Topic: rumor: SmileBasic might get removed from the eShop?

[ejamer]

Pure rumor right now, but I want to make a post so that anyone who was thinking about buying the application has a chance before it (potentially) gets pulled. SmileBasic is really neat if you like coding, and well worth the cost if you want to create your own simple games on 3DS.


Over the past year we've seen multiple eShop releases disappear without a trace due to concerns of exploits, and other games pulled for potential copyright issues. Sometimes games have come back, sometimes not. In this case the rumor (unconfirmed as far as I know) is that SmileBasic might have an exploit available for homebrew... although this also might be a completely bogus claim by a wannabe hacker.


If the application is pulled from the eShop, I don't know what that would mean for SmileBasic servers that allow users to share programs they've made... if that also goes down it would be a big disappointment.  So people who already own SmileBasic might want to do some downloading while they have a chance just in case.




Long live the digital future. 

[Dan Laser]

Thanks, I've been thinking about getting this game! I don't really know any coding, but I hear the game is still worth it to play the games people create. Would you agree with that?

[ejamer]

So the game has been taken down for now, although maybe not from Canadian eShop? (Unclear on that second point.)

But a statement has been released by the developers:

"SmileBASIC is now unavailable on Nintendo eShop because it has been reported that SmileBASIC is used for a wrong purpose to abuse Nintendo 3DS system. We have already found a root cause of this security breach and already took necessary fixes preventing SmileBASIC from unwanted access to the system. As soon as the update is approved SmileBASIC will be back on Nintendo eShop. We know that many of SmileBASIC users are concerned about this happening. We always try to make SmileBASIC safe and secure for our true fans and we will never leave any kinds of exploits and breaches. Thank you for your support."

Source:  http://smilebasic.com/en/whatsnew/

Thanks, I've been thinking about getting this game! I don't really know any coding, but I hear the game is still worth it to play the games people create. Would you agree with that?

My thoughts about SmileBasic in general:

(1) Coding is hard. This isn't like WarioWare DIY on DS which let you create mini-games via drag-and-drop, it's real coding, with a relatively small community and limited documentation about how to get started. You need some patience and a real interest in learning to be successful.

(2) Coding is very rewarding if you do take the time and make the effort.  It's awesome to see your own ideas come to life on 3DS, even if those ideas need to start out being more limited than you want. Just keep the first point in mind and be realistic when setting goals.

(3) The ability to download programs that others have created makes SmileBasic a decent purchase even if you never code your own stuff. The big caveat here is that code sharing happens over servers owned by the developers - if those servers get shut down, I don't know how people will share code efficiently.

These links will help to point you in the right direction:
* https://www.reddit.com/r/3DS/comments/3p1aiz/a_few_sites_with_many_japanese_download_codes_for/
* http://www.siliconera.com/2016/01/08/nintendo-3ds-smilebasic-already-getting-intricate-games/
* http://smilebasic.com/en/ogiri4/