Topic: Full Save States Possible for 3DS Virtual Console Games

[NWR_Karlie]

Now you can try to get past that tricky spot again and again.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/26517/full-save-states-possible-for-3ds-virtual-console-games

Games made available on the Virtual Console service of the Nintendo eShop will have full save states. This means that it is possible to save your game during gameplay, and retry from that point in the game multiple times. 

For the Wii, it is only possible to "suspend" a game, creating a pause point that you can go back to once. Adding save states to Game Boy titles solves the problem of games that had no save option at all or used passwords. 

So next week when you are playing Super Mario Land, Game Over will not be a threat.

[TheYoungerPlumber]

I actually kind of don't like this. It's too tempting to abuse full save states. The Wii Virtual Console forces you to play as you would on the original system.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I actually kind of don't like this. It's too tempting to abuse full save states. The Wii Virtual Console forces you to play as you would on the original system.

Yeah, but these games are 20+ years old and no one is forcing anyone to use it that way, so I say who cares. If full save states allow us to enjoy our favorite parts of games or just finally beat all those old ancient games that we either never played or never finished then it's is serving it's purpose.


This is actually the better option since you can use it like a pause state... but then you don't have to if you don't want to.

[Ian Sane]

Save states break games that were not originally designed for them.  Of course you can choose not to use them.  The Wii one is a much better feature because it's just like an extended pause.  What you usually need with old games but don't get is the ability to walk away from the game because real life intervenes and then get back to it later.  Hell, I wish the Wii method was standard for all games.  Even games with saving options don't always work well because they make you get to a save point which is sometimes not nearby when you need to get away from the game right this second.  Every game can benefit from an extended pause.

[Lady Mushroom]

I absolutely agree that every game should have a pause function because one often needs to stop right away when other things come up.


Personally, though, I am glad the 3DS function isn't just a pause. Early games used very limited memory and often "lengthened" the game by making them too hard an forcing the player to play whole levels over and over until she succeeded. I am sorry, but I haven't the patience for this and I am sure many modern players are the same. After a while I just get frustrated and give up. This feature could make older games actually playable for me and many others.


I am sure Nintendo thought this through and put it in for that reason.

[TrueNerd]

If used wisely, this is fine. But yeah I would have preferred the extended pause featured in Wii VC.

[NWR_Karlie]

TYP, if you find it too tempting, you can always go back and play on the original system

[GoldenPhoenix]

It is like cheat codes, if you don't want to use them, you don't have. Just because you aren't able to resist using them, and lack self control doesn't mean you should ruin it for everyone else. Not everyone has the same skill level as you, nor enjoys the games exactly like you do. The fact is that many older games were designed to be cheap to artificially extend their length.

[8bitsdeep]

I also prefer the Wii's suspend method.  Games are always more fun for me when I really have to knuckle down and learn them inside and out.  If I blow through something with ease it's too quickly forgotten.


Hopefully I can make myself resist abusing this but I know it'll be hard after a particularly tragic game over.

[Ian Sane]

The same thing comes up with games with incredibly blatant hint systems.  "Well you can ignore or turn it off".  The thing is it actually does take a fair bit of self control to resist these things as it is VERY common for people to complain that a game is too short or too easy because it allows them to power through it in no time and they can't seem to not choose it.

Of course this is easier to avoid then hints where the only way to avoid it is to just not read the hint or bullshit games with like a weekend's worth a levels who then add to the challenge with tons of collectathon filler.  Well yeah the game CAN be beaten in two hours but that's if you ignore all the hidden bafmodads... which are a complete chore to find.

Still the problem with save states comes more from games where this is how you save.  No save points, just you saving when you want to.  There is tendency to start saving after every step when that is the only save system available.

[NWR_insanolord]

Everyone's always arguing for more options, and now when Nintendo gives people one it just results in more complaints.

[Jonnyboy117]

So it's more like a PC emulator's save states. Nice!

[Razorkid]

I like the option and welcome it with open arms 

[AV]

THe comments have confused me, Is this WORSE or BETTER than Wii virtual console and suspending the game. FOr my 3DS and portable gaming I want to be able to pick up, stop and play later at any time and not have to worry about starting all over especially with GB games that don't have any save feature so this seems like great news to me.

[Mop it up]

You can still use this like the VC's suspend feature so I don't see the problem with it. Now, if only they would add in more features of PC emulators, like network play for multiplayer...

[leahsdad]

I actually kind of don't like this. It's too tempting to abuse full save states. The Wii Virtual Console forces you to play as you would on the original system.

So it's more like a PC emulator's save states. Nice!

Yeah, I kinda agree here.  I remember back in college when me and my friends first discovered emulation, and we had no idea Nintendo would have a virtual console at all (this was way back in 1998-ish).  We stopped playing Goldeneye for like 3 weeks just played emulated NES games.  And I beat every single NES Mega Man game in 4 hours.  How?  Good old save states.  Fall on spikes?  Load state.  Years later, when I played Sands of Time and could just rewind mistakes at the cost of a sand globe thingy, I thought "Whoa, this is just like how I beat Mega Man!"

[BlackNMild2k1]

THe comments have confused me, Is this WORSE or BETTER than Wii virtual console and suspending the game. FOr my 3DS and portable gaming I want to be able to pick up, stop and play later at any time and not have to worry about starting all over especially with GB games that don't have any save feature so this seems like great news to me.

It's better because you can use is as a temporary place holder like on the Wii or you can use it like a save point and start there everytime.

Options. Apparently we only want them if we don't have them.

[AV]

THe comments have confused me, Is this WORSE or BETTER than Wii virtual console and suspending the game. FOr my 3DS and portable gaming I want to be able to pick up, stop and play later at any time and not have to worry about starting all over especially with GB games that don't have any save feature so this seems like great news to me.

It's better because you can use is as a temporary place holder like on the Wii or you can use it like a save point and start there everytime.

Options. Apparently we only want them if we don't have them.

Sounds great to me. I was playing Super Star Solider once and was using a 'suspend file' and the wiimote stopped working. I tried new batteries, tried another wiimote, tried re-sync and it wouldn't let me. I was at the last FUCKEN level and that game is  Extremely Hard and I had to turn off the wii because the wiimote didn't work and I wanted to play a different game. That game does not save so the only way to progress is the 'suspend state' and come back later and I couldn't suspend it again because of the odd wiimote glitch so I was screwed. Having the save state like 3DS would have let me not worry about that game because it's SAVED not just SUSPENDED. I was at the last level and a wiimote glitch stopped me from finishing the game, and I NEVER returned to the game because of frustration of the situation.

[TheYoungerPlumber]

I'm not saying save states are good or bad. Sometimes they're the only way for me to progress and see the full game. But it can cheapen what it means to beat a game and thereby cheapen the sense of satisfaction in beating a difficult game/level. Hopefully there will be the auto-save-on-exit feature found on Wii VC as well. I'd hate to lose progress because I forgot to save.