Official Nintendo 3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS, "New" 3DS, & "New" 2DS XL Thread.

[Hero]

How is Zelda "arcadey"? There are no lives, no levels, a go-anywhere design, a focus on exploration with easily avoidable combat for most of the game, an upgrade system designed for long periods of play... it's the complete opposite of arcade game design in every way. And almost nothing to do with puzzles? The only method of actual progression in the game was to solve a puzzle, be it the Lost Woods or a hidden passage, otherwise you just wander the overworld and only have access to like one or two dungeons. No, they weren't bash-your-head-against-the-wall puzzles, but it certainly wasn't Contra.

Upgrading worked in the sense that such items expanded a general skill set. Now, an item in Zelda generally exists to solve a type of puzzle. Remember when the boomerang used to be a badass companion in fights? Would you even try to in a current gen Zelda where it wasn't pre-designed to work?

Lost Woods...I found my way through that through blind trial and error. I don't see how that's a puzzle. Nor finding a dungeon through exploring and burning a random bush or playing a flute near a lake. None of those things were telegraphed, nor was there a logic structure set up to lead you down that path. All there was was curiosity, schoolyard talk, and Nintendo Power.

As for fighting being largely avoidable. Sure...in the overworld. Don't you remember how brutal the dungeons could be? The rooms filled with Darknuts? The Wall Masters giving you hell? The constant state of fighting, dodging, ducking or weaving through a room? Much more "arcadey" than Ocarina. Sure it wasn't Contra, but it wasn't bash-your-head-against-the-wall puzzles either.

[edit] I am now responding to something that is no longer there.

Wait, oh shit. Went to add something and it's gone. Sorry.

[Hero]

Why wouldn't Etrian Odyssey end up there? Those style RPGs, like SitD, StHA, etc. would be perfect for the tech.

edit: Also, 2.5D works great with 3D, so if we can get people headed in that direction, that would be good too.

My dream would be a 2D game on the 3DS where each layer of parralax was on its own field of depth. Something tells me that won't happen. I really want to be wrong.

[Low]

Etrian Odyssey is already announced for 3DS and Vanillaware/Marvelous have mentioned a new 2D title that will take advantage of the tech.

Anyway added a few songs so I could check out the music visualizer. Excitebike and Jumpman FTW.

[MechDeus]

[random Zelda comments]

That's neat and all, but none of that makes it similar to an arcade game. Just because you're typing things doesn't mean they prove a point.

[George]

You know what's an arcade game? Face Raiders.

[James]

Remember folks, it's a bullshit "release window" of several months. AKA Nintendo was itching to get this shit out the door without a mote of fully finished support. Sounding more and more like every other AAA dev/pub/manufacturer every day...

There's no such thing as "launch window". Its either out on launch day or it's not.

Blast Processing!!!!!!

James

[Shin Johnpv]

Hero said then deleted

An arcadey action/adventure game with RPG elements? The one that had nothing to do with puzzles but every so often, exploration and curiousity would reveal pushing a block opens a staircase, or burning a bush gets you a secret?

You mean that one, right?

As Mech said, how is Zelda in ANYWAY way shape or form arcadey? And how does it lack puzzles? You had to solve them to progress.

I won't front that 'epic' games back in the day ended up in handhelds. What I'm getting at is the schism between the two weren't that great, or hardly noticable. And while the genres like SRPGs and JRPGs are exceptions, those ended up finding home on portables after all but being outcasted from consoles. And at least those genres have worked on tailoring themselves for portables (quick saves, fast forward battles, auto battling, becoming more action oriented, becoming faster paced in fights, leveling, et al).

Are you shitting me? Last gen saw a huge upsurge in the popularity of SRPGs in general. Not just on handhelds but on consoles as well. Have you never seen all the NIS games that have come out?

On the other hand, you get games like GTA which hamfisted the console experience into a handheld, regardless of whether that playstyle worked for the format.

Wow wrong series to pick dude. GTA 1 and GTA 2 were both on the Gameboy Color, and the GBA got its own GTA Advance. Again seems like things are the same as they've been for awhile to me.

Or you get new retardations like Kid Icarus, where a flagship not-so-launch title uses a control scheme and gameplay style that the hardware wasn't even made to accomplish well.

An on-shooter isn't arcadey? If they make the levels 5 - 15 minutes long and a lot of them seems like the perfect style of gameplay for a portable. Specially with the analog nub and stylus combo. Plus do tell how you traveled to the future and played the final version of the game.

However on a console it would...which makes me feel the whole "shoehorn a console onto a handheld" bit a tad more. Stylus = dual analog all of a sudden? It was a hand cramp with Prime Hunters and I don't think this will rectify that.

Well what caused a hand cramp for me with Hunters was how small the stylus was. Given that the 3DS does have a bigger one, hopefully things improve. I would imagine they've learned too some since hunters.

Or to put it another way - we see FF4 rehashed every damn time on portables. Does that mean FF4's pace, ease-in gameplay, etc are all 'equal' to FF13?

I'd say FFIV is easily the better game, with better gameplay and overall design.

I mean, both are the same series, same genre, and the latest rehash of FF4 falls within this gen. However, both games are vastly different in terms of pacing, and part of that falls on how FF4 was inherently a 'faster' game than 13.

I don't see how its a faster game, in 13 you run in a straight line from point to point, and in IV you have to find your way and can actually go down wrong paths in caves. If anything I'd say the opposite is true. 13 is the streamlined faster game, and thats on a console.

Flashy battles and cumbersome command layouts notwithstanding, 13 is filled to the gills with bloat. Some people slam on FF4 DS because it exhibits signs of such bloat. *Even with that* it's still faster paced, still feels like you're "getting more done" with the same amount of time you could spend on FF13...and when compared directly to 13...more "arcadey."

This is all just your perception though. In IV you have to select every characters attack or defense, for 5 characters, you have to find your way through caves, find your way through the overworld. You have to manage your health/mp/status ailments after each batter. All of this is shit that isn't an issue in 13. In 13 you go from point A to B you can't make a wrong turn, and health and such is taken care of for you after battle. Sounds to me like you're accomplishing more in 13 just that more stuff is automated for you.

So back to Zelda...older school Zelda engenders itself in a portable space. The games may be longer but the pace of play works out so there's a feeling of accomplishment/engagement/excitement on a reoccuring basis. So as soon as you shut it off, you feel "accomplished." While in the same span of time, you may be lucky to finish pushing a block or talking to Malon in Ocarina. So does the latter engender itself on a platform where part of its utility is being able to play in short bursts where, maybe you don't "finish" but at least you feel engaged? If not, why is it being touted as the de facto justification for a 3DS?

Can you try this paragraph again in English please? I have no idea what the hell you're trying to say here.

To me its a sign that Nintendo wants to pursue what Sony failed at, and if so I hope they fail too.

I see no way Sony trying to pursue what Sony did in anyway shape or form. Again you're seeing shit that isn't there. They're not making a target on the "hardcore", they're trying to appeal to the majority again. Just like they've done with all their past systems. You got some weird idea in your head and thats that. I mean seriously dude, nothing has changed,

[Shin Johnpv]

Etrian Odyssey is already announced for 3DS and Vanillaware/Marvelous have mentioned a new 2D title that will take advantage of the tech.

Not only that but Nintendo's already announced that they're going to be bringing classic 2d games to it where they've added 3d giving each layer of parallax its own level.

[FirstBlood]

Hero is the Buttcheeks of Gaming Discussion.

[Nash]

I really want to be wrong.

Well, that explains it.