How backwords compatable is the 3DS?

[smbu2000]

JWeinCom said:
Like most people said, DS games work fine as long as they don't require the GBA port. Only problem is that the DS and 3DS screens are different resolutions, and some games can look a bit fuzzy on the 3DS.

Yeah, the games have to be scaled up as the 3ds screen have a higher resolution. You can play it at the original DS resolution on the 3ds by holding start+select when you select to play the DS game. It will be sharper than the scaled up version, but the picture displayed will be smaller as that resolution doesn't use up the whole 3ds screen.

This is a pretty good write-up about it.

http://jalada.co.uk/2011/03/27/nintendo-3ds-and-ds-games-the-truth.html

Anyway, the 3ds can play every game that the DSi can play. Only the games that require the gba port are not compatible.

I still play all of my DS games on my Lite/DSi/or XL depending on the situation. I only use my 3ds for 3ds games.

richardhutnik said:

Nintendo now seems to backwards compatibility a generation or two with their hardware that seems go away eventually. You had it with the handhelds:
* GB and GBC working with the Gameboy Advance.
* The DS ran GBA stuff. The DSi dropped GB and GBC support.
* 3DS drops GBA support completely and everything behind it, but should work with the DS stuff, fully pretty much.

They got rid of the GB/GBC BC during the GBA generation when they released the Gameboy Micro which only plays GBA games and not the older GB/GBC games like the GBA and GBA SP.