Topic: New 3DS, It Can't Be Worse than the Old 3DS

[Mop it up]

Yeah, I recognise that disc-based systems are inherently less durable than cartridge ones, but there are still ways to make them more durable to a point. The closeness of the components in the Wii is one example, which is what can cause the GPU melting especially if Standby mode is/was used. There are other things too, like how a flip-top drive is more durable than a slot-loading drive, and Wii's ability to accept the smaller GameCube discs made it a bit weaker as well. I think Nintendo also used to use higher-quality materials than they do now.

The GameCube is a disc system and it's more durable than a Wii. The verdict is still out on Wii U, but the drive seems to be better constructed at least. I think it has more powerful cooling fans as well. I'm not going to be using Standby mode with it though, just in case.

I know they're not the only company doing these things either so I don't single out Nintendo. We live in an increasingly disposable world, everything's using cheap parts.

[marvel_moviefan_2012]

I don't buy the whole Nintendo consoles are more durable now than before, does nobody remember all the problems with the original front loading NES? Damn those things were a nightmare not just the connection issues but the power bricks on those things got hot enough to burn your hand. I also seem to remember the damn Zappers all wearing down, even today collectors gripe about how hard to find a working Zapper is. This myth that Nintendo has always made super durable consoles came about around the time the RROD became widely publicized and it was a way to make people feel like Nintendo was always superior. I seem to remember people complaining endlessly about the original GameBoy having fickle sound chips where if you dropped one the sound would stop working even if everything else kept going, every single used Game Boy I have ever owned (original and Pocket) had no sound. Nothing lasts forever. I think they make pretty durable products but not any more durable than their competitors except maybe 360 which as I seem to recall those issues were addressed.

[Mop it up]

I can't speak for anyone else but I've never claimed Nintendo have had a perfect track record. The connector in the NES shoulda been designed better, but everything else about the system was solid. There's also the N64 control sticks which should have been redesigned at some point. But I still feel that systems GameCube/GBA and prior had less problems than the systems that followed, though I recognise people can have difference experiences with everything.

[MegaByte]

Ten years ago, eh?  Wasn't there some sort of change of management at Nintendo around that time?  Hmmmmm.

They moved manufacturing from Japan to China.

[Ian Sane]

The NES is ridiculously unreliable, though it was quite significantly redesigned for the West.  How was the Famicom in comparison I wonder?  Still Nintendo's post-NES to pre-Wii track record is really impressive for durability aside from the N64 stick.  Hell maybe their rep is entirely from the SNES.  The worse thing that happens to those is that some models turn yellow.

Much of the Wii's durability issues appear to be trade-offs to make the console superficially cool.

[Ceric]

From my experience most of the Problems with an NES can be solved by cleaning the connectors.

[marvel_moviefan_2012]

From my experience most of the Problems with an NES can be solved by cleaning the connectors.

sure the blinking but not the hot power bricks.

[Ceric]

Power Bricks are hot.  Thats what they are.  Anything with a good sized brick is prone to that one.  There never properly heat controlled.

[LudicrousDa3ve]

The thing I'm curious about- which is an open question to XL and 2DS owners in a way as well, is about the dpad. Without mentioning the 'Cube's micro pad, I've never played a Nintendo anything that didn't have a rockin' dpad. Until 3DS. We bought one at launch, and everything still works (even with 4 kids playing it occasionally), but from day one, that pad has felt like it was going to break.


Did hardware revisions fix that... and if not, will the "New"s?

[Mop it up]

The D-pad (and buttons) have a better feel to me on the XL over the original, so I'd guess these New models will be better as well.

[marvel_moviefan_2012]

Power Bricks are hot.  Thats what they are.  Anything with a good sized brick is prone to that one.  There never properly heat controlled.

My Genesis/SNES both never got that hot, and I played the hell out of them. WHEN I could get NES to work, which was rare anyways, it got hot super fast. Usually after less than a half hour of play, SNES I could play for a couple of hours before heating up and Genesis, I don't think it ever got hot enough to burn my hand but damn the NES did. I remember the eject button going out on my on my SNES right around the time I got the redesign. Got the smaller one gave the brick to my sister then a couple years latter when she wasn't looking I traded it all in to game store for a PS1 and a couple of games. She hated me forever for doing that. I figured I gave it to her it was still technically mine.

I guess it all depends on your experience though. Biggest issue I ever had with Genesis was the stupid reset buttons would get stuck which was a nightmare if you ever played Genesis, some games required pressing reset to actually finish the game that was not possible on broken system. I never had issues with N64 except the controller stick issue everyone seems to have. Game Cube was a nightmare for me, the console lasted forever but the damn controllers all broke, usually shoulder buttons or the yellow c stick would break.

Now I freely admit my NES got a swift kick in the front more than a time or two so I suppose I contributed to it breaking down. On that end it actually was pretty durable considering I gave it regular beatings, especially whenever I would rent Ninja Gaiden or TMNT.

[LudicrousDa3ve]

The D-pad (and buttons) have a better feel to me on the XL over the original, so I'd guess these New models will be better as well.

Right on, thank you!

[Ian Sane]

I remember the eject button going out on my on my SNES right around the time I got the redesign.

How the hell did that happen?   If you look inside a SNES the eject "button" is literally a lever that pushes the cartridge up from the bottom.  You would have to break the plastic outright for it to stop working.

[Mop it up]

My NES AC adapter never got hot to the touch, and was never warmer than other power bricks. Sounds more like that specific adapter was faulty, which can happen with any type of adapter. Speaking of AC adapters, the one included with my Wii U GamePad worked for one charge and then stopped functioning, and I had to get a (thankfully free) replacement.

I've had to replace the cartridge connector in my NES (though it wasn't completely nonfunctional, just got tired of messing with it), but everything else on the system works fine and I still have my two controllers and Zapper from 1989 that are in working order.

[pokepal148]

The only nice thing really I have to say about my OG 3DS is that I love the glossy finish on the outer shell.

Now if only it were KEPT on the outer shell it wouldn't create such fuss over being a fingerprint magnet.

[marvel_moviefan_2012]

It was the eject lever in the middle I was talking about, I don't remember how it broke but it did, you pressed down and it just flopped it didn't eject the games. It wasn't a big deal with it being broke the games just popped out like Sega games did anyways.

I know it wasn't a faulty AC adapter because we replaced it directly from Nintendo thinking that was the case. In the end I figured it was all the abuse my NES took but it could have been the fact we kept it on the carpet I don't remember exactly now I just remember it always getting hot.

[pokepal148]

I have a launch era 3DS and well, I decided to do a little damage inspection on this thing, let's see here...

Top screen has held up fairly well, some light scratches where you'd expect them but nothing major.
The shoulder buttons are fine,
The B button feels a bit mushy compared to the other face buttons, I don't know how that happened, I mean I guess alot of the games I played used the b button alot.

The start and home "buttons" (if that's what you want to call them) feel relatively worn. Select button feels about the way you'd expect.

The d-pad is still a creaky piece of ****.

Now by comparison we have the DS lite that the 3DS replaced, complete with a hinge that is completely wrecked and a top screen that no longer functions at all and a gba sp that works fine. I'd say the 3ds has held up pretty well.

[pokepal148]

I may have understated the start/select/home thing. The select button has a nice click to it that the start and home buttons seem to have lost.

[pokepal148]

Update: the 3d slider seems to be no longer holding itself on the off position. The system began constantly fluctuating between 2d and 3d. I suspect some debris got in where I can't reach it that is interfering with the slider. I had to use parental controls to completely shut off the 3d.