http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/12/13/10-things-we-want-from-the-nintendo-3ds
10 Things We Want From the Nintendo 3DS
How the 3DS will remain viable as it enters its prime.
by Richard George
December 12, 2012
While Wii U has been stealing the Nintendo spotlight lately, the 3DS is about to wrap up its second holiday season in the marketplace. In fact, in just a few months, Nintendo’s relatively young portable turns two years old. Despite not being launch hardware, there are still plenty of things we’d like to see from the 3DS – or its alternate iteration, the XL. Some of these are the usual asks in terms of software. Some are hardware adjustments we’ve been asking for forever. Yet all of them would be embraced by Nintendo fans across the world.
We’ve identified ten things we’d like to see added or changed, no doubt there are more you’d like to see. Sound off in the comments below - or hunt Rich down on Twitter and yell at him. Either way. Also in this article - shiny trailers for 3DS games coming in 2013.
#1 – A Better eShop Design
Nintendo’s new digital focus is great, particularly when it comes to a portable device. Not having to trek out to a store is absolutely essential in an era where Apple is dominant. While Nintendo’s general approach here is definitely the right one, we’d love to see more improvements when it comes to the eShop.
First, the overall eShop design. It’s tough to really see much of anything in the eShop, particularly once something is just outside its new release window, and is therefore not within the first several promotional panels. While these boxes would seem to categorize things easily, the result is a very cluttered and confusing experience, particularly as the navigation relies entirely on the touch screen’s limited view space. That Nintendo chose to focus on a horizontal movement makes things even trickier. We’re not designers, we’re not sure what the solution looks like. We just know we can’t find things.
#2 – A Cheaper eShop
Of everything we’re about to propose in this feature, this is by far the most critical, as it strongly impacts Nintendo’s competitiveness in the industry.
The simple fact is that the 3DS ecosystem will be compared to what’s available on an iPhone. That might be unfair. It probably is. But that’s how consumers will look at what’s available on Nintendo’s platform. And Nintendo itself needs to look at how it’s approaching its own games and lead the way (as it often does on its own hardware). However it wants to approach development in a digital world, it’s difficult to justify $40 games when great experiences are available on the App Store for a tenth of that price. If Nintendo wants to keep performing in a digital space, it needs to reconcile that gap.
And that’s not to say Mario games aren’t worth $40. They are. In fact great software on the iPhone and iPad are also worth that much. But that’s not the reality of portable software development anymore. Shorter games. Episodic games. Brilliant games like Crashmo, which cost less than $10. The 3DS lacks the versatility of modern, portable gaming platforms. That’s okay. But at the very least it needs to remain competitive in the gaming space. Otherwise it’s doomed to operate in the margins.
#3 – More (and Western) Third Party Support
Japan has been keeping the 3DS afloat - in sales and software development. There’s no debate that Nintendo has relied not only on its internal teams, but third parties like Capcom and Konami for key exclusives. Western support has been increasingly rare, likely due to increased competition from Apple’s platforms.
Nintendo needs to take on the burden of solving that problem. A few key games like Project X Zone and Bravely Default Flying Fairy need to make it outside Japan, and the 3DS generally needs more games, ranging from digital-exclusive content to bigger projects. And finding a way to warm up an ice cold western development scene would be more than welcome. iOS platforms have no shortage of great content. While not all of that is coming from North America or Europe, no doubt a great amount of it is – so let’s see some of that come to 3DS too.
#4 – Zelda, Metroid and Pokemon
Mario has made an appearance on 3DS a total of three times inside of one year. That’s fantastic, and Paper Mario: Sticker Star, New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario 3D Land are all great games, no doubt. But it’s time to see some of Nintendo’s other major icons, including the juggernaut Pokemon franchise, make an appearance and really leverage the power of the 3DS. Imagine having a Pokemon game that uses the portable’s increased online capabilities? StreetPass. SpotPass. There are plenty of possibilities.
And we can’t think of a better place for a SNES-style sequel to A Link to the Past. Or a new 2D Metroid adventure.
#5 – Apps, Apps, Apps
Though it’s unlikely the 3DS will ever have the range of content generation and consumption that we see on iOS, there are some applications that would be simply excellent on Nintendo’s portable. Let’s see things like YouTube and Skype make an appearance. How about a touch-based Amazon shopping application? It’d also be great if the 3DS and Wii U could speak to each other, so your browser bookmarks or YouTube account information could quickly be applied to both systems. Speaking of accounts…
#6 – A Working Nintendo Network
What happens if you break your 3DS? Though this nightmare scenario will only happen to the unfortunate few, it’s certainly something to think about. You don’t have an account. You don’t have a way to simply sign in to a new 3DS and re-download everything you’ve already purchased. Your content is tied to your system. If your system breaks, best case you’re calling up Nintendo for help. And considering how Nintendo wants to push digital content, this oversight is particularly problematic. Who wants to move away from cartridges with such a shaky support system in place? Not us, to be perfectly honest.
