Topic: The Nintendo Zone...

[UncleBob]

So, I've been home sick today... but there's no food in the house to speak of and my wife's gone overnight, so I had to venture into the cold to forage for sustenance.  Much like my ancestors once did.

So, I drove down to McDonald's.  Not my favorite place, but, according to Nintendo's little "find a Nintendo Zone" locator, they have a Nintendo Zone... so I figured I'd go check it out.

I went in, placed a to-go order (which, surprised, got messed up), then stood back and waited for my food.  Pulled out my DS and launched the Nintendo Zone app...  After searching, it said it found a Nintendo Zone - "Click here to Enter"... so I click...

error.
retry.

error.
retry.

sad face.

Curious, anyone had any luck with this yet?

[MegaByte]

I stopped by Best Buy back in June just to check it out and got a coming soon page added to my Nintendo Zone. I haven't been back since.

[UncleBob]

I've been by Best Buy several times since it supposedly started there - I've never managed to pick up a single thing.

[noname2200]

Went to Jack in the Box for breakfast today (I was desperate: sue me). Tried logging in while waiting, but by the time everything finished installing I had to get to work.

[ejamer]

..., according to Nintendo's little "find a Nintendo Zone" locator, they have a Nintendo Zone...

Could anyone post a link? I've tried a couple searches to find this tool, but keep coming up with blanks. Not sure if there are any "Nintendo Zones" in Canada, and can't find any concrete information so far...

[UncleBob]

..., according to Nintendo's little "find a Nintendo Zone" locator, they have a Nintendo Zone...

Could anyone post a link? I've tried a couple searches to find this tool, but keep coming up with blanks. Not sure if there are any "Nintendo Zones" in Canada, and can't find any concrete information so far...

It's in the Nintendo Zone application.  It launches the 3DS Web Browser, so I assume there's a real world link somewhere, but I don't know off hand what it is.

[ejamer]

..., according to Nintendo's little "find a Nintendo Zone" locator, they have a Nintendo Zone...

Could anyone post a link? I've tried a couple searches to find this tool, but keep coming up with blanks. Not sure if there are any "Nintendo Zones" in Canada, and can't find any concrete information so far...

It's in the Nintendo Zone application.  It launches the 3DS Web Browser, so I assume there's a real world link somewhere, but I don't know off hand what it is.

Weird. I can't find a link like that in my version of the Nintendo Zone application.


When I go in, there are the following options:
- Search for Nintendo Zone (never returns anything except Error Code 013-9203)
- What is Nintendo Zone (description, no clickable links)
- Menu
-> Save Pages (nothing here)
-> SpotPass Messages (none available)
-> Wrench icon (SpotPass settings)


So I have no idea where to look for a Nintendo Zone, or if there even are any in my country/province. Online searches didn't do anything to help either. Pretty lame. Maybe things will improve later though.

[Ceric]

 I have tried desperately to get Nintendo Zone working Many Best Buys and it never works.

[nhaines]

Actually, I finally got it working just last night at a McDonald's.  It was a generic Internet connection but with Nintendo Zone support as well.  The top screen pops up with a message that says "Nintendo Zone connection is available at this location" or something similar and you can play online, use the Web browser, eShop, or Nintendo Zone.  Once you connect, it downloads some information and then you get the main page.

I've heard that at Best Buy people have found coupons, but at McDonald's all I had were two timed trivia games, plus a lot of game information and game trailers, 3D videos, and so forth.

I only played the Super Mario 3D Land quiz.  It was a hard as hell trivia game spanning the entire series of Mario titles.  I was impressed!  It gave me a score based on how many questions I had correct and how quickly I'd answered them.

[MegaByte]

I used it at Starbucks today. I'll try to get impressions up this weekend.

