So you want to play legit Nintendo games on the go and you want to save some money at the same time. Second-hand items in the Pinoy 3DS Marketplace subgroup looks enticing but you are unsure what to look out for in buying pre-owned items, especially "hidden defects". Don't worry, we've got you covered!
This is an update of Gio Elester's Pre-owned 3DS Buying Guide back at the Pinoy 3DS Facebook group. The original guide was created back in 2013 and since then, several 3DS models and updates have been released.
The 6 Different 3DS Models
The 3DS family can be subdivided into 2 groups: the Old (3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS) and New (New 3DS, New 3DS XL, New 2DS XL) models. All 3DS models are compatible with Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS games. New 3DS-exclusive (not to be confused with standard 3DS games) games like Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, Fire Emblem Warriors, etc. as well SNES Virtual Console games on the eShop are only compatible with the New 3DS models. The former also have a faster processor than the Old models so FPS and loading issues are not as prominent. The New 3DS and New 3DS XL in particular have the Super Stable 3D feature, which basically tracks the user's eyes so it can automatically adjust the stereoscopic 3D "sweet spot" viewing angle for that person. New models also have the C-stick and additional ZL/ZR shoulder buttons for camera controls and other functions in selected games. Here are some of the key differences among the models:
3DS
This is the first 3DS that came out in 2011. Sadly, Nintendo no longer manufactures them so accessories (TPU cases, Circle Pad Pro, etc) specific for 3DS models are also hard to find. Recommended if you value portability as it is the smallest 3DS model.
3DS XL
The 3DS XL came around 2012. Like the 3DS before it, it is no longer manufactured. Its screens are around 80% larger than the original 3DS but both of them have the same resolution. The 3DS XL has bigger pixels so some people might find its display to be a little pixelated. The 3DS XL has a slightly longer battery life than the original 3DS. Common model-specific issues: the right hinge is prone to cracks, the Circle Pad plastic base breaks more easily.
2DS
It is basically a 3DS with no stereoscopic 3D feature, clamshell (foldable) design, and stereo speakers. The 2DS has the same screen size and uses the same battery as the original 3DS. Even though it only has a mono speaker, you can still experience stereo if you use headphones. While it looks awkwardly wide at first, the buttons are actually positioned to maximize comfort. It is recommended for budget-conscious individuals as it is the cheapest among the models. It is still one of the 3 models that Nintendo currently supports even though its accessories are slightly difficult to find.
New 3DS XL
The New 3DS XL is the first of the New models that came out in 2014. It uses the same battery, has the same screen size, and almost the same dimensions as the original 3DS XL. Unlike the first 3 Old models, no chargers are included in the package so people have to buy chargers or alternative sources of power separately. The New 3DS features are previously discussed in the intro above. Aside from standard colors (Metallic Red, Metallic Blue, Metallic Black, Pearl White), numerous Limited Edition New 3DS XL units have also released since its launch.
New 3DS
Unfortunately, this is the first member of the New models that got discontinued recently. Its screen size is slightly larger than the original 3DS and 2DS but smaller than the 3DS and 3DS XL. It has the same features as the New 3DS XL but it has interchangeable front and back Cover Plates. This allows users to customize their units without resorting to decals or purchasing multiple Limited Edition consoles. The only New 3DS bundles that came out in the Philippines are the Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer New 3DS Bundle, the Pokemon Red and Blue 20th Anniversary New 3DS Bundle, and the Super Mario 3D Land New 3DS Bundle. Chargers were also sold separately. Similar to the original 2DS, New 3DS accessories are slightly difficult to find.
New 2DS XL
This is the latest iteration of the New 3DS family that came out this year, 2017. It is basically a New 3DS XL minus the stereoscopic 3D feature among other obvious design differences. Unlike the original 2DS, the New 2DS XL now has a clamshell design similar to the other models. Even though it has the same screen size as the New 3DS XL, it is slightly smaller and lighter. This also means that it has a slightly shorter battery life than the New 3DS XL. But hey, at least it comes with a charger now.
Here is a chart showing individual specs for each unit:
Region
3DS units are region-locked. This means that you can only play games that are compatible with your unit's region. For example, a Japanese-region game will only run on a Japanese-region 3DS. It will never run on European, or US systems and vice versa. In addition, some features such as StreetPass and local & online multiplayer features may not be compatible between games from different regions.
