# The 3DS fucking sucks and here's why:



## Naruto (Jun 19, 2020)

I've had this gripe for ages (pretty much since the day I got the 3DS) and it resurfaced when I bought the extremely shitty 2DS long after selling my 3DS XL.

I'm literally only posting this here so I can link this thread the next time it comes up in conversation. You can all rightly disregard this fucking thread.
*

WHY IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY SUCK:*

Developing games for the 3DS was cheap and easy. Nintendo also bet on it hard, so it enjoyed ample first and third party support. I love many, many DS and 3DS games. In short, the library saves the console.

THE WHOLE REASON THIS CONSOLE PISSES THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF ME IS PRECISELY BECAUSE I NEED ONE TO KEEP LONG TERM AND THERE IS NO GOOD OPTION OUT THERE.
*

PLAYING DS GAMES ON A 3DS SUCKS:*

​
This is the original DS's top screen resolution: 256x192. Chrono Trigger looks nice and crisp on any old DS system, as even the DSiXL still has the exact same resolution. Thus, even though the screen is larger, the pixel count is the same, and the image remains the same, with the difference being that you will be able to more easily perceive the pixels on a larger screen, giving it a blockier look. All images beyond this one are displayed on a 2x scale to more easily showcase the issues with DS scaling on a 3DS system.


*Spoiler*: _These images are displayed on a 2x scale to more easily show the issues with DS scaling on a 3DS system_ 







The 3DS' top screen is 400x240. The above picture displays what the unscaled DS screen looks like (this is what happens when you hold select or start before launching a DS game). As you can see there's quite a bit of unused screen here. Consider, however, that the original DS' top screen is 3.25 inches, and that the original 3DS's top screen is 3.5 inches (so, extremely similar in real world dimensions). What this means is the image is effectively much smaller than it was on its original hardware, should you choose to play the game in unscaled mode.



If you launch a DS game normally on your 3DS, the above picture is the type of image quality you can expect. Pretty blurry, right? The 3DS is using linear filtering (negligible amount of processing power required) here to solve a problem that I will explain below.




This is the same scaling as performed above with the nearest neighbor method (can be achieved through homebrew apps). The console is scaling the image as much as possible, but there's simply not enough pixels to do so perfectly. The absolute simplest possible way to scale the image is the "double pixel" method, but the 3DS' screen resolution isn't large enough to do this. Thus, pixels become warped and the image quality suffers.



Above we see an alternative to linear filtering: XBRZ. The 3DS simply doesn't have the power to do this without a noticeable performance hit. Furthermore, while it looks much better than the stock solution, it still visibly warps the image, which purists might not appreciate. YMMV, or it would if it was an option, but the hardware can't do it.



And this is what 1:1 scaling looks like. As you can see the 3DS does not have enough vertical pixels for this (take a look at the bezels). It all comes down to this problem.



And if anyone was wondering what stretching the image without respecting the original aspect ratio looks like, here it is.​






It is really fucking hard to go back to those tiny ass unscaled DS screens or the blurry linear filtering that the 3DS uses on fullscreen mode.

*FORM FACTOR:
*
Clam shell is stupid as shit and you are objectively wrong for disagreeing 

Why do we clam? Just to suffer?

Let's talk pros:

Clam shell protects the screens.
More screen, same pocket space.

Let's talk cons:

Hinges are a design weak point. If it has a hinge, it's more likely to break, even through simple wear and tear.
The weight of the top screen shifts the center of gravity of the handheld, forces you to hold it more uncomfortably.
5:3 aspect ratio on its widest screen, literal dog shit.

GBA/PSP were the holy grail of handheld comfort, PSP was the maximum comfort to screen size ratio. Switch is a little too bulky, but still blessed. Switch lite might be a new gold standard.  is sufficient protection for most people. Add a thin screen protector or stuff it in a carrying case if you must. Pros successfully debunked.

*THE SCREEN LOTTERY:
*
3DS consoles can either come with IPS screens or TN panels. The fuck is the difference, you ask?


Far left: TN/TN. Middle: IPS/TN. Right: IPS/IPS. Behold the difference.

There are NO guaranteed IPS screens on any single model. People have discovered which models absolutely NEVER have IPS, but out of the ones that sometimes do, none of them are guaranteed to have them.

Want a quality screen? Go to ebay, pay way more money than you normally would, and pray you don't get scammed. Or keep returning 3DS consoles on your local gamestop if that's an option for you.

*THE HARDWARE REVISIONS:*

The New Nintendo 3DS is actually pretty good. Fixes the 3D and makes it usable, a fair number even came with IPS screens (good luck, buddy). The C-Stick is a joke. It has next to no exclusives, but thanks to the added horsepower developers saw fit to make the final round of decent games run with framerate issues on the OG 3DS models. Thanks! The screen is too small for me, so I am trying to find an XL model with dual IPS on ebay (good luck, me).