[UncleBob]

Yeah, I went by today and had everything nhaines had from his McDonald's.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I sent this story into NWR last night, but Nintendo Zone is coming to Boingo Supported Airports in N.A.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/boingo-and-nintendo-team-to-connect-nintendo-3ds-users-on-the-go-2011-12-08

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Boingo Wireless, Inc., the Wi-Fi industry's leading provider of software and services worldwide, today announced an agreement with Nintendo of America Inc. that provides Wi-Fi access to Nintendo 3DS(TM) owners via 42 of Boingo's North American airports.

The agreement enables Nintendo 3DS owners to stay connected when traveling through one of Boingo's managed and operated airport networks -- including Chicago O'Hare, New York JFK and Houston George Bush Intercontinental airports. Nintendo 3DS users who bring their devices with them on their travels will be automatically connected for free to participating Boingo hotspots.

"As the global leader in airport Wi-Fi, Boingo is an ideal wireless provider for the millions of Nintendo 3DS users who want to stay connected as they travel," said Zach Fountain, Nintendo of America's Director of Strategic Partnerships. "Nintendo 3DS is our most connected device ever, and this agreement will allow people to stay entertained while they're on the go. Whether it's accessing special offers and content, downloading items from the Nintendo eShop, receiving surprise SpotPass content, or automatically receiving 3D videos from the Nintendo Video service, there have never been more reasons to connect."

"With the holiday season approaching, more leisure travelers and families with children will fill our airports and have access to our hotspots," Colby Goff, senior vice president of strategy and business development for Boingo Wireless. "Our state-of-the-art networks will provide Nintendo 3DS users with seamless connectivity and fast, reliable service to help them make the most of their travel downtime."

Nintendo Zone will become available at participating Boingo hotspots with the next Nintendo 3DS system update, available December 8th, which will offer users a range of new features and enhancements. The Wi-Fi access is available at no additional cost to Nintendo 3DS users.

The Nintendo 3DS system, which offers gameplay featuring real 3D graphics without the need for special glasses, includes the SpotPass(TM) feature, which when enabled, allows the system to detect wireless hotspots or wireless LAN access points and obtain information, game data, free software, videos and more--even when the system is in Sleep Mode.

Boingo joins Nintendo's current roster of hotspot partners, who together provide Wi-Fi connectivity for Nintendo 3DS users at more than 29,000 locations across the country. To find a participating location, go to www.nintendo.com/3ds/hotspot-locator.

This is good because I was killing my phone having to turn it into a hotspot so I could watch Netflix on my 3DS so I could eat while I watch and to have to hold anything.


Also most airports I've been too have sponsors for their "Free" wifi access that require you to sign up with "these trial offers from these following sponsors" to gain access or they will charge a small fee. SO maybe Nintendo Zone will not only provide internet access without hassle, but also some discounts at local restaurants and giftshops in the airports themselves.

[UncleBob]

I went back into the Nintendo Zone application to try and find the link to the "Find a Nintendo Zone near you" thing... couldn't find it at all.  Weird.

So, went through my 3DS's browser history and snagged it.  Here's the URL.

http://www.nintendo.com/mobile/hotspot/

[ejamer]

Thanks very much!   


According to that tool, there are some local hotspots available. Looks like I'm going to have to visit McDonald's for the first time in a long time.

I went back into the Nintendo Zone application to try and find the link to the "Find a Nintendo Zone near you" thing... couldn't find it at all.  Weird.

So, went through my 3DS's browser history and snagged it.  Here's the URL.

http://www.nintendo.com/mobile/hotspot/

[BlackNMild2k1]

Nintendo Zone..... from HOME!?

Don't want to travel down to the nearest Best Buy or the local McDonalds just to check out the NZone app on your 3DS? Well, now you can check it out from teh comfort of your own home.

Summary of the video since practically 4 minutes of it is waiting for that super slow NZone app to load (c'mon Nintendo, you have to do better):
1. Connect a wireless router in your house and name it attwifi
2. Leave this connection unsecured.
3. Save it in your 3DS connections
4. Launch the Nintendo Zone app
5. ? ? ?
6. Profit!


unfortunately you won't be able to access store specific exclusives like coupons or discounts, or whatever, but you would need to be at the store to use that anyway, so no real loss.
But Nintendo really needs to speed up it's wireless. It's pathetic how slow that app loads.