Wii U certainly has its share of network ID problems at the moment. Like the fact that you can’t use your account information to sign in on another console… which is kind of the entire point of having an ID. It’s strange. It’s confusing. But let’s assume Nintendo fixes that core, essential functionality. We’d like to see the account-based approach make its way to the 3DS.
Then we can finally see what happens when we throw our system against a wall. For science.
#7 – So Many Colors
Japan has 12 different variations just on the 3DS XL hardware alone. North America has exactly three, one of which seemed to squeak out into retail stores after a very quiet, exclusive retailer deal. Accepting the fact that not all colors will sell in all territories, limiting the 3DS XL (or the original 3DS, for that matter) to just two colors here in North America would seem to ignore the fact that… well, not all colors will sell to all audiences (particularly split colors like ‘Red/Black’, ‘Blue/Black’ and ‘Pink/White’). Not offering more colors seems like it would limit the 3DS’s consumer appeal, not enhance it. If the gamers we know are any indication, many are simply waiting for more choices. No doubt Nintendo will never please everyone, but its current approach seems severely restrictive.
Colors are probably the least of any of our issues, as we’re system owners. But for some, this single issue is the sole barrier for a purchase.
#8 – That Second Circle Pad…
We’ve been saying this for a very long time, and while in some ways we view the lack of a second circle pad a happy accident, one that prevents an avalanche of PS2 era ports, it was by far and away the biggest issue raised on Twitter when we asked for input. And it makes sense – many genres are hindered by the lack of a Circle Pad. In fact, it seems that some developers (Capcom) wanted one so much that Nintendo obliged them to get their support.
It’s too late now. In some ways this entire issue is irrelevant. There’s no way to introduce a second Circle Pad without fragmenting the user base, almost ensuring a low level of support from developers. And yet people want it. Perhaps it’s a note for the future, more than anything. As Nintendo’s hardware advances, allowing more complex genres, it needs to enhance its control methods to suite more complex games. We don’t need a dozen extra buttons. One extra Circle Pad would do.
#9 – Bring in Miiverse
Nintendo’s GamePad is the star of its new home console. It’s big and it’s visible. But the publisher’s greatest innovation might have nothing to do with its new controller. The genius feature of Wii U just might be Miiverse – and Nintendo needs to bring that to the 3DS as soon as possible.
Miiverse will work if it is accessible everywhere. Gamers must be able to access the service while playing a game, but also while away from their home console. The 3DS could be one way to do that, interacting through SpotPasses and remote WiFi connections. And it’d be great to be able to adjust and queue messages to friends or the boards, which could then be uploaded when the 3DS is next online. The options are many. And games like Pokemon, which are as much about their gameplay as their social interaction, could benefit massively from Miiverse.
#10 – Expand the Virtual Console
A year ago, when it dropped the price of the 3DS, Nintendo opened up Pandora’s Box. Suddenly Game Boy games weren’t alone. Suddenly the system’s rewarded ‘Ambassadors’ had access to Game Boy Advance and NES games. Nintendo needs to expand its Virtual Console in a formal manner, building out its NES collection more aggressively, and formally adding SNES and GBA support as well.
Nintendo’s legacy of industry-defining games has always been its secret weapon. And while many look forward to what the company has next, aggressively priced classics are never a bad thing, particularly when it comes to a portable device. As great as some iOS games are, it would be hard to resist Super Mario World if it was just $4.99. If Nintendo could find a way to bring in hundreds of NES, SNES and GBA classics, suddenly the 3DS has a formidable arsenal of less expensive, digital games. A great way to make the case for the eShop if there ever was one.
Like Wii U, it’s worth emphasizing, stressing and being very clear that the 3DS has many qualities we cherish. And unlike Nintendo’s new home console, this portable isn’t just made of potential. Over the past couple years it has laid down a foundation of great games, ones we’d recommend to any gamer. That said, as always, there is room for improvement. Some of our wishes are easily achievable, and we’d consider a failure to accomplish them a huge strike against the 3DS. Some are just things that ought to have happened, and in the case of things like a second Circle Pad, will never happen. But we keep saying them, mostly in the hopes that when we get the successor to the 3DS, it will happen. A flaw is a flaw, after all.
Sound off in the comments below. Be nice.
Essay Pro