The 2DS XL's screen has more washed out colors than every model prior to it. Oh, and they literally all have TN panels 

The 2DS is the absolute worst console I have ever owned. Every button is mushy, not clicky. Horrible D-Pad. HORRIBLE shoulder buttons, with small and uncomfortable point of action. HORRIBLE grip if you want to use the shoulder buttons. Cheaply made, plastic creaks (I've opened the bitch, there's tons of unused space, stupidly designed frame). Unsurprisingly, all 2DS consoles come with TN panels REEEEEEEEEEEE-

*THE COMPETITION:*

The PSP was the fucking DS's contemporary and it was already very comparable to the 3DS. Here's Dissidia vs Sun & Moon. And trust me, I could choose better looking PSP games if I felt so inclined.



Your browser does not support the video tag.
 



Your browser does not support the video tag.
 

By the time the 3DS came out, the hardware was a joke. This is a glorified calculator, and a 2DS XL still goes for 150 to 200 bucks on amazon right now. That's SWITCH money, a handheld that's many many times more capable.

*YOU CAN'T REALLY PRACTICALLY EMULATE THE THING:*

Let's get real, plenty of hardware out there has the power to play DS & 3DS games even paying the emulation tax, but how many of those devices have two screens, or can display both of them without things looking a bit janky? Some games need you to flip the fucking thing on its side or upside down. Some games ask you to use the mic. WAY TOO MANY GAMES want you to use the stylus. I want you to show me a comfortable way to play metroid prime hunters on anything that isn't a fucking clam shell.



In conclusion, fuck this piece of shit console.​


----------



## Garcher (Jun 19, 2020)

ok


----------



## Mickey Mouse (Jun 19, 2020)

........dammit did I just get informed and taken out of comfortable bliss!?!??!


----------



## Magnum Miracles (Jun 19, 2020)

Only reason I still own one is to play Persona Q 2 on it.


----------



## jesusus (Jun 19, 2020)

It is overpriced.


----------



## JayK (Jun 19, 2020)

have to agree, even by 2011's standards the 3DS fucking sucked


----------



## Deathbringerpt (Jun 19, 2020)

I love passionately autistic posts like these.

But now I don't know if I should hack my 3DS. Fucking hell. What Handheld should I get for emulating all retro shit imaginable?

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Charlotte D. Kurisu (Jun 19, 2020)

Naruto said:


> In short, the library saves the console.



I agree with this. 



Naruto said:


> *PLAYING DS GAMES ON A 3DS SUCKS:*



I found this out immediately after I bought my 3DS when I played Order of Ecclesia. I was lucky I didn't sell my DS prior to buying the 3DS. 



Naruto said:


> *THE SCREEN LOTTERY:
> *
> 3DS consoles can either come with IPS screens or TN panels. The fuck is the difference, you ask?
> 
> ...



Wow! I did not know about this. This is pretty shitty. Now I am not sure what screens my 3DSs have. I did notice my New 3DS having crisper colors. But that could also be due to the New 3DS' better hardware in general.


Also, extra cons, but they have more to do with my own personal gripes


Shit audio. Playing without headphone is practically unplayble for a deaf piece of shit like me. 
Button placement. Select, Home, and Start are poorly placed which resulted in accidental presses, especially when playing in bed. This was thankfully alleviated with the New 3DS, but the majority of my playtime was with the 3DS XL.  
2DS is an ugly fucking machine. 
The 3DS having a stylus instead of another analog stick is the reason a great game like Kid Icarus is unplyable to this day.


----------



## blakstealth (Jun 19, 2020)

we need more faceplates


----------



## The World (Jun 19, 2020)

I hate ningendo


----------



## Naruto (Jun 19, 2020)

This is the kind of screen real estate used by retro consoles (you can play full screen but remember the 3ds can only do blurry linear filtering):


*Spoiler*: __ 

















At that size, things look sharp. Scale them up and they look like shit. Notice how SNES and Genesis nearly take the whole screen though, they look great.

The Switch is like having a portable PC that stops when you start getting to the 32 bit era. Proper scaling, shaders, etc. It all depends on your priorities.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Jake CENA (Jun 19, 2020)




----------



## jesusus (Jun 19, 2020)

It is worth hacking your 3ds, to make it more valuable than it actually is.


----------



## Ruthless Tsuchikage (Jun 19, 2020)

It got Kid Icarus Uprising and three Fire Emblems on it. Therefore it objectively cannot be bad.


----------



## Charlotte D. Kurisu (Jun 19, 2020)

Ruthless Tsuchikage said:


> It got Kid Icarus Uprising and three Fire Emblems on it. Therefore it objectively cannot be bad.



This was already addressed 



Naruto said:


> In short, the library saves the console.


