3DS - Some Questions...

[MrThunderwing]

I've only ever had a very quick try of a 3DS once in my life, which was a one round go on Street Fighter 4 on a demo unit in a shop. At the time I remember thinking the 3D effect looked pretty good, but never really had any inclination to purchase the console as I really have no need of another handheld in my life (I've already got a DSi XL and DS lite, both with R4 cards and tons of games and emulators on them I never play).

I've always been intrigued by the Sega AGES 3D line on the system though. I've never ever seen any of these games running on the actual hardware and I've always been curious about just how good the 3D effect is? Can anyone that owns one and some of the Sega AGES stuff, specifically games like Outrun, Afterburner, Shinobi and Thunderforce 4 give me an idea of how good the effect is? I'd thought about maybe picking up a secondhand 3DS at some point in the distant future when you could ideally pick them up for nowt, but with the closure of the Nintendo eShop happening next year, it feels like a time limit has now been put on this idea if I wanted to buy the games via legit routes (I guess a 3DS R4 could be a consideration though if I didn't want to rely on the eShop). At present though, the price of the system, even secondhand, still feels a bit too steep for me to justify a purchase for just playing a load of 20+ year old games I've already played to death, just for the novelty of fancy visuals.

So, just how fancy are those fancy visuals? Does it revolutionize the super-scaler stuff like Outrun? Am I, massive Sega fanboy that I am (or used to be anyway), going to regret never picking these game up when I had the chance if it turns out you can't just R4-ify them for some reason.

[Malenko]

The effect is quite amazing, especially for titles that predate the technology, like Outrun.  The games legitimately feel like they have a real field of depth.  The cost vs worth isn't something I can determine for you , Outrun is still Outrun but the 3d is pretty cool.

[MrThunderwing]

Good to know, thanks!

[MrThunderwing]

So the R4 plan isn't going to help, apparently they only work for playing NDS games on the 3DS, so that eShop closure date clock is ticking. There were some physical releases of the games in compilation packs in Japan, but doing a bit of Googling these go for completely ridiculous prices now (that guy asking for £7,900 has got to be taking the piss...). Also, nice one Nintendo for region locking one of your handhelds for the first time 🙄

Only one of the compilations came to the UK/Europe region, but it was the one with probably the least interesting games on it (FFS, Sega!). So, looks like I better crack on picking up a system and hitting up that eShop tout suite.

[pbj]

There’s custom firmware isn’t there?  Mines hacked…

 

[Malenko]

There’s custom firmware isn’t there?  Mines hacked…

 

mine is hacked as well, along with my Switch and WiiU

[MrThunderwing]

The only console I've ever soft modded is an original Xbox (x2 machines). I've got a New 3DS XL winging it's way to me tomorrow courtesy of Amazon Prime. I've had a quick look at a few 3DS hacking tutorials. It doesn't sound too complex, but having said that, I don't want to accidentally brick the console as soon as I've got it, so I think that idea will go on the back burner for the time being.

[pbj]

Coward.

[MrThunderwing]

Pffft...

[Malenko]

you just take it back to gamestop and say you just bought it yesterday and it stopped working!

[MrThunderwing]

you just take it back to gamestop and say you just bought it yesterday and it stopped working!

I've got a New 3DS XL winging it's way to me tomorrow courtesy of Amazon Prime.

A bit too much extra hassle involved sending it back when postage, opening a claim on Amazon and all that shiz is involved compared to a quick trip to Gamestop. It looks like all the Sega Ages stuff I'm specifically interested in is available to download from the eShop, and for a non-wallet busting price, so I'm happy to go down the non-bootleg route. Those games are literally the only reason I'm getting the system for, I've honestly got zero interest in most of the first party Nintendo stuff, like the new Super Mario stuff or Mario Kart or Zelda. I've got heaps of that stuff on the R4 cards for my old DSs, I've tried once, planned to go back and play properly and it's just never happened just due to other stuff going on in my life or being too busy with work. Like I say, I probably will give hacking it a try at some point, I'm just not in any rush...

[MrThunderwing]

This afternoon, after I got home from work, I thought 'sod it', let's just man-the----fudgesicle----up and follow a custom firmware tutorial. An hour or so later and I now have all the Sega 3D ages games I couldn't play as they weren't available in the UK, along with a load of GBA games I've turned into virtual console CIA games. ---fudgesicle---, yes! 😁

[Malenko]

This afternoon, after I got home from work, I thought 'sod it', let's just man-the----fudgesicle----up and follow a custom firmware tutorial. An hour or so later and I now have all the Sega 3D ages games I couldn't play as they weren't available in the UK, along with a load of GBA games I've turned into virtual console CIA games. ---fudgesicle---, yes! 😁

So what do you think of the games in 3D?

[MrThunderwing]

Pretty awesome. So here's the thing... I actually got an old model 3DS XL originally as I thought the only difference between it and the 'new' version was some extra buttons and processing power. On the original model I thought the 3D effect was amazing on stuff like Streets of Rage and Shinobi in terms of really giving the games some depth, but with the Superscaler games there seemed to be a sweet spot where it worked just right, but it was super easy to lose it and suddenly I'd be seeing double and it felt like I was going cross eyed (when it did work it was amazing though). Then I found out the 'new' 3DS has eye tracking software that actually makes the 3D work much better, so I just thought 'ehhh, in for a penny in for a pound' seeing as the 3D AGES super-scaler stuff was my main reason for getting it. So I picked one up off of eBay, thinking I'd then just flog the old model - and yeah, wow, the 3D works so much better on the new one, I've not had any issues losing the 3D effect at all and seeing double.

Having the old model as a spare though was what made think 'let's just give just give the custom firmware a try' and if I brick it it doesn't really matter so much. After I did the old model though, once I realised that, although there's a lot of steps, it's actually not that hard, I decided to do the new system too, so I've now got two custom firmware ready machines. I'm thinking of not selling on the old machine now and just filling it up with GBA games (something my old DS couldn't really handle well on it's R4 card).

[pbj]

Wait… wait…. The 3D sega master games are emulated in 3D on the 3DS?

[MrThunderwing]

Wait… wait…. The 3D sega master games are emulated in 3D on the 3DS?

Just Outrun 3D and I thiiiiink I saw Space Harrier 3D in there too - they're on Sega 3D Fukkoku Archives vol 1. They're sort of oddly hidden in the menu, you can't see them on the main game title selection screen, it's when you open up the option to change game from within another game you can suddenly see them. I never got to try out a pair of Master System 3D specs when I was a kid, so it's pretty cool actually getting to play Outrun 3D the way you were supposed to see it.

[MrThunderwing]

I downloaded Retroarch yesterday and have now got MAME working on the N3DS XL (Chase HQ runs a bit slow, but all the classics like Shinobi, TMNT and Golden Axe run full speed). Today, I upgraded from the 4GB micro SD card that came with the machine to a 64GB one. I then followed a 5 minute tutorial on how to add NDS games to the console and have now transferred all the best titles from my regular DSi to the N3DS and made a fuckton more Virtual console GBA games to add. I've basically just filled the card with more games than I'm likely to ever play, just because, why not?

I've realised as well, I've basically made my R4 card enabled DSi and DS Lite redundant now (as I can play both NDS games and GBA title on the 3DS now), so guess they'll be ending up on eBay soon...