I grew up playing handheld consoles, and mainly those by Nintendo. As a child, the only reason I ever wanted to visit my aunt was because she owned a Gameboy with Tetris. Once I was older, my mother bought my sister and I Gameboy Colors. From that point on, I was never without some form of a handheld console in my possession at all times. I still remember being kicked out of the classroom in Elementary school for refusing to shut off my Gameboy because I was “Catching Articuno”. Even now, I play handheld consoles almost daily, as I have long commutes to and from class.
Where were my Mario and Zelda?
When Nintendo announced the 3DS, I was on my DS Lite. At first, I was excited for a new system, but was disappointed with its launch titles. Nintendogs? Where were my Mario and Zelda? Nintendo was slated to release such games, but not until a later time. However, to my dismay, the Zelda being released was not a new game, but rather a port of the classic N64 Ocarina of Time. As much as I loved the game, I didn’t want to shell out money for a port when I still owned my N64 and original cartridge of the game. Any and all interest in the system died for me. Software sells hardware, so why should I purchase a 3DS that had zero games of interest to me? My DS Lite was still functioning even after years of heavy use and traveling, so I felt no real desire to upgrade. Not to mention I really didn’t have the money for the hefty price tag of $249.
Holiday 2012 3DS Bundle
However, back in November, this changed for me. My DS Lite, although still functioning, could no longer understand my router encryption (WPA2) and so all Internet play had been cut off.
…on Black Friday, I stood in line for hours for a red 3DS Holiday Bundle.
How would I trade my Pokemon and get Pokerus!? How could I trade items in Harvest Moon? As a social gamer, the inability to connect to the Internet on the system had finally doomed it. In addition, between launch and November, the price of the system was dropped closer to something I could actually afford, and more titles I was interested in began to appear on the market. And so, on Black Friday, I stood in line for hours for a red 3DS Holiday Bundle.
I own 3 games for my system currently. I hadn’t felt the need to purchase anything more.
Until now.
Promises Delivered
Nintendo announced via Nintendo Direct its upcoming titles for the 3DS in a recent video (embedded above). Nintendo Direct is, as Nintendo explains, “A new online home for exclusive Nintendo news-broadcast directly to you, the player.” It is their attempt at transparency for upcoming titles and what the company is working on. Personally I think this is a very smart approach, given the company’s previous failure with the 3DS launch.
With this recent announcement, I am crying tears of joy. Animal Crossing: A New Leaf, Fire Emblem: Awakening DLC, Pokemon X & Y, and Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers are all upcoming titles. And I want them all. Why am I so broke when such great titles are on their way?! My 3DS has quickly become my most precious console due to its portability and upcoming titles. I have begun to pester my family and friends, encouraging them to hurry up and get one and give me their friend codes.
In a very short time, the 3DS had a huge turnaround.
In a very short time, the 3DS had a huge turnaround. It went from failing sales to quickly getting fans (like myself) very excited for it. In the coming months there are several new releases for console owners to look forward to, and the promise of more to come. Through Nintendo Direct, players also get a better look at the gameplay of upcoming titles (Luigi’s Mansion for the 3DS was given 6 minutes by itself in explanation of gameplay). With the console doing such a rapid 180 and constant updates from the company, now is the time for players to buy.
Brianna Weaver
Latest posts by Brianna Weaver (see all)
- A Change in the 3DS Climate - February 18
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