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The 3DS Thread


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The worst part for me is I was getting anywhere from 20-50 games a year from buying lots and looking for deals on eBay and Amazon. In spring 2020 I was at 150 games and now I think I'm at 165/170. So I'm a little under halfway for the whole set, which I wouldn't realistically ever pursue, but I did want to keep pushing my numbers up. 

I have my fingers crossed that when the next Nintendo console comes out it'll push the Switch further into focus for collectors and the DS / 3DS will fall more into obscurity. However, I'm not convinced it will ever happen considering a lot of 3DS games have a ton of charm and that early refined 3D graphics look that holds up really well over time.

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I think it can happen, but it won't be until 2030-ish. My experience is always that stuff becomes worth little at about 10 years of age, and then starts to climb again at 20 years. With that said, however, the 3DS seems a bit enigmatic. First, as you said, it holds some serious charm. There are standout games which are fantastic, like Kid Icarus, and more important for collectors, there is a ton of stuff that was just not given a good print run, so it will be hard to get and thus fetch a nice price.

I also think hardware will push a lot on this and be hard to gauge. I am worried that the screens will degrade the way that DSi screens have; You can take a casual tour of ebay and see countless DSi and DSiXL consoles with yellow hotspots affecting the screen corners. I myself have one or two such systems and it is a real shame, as otherwise those IPS screens really make DS games pop. My fear comes from a recent JP auction for a New 3DS in which the top screen appeared to have the same kind of yellow spot. If that does rear its head on 3DS, then it might turn people off of collecting it, or it might do the opposite and cause demand for good-condition screens to skyrocket. I am worried because I don't know what caused it on DSi, so I am unsure of how we will prevent it on 3DS.

The screens are a real sore point, precisely because of the 3D. People will want to see the games in stereoscopic 3D (my biased expectation is that people who didn't get 3DS when it was new will go back and have greater appreciation for the 3D than did so many when the system came out). If the screens start degrading, then that just puts a huge premium on them.

The other thing I expect to be a pain in the butt is original styluses. They are easy to lose, and I think every model of 3DS has a different stylus too, meaning six damn types to track! What a pain, and good luck if yours is a rare color (ie Zelda 2DS).

We may be saved on the screens if VR keeps going. I understand there is at least one way you can play Citra emulator in a VR headset and see the stereo effect. I tried it once but it ran horribly, maybe it was my computer. Anyway, if that keeps going then we may be lucky yet. Although if this occurs, then people will probably not demand much for the real consoles, and demand would fall.

 

Follow-Up Question: Does a NA cartridge release even exist for Luigi's Mansion (2018)? I ask because I am looking for one now, and even the listings I buy that show a picture of what I suppose is the NA boxart ends up sending me a "International Edition" which has a badge indicating it is for sale in U.A.E. / Saudi Arabia / Malaysia. Curious if I just missed the boat on buying this game new from NA or if it wasn't really sold at retail in NA.

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On 11/24/2021 at 8:02 PM, TDIRunner said:

It's sort of like the Wii U.  There was never that huge dip when games were dirt cheap.  New games were regular price, and then they were gone.  Clearance priced games were few and far between (but I did manage to snag a few).  

Ebay a few years ago was so easy for Wii U. New console and 8 games being sold for 300 dollars was the kind of thing going on. I just grabbed a few things I thought might be special and am holding onto them, no need to buy and be disappointed by the same system twice 🤣

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Editorials Team · Posted
2 hours ago, koifish said:

I think it can happen, but it won't be until 2030-ish. My experience is always that stuff becomes worth little at about 10 years of age, and then starts to climb again at 20 years. With that said, however, the 3DS seems a bit enigmatic. First, as you said, it holds some serious charm. There are standout games which are fantastic, like Kid Icarus, and more important for collectors, there is a ton of stuff that was just not given a good print run, so it will be hard to get and thus fetch a nice price.

I also think hardware will push a lot on this and be hard to gauge. I am worried that the screens will degrade the way that DSi screens have; You can take a casual tour of ebay and see countless DSi and DSiXL consoles with yellow hotspots affecting the screen corners. I myself have one or two such systems and it is a real shame, as otherwise those IPS screens really make DS games pop. My fear comes from a recent JP auction for a New 3DS in which the top screen appeared to have the same kind of yellow spot. If that does rear its head on 3DS, then it might turn people off of collecting it, or it might do the opposite and cause demand for good-condition screens to skyrocket. I am worried because I don't know what caused it on DSi, so I am unsure of how we will prevent it on 3DS.

