Is the 3DS the best Nintendo system in a while?

The 3DS might be the first Nintendo system in a while that is firing on all cylinders, and generally manages to get everything right to at the very least an acceptable level. Whereas it's not as powerful as its immediate competition, it's powerful enough to host any kind of game the developer might want to put on it (i.e. it's not ridiculously constrained like the DS or Wii were); while it's online connectivity is rather basic, it's full featured enough to support full fledged and sometimes inventive online modes in its games.

But perhaps most importantly, even if we set aside all the hardware and software design flaws of the system, the 3DS is firing on all cylinders when it comes to games like no Nintendo system has since the Gamecube/Gameboy Advance. Nintendo's first party output on the 3DS is incredible- most of the times, the 3DS entry in a first party franchise is the best entry in the franchise (popular consensus for this includes Fire Emblem, Animal Crossing, The Legend of Zelda, Mario Kart, and Kid Icarus); the 3DS is also where Nintendo has diversified its first party output, reviving classic franchises that were either dead or dying like Kid Icarus, Star Fox, Fire Emblem, and Luigi's Mansion.

The first party support on the 3DS is great, but it's also shining with the third party support- major games like Sonic, Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid, Dragon Quest, Monster Hunter, Kingdom Hearts, Batman: Arkham, Shin Megami Tensei, Etrian Odyssey, Tales of, Professor Layton, Ace Attorney, Street Fighter, Dead or Alive, Tekken, Castlevania, and much, much more, all are represented on the 3DS, some of them with the best entries in the franchises in a while (such as Resident Evil and Monster Hunter).

With the 3DS just getting everything right for now, do you think that it is the best Nintendo system in a good while?

If by "a while" you mean between the DS, 3DS, Wii, and Wii U, then yeah. I think the Wii U lineup looks pretty great for 2014, and I wouldn't be too surprised if I end up enjoying it more than the 3DS. I'm pretty biased towards consoles, though.

1)It's not.

2)Learn to type properly

3)Learn to troll

Yes, in fact, I would go to say it's the best system in a long time despite its young age and terrible first year.

I like the 3DS XL, there are some things that i would have done differently but everyone seems to like it so no big deal.

No, we've had the DS before it and the WiiU after it. WiiU may not have had the best start, but 2014 is looking great.

I'm excited for way more WiiU titles this year than 3DS titles...

The 3DS is incredible. What a remarkable job Nintendo did steering that ship back in the right direction.

What exactly is a "while"? Seriously, because I don't think it's better than DS, not yet, and hell, that's only one gen. So wtf?

Indeed, 3DS is nothing compared to the DS.

The library of DS has much more quantity and quality than 3DS.

Also the 3D is a gimmick, unlike the two screens the DS introduced. The battery life of DS was also vastly superior to the 3DS's. And the DS was region free.

As of now 3DS is a good system, nothing more. Doubt it will become better than the DS though.

Yes we get it you like the 3ds lol

Can't play any handhelds.

Can't play gamecube game neither

Nintendo handhelds are part of Nintendo systems.

And you can't play gamecube games on the Wii U

Hardware-wise, No

Software-wise, Yes

Huh? I own a Wii U and have not found any Gamecube games on the eShop, it also cannot play Gamecube games as there is no controller port for them. Learn your stuff and learn to spell, please.

Maxi-derp,it seems.

Since the NES, yes.

I love my 3DS XL and all, but at this time, I got to say the DS Lite is still the best. With the DS Lite, you have the DS library and the Gameboy Advance library, which are the two best handheld libraries you can get.

With the way things are going, I would say there is a good chance the 3DS library could turn out better than the Gameboy Advance library. At that time, I would have to change my answer to yes.

You are one dumb motherfucker.

I think it'd be rather impressive to see the numbers for which system had the most GOTY nominations.

For example, GS had Zelda, so that's 1.

But a lot of other sites had a lot of 3DS nominees, for examples, Gametrailers had Zelda, Pokemon, Luigi's Mansion and Fire Emblem.

