31st December 2011, 12:37 PM
So they've got the 3DS version of Pictochat now, and it's called Swap Note. This time you can send photos and videos and the messages can be drawn in 3D. More importantly, the messages can be sent online instead of just to anyone within wifi distance.
In fact, the whole "interact with your friends" feature is far improved. Much like a modern phone, every program with such a feature first requests permission to use "Spotpass". This will communicate not just with random passersby, but with anyone in your friends list via the online interface, thus making up for the fact that very few people in America have a subway or bus system they can take. It's all combined too. When you turn on your 3DS, you'll see phone style "toast" messages from any program with an update. Protip: Turn off spotpass for Nintendo Video. That thing's basically just a string of commercials and it'll ALWAYS have a toast up when you pop on your system. It's just an annoyance so spare yourself.
Oh yes, the system allows "hotswapping" game cards, so long as the game isn't currently being played.
Other than that, any new card based game you get will input it's data into the system via your SD card so those spotpass features will work even when the game isn't on or even plugged in. The toasts for the game will instantly appear on it's icon the moment you plug in the game, like just now when I plugged in Mario Kart 7 (more on THAT in a moment). Again, you need to give permission for it to work, so it isn't an invasion of privacy. Befriending someone is a bit easier this time around. If your friends have 3DSs with them in the same room, just "share" and you'll all link up automatically. No need to punch in a code there. Further, you can input a nickname. The one advantage of a number based identity tag is that two people can use the same nickname. That said, there are still some notable problems. The system still doesn't have ubiquitous OS based voice chat, "parties" one can bring across games, or even something as simple as allowing me to befriend people I've played with during matchmaking. Nintendo still seems concerned about exposing kids to the trash of the internet, as has been noted just recently when Miyamoto talked about the 3DS version of Flipnote and said he was afraid of crude content being exposed to children. Personally I think a well implemented system of parental controls would handle that, complete with some sort of large note handed out with all of them recommending parents buying this as a gift open it up beforehand and set up the parental controls before the kid even has a chance with the system. All the same, bit by bit they are improving their online support. Credit has to go to that. Speaking of which...
Mario Kart 7 now allows the creation of a "community" (think a clan). They've upped the ante here. While there's no voice chat present, there's still a lot of nice little features. The spotpass will show community data, downloaded "ghost" data, and other little things. If you want to send an invite to play a game, you're better off sending a message because your friend won't see the invite unless they actually have the game plugged in (that's one thing they could fix, putting cartridge based game toasts on the menu in some fashion). This brings me to the game in general. Mario Kart 7 brings together features from the entire franchise of games in one great combination. It's got the coins from the very first game for steadily increasing your speed, the "hop" from 64 (which is needed on some of the new tracks), the always-nice mini-turbos from power sliding (with a selection between "automatic" and "manual", the advantage in manual being that the boosts are more powerful). The items are from across the series, with a few new ones like the raccoon leaf. There are a host of brand new levels, but there are also old levels from across the series, much like in Mario Kart DS, but this time the Double Dash and Wii levels have their graphics intact. The karts can now be modified a bit, and rather than something like the motorcycle as in Wii, instead the kart changes into different styles in different situations. Underwater, it'll control more like a speed boat, and when you get huge air, you can deploy a hang glider and control it like that for a bit. All in all, they've really outdone themselves with this one. That's not a surprise though, apparently Retro Studios played a big part in this game.
The 3DS is really starting to win me over. There are issues that need to be worked out and added for the online multiplayer, but they've done pretty well so far.
In fact, the whole "interact with your friends" feature is far improved. Much like a modern phone, every program with such a feature first requests permission to use "Spotpass". This will communicate not just with random passersby, but with anyone in your friends list via the online interface, thus making up for the fact that very few people in America have a subway or bus system they can take. It's all combined too. When you turn on your 3DS, you'll see phone style "toast" messages from any program with an update. Protip: Turn off spotpass for Nintendo Video. That thing's basically just a string of commercials and it'll ALWAYS have a toast up when you pop on your system. It's just an annoyance so spare yourself.
Oh yes, the system allows "hotswapping" game cards, so long as the game isn't currently being played.
Other than that, any new card based game you get will input it's data into the system via your SD card so those spotpass features will work even when the game isn't on or even plugged in. The toasts for the game will instantly appear on it's icon the moment you plug in the game, like just now when I plugged in Mario Kart 7 (more on THAT in a moment). Again, you need to give permission for it to work, so it isn't an invasion of privacy. Befriending someone is a bit easier this time around. If your friends have 3DSs with them in the same room, just "share" and you'll all link up automatically. No need to punch in a code there. Further, you can input a nickname. The one advantage of a number based identity tag is that two people can use the same nickname. That said, there are still some notable problems. The system still doesn't have ubiquitous OS based voice chat, "parties" one can bring across games, or even something as simple as allowing me to befriend people I've played with during matchmaking. Nintendo still seems concerned about exposing kids to the trash of the internet, as has been noted just recently when Miyamoto talked about the 3DS version of Flipnote and said he was afraid of crude content being exposed to children. Personally I think a well implemented system of parental controls would handle that, complete with some sort of large note handed out with all of them recommending parents buying this as a gift open it up beforehand and set up the parental controls before the kid even has a chance with the system. All the same, bit by bit they are improving their online support. Credit has to go to that. Speaking of which...
Mario Kart 7 now allows the creation of a "community" (think a clan). They've upped the ante here. While there's no voice chat present, there's still a lot of nice little features. The spotpass will show community data, downloaded "ghost" data, and other little things. If you want to send an invite to play a game, you're better off sending a message because your friend won't see the invite unless they actually have the game plugged in (that's one thing they could fix, putting cartridge based game toasts on the menu in some fashion). This brings me to the game in general. Mario Kart 7 brings together features from the entire franchise of games in one great combination. It's got the coins from the very first game for steadily increasing your speed, the "hop" from 64 (which is needed on some of the new tracks), the always-nice mini-turbos from power sliding (with a selection between "automatic" and "manual", the advantage in manual being that the boosts are more powerful). The items are from across the series, with a few new ones like the raccoon leaf. There are a host of brand new levels, but there are also old levels from across the series, much like in Mario Kart DS, but this time the Double Dash and Wii levels have their graphics intact. The karts can now be modified a bit, and rather than something like the motorcycle as in Wii, instead the kart changes into different styles in different situations. Underwater, it'll control more like a speed boat, and when you get huge air, you can deploy a hang glider and control it like that for a bit. All in all, they've really outdone themselves with this one. That's not a surprise though, apparently Retro Studios played a big part in this game.
The 3DS is really starting to win me over. There are issues that need to be worked out and added for the online multiplayer, but they've done pretty well so far.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)