It is recommended that you purchase US region units and games because local retailers in the Philippines only sell US/Asian/MDE products. Compatibility-wise, the US region is the same as North America, Asian, and MDE. Asian/MDE games and units are just repackaged US products. They have the same exact content and features, including DLCs, as their US counterparts. These are repackaged by Maxsoft Pte. Ltd., the sole and official distributor of Nintendo products in the territories of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand.
The only issue with Asian/MDE units is their Serial Number. If your unit gets stolen or gets permanently destroyed, you can call Nintendo directly so they can transfer your Nintendo Network ID (NNID) to another system along with the digital games you have previously purchased. They will usually ask you for a couple of questions regarding your account along with the serial numbers of both the source (broken/stolen unit) and the target (the new unit you have) systems. Nintendo of America does not support units with Asian/MDE serial code even though they are practically part of their region.
Asian/MDE units and games will have this label on the box cover:
Compatability:
- US 3DS systems can play US or Asian/MDE 3DS games.
- Asian 3DS systems can play Asian/MDE or US 3DS games.
- MDE 3DS systems can play US or Asian/MDE 3DS games.
- Asian 3DS systems cannot play Japanese 3DS games.
- Japanese/European/Australian 3DS systems cannot play US or Asian/MDE 3DS games.
- Most Nintendo DS games are region-free with the exception of selected region-locked DSi-enhanced titles.
In the example above, Ver. 11.6.0-39 is the current firmware version. The letter U at the end represents the system's region.
- U for US/Asian/MDE
- E for Europe/Australia
- J for Japan
- Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) for US/Asian/MDE
- Pan European Game Information (PEGI) for Europe
- Australian Classification Board (ACB) for Australia
- Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO) for Japan
- USA for US/Asian
- MDE for Middle East, also compatible with US/Asian
- EUR for Europe
- AUS for Australia, also compatible with EUR
- JPN for Japan
- Ask Game One PH or Hubbyte Toy Store if they still have Japanese 3DS games available.
- Import 3DS games online. Play-Asia sells Japanese and European 3DS games.
- Buy pre-owned games from other people (eg: from the Pinoy 3DS Marketplace subgroup).
- Purchase digital games from their eShop. Play-Asia also sells Japanese and European eShop Prepaid Cards. Or you can use local-issued Credit/Debit Cards (or even PayMaya).
- Sell your Japanese/European-region system or trade it for a US or Asian one.
Screens
Top Screen
- Screen-protected screens are always appreciated as it is infinitely easier and cheaper to replace a screen protector film than replace the entire screen itself.
- Inspect it thoroughly. Check for the most common LCD anomalies: Dead Pixels, Stuck Pixels, and Image Persistence.
- Dead Pixels are permanently damaged pixels that do not receive any power and appear as black dots. They are much less likely to correct themselves over time or be repaired through any of several popular methods aside from total screen replacement. It is not that "all screens with dead pixels generate more dead pixels over time", it is more of "a screen with dead pixels is more likely, statistically, to get more dead pixels in the future" type of case. Unfortunately, most retailers do not consider them as a type of defect covered by store warranty. This means that even if a seller has the original receipt and the unit is still under warranty, the store in question might not honor it if you complained about a dead pixel. Some Pinoy 3DS members even pursued formal complaints (must be a member of the Pinoy 3DS Facebook group to view the link) that reached the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) before the store took any action.
- Stuck Pixels, also known as hot pixels, are permanently energized pixels that show up as white or discolored dots. Unlike dead pixels, stuck pixels are known to disappear after some time and simple workarounds can fix them. Some affected pixels do reappear after being fixed if the screen is left off for a a couple of hours. They can appear in lines of rows or columns as well.
- While LCDs are not susceptible to the burn-in the same way CRT monitors are, they do suffer from what the manufacturers like to call Image Persistence. It is caused by the continuous display of static graphics on the screen for extended periods of time. Similar to stuck pixels, image persistence do go away by themselves and can be fixed by simple workarounds.
- Observe for flickering in various Brightness levels. Brightness can be changed by going to the Home screen, located at the upper left corner of the lower screen. Slight flickers may occur while in Power-Saving Mode and Auto-Brightness (for New models).
- Check for stereoscopic 3D effects (does not apply to the original 2DS and New 2DS XL) by sliding the 3D depth slider in various levels. If no stereoscopic 3D effect is observed even if the slider is maxed out, the next thing to check is if the Parental Controls are active (to be discussed later).
- Most of the tips mentioned above for the Top Screen also applies here aside from the stereoscopic 3D part.