The screens are a real sore point, precisely because of the 3D. People will want to see the games in stereoscopic 3D (my biased expectation is that people who didn't get 3DS when it was new will go back and have greater appreciation for the 3D than did so many when the system came out). If the screens start degrading, then that just puts a huge premium on them.

The other thing I expect to be a pain in the butt is original styluses. They are easy to lose, and I think every model of 3DS has a different stylus too, meaning six damn types to track! What a pain, and good luck if yours is a rare color (ie Zelda 2DS).

We may be saved on the screens if VR keeps going. I understand there is at least one way you can play Citra emulator in a VR headset and see the stereo effect. I tried it once but it ran horribly, maybe it was my computer. Anyway, if that keeps going then we may be lucky yet. Although if this occurs, then people will probably not demand much for the real consoles, and demand would fall.

 

Follow-Up Question: Does a NA cartridge release even exist for Luigi's Mansion (2018)? I ask because I am looking for one now, and even the listings I buy that show a picture of what I suppose is the NA boxart ends up sending me a "International Edition" which has a badge indicating it is for sale in U.A.E. / Saudi Arabia / Malaysia. Curious if I just missed the boat on buying this game new from NA or if it wasn't really sold at retail in NA

 

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15 minutes ago, koifish said:

@Reed RothchildInteresting, did it get a smaller print run or something? As stated I can't seem to find any NA copies anymore. Maybe I just missed the boat. Anyhow, this amazon copy has a loose cart inside the sealed package, so I am thinking of returning it anyway and looking again for an NA copy.

I don't think the print run was that small, I just think it sold poorly. Walmart, Target and a couple other retailers put it on clearance all at the same time with  like Kirby Epic Yarn and other late first party releases. Now they're in a bunch of sweaty palms like this eBayer

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So that's why kirby's extra epic yarn has had an e xtra epic price hike 😏 Interesting stuff.

I never understand why people post listings on ebay that show more than one of an item in the main photo. That isn't going to make me buy from you, if I think you are 1) holding what is actually a common item, since you have so many, and 2) You obviously just bought these to resell, as collectors would only sell off multiple extras under different circumstances, and certainly would use unique photo sets for each one. Just a real turnoff.

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5 hours ago, koifish said:

Follow-Up Question: Does a NA cartridge release even exist for Luigi's Mansion (2018)? I ask because I am looking for one now, and even the listings I buy that show a picture of what I suppose is the NA boxart ends up sending me a "International Edition" which has a badge indicating it is for sale in U.A.E. / Saudi Arabia / Malaysia. Curious if I just missed the boat on buying this game new from NA or if it wasn't really sold at retail in NA.

It was a late release for the system  (10/19/2018, only 5 new games and 3 selects titles hit after that) had what felt like a smaller print run and was a one and done.  I had a beast of a time chasing down a Canadian copy of the game and finally had to lean on a friend up north to chase one down for me due to a lack of hits on eBay and other places for longer than I was expecting.

 

It also didn't help that it's name blends so much with the other Luigi's Mansion sequel, Dark Moon that the system got first that was in print for a long time and got a Selects run as well. 

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I had that Luigis Mansion game, US bought, then US re-sold when I just for some strange reason was so off 3DS at that rate thanks to the Switch, and it doing nothing for me over the Gamecube one I got rid of it.  I saw it for months (lots) after for retail places and it ranged two ways.  Some clung to the $40 price up until they pulled the last of the systems off the shelf, others saw the writing on the wall and halved the price to dump the stuff.  I rarely see it anymore in stores used or otherwise, and the price tends to show as much as it likely was lowly print, probably not by intent, but when Nintendo killed the hardware they shut down the games too.

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On 11/27/2021 at 5:20 PM, PapaStu said:

It was a late release for the system  (10/19/2018, only 5 new games and 3 selects titles hit after that) had what felt like a smaller print run and was a one and done.  I had a beast of a time chasing down a Canadian copy of the game and finally had to lean on a friend up north to chase one down for me due to a lack of hits on eBay and other places for longer than I was expecting.