----------



## Canute87 (Jun 19, 2020)

It's the library that saves every console.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! (Jun 20, 2020)

Not even the library could save my N3DS XL -  the big L button does not register, the hinges are squeaky and the top screen will wobble with the slightest of movements, and the battery is shot and I have to play it hooked up to a charger or else it will die in 5 minutes, killing its portability factor. Sigh. 

Fucking great library though.


----------



## Yagami1211 (Jun 20, 2020)

I hacked my Vita. And it's like a switch now. I can play it on my screen. Plus am2r. Don't regret it one bit.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Velocity (Jun 20, 2020)

The 3DS killed the Golden Sun franchise. 

Worst console ever made confirmed.


----------



## Charlotte D. Kurisu (Jun 20, 2020)

Canute87 said:


> It's the library that saves every console.



I agree. If peeps lived with the N64 controller they can live with just about everything if the games themselves are good. I mean, unless it's something like that Samsung Note that was exploding for no reason.


----------



## EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! (Jun 20, 2020)

Clay said:


> The 3DS killed the Golden Sun franchise.
> 
> Worst console ever made confirmed.



If Camelot had just NOT released the thing on the DS and instead released Dark Dawn during the 3DS's first year to show off the its 3d effects - like how they showed that the GBA could be more than a SNES port machine - the franchise might be alive and thriving today like Fire Emblem is. Not as many Smash reps, but atleast it would be alive.

So yeah, blame the suits in charge who chose to put their game on an already overcrowded ship on its last legs sailing into the sunset.


----------



## JayK (Jun 20, 2020)

Clay said:


> The 3DS killed the Golden Sun franchise.
> 
> Worst console ever made confirmed.


Blame Nintendo for being absolutely fucking lost when it comes to releasing new or older/forgotten IPs.

Dark Dawn was released during the worst possible time as was Xenoblade in the US (the end of both their respective consoles lifespan), together with nonexistent marketing for either of the games.

And don't even get me started on franchises like F-Zero which didn't even get a chance whatsoever.


----------



## OLK (Jun 24, 2020)

Deathbringerpt said:


> I love passionately autistic posts like these.
> 
> But now I don't know if I should hack my 3DS. Fucking hell. What Handheld should I get for emulating all retro shit imaginable?


Hack it for the free games and romhacks


----------



## Fleet Admiral Akainu (Jun 25, 2020)

it always infuriated me that it never made screen adjustments for older games and that it shut out gba games

it also couldn't make the adjustment to give us color for pokemon red/blue on the virtual console


----------



## Naruto (Jun 26, 2020)

Fleet Admiral Akainu said:


> it always infuriated me that it never made screen adjustments for older games and that it shut out gba games
> 
> it also couldn't make the adjustment to give us color for pokemon red/blue on the virtual console



I got a few fun facts for you:

Every 3DS can run GBA games, and well. Why Nintendo never did a GBA VC, I don't know. But through homebrew you can make your own custom GBA VC entries, which leverages the solution used for the ambassador promo games.

Also, GBA and DS games use more or less the same pipeline for scaling, and both are adjustable with homebrew (but because of all the reasons I outlined above, mainly pertaining to pixel count and aspect ratio, no games can be display in any reasonable fashion without looking like shit unless it's the native resolution, which on the 3DS will look small-ish).

There are really really good color ROM hacks for Red & Blue, and you can play them on your 3DS. Some allow you to import the sprites from Gen2, but I personally prefer colorized originals.



Another thing which I find pretty bad is that the default color palette for GB VC is outrageously bad (straight up black and white) and in no way represents what games looked like on the actual GB hardware, but this too is fixable and doesn't even require third party software. I struggle to understand what Nintendo was thinking there.



The top version is both more accurate and more pleasant, yet GB VC defaults to bottom mode. And the swappable palette looks hideous.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Hydro Spiral (Jun 27, 2020)

Naruto said:


> Every 3DS can run GBA games, and well. Why Nintendo never did a GBA VC, I don't know.



Yeah, I got a handful of GBA games on that old ambassador program. Still kinda bummed out by this


----------



## MusubiKazesaru (Jun 27, 2020)

Hydro Spiral said:


> Yeah, I got a handful of GBA games on that old ambassador program. Still kinda bummed out by this


I'm bummed that mine are all now gone after I lost my original 3DS.


----------



## Keishin (Jun 27, 2020)

I got DS and 3DS but I only play on PSP and used to play on vita but that stiffy uhh


----------



## OLK (Jun 28, 2020)

Keishin said:


> I got DS and 3DS but I only play on PSP and used to play on vita but that stiffy uhh


I'd do this, but can't find anymore good replacement batteries for PSP


----------



## Yagami1211 (Jun 29, 2020)

3ds should have been THE Metroid console.


----------