- 3DS systems use resistive touch screens so a tempered glass protector for the bottom screen is counter-productive. This type of screen protector must only be used on the Top Screen.
- Use the stylus on the touch screen. Check if it's responsive and accurate. This is best done through the Game Notes app. You can access this by tapping on the yellow Pencil icon located at the upper portion of the touch screen.
- Improperly installed screen protectors may cause scrolling issues where the cursor/selector infinitely scrolls into one direction (discussed later).
Nintendo has used two different types of display panel for 3DS units so far. Each technology behaves differently and have their own distinction.
Twisted Nematic (TN) displays are the most common right now because of how relatively cheaper they are to manufacture. They have a faster pixel response time which which translates to fewer visible image artifacts and motion blur. They also draw slightly less power but the amount of extended playtime they give will depend on other factors like type of games played (3DS, DS, Virtual Console), if 3D is turned on, if you are utilizing active online features, and screen brightness. One of its disadvantages is that colors appear slightly washed out, have a slight yellowish tint on them, or even appear inverted when viewed from a wider angle.
In-Plane Switching (IPS) displays are more in demand than TN displays because they generate more vivid colors. They also have a wider viewing angle which means that images displayed on the screen will still appear clearly even if you view it from a slanted angle. This comes at a cost because IPS panels consumes slightly more power and are more susceptible to scanline effects and a few more milliseconds of pixel delay. The two of which are almost undetectable by the naked eye.
3DS units can have a combination of IPS Top Screen/TN Bottom Screen, Dual IPS, or Dual TN. Sadly, there's no way of telling what combination was used for a specific unit without unboxing the console and turning it on. Outside the 2DS and 2DS XL (these will always have dual TN displays, probably Nintendo's way of cutting manufacturing costs), you can get any combination regardless of region, serial number, time of purchase, or if the 3DS is a special limited edition model or not. This is problematic for brand-new console buyers since retailers do not allow inspection unless a deal is finalized. Second-hand sellers are usually more lenient.
The test involves viewing your screens from a number of low angles. The colors on TN screens will appear washed-out, the wider your viewing angle gets. IPS displays on the other hand remain vivid as previously mentioned. Here are some images from imgur user kazoodac showing the difference of contrast and saturation for both types of screens:
Parental Controls PIN
Nintendo made Parental Controls so parents can limit the features their children are allowed to access. When it is active, it restricts the use of the following features or settings:
- Software Rating - Restrict the use of Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DSi software based on ESRB ratings.
- Internet Browser - Restrict the use of the Internet browser.
- Nintendo 3DS Shopping Services - Restrict the use of credit cards, Nintendo Prepaid Cards, and online content purchasing in the Nintendo eShop.
- Display of 3D Images - Make all images display in 2D only.
- Sharing Images/Audio/Video/Long Text Data - Restrict the wireless transmission of photos, sounds, animations, and long text data.
- Online Interaction - Restrict the exchange of data between users who are not friends and the ability to participate in online play via the Internet.
- StreetPass - Restrict communication with other users of StreetPass.
- Friend Registration - Restrict the registration of friends.
- DS Download Play - Restrict the use of DS Download Play.
Nintendo Network ID (NNID)
The Nintendo Network ID or NNID is basically the eShop account. It is required to access some online features, but not all of them. You can still purchase digital software from the eShop without an NNID but you will need one if you want to download game Demos or free-to-download software.
If you wish to create your own NNID, you will have to delete the previous NNID first. This also means that remaining funds and digital purchases tied with that NNID will also be permanently deleted.
Hacking/Modifications
Different people have their own views regarding piracy. Whatever your stance about this matter maybe, it is important to note that Nintendo is still actively combating hackers. They have already blocked a number of people with modified or hacked 3DS units which are often used to play illegally downloaded games from the internet for free. There are a couple of tests you can do to check some things but most of them require an internet connection.
Error Code: 002-0102 is the most known ban associated with illegal modifications. Online access (eg: online multiplayer features) is restricted and all appeals made to Nintendo's Support page will only be rejected. If this Error Code pops-up when you try to access the 3DS Friend List while the system is connected online, then the system in question might be permanently banned.
R4, Sky 3DS, Gateway are third-party devices associated with hacking and illegally downloaded games. Custom Firmware (CFW) and homebrew are modifications done to the default firmware which adds custom features. Nintendo's detection algorithm may change in the future so it is still best to avoid these exploits especially if you have no experience or interest in hacking.
