Throughout my life as a gamer, I’ve never purchased an iterative, mid-lifecycle handheld from Nintendo. I had the original cinderblock Game Boy, and stuck with it all the way through to Game Boy Advance (it still played the latest Pokémon, afterall). From there, my taco-shaped Glacier GBA held strong until the release of the chunky, silver-toned “DS Phat,” which subsequently became my daily driver for about 6 years. Then, in 2011, the age of Nintendo 3DS began.
Mine is of the Flame Red variety, and until this weekend I had no intention whatsoever of replacing it. The New 3DS–though admittedly stylish with its hot-swappable face plates–would not tempt me, just as the Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Advance SP, DS Lite, and DSi had failed to in years prior. I do have a Game Boy Micro, but cut me some slack will ya? It’s a collector’s item.
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Reviews for Super Smash Bros. on 3DS aren’t scheduled to break until Thursday, and you can bet I’ve spent every waking hour since I received my copy duking it out with Nintendo’s all-stars, pushing the plastic input mechanisms of my Flame Red 3DS to their absolute limits. It’s not the fact that the more-plasticky-than-I-realized 3DS groans under the pressure of my movements that makes me want to upgrade, though. That I can live with. Instead, it’s the brilliant accuracy with which the Super Smash Bros. experience has been reproduced that compels me to take the plunge. Contrary to what I expected, the entire Smash experience is here, which makes the absence of a C-stick and dual triggers painfully and flagrantly apparent.
The truth is, I never expected to play the 3DS version of Smash competitively. I figured it’d be a fun diversion, and one that I’d use to play against friends who don’t own Wii Us. Though that’s still true, my time with the 3DS edition thus far has made it abundantly clear that the handheld edition is no joke. I want to play and compete at the highest possible level on the go, and to do so I need access to every traditional input. From what we’ve seen and heard, the New 3DS can help me with that.
The timing is no coincidence, I’d wager. Nintendo wants you to upgrade, and who could imagine a better means of cajoling gamers into doing so than by putting them at a competitive disadvantage? I’m not saying it’s impossible to adapt to life without a second stick, but if you plan to swap between the Wii U and 3DS editions regularly, the constant adjustments are no small issue. The need to shield and grab with separate hands as a result of the current 3DS’s shortage of triggers is jarring enough, never mind constantly altering the way quick smashes and aerials are executed during battle. Wiimote + Nunchuk users should have an easier time, but I don’t know very many people who play that way to begin with.
Still not convinced this is part of Nintendo’s strategy? Consider this. Super Smash Bros. for 3DS will support the C-stick on the New 3DS, but doesn’t support the existing Circle Pad Pro. So even if you do have an extra stick laying around thanks to titles like Kid Icarus Uprising, you won’t be able to use it. Upgrading is the only option.
Handheld gaming is hotter than it’s ever been in Japan, and is decimating the console competition in terms of hardware units sold. The New 3DS will sell just fine over there this holiday, simply because it’s an improved Nintendo handheld. In Western markets, though, the story isn’t so simple. Selling a New 3DS may not be so easy in the West, and Smash Bros. is Nintendo’s answer. You’ll get the game for the holidays. You’ll realize you want a C-Stick and extra triggers. And you’ll grab the New 3DS, conveniently priced the same as the older models, when it hits stores in 2015. Since Smash will likely be the 3DS’s best-selling game this Fall and Winter, it’s a highly potent strategy with huge sales potential.
Also See: Every Super Smash Bros. Wii U & 3DS Character Detailed
Despite my stubborn non-upgrade cycle with Nintendo handhelds over the years, I don’t hold my impending admission of defeat against the company or its business practices. The fact is, 3DS has been picking up Wii U’s sales slack for years now (remember 2DS?), and the New 3DS’s release timing and strategy are simply a continuation of that. Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if Sakurai himself had something to do with the new edition. The man is clearly a perfectionist, and console-quality Smash Bros. perfection, impeccable approximation though it may be, is not currently possible on standard 3DS systems. The New 3DS, in theory, fixes all that.
Oh, and don’t forget — the New 3DS is the only 3DS edition that allows access to Miiverse while Super Smash Bros. is running. You know, in case you need to take a break or something.