 

It also didn't help that it's name blends so much with the other Luigi's Mansion sequel, Dark Moon that the system got first that was in print for a long time and got a Selects run as well. 

I remember when it wasn't hard to find. Of course that was in the time period shortly after it came out. 

Luigi's Mansion for 3DS is one of those games that a lot of people passed on because it was a port of a game that many people already owned. And for this one there are plenty of YouTube videos showing why it isn't as good as the original version. So yeah I don't think it sold too well. And yeah I think once it got clearanced it was snapped up by resellers so there's probably a decent supply being dripped into the market. 

Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn is also a game that not many people were interested in buying, same reason. I recall when it went on sale at GameStop for $25, that's when I picked it up. That was the last retailer that had it. 

I think this pattern applies to a lot of games... Go Vacation for Switch comes to mind. 

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On 11/24/2021 at 1:48 PM, RegularGuyGamer said:

Man, I haven't found a good 3DS lot in months. I find better deals on Switch games these days. 

Tell me about it. I'm glad I already have most of the games I want. These days I just have a few cheaper titles on my wishlist that I'm slowly tracking down. Last two games I picked up were TMNT Master Splinter's Training Pack (harder to find than you would think, starting to get pricy) and Disney's Magical World (which I think is going to get expensive now that the sequel has been ported to Switch). At this point I really don't expect to find any deals... when I look at lots for DS or 3DS stuff it's like 5 filler games for $30. Hopeless. 

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  • 5 months later...

Wow that's a f'ing joke.  Last time I had that was maybe 5 years ago, it was 30-40 at retail, I got an ok deal on it under.  It sucked when it was new, didn't change my opinion of it having a New3DS to see it still blew then too.  Eh... early game, lower run, hot franchise with formerly loved hot developer... equal stupid people money, clearly.

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I know people have strong opinions on resellers here, but I managed to grab 4 Yokai Watch 3's from the Amazon restock (last year?) for $100 each. Decided I'd sell off 1 or 2 and store the others. Listed one for $400 last week and it sold in less than a day. 

3DS is already exploding in price but I think it has a long way to go still. IMO this is the first "manageable" full set since the N64 (and I guess Wii U but I still have a hard time believing people will care about that console) and I wouldn't be surprised if the more uncommon / rare games go crazy. 

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5 hours ago, 360collector said:

wow i really need to get back on the 3ds train before its too late. A lot of these games are blowing up way faster than I expected

It's largely already too late.  Thank the trifecta of the dumb virus, asinine levels of free money handed out by the gov't, and it being the last dedicated Nintendo handheld.  3DS uniquely bucked the system afterlife trend...it didn't tank, it immediately went up and still continues to with no sense of it other than investor greed clashing with the fear of missing out.

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5 hours ago, Tanooki said:

It's largely already too late.  Thank the trifecta of the dumb virus, asinine levels of free money handed out by the gov't, and it being the last dedicated Nintendo handheld.  3DS uniquely bucked the system afterlife trend...it didn't tank, it immediately went up and still continues to with no sense of it other than investor greed clashing with the fear of missing out.

Actually things weren't TOO bad, save some Pokemon and more niche titles during the majority of COVID (I was deep in variant chasing during much of the last 2 years and watched some sealed Pokemon stuff just jump on me week over week when I didn't go deep enough on variants), but what really blew it up was the announcement that the e-shop was shutting down that just straight spiked everything.  End of this month will be the next kick when you can't use a CC any more to pay for titles.

Edited by PapaStu
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9 hours ago, PapaStu said:

Actually things weren't TOO bad, save some Pokemon and more niche titles during the majority of COVID (I was deep in variant chasing during much of the last 2 years and watched some sealed Pokemon stuff just jump on me week over week when I didn't go deep enough on variants), but what really blew it up was the announcement that the e-shop was shutting down that just straight spiked everything.  End of this month will be the next kick when you can't use a CC any more to pay for titles.

Yeah I could see that, largely my point was though that prices didn't die like they should have when the hardware was official canceled, it uniquely immediately went up, some stayed flat to retail new, others went up 2-3x the price, a few worse like pokemon.