I'm guessing if we look at this figure, we'll see the 3DS with an extremely high amount of exclusive GOTY nominees.

not really, it's still weak hardware, has no second analog built into the design, however...

it's cheaper than the Vita, has much better line-up of titles and great support from third parties, holds a good charge, adequate enough handheld for a satisfying experience

DS was the best Nintendo system since the SNES. 3DS, IMO, ranks a slot higher than GC but behind N64, Wii, & GBA.

the hardware is very poor by nintendo standards (at least for the standard 3DS model. i hear the XL fixed a lot of issues). im not talking about horsepower, which is fine (i was about to debate with you charizard about the 3DS being more powerful than the GC but we have had that discussion before and will have to agree to disagree :P). internals wise nintendo was very sensible.

but the build quality is awful and the design of the console feels like a work in progress. the DS (well the DS Lite) felt like the finished article but the 3DS needed more QA. since ninty knew they were getting MH for the handheld they really should have added the second stick also. it should also be more ergonomic.

but it delivers on the most important front....the games. it had a cracking 2013. itll be tough to beat but the first game i get in 2014 will probably be a 3DS game (rune factory 4..finally coming to europe). a good start.

i just wish it had more support from western devs also. western devs tend to ignore handhelds in general though (just throwing the odd scraps on tablets/phones)...its not a 3DS specific issue. I would love an elder scrolls on the 3DS or vita or something like it. also something like torchlight (heroes of ruin sadly failed to deliver. :( ).

Trying too hard

Between my immediate family members and I, we had around 5 DS Lite's. Every single one has a broken hinge. My DS Phat (from launch) on the other hand is still in good shape.

The vertical scratches of the original 3DS is a major problem, and I do equate it to the DS Lite in terms of poor decisions in the design process. But, I think this problem has been rectified (?) and so the 3DS range is overall of better build quality than the DS range.

Also, I think the 3DS range looks better cosmetically.

Nope.

Doesn't matter to me if it has a lot of meh to decent releases. It's sorely lacking in overall amount of great games to me.

Its ok, but its still just the same old DS we have had for awhile now only with minor upgrades. If you strip away the 10% performance increase and the gimmick 3d effect it is nothing more than a dsi xl. So the system itself isn't great because its just the same old thing.

It has some good games on it thanks to atlus but really it lacks anything new. All the 3ds games feel just like ds games....only with 3d. Yes it has some great games but none of them felt exciting or new at all.

But that's what Nintendo does, they take the previous game or system and rehash it. The wiiu is a slightly upgraded wii with a new controller, the wii was a slightly upgraded gamecube with a new controller. The 3ds is just a barely upgraded dsi with a new gimmick, the dsi is just another version of the ds. And all of the games Nintendo makes are just the same franchises over and over and over again. The 2ds is just a 3ds without the 3d gimmick.

So is the 3ds a good system? No, not at all it isn't because its just the previous system with a gimmick no one wanted. To me the 3ds doesn't count as a system unto itself, its just another variation of a ds because it looks the same, operates the same and every single game on it is the same thing......only in 3d.

All of this

At this point it seems like the 3DS is going to have the same great support the DS had. Except now it can actually play 3D games well. So I guess maybe you're right.

Your anus must be prolapsed from all the bullshit you put in this post.

I would say it is. The 3DS is killing it so far.

The people that are steering the 3DS in the right direction, need to change ships to the Wii U.

Which I think they are doing, but too slow for everyones liking.

lt is..

However, because its a handheld, the games can have a much smaller scope, scale, and overall ambition than console titles., So most titles, while l really enjoy them, and there are a TON of games... not much of it feels new.. more like quality, smaller scale, fast paced, handheld friendly versions of series l already really liked.

lts great... But lts still not everything l want from nintendo.. l want them to do more.. l want there series to expand and feel bigger.. l want them to do more with story telling.. More RPGs, etc.

l want it to feel like it did back in the n64 and GC days... When nintendo games felt like they were always going to that next level.. l haven't felt that in forever.. lt seems like Nintendo is doing their best to scale everything back

It has Fire Emblem Awakening and Etrian Odyssey: The Millennium girl.

It's clearly the best gaming system on the market.

@Gargus: Coming from someone that never played a 3DS, or at least a REAL 3DS game.

Steel Driver isn't what the thing is about. lol

The hell? Ew.

I think the 3DS is a massive step-up from every other handheld I've played. DS was also a huge step-up from the GameBoy Advance, but the 3DS is so good to the point where I'd put it on the same line as the consoles. My personal Game of the Year for 2012 and 2013 were both 3DS games. I also believe it was System of the Year for both 2012 and 2013.

Can't wait to see what's in store for 2014! I'm not expecting another year like this last one, but it should be great all the same.