Topic: Best of the 3DS eShop: DLC for Physical Games

[Khushrenada]

With the 3DS pretty much winding down and a lack of upcoming releases we have now arrived at the life cycle of a system where users start looking back in the catalogue of available games that were released and that they missed or forgot about when games were coming out regularly. For myself, I know that I didn't always pay as close attention to the eShop and its releases as I did physical releases. And while I have accumulated a few titles from it, I feel there are probably more I should take advantage of especially since Nintendo hasn't created any other source to purchase many of these titles.


While it would seem to make sense to follow the GB and GBC topics with Wii U's GBA VC offerings (and I do intend to get into the Wii U's eShop also), I've actually been thinking a bit about DLC. Luigi Dude mentioned the DLC for SMB2 and that it was better than the main game for him. I've been playing Mario Golf: World Tour which also has a lot of DLC available for it and had looked up some info on it.

What I've found is that when it comes to covering DLC for games, it is a rather under-reported area. Heck, I couldn't even find a definitive list of what games on the 3DS have or offer DLC. Moreover, there are many things that DLC can fall under. New games for the Streetpass Mii Plaza could be considered DLC. Free to start games like Steel Diver: Sub Wars could be considered DLC. DLC can be free and/or paid for. But when I think of DLC, I still think of it in the definition of like Rock Band. You can play the actual physical game and enjoy it on its own but if you want additional songs to personalize the game more to your taste or get new content then you can access the DLC available to do that. To further help try and create some order to this topic, I'm narrowing down the discussion to paid DLC for games that got a physical release in North America. (Sorry Samurai Warriors Chronicles 2nd.)


Now, even here, I could be missing a game or three because of how no one seems to be cataloging which games have paid DLC. Thus, we here at NWR have a chance to provide a real service to other Nintendo gamers by creating a list and database on this subject. Also, I'll emphasize again that this is about PAID DLC. If you are wondering why a game like Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is not listed when it has a 365 free extra DLC puzzles, it is because they are FREE. Frankly, I think if any game has free DLC, you should just automatically download it because then you've always got it even if you don't get around to it. I suppose if people want to get into it then I can create a topic on the best free DLC but that might be even harder to figure out which games offer that.

The main goal is simple. If you have personally played any of the DLC for these titles, post which ones you have and which ones you highly recommend others should also add to their 3DS, which ones might be recommended for Kairon (or a deeper cut for a certain type of fan) and what you think should be skipped. (And sure, even if you haven't played them and have an opinion, I'm not going to argue against you from posting it). If you also want to make some recommendations on free DLC which isn't mentioned here, by all means, feel free. I've also included a poll for people to vote on the games they think a person should acquire for their 3DS.



The 27 games I've found so far to meet the criteria whose DLC is up for discussion are:


Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone!
Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars
Disney Magical World
DRAGON BALL Z: Extreme Butoden
Etrian Mystery Dungeon
Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight
Fantasy Life
Fire Emblem Awakening
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Fire Emblem Fates
Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley
Hyrule Warriors Legends
Mario Golf: World Tour
New Super Mario Bros. 2
One Piece: Unlimited World Red
Persona Q: Shadows of the Labyrinth
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth.
Pokemon Art Academy
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
Project X Zone 2
Puzzles & Dragons Z+ / Mario Edition
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker
Shovel Knight
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call


If there is any title you can see is missing then let me know and I'll add it.

[pokepal148]

Monster Hunter doesn't have paid DLC. You would know that if you played it but you're a dirty casual so you won't.

I believe SMT4: Apocalypse has it's own DLC though.

[ejamer]

I think that I have 9 of the listed games.

The only one that I'd consider paying for DLC is Shovel Knight, and that depends on how much you enjoy retro-styled games. Even there, I'm not paying for it because I have everything Shovel Knight on Wii U... but it's hard to argue against the quality there.

Theatrhythm is also kind of tempting, but despite loving FF music I don't love rhythm games that much so am content to just own the two cartridges.

Generally speaking, if I complete the base game (often not even 100% for all secrets) I'm content with my purchase. It would have to be something really special to pull me in for more, especially since there are many other games I'm keen to play waiting for their turn.


Didn't Phoenix Wright and Tamodachi Life have DLC available?

[Khushrenada]

Monster Hunter doesn't have paid DLC. You would know that if you played it but you're a dirty casual so you won't.

I believe SMT4: Apocalypse has it's own DLC though.

Thank you. I did know that MH3 had free DLC but I forgot to check if that was the same with the other MH games as I was searching around through various titles to see what's had physical releases and what types of DLC they had. I've locked the poll for now. Will delete it and post a new poll without those options. I'll also look into SMT4:A also.

Didn't Phoenix Wright and Tamodachi Life have DLC available?