Last time I went to Best Buy, I had already found what I needed and was checking out before the thing loaded. Never got to really see what it was all about.

[Ceric]

I have never gotten this thing to work.

[ejamer]

I have never gotten this thing to work.

I was so close once!  Took out my 3DS in a store, and got an actual notification message that there was a Nintendo Zone hotspot nearby to connect to.
"Really? Awesome!"
Tried connecting, but it just timed out (a couple of times in a row).
"Lame, back to shopping."

None of the hotspots that are listed as existing locally actually do work, at least not last time I tried. Can't say I care enough to try again given what a massive failure it's been so far.

[Ceric]

I have never gotten this thing to work.

I was so close once!  Took out my 3DS in a store, and got an actual notification message that there was a Nintendo Zone hotspot nearby to connect to.
"Really? Awesome!"
Tried connecting, but it just timed out (a couple of times in a row).
"Lame, back to shopping."

None of the hotspots that are listed as existing locally actually do work, at least not last time I tried. Can't say I care enough to try again given what a massive failure it's been so far.

Same experience.

[Fatty The Hutt]

Got it to work outside a Starbucks recently. Did a couple of trivia questions about Mario Kart (I think) but had to go. Haven't been back to check it since. One of these days.

[noname2200]

For those of you who want to use this thing at home, there's a trick going around the internet that I thought I'd share here.

You need a wireless router to get this to work.

Step one: Log in to your router through whatever web browser you have installed.

Step two: Change your SSID to "attwifi" (without the quotes) and disable the security then save your settings.

That's all it takes. Of course, by disabling your security you're running a risk. Apparently though this workaround is region-free, which means those in Europe/Australia/the moon can do take advantage. Haven't tried it myself, but everywhere I've read about it says it works.

[Fatty The Hutt]

Nintendo Zone..... from HOME!?

Don't want to travel down to the nearest Best Buy or the local McDonalds just to check out the NZone app on your 3DS? Well, now you can check it out from teh comfort of your own home.

Summary of the video since practically 4 minutes of it is waiting for that super slow NZone app to load (c'mon Nintendo, you have to do better):
1. Connect a wireless router in your house and name it attwifi
2. Leave this connection unsecured.
3. Save it in your 3DS connections
4. Launch the Nintendo Zone app
5. ? ? ?
6. Profit!


unfortunately you won't be able to access store specific exclusives like coupons or discounts, or whatever, but you would need to be at the store to use that anyway, so no real loss.
But Nintendo really needs to speed up it's wireless. It's pathetic how slow that app loads.

Last time I went to Best Buy, I had already found what I needed and was checking out before the thing loaded. Never got to really see what it was all about.

For those of you who want to use this thing at home, there's a trick going around the internet that I thought I'd share here.

You need a wireless router to get this to work.

Step one: Log in to your router through whatever web browser you have installed.

Step two: Change your SSID to "attwifi" (without the quotes) and disable the security then save your settings.

That's all it takes. Of course, by disabling your security you're running a risk. Apparently though this workaround is region-free, which means those in Europe/Australia/the moon can do take advantage. Haven't tried it myself, but everywhere I've read about it says it works.

derp!
 

[noname2200]

 
derp!

And a herp! 

Guess that's what I deserve for only going a few posts back...

[Fatty The Hutt]

Don't sweat it 

[roykoopa64]

I keep forgetting about this feature! Well, it also doesn't help that I hardly ever go to any locations that have Nintendo Zone in the first place.

[UncleBob]

So, I'm using the attwifi "hack" to connect to the Nintendo Zone and the Best Buy coupon is on the screen.  It's for $5 off SM3DL or MK7.

The "fine print" reads "Cashier Instructions: Scan coupon UPC.  Scan qualifying product UPC.  Scan all other product(s) Press "Total".  Write "VOID" on the coupon and place it in the register coupon media file."

So... ummm... to use the coupon, they have to write on my 3DS and then keep it?