So yeah, rumors are true: I have a 3DS.
I bought a midnight purple one for $110 last week, it arrived on Friday. The next day I went out and got Pokemon. Y version of course, I am a man after all and an active member of the Patriarchy.
So... here's what I think.
3DS
Eh. I'm not big on the console itself but it's functional and that's basically what I wanted. The 3D is... not very good and not really worth it. I find myself having immediate eyestrain when I turn it on, it rarely looks good, and it eats up battery. I mean it's neat to have and I'll use it on occasion but it's not like "HOLY SHIT THIS IS 3D".
I still think the thing is a bit clunky. For instance, just downloading the patch for Pokemon Y. On the Vita, when you open up the LiveArea page for it, it'll show if it needs an update, you let it update, blah blah blah. For the 3DS, you have to download the patch completely separately, without notification from the game, you can't download anything in the background, and there's very limited multitasking. So I had to sit and wait for it to download. Then install. I'm also not a fan of the GUI either, it just feels like a pain to access everything by scrolling horizontally compared to Android/iOS/LiveArea where everything is right in front of you or only takes a page swipe to get to the next bunch of icons. Not that it's bad here but it feels kinda boring.
I'm also not a fan of the circle pad, I'll be honest it feels like a physical incarnation of all the touchscreen analog stick "emulations". Which isn't really that good. I can't see using it for anything really precise.
Otherwise it's pretty ergonomic and I played it for a couple hours straight with no hand cramping or anything.
Pokemon Y
It's a pretty alright game, it's what I expected. It's certainly not perfect though.
I find all the new Pokemon to be really unexciting. My party right now only has one new Pokemon in it and that's my starter (Frogadier). The game is also stupidly easy, even for Pokemon. My Pokemon were vastly overleveled for every gym. I know it's the Exp Share and you could just "turn it off" but it's shoved right on you after the first gym. It's basically the Pokemon equivalent of Super Guide.
The game does a good job though of boiling down all the garbage from Black and White, where it shoved story in your face, and the story was shit. Now everything moves a lot faster. You'll have your first couple of Pokemon and your first gym badge within an hour. Not to mention running shoes off the bat and rollerblades (which are generally the best way to travel minus in grass). So that's pretty good.
So it's pretty good if you like Pokemon, if you don't it won't really change your mind.
My friend code is... I'm too lazy to look it up right now I'll get around to it.
I bought a midnight purple one for $110 last week, it arrived on Friday. The next day I went out and got Pokemon. Y version of course, I am a man after all and an active member of the Patriarchy.
So... here's what I think.
3DS
Eh. I'm not big on the console itself but it's functional and that's basically what I wanted. The 3D is... not very good and not really worth it. I find myself having immediate eyestrain when I turn it on, it rarely looks good, and it eats up battery. I mean it's neat to have and I'll use it on occasion but it's not like "HOLY SHIT THIS IS 3D".
I still think the thing is a bit clunky. For instance, just downloading the patch for Pokemon Y. On the Vita, when you open up the LiveArea page for it, it'll show if it needs an update, you let it update, blah blah blah. For the 3DS, you have to download the patch completely separately, without notification from the game, you can't download anything in the background, and there's very limited multitasking. So I had to sit and wait for it to download. Then install. I'm also not a fan of the GUI either, it just feels like a pain to access everything by scrolling horizontally compared to Android/iOS/LiveArea where everything is right in front of you or only takes a page swipe to get to the next bunch of icons. Not that it's bad here but it feels kinda boring.
I'm also not a fan of the circle pad, I'll be honest it feels like a physical incarnation of all the touchscreen analog stick "emulations". Which isn't really that good. I can't see using it for anything really precise.
Otherwise it's pretty ergonomic and I played it for a couple hours straight with no hand cramping or anything.
Pokemon Y
It's a pretty alright game, it's what I expected. It's certainly not perfect though.
I find all the new Pokemon to be really unexciting. My party right now only has one new Pokemon in it and that's my starter (Frogadier). The game is also stupidly easy, even for Pokemon. My Pokemon were vastly overleveled for every gym. I know it's the Exp Share and you could just "turn it off" but it's shoved right on you after the first gym. It's basically the Pokemon equivalent of Super Guide.
The game does a good job though of boiling down all the garbage from Black and White, where it shoved story in your face, and the story was shit. Now everything moves a lot faster. You'll have your first couple of Pokemon and your first gym badge within an hour. Not to mention running shoes off the bat and rollerblades (which are generally the best way to travel minus in grass). So that's pretty good.
So it's pretty good if you like Pokemon, if you don't it won't really change your mind.
My friend code is... I'm too lazy to look it up right now I'll get around to it.