Phoenix Wright 5 and 6 do have paid DLC but they are also digitial (eShop) only games so that DLC is not up for discussion in this thread. Tomodachi Life does have DLC but it is free DLC. Although, I'm not sure how readily available it is these days. My quick understanding of that title is that the DLC was sort of done like Animal Crossing: New Leaf's which had you go to a Nintendo Zone in order to acquire special furniture items for a limited time. With the Nintendo Zone's long dead, I don't know if it is available any other way now (or if that is even how it worked for that specific DLC).

[Khushrenada]

I do own 10 of the titles listed. (And maybe nine of them are the same ones as ejamer's since our gaming habits seem to be overlapping a lot these days. )

Fantasy Life
Fire Emblem Awakening
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Fire Emblem Fates
Hyrule Warriors Legends
Mario Golf: World Tour
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Puzzles & Dragons Z+ / Mario Edition
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call

(I don't know why I bought Hyrule Warriors. I got it on Wii U and never finished it there yet. Couldn't resist a very good deal, I guess. I also thought Legends was the complete game with all the additional content the Wii U but it seems there is more DLC for it still.)

Of the titles listed, I've only gotten the DLC for one of them and that is Super Smash Bros. 3DS. And even with Smash, I didn't get it all. Got all the stages. Skipped the separate Mii costumes. And never actually got all the additional fighters. Never got the last three of Corrin, Cloud and Bayonetta. I'd kind of moved on from 3DS Smash by that point and I guess I figured I'd get them when I started playing the Wii U version but never got around to it and now Ultimate has since come and includes them all anyways so not sure I'm ever going to bother getting them for these older systems now. Only appeal would be the additional trophies they would add. (I love me some Smash trophies! Bring 'em back, Sakurai!!) Plus, Bayonetta and Cloud were talked about being overpowered for 3DS/Wii U so keeping them out of those games means the balance will stay pure. 

Still the fact that the DLC was applicable for both the Wii U and 3DS games and you didn't have to buy it separately for each one did make the value proposition a bit better. It was one rare example of crossbuying on the eShop that people wanted during the Wii U / 3DS era.

The only other games I've played from that list are Mario Golf and NSMB2. I'd forgotten that NSMB2 even had DLC but World Tour I have been seriously considering. In fact, it's own of the few titles to even have its DLC reviewed. NWR reviewed it all and I'll dig up the links again on that and post them here later.

[Adrock]

Still the fact that the DLC was applicable for both the Wii U and 3DS games and you didn't have to buy it separately for each one did make the value proposition a bit better. It was one rare example of crossbuying on the eShop that people wanted during the Wii U / 3DS era.

I believe character DLC for 3DS and Wii U are separate, but you can buy each character as a bundle for both systems at a small discount. That's what I did if I'm remembering correctly because I just had to have all the characters and stages. I don't know if I got my money's worth because I didn't really play Super Smash Bros. for either 3DS or Wii U much after getting the DLC and I've mostly moved on to Ultimate since which I also don't play that much. BUT Nintendo has me by the wallet when it comes to Super Smash Bros. and new characters/stages so if Sakurai and co. keeps making them, I'll keep buying them.

Anyway, I have Shovel Knight on Wii U, and I've gotten all the DLC for free so far. I think you can buy the DLC separately if you don't want/have the original game. I admittedly did not do much research so correct me if I'm wrong. I believe the Showdown DLC will not available on 3DS (and Vita).

[Khushrenada]

Poll is re-opened. Let's try this again.

Also, as promised, Neal's reviews of the Mario Golf: World Tour's DLC

Mushroom Pack
Flower Pack
Star Pack

The DLC has interested me in that it offers a lot more 18 hole courses. The standalone game only has 4 and one of them is a sort of a challenge course that is all Par 3 holes and you have to Birdie each hole or fail and have to start again. I like a bit of the traditional 18 hole courses and the ones in the main game weren't really that challenging.

At the same time, a lot of the DLC seems to be Mario Golf 64's different courses ported over. I'll admit that I haven't played MG64 in probably 15 years so they might feel kind of fresh again and the graphics for them will be better as the get upgraded to this 3D realm. Yet, it is kind of disappointing that a lot of the DLC is just from an older game and Camelot couldn't come up with original courses. I'm not sure if constructing virtual golf courses and finding ways to keep them fresh is that difficult that they had to resort to going back to the 64 game but it is odd. Could have done a Mario Kart style thing where you have a classic course from 64, from Toadstool Tour, from the GBA if you really want to overhaul one of those into a 3D setting but have them part of the main game.

Still, I've been leaning towards picking up this DLC at some point. I'd get it a lot sooner if it was ever put on sale.