Check for the system's firmware version by opening the System Settings app. The Top Screen should display Ver. 11.6.0-39U (the latest 3DS firmware as of December 23, 2017). If the variable "Ver." is replaced by "Sys." or "Emu" then it is probably running under a custom firmware.
All 3DS systems cannot use a custom Home Theme of your own design. 3DS Themes can be purchased from the Theme Shop but all the designs are pre-determined. If you see an odd Home Theme featuring characters or games that have yet to appear on a Nintendo console (eg: Persona 5, NieR:Automata, Xander Ford, etc), then the unit in question might be running a homebrew app. The same applies if the seller claims that the 3DS he or she is selling is region-free and can play both US and Japanese games. All 6 models are region-locked.
If a system is bundled with a number of digital games, you can check their individual digital receipts on the eShop. This is specially useful for deals that are to good to be true (for example: A New 3DS XL with 30+ digital games is being offered for P8,000. If each game costs $39.99, we're looking at a value of P60,000 for the games alone). Please take note that the eShop can only be accessed if the unit in question is updated to the latest firmware. To do this:
- Open the 3DS eShop app.
- Scroll left and select "Settings / Other."
- Scroll down and select "Account Activity" to view a list of transactions.
- The top screen will display the transaction type. If the transaction was a purchase, the cost and remaining balance at the time of the purchase will also be displayed.
- The touch screen will allow you to view game information or receipts for any non-demo downloaded content.
Sounds
Speakers can be checked by using any application, but it would be most advisable to play a game/song in Nintendo 3DS Sound for checking. It is also advised to bring your own earphones/headset to check if the audio jack is working. Play with the volume slider to ensure that everything is functioning well. The speakers of the original 3DS are louder than the original 3DS XL. Original 2DS units have a single mono speaker whereas everything else have dual stereo speakers. You can use headphones on the original 2DS to hear things in stereo.
Microphone
Check microphone sensitivity by performing a Microphone Test. To do this:
- Select the System Settings icon on the HOME Menu, and tap "Open."
- Tap "Other Settings."
- Tap the right arrow to go to page 2.
- Tap "Mic Test."
- Speak into the microphone. The microphone is operating normally when colored volume bars appear inside the microphone icon.
- Tap "Finish" to return to the Other Settings menu.
Camera
Check all the cameras by going accessing the Nintendo 3DS Camera app. Press the camera mode in the upper center part of the lower screen to switch between the inner and outer cameras. Adjust the 3DS depth slider while checking the screen to ensure both of the outer cameras are functioning properly (does not apply to the 2DS and New 2DS XL). Check its AR recognition by using the AR Games app. Simply follow the instructions provided by the system and check if there are any irregularities like unreadable AR cards. Please remember that the 3DS camera is inferior to most modern smartphones in terms of quality.
Buttons
Physical buttons are best checked by playing a game. Aside from the ABXY and L/R, ZL/ZR shoulder buttons, you also need to check the Home, Start, and Power buttons for any anomalies like unresponsiveness.
Circle Pad & C-Stick
You can calibrate the Circle Pad by following these instructions:
- Select the System Settings icon on the HOME Menu and tap "Open."
- Tap "Other Settings."
- On original/Old Nintendo 3DS family systems, select "3" and then tap "Circle Pad."
- On New Nintendo 3DS family systems, select "4" and then tap "Circle Pad."
- Tap "OK" and then make two or three full rotations."
- Tap "Next and then move the Circle Pad in all four directions and confirm that the color of the triangles changes to green.
- Tap "OK" to return to the Other Settings menu.
Only New 3DS systems have the additional C-Stick. The notch on the hinge part just above the C-Stick is normal. It allots space for the nub when the console is folded down and it doubles as a nice dent where you can rest your thumb in place. Unlike the Circle Pad, the C-Stick doesn't physically move but it is still quite sensitive to feedback. Not all games support the C-Stick but it is usually used for camera controls. A common wear-and-tear issue is when it loses sensitivity to the "down" input.
Unwanted Files
Unwanted data are usually found in the following apps:
- Nintendo 3DS Camera (unwanted photos)
- Nintendo 3DS Sound (unwanted songs)
- Mii Maker (unwanted Miis/avatars)
- Face Raiders (unwanted faces)
- Activity Log (irrelevant game data)
- StreetPass Mii Plaza (unwanted Plaza members)