I'm honestly right on the tipping point of just admitting a few years ago when it just died buying the last model of New 2DSXL was a mistake.  I rarely use it, haven't touched it in at least a year or two more than once or twice, it just sits.  I've kept it because my kid uses the stuff, but she doesn't use my games.  Same can be said for DS, and i have some heavy hitter stuff.  I think I'd rather have the money and shelf space, or trade to fill a space with useful games.

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  • 2 weeks later...

This was discussed a bit in MiamiSlice's pickups thread, but I'll post here as to not clog up his thread lol.

There's been some rumors that up to two more 3DS physicals are/were in print. William Kage (the dude behind Fragrant Story, one of the last physicals) discussed it on his Patreon. Is it possible that Video Game Plus' reprint of Pac-Man Party and Tales of the Abyss are these last two carts? Though, this tweet also suggests VGP has more carts incoming, but they could be preexisting UAE copies or other fresh new prints, in which case I'd guess one of the latter is the last physical.

Also get Tales of the Abyss, it's a pretty good game.

Edit 2: an extra, unrelated thought. If you have the chance to get one of the more expensive games cart only but you collect CIB, would you get the cart only and hope you're lucky enough for a case only listing to appear or wait for a good price case + cart?

Edited by greenthunder
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From my experience, unless you can get the game for like a steal compared to the original price, don't bother buying loose unless you like to buy loose.  3DS and DS I've noticed for some years now you'll end up paying 1/2 or more of the price of the game easily, closer to 3/4 if there were inserts of any sort that isn't the swappable health/safety garbage.  At that rate you're making far more work, far more effort, and a far worse price in the end so it's all around a loser.

A year or two ago I got a bundle with a New3DS and games in it, a few were loose, but pricing things out the games were like $5 (10 tops) so when I had to eat like 15-20 to get the case/manual fold outs for them I still came out ahead.  Had the loose games been $15-20 a piece averaged out I'd have been lucky to break even which is a waste of time.

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Yeah, I definitely feel that. I avoid buying cart only but broke that rule earlier this year for Style Savvy: Fashion Forward when the prices for CIB jumped up above $100 and I found a cart for around half that. I'm somewhat regretting it now since I've still yet to find a case only listing and at this rate it feels like I'm gonna have to just buy a CIB copy somehow. The struggle of finding case only listings is the only thing preventing me from pulling the trigger on more steal priced cart onlys.

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I had that problem too before, not with the couple of 3DS games on that lot, but previously I had a game or two, nothing too expensive (sub $30) but that created a problem because when people would post the manual+box for the stuff the price and shipping made it cost more.  It took a long time, too long, to finally get one that wasn't going to make me eat it, but is waiting I'm guessing 6mo or whatever worth $5?  NOPE

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On 5/29/2022 at 9:19 PM, greenthunder said:

This was discussed a bit in MiamiSlice's pickups thread, but I'll post here as to not clog up his thread lol.

There's been some rumors that up to two more 3DS physicals are/were in print. William Kage (the dude behind Fragrant Story, one of the last physicals) discussed it on his Patreon. Is it possible that Video Game Plus' reprint of Pac-Man Party and Tales of the Abyss are these last two carts? Though, this tweet also suggests VGP has more carts incoming, but they could be preexisting UAE copies or other fresh new prints, in which case I'd guess one of the latter is the last physical.

Also get Tales of the Abyss, it's a pretty good game.

Edit 2: an extra, unrelated thought. If you have the chance to get one of the more expensive games cart only but you collect CIB, would you get the cart only and hope you're lucky enough for a case only listing to appear or wait for a good price case + cart?

I don't think these (or the PQ/PQ2 that also just got last final prints from VGP that also dropped at the same time) are it especially with their "last stuff is still coming" comment.  They'd be completely new titles as I don't think any real announcements about reprints are ever going to move that announced/theoretical production needle.

 

As for the the loose game conundrum, I always vote to only purchase games in the manner that you principally collect that system.  If you don't then you've got odd ducks that don't line up with anything and the cost to eventually make it complete, or to wait and hope for a complete one, then to list the loose one, sell it and everything *I* don't tend to feel is worth it.

Edited by PapaStu
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