yes, the upgrade looks really good, but at the $200 assumed price tag they are splitting any community they have. Hopefully, like the DSi, it doesn't end up really having a big impact, but I sure would have liked to have picked up Xenoblade chronicles.

Maybe it is all soured by the fact that while the 3DS certainly has some great titles, it doesn't feel like enough to justify buying the console twice. That, plus the inevitable PS4 purchase is all too much.

[Udderdude]

Yeah this is pretty bullshit, but it remains to be seen if there's anything I really want that's exclusive.

Does the Circle Pad Pro even work with those games? It looks awful, but it might be the only option for some people.

[CMoon]

Does the Circle Pad Pro even work with those games? It looks awful, but it might be the only option for some people.

It works well on MH3U and Resident Evil.

[Pretas]

Well, the new Fire Emblem is titled "Fire Emblem if." I wonder if it will take place in a high school and include a recurring teacher boss who keeps progessively morphing into a robot monster.

I'd say that's a pretty clear acknowledgement that SMT x FE has been quietly canceled, and this game is being made from whatever Intelligent Systems could salvage from the project. I already predicted that SMT x FE would be moved to 3DS.

[BryanM]

Erm, I doubt that. It's just another 3DS Fire Emblem game, built on the engine of the last one. Recycling is a very efficient way to acquire profit.

I'm dubious on SMTxFE too, but. If they were in pre-production at the announcement, they basically had some doodles in a guy's notebook and some thoughts scribbled down in some .txt files. Three to four years to bake a cake is about right. Atlus specifically would lean towards wanting it to happen - they want to grow their customer base after all. And that more than the lack of an announcement on its death makes me beweive.

These guys aren't Blizzard (in how Blizzard will waste years on a project and then cancel it when they discover they're unable to design anything new); you just slap some little JRPG people on the screen with a combat menu and call it a day. Not really a lot of risk there - nothing but knowns.

With Persona 5 this year... I'm not ready to stick a fork in it until around July 2016.

[jonny5]

Anybody else grab Afterburner II? Grabbed it last night but yet to play it. Looks decent, and if it is even half as good as Super Hang On it was 5bux well spent

[M.Knight]

I bought it as well.
As someone who never played it before, I think it is worth a purchase for the new special mode that you unlock by clearing the arcade mode. (you can even use continues and stage select to do that)
While the arcade mode seemed impossible to clear with default settings and very frustrating due to how difficult it is to dodge missiles and hit ennemies, the special mode makes things more more fun and manageable, thanks to the burst meter and the frequent supply of extends. So far, I'm really digging this mode.

In other SEGA-related news, there is a release date for Project Mirai DX, the Vocaloid rhythm game : May 26(US)/28(JP)/29(EU). It is one of the very few new games I am looking forward to playing, so this date seems really far away.

[Domino]

Since I am an idiot and sold my previous 3DS stuff I preorder the black New 3DS XL back on Weds. So because I sold everything of the 3DS I had to buy an official 3DS AC Adapter, 32 GB Micro SD Card (since most of the games I want on it are digital only), and case.

I learn my lesson of selling stuff too quickly......

[SuperGrafx]

I'm on the fence about the new 3DS
On one hand, it'll make for a better experience and longer lifespan for the 3DS platform.
On the other hand, it'll cause fragmentation in the marketplace.

[Pretas]

Atlus specifically would lean towards wanting it to happen - they want to grow their customer base after all. And that more than the lack of an announcement on its death makes me beweive.

The transfer of Atlus from Index to Sega in mid-development may have thrown a monkey wrench in the works. It was directly responsible for the long delay and similar uncertain status of Devil Survivor 2: Break Record, which was merely a DS -> 3DS port with some extras.

I'm on the fence about the new 3DS
On one hand, it'll make for a better experience and longer lifespan for the 3DS platform.
On the other hand, it'll cause fragmentation in the marketplace.

I would be surprised if there ended up being more than 5 New 3DS-exclusive games over its total lifespan. All of them likely first-party. There will also probably not be any Amiibo product lines made specifically for New 3DS games, since older models can't read them. Hence Codename STEAM using the Smash Fire Emblem figures instead of having its own.

[trap15]

smea released a region unlock hack a few hours ago, no pre-requisites needed, works on current firmware. Only works on physical games. Details and download are on his github.

[BPzeBanshee]

Suh-weet! (https://github.com/smealum/regionthree/ for the lazy)

[CMoon]

smea released a region unlock hack a few hours ago, no pre-requisites needed, works on current firmware. Only works on physical games. Details and download are on his github.

I can see how in Europe this is a massive deal with so many games not coming out. I am not sure it is that big a deal in the US. Most of the things I'd like to see come over require an English translation (IE Dragon Quest 7.)

[SuperGrafx]

Just a side note, how easy will it be to transfer your account and dl'ed content to a new 3DS?

The current 3DS uses an SD card. Doesn't the new one use the smaller variant?