Something peculiar and unexpected happened lately: the 3DS crawled back in my good graces, slowly but surely. In fact, I don't think I've ever loved the system as much as I love it right now: I'm immensely hyped up about games to come and I found a renewed interest for my 3DS library, which I want to explore and enjoy at leisure. This could be due to the mere-exposure effect: as a new — and not immediately enticing as far as I'm concerned — piece of kit is coming, the older and more familiar console suddenly seems much more reassuring and attractive. Or it could be due to my uncanny passion for systems that are about to go retro; but whatever the reason, I am indeed smitten with the 3DS like never before.
And why wouldn't I be smitten, after Nintendo announced the imminent release of two shiny and brand-new models of 2DS? The collector in me leaped in joy when discovering these two sleek beauties; needless to say, said sleek beauties buried my resolution to stop purchasing more 3DS iterations on the spot. I
must get my paws on this pair when they reach European shores, all the more so as they are deliciously unexpensive and look temptingly comfortable to play.
To my utter joy, these revamped 2DS won't come alone, as a number of appetizing game offerings are slated for release in the months to come. We already had the newly released
Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns, the soon-to-be-released
Fire Emblem Echoes and the to-be-released-at-some-point
Fire Emblem Heroes to scratch our 3DS itch this year; but along them is coming a bunch of unexpected, last-minute localizations.
RPG Maker FES,
Culdcept Revolt, Yo-kai Watch 2 and
Monster Hunter Stories are all on their way to our shores, and I'm totally thrilled about them.
Ever Oasis has a definite release date at long last, and
Dragon Quest XI's international unleashing shouldn't be too far either. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if 2017 had more 3DS localizations in the pipeline than 2016 despite the recent arrival of the Switch!
Even better, some mouth-watering 3DS games are being developed as I'm writing this very post. Those coveted games are
Etrian Mystery Dungeon 2 (roguelikey dungeon crawler goodness!),
Shin Megami Tensei: Deep Strange Journey (more dungeon crawler goodness!!)
Layton's Mystery Journey,
Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology and
The Alliance Alive. I'm particularly pumped up about that last game, which is being pitched as a "new classic RPG" and a "spiritual successor" to
The Legend of Legacy — one of 2016's highlights as far as my gaming resumé is concerned. Needless to say, I'm ridiculously hyped up about all these games and I pray daily for their localization. And if they don't come to our shores, then be it; they'll be fodder for my Japanese 3DS, because there's no way I'm letting these gaming nuggets pass me by. Heck, I don't think I've been that excited about prospective RPG releases since the beginning of the 3DS era.
This situation is all the more delightful as it is totally unexpected, especially in light of the way previous Nintendo systems exited the gaming scene. As the Switch made its grand debut, I fully expected Nintendo to ditch the 3DS line-up like a stone and developers to flock en masse to the shiny new machine; but lo and behold, the Big N is instead treating us to a brand-new model and developers are crafting exciting games as we're speaking! This is definitely a first for a Nintendo system as far as transitions from one console generation to the next are concerned, and one could actively speculate about the reasons behind such a situation. Does Nintendo want to pamper 3DS aficionados and thank them for their unwavering support? Are developers still uncertain about the long-term prospects of the Switch? Does everybody think there is still good money to be made with the 3DS? All of this at once? It doesn't matter to us portable aficionados, really: what matters is that the 3DS is still alive and well and exciting games are coming our way. With such a thrilling 3DS release schedule ahead of us, I have renewed hopes for a future localization of
Etrian Odyssey V, or even a possible
Untold remake of
Etrian Odyssey III. Bring it on, Atlus!
Here's to a glorious year for Nintendo's dedicated handheld, which is pleasantly defying expectations and proving to be a survivor indeed! I sure hope you're as thrilled about these unexpected 3DS developments as I am, dear fellow gamers, and that you have as many games — and maybe even a shiny new 2DS XL — on your Coveted Games List as I have right now. Thanks for reading, and be my guest anytime!
I remember Devil Survivor 2 came out on the DS in 2011 so I have some hope that we'll get most, if not all, of those tittles released in the west. I'm especially hopeful over the Yokai Watch 3 games and the Atlus tittles. Strange journey is soooo good that despite the fact that I think the original's story was perfect and that the new route they're adding in will not be worth it at all, I still want it badly. I've been wanting to replay the original for some time, and this remake is the perfect excuse. Though I'm not sure over etrian mystery dungeon 2 making it over because...where's etrian odyssey V?
ReplyDeleteNot even gonna comment on Fire Emblem Heroes being a new 3DS exclusive. At least they warned us this time *glares at sun and moon*. Meh, I don't like the FE cast enough to want them in a Warriors game anyways, just like I didn't care for Hyrule Warriors. I'll admit those new 2DS' do look pretty sexy, but ehhh, I'd rather buy a Wii U before I get yet another 3DS. It's been hacked so one can fully play Wii and Gamecube games, so I might get one to replace my old wii and get the few Wii U tittles I desperately want (Pokken, Tokyo Mirage and Fatal Frame V).
I'm not one to put too much faith into the annual E3 celebration; but this year, I can't help but hope that Atlus will sweep us off our feet by announcing "surprise" localizations - starting with Etrian Odyssey V. Gosh, I want that game to make it to our shores so bad! The Japanese version is so ridiculously expensive that I really, really don't want to have to import it. Please Atlus, make it happen. You've been localizing every single Etrian Odyssey main game and spin-off under the gaming sun, so why would you let Etrian Odyssey V stranded in Japan?
DeleteGenerally speaking, I sure hope that the upcoming E3 will have a couple of extra 3DS games in store for us. Given how most localizations announcements for the 3DS these last years have come out like thunderbolts out of a clear sky, that hope is not too far-fetched. Please humour us, dear developers and publishers! ^^
Give me SMT: DEEP Strange Journey and EO V. The more dungeon crawlers around, the better. And also maybe Fire Emblem Echoes since I really need to clean the bitter aftertaste after playing through the horrible Fates.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit though, the 3DS seems to be trying to keep up alongside the Switch. I wonder how long this will last?
"The more dungeon crawlers around, the better": oooooh yes indeed. Especially when they're first-person dungeon crawlers, oh yes precious.
DeleteI hope this system coexistence will last as long as possible, to be honest. If it were up to selfish little me, Nintendo would keep maintaining a dedicated handheld line along with the Switch. Heck, I know it's unlikely to happen unless the Switch massively tanks; but a gamer can hope and dream, right? :p