3DS: The Final 3D Down

[gogglebob]

So it looks like the 3DS is completely done with the eshop closing. And, for better or worse, it appears "3-D" is not a priority on any systems in the current generation. So, with that said, let's answer the question: did 3-D work on the 3DS? Was it something you enjoyed? Was it entirely vestigial? An excuse to increment the number in front of the "DS" name? Was it the point of the 3DS?

Personally, it may be because of how my vision/depth perception works, but I barely ever turned up the 3-D slider. But am I alone? Vote!

 

[Kazin]

If 3D was available, I had it on full blast every time, I thought it looked pretty cool. Granted, that's with the "New" 3DS style of 3D, where the system tracked your eyes to make the 3D more stable. I use a hacked New 2DS these days, and there are times I miss the 3D, which I think shows how well it worked. One of these days I'll hack my Majora's Mask New 3DS and replay New Super Mario Land or something.

 

[SpoonyBard]

Ironically, I liked 3D best in 2D platformers, mostly. 3D paralax ruled. Didn't care for it as much in actual 3D games.

Wish we got more 3D classics. That's my favorite version of Kirby's Adventure.

 

[Kazin]

Ironically, I liked 3D best in 2D platformers, mostly. 3D paralax ruled. Didn't care for it as much in actual 3D games.

Wish we got more 3D classics. That's my favorite version of Kirby's Adventure.

I'm watching John Learned's Annotated Symphony of the Night playthrough on Youtube, and this post made me pine for a 3D classic Castlevania game. Any of them, really. Imagine Symphony, with its detailed backgrounds, in 3D! Friggin Konami, dang

 

[Sprite]

It worked incredibly for super scaler games.

 

[Exposition Owl]

If 3D was available, I had it on full blast every time, I thought it looked pretty cool. Granted, that's with the "New" 3DS style of 3D, where the system tracked your eyes to make the 3D more stable.

Brother!

 

[Peklo]

I use(d) it on most games that give the option because the novelty hasn't really worn off over the years, and despite it sometimes being a tradeoff in making a game that otherwise runs at 60fps to be cut down to half the framerate. For a purely optional gimmick that very rarely affected the design process of the material, I've always enjoyed it.

But it did also inspire Senran Kagura's existence and fed into the worst parts of Shantae, so maybe it's a wash.

 

[Kazin]

But it did also inspire Senran Kagura's existence

I didn't know that. Ew.

 

[Tato]

I thought it was used best by "2D" type games, whether it was Link between Worlds, the Sega Ages things, etc. Given that 3D seems like a dead-end at the moment, it's incredibly disappointing Nintendo did not take the opportunity to put Virtual Boy stuff on 3DS. I understand the reasons for not doing it, but hell man, we got a 3D Urban Champion. We could have got Wario Land instead. Alas.

 

[Patrick]

Full blast 3D hurt my eyes. I would turn it on the lowest setting for some games though.

 

[gorha]

It was good for Super Mario 3D Land. There were lots of solid color blocks in that game that really popped out with the 3D on, and it helped to gauge the distance of a jump sometimes, too.

For most other games, it was just a novelty if it was supported at all. As my 3DS got older and the battery life got shorter, leaving the 3D off was one of the first concessions I was willing to make. I've only ever had an "old" 3DS XL, though, I'm sure it's better with a New 3DS.

 

[Becksworth]

And, for better or worse, it appears "3-D" is not a priority on any systems in the current generation.

This is VR erasure.

I used the 3D at full blast usually. Not everything used it well (handheld games at the time still didn't lend themselves well to that level of spectacle), but when they did.

 

[conchobhar]

I enjoyed stereoscopic 3D in every game that had it. Even when it wasn't particularly flashy, it often brought out the best in a game's visuals; for example, it made the Etrian Odyssey games more immersive, and gave Link between Worlds the effect of looking into a diorama.

 

[muteKi]

Can't vote the 100% option because I swear they did not implement it correctly in Shinobi. Otherwise, fuck yeah 3D

 

[ArugulaZ]

Looks great on the New 3DS XL, which includes head-tracking software. You had to be perfectly still to get a convincing 3D effect on the classic 3DS.

Of all the 3DS games I've played, the Kirby titles were the ones that best utilized 3D. If Kirby gets hit by an object in the background, he's driven into the glass of the 3DS screen, a hilarious sight gag that works brilliantly on the hardware. The Kid Icarus revival looks nice, too... it's just hard to play unless you've got three hands. Oh, and I liked how Street Fighter IV looked like it took place in a diorama.

Beyond that, it was a take it or leave it feature. As often as not, I left it. It doubles the workload on the system and kind of hurts your eyes after a little while. It's not Virtual Boy bad, but it's noticeable.

 

[Rascally Badger]

I really liked the 3D effect, but it did strain my eyes and I'd usually turn it off after a few minutes.

 

[LBD_Nytetrayn]

Ironically, I liked 3D best in 2D platformers, mostly. 3D paralax ruled. Didn't care for it as much in actual 3D games.

Man, New Super Mario Bros. 2 was SUCH a waste there. I went in there hoping for a Mario game with some Yoshi's Island-style effects that really popped, and all I got from cranking the slider up was vaseline smeared on the background.

Anyway, I think my favorite example was Star Fox 64 3D. That was like theme park 3D in the palm of your hands.

I had hoped SEGA would revive some of their Super Scaler series for that kind of thing, but instead, we got 3D Classics versions. Which... I mean, that was awesome, too, but not exactly what I had in mind. Still, I'll take 'em.

 

[Phantoon]

If 3D was available, I had it on full blast every time, I thought it looked pretty cool. Granted, that's with the "New" 3DS style of 3D, where the system tracked your eyes to make the 3D more stable. I use a hacked New 2DS these days, and there are times I miss the 3D, which I think shows how well it worked. One of these days I'll hack my Majora's Mask New 3DS and replay New Super Mario Land or something.

This is me. The kids had 2DSs and playing the games on that felt crappy, like half the fun had been surgically removed. I absolutely loved the new 3DS 3D and am gutted that it's apparently gone forever from further systems.

 

[Pombar]

I turned it on once or twice to see and didn't like it, so kept it off forever after.

 

[q 3]

it's a shame we never got a virtual boy virtual console (with different color settings) and now I fear the opportunity is lost forever

 

[FelixSH]

I remember really liking it with Link Between Worlds, but elsewise, I mainly turned it off. Didn't do much for me.

 

[balder the brave]

I kept it on about half the time on my original 3DS, but it didn't work for me on the new 3DS. Was never in focus. It was supposed to be improved, so I don't know what happened!

 

[Sarcasmorator]

I couldn't really tolerate the 3-D past about the first third of the setting; if I used it at all, it was always well under half.

 

[Lakupo]

I'll echo ArugulaZ and say that your hardware made a big difference on how comfortable it was to experience 3D on a regular basis. It was so-so with the original, but it's a far better experience for me with the New 3DS XL.

I've been playing Rusty's Real Deal Baseball again lately, and that's like the poster child for actual benefits from 3D.

 

[Troa11]

I personally used it a lot, more on the N3DS, but my favorite use for it was back when the system came out to hand someone the console who hadn't seen it yet, and the reach over and crank the slider on and watch their reaction the first time.

 

[muteKi]

I'm the odd one who found the original XL's tended to be a little better for me than the new XL, but the other benefits more than made up for it. It's probably possible to turn off the super-stable effect somewhere, just never bothered.