[Order.RSS]

Shovel Knight: Yeah I also think the DLC campaigns are for free as long as you own some version of Shovel Knight Treasure Trove, no? Same with me on Wii U at least. Bought the disc and it automatically added the Plague & Specter campaigns. End of this year will see the addition of King of Cards and Shovel Knight Showdown, but 3DS isn't getting the latter of those two. (Neither is Vita, presumably a multiplayer fighter on a device without controller options wasn't worth the effort?)

One Piece Unlimited World Red: Khush, did you double-check whether this game is still up on the 3DS eShop? Again speaking from a Wii U perspective here, but the console version of that game was delisted on the U when the game moved to Switch. This move also invalidated any DLC downloads, since the eShop entry was just nuked, meaning if you hadn't downloaded it yet your purchase was basically void.
I don't know what the DLC was, mind, never played the game.

[Khushrenada]

Shovel Knight: Yeah I also think the DLC campaigns are for free as long as you own some version of Shovel Knight Treasure Trove, no? Same with me on Wii U at least. Bought the disc and it automatically added the Plague & Specter campaigns. End of this year will see the addition of King of Cards and Shovel Knight Showdown, but 3DS isn't getting the latter of those two. (Neither is Vita, presumably a multiplayer fighter on a device without controller options wasn't worth the effort?)

Interesting. I bought the Wii U Physical Copy of Shovel Knight like 6 - 8 months ago but since the DLC was spread out past the time the physical copy came out, I figured the DLC would still be an additional purchase. If it will come all for free since I have the disc then that is going to be a sweet deal. I'll have to check this out now.

One Piece Unlimited World Red: Khush, did you double-check whether this game is still up on the 3DS eShop? Again speaking from a Wii U perspective here, but the console version of that game was delisted on the U when the game moved to Switch. This move also invalidated any DLC downloads, since the eShop entry was just nuked, meaning if you hadn't downloaded it yet your purchase was basically void.
I don't know what the DLC was, mind, never played the game.

I did not. I had no idea about there being a Wii U version or that version being removed. It just took awhile to confirm this game actually had a physical release for the 3DS when I was double-checking through odd titles like this that I had no idea existed until I created this thread. I can check it out later after work (or if you have a 3DS near you and connection to the internet, you can check the eShop right now and see what happens).

[Khushrenada]

Also, there is a lot to still cover in the eShop. Other VC titles, Indie games, 3rd Party Games, DSiWare, applications, Free to Start, etc. Plus, part of me is kind of open to just discussing all the actual physically released games for the system as well (although I'm thinking of taking pokepal's Game of the Decade topic and doing something Nintendo specific which might then get into all 3DS games). Plus, there is also the Wii U eShop to get into.

In any case, I bring this up to see if other users have a topic on this subject they'd like to see started rather than waiting for me to hopefully get around to it. (Or maybe even start the topic themselves. I think my formula for this topic of threads has pretty much been established now.) Thus, if you want to mention any suggestions for the next parts in this thread then feel free to do that as well.

[pokepal148]

Are we counting the separate campaigns from FE:Fates as part of it's DLC?

[Khushrenada]

Are we counting the separate campaigns from FE:Fates as part of it's DLC?

Are you talking about what Fates: Revelations or something like that which is almost a third game for Birthright and Conquest? Because I was wondering about that. There is the Fates Special Edition which I think had the third part on the cart so, in a way, it wouldn't count as DLC for those lucky players. But for everyone else who had to buy separate copies then I think that would count as DLC since that's the only way anyone else would be able to access it.

[Stratos]

There are multiple DLCs for Fates. One is of course the Revelations campaign that lets you get (mostly) everyone from the other two routes. (And I was lucky enough to grab the special edition with all three routes on one cart).

There are two other DLC bundles (I think you can buy the parts of them separately, but probably not worth it). One give you a bunch of bonus maps to earn rare/exclusive items. These maps let you farm gold/exp on the Conquest route, which normally doesn't let you do that. Also, you can earn unlimited copies of the seals for the Amiibo classes and the Witch and Dark Flier classes.

The second bundle is its own mini campaign of 5-6 missions where you play as all the kids in an alternate timeline. I never got the second one but heard it was fun for what it was.

There is no bundle for Awakening, but there are a few maps for getting the special classes (Bride and Dread Fighter). I bought the maps for those two classes and also the one for Roy. Sadly all of the 'special characters' you get in the paid DLC maps are recolorings of the standard classes. They do get really nice new portraits of them in the class they come in drawn by specific artists. So the Roy one looks really nice as a mercenary, but the Michaiah one is very off since she is a scantily clad dark mage.

Full list of the DLC character art can be found here if you are curious. And the maps with the bonus classes are the Alm and Erika maps.

For Shadows of Valentia they decided to sell all of the DLC as a large bundle, and it has some cool stuff like a prologue for the founding of the Deliverance. The "Overclasses" are just that: over the top 4th tiers for each of the limited classes in the game. I tell myself I'll grab it for the extra classes someday for completion sake, but honestly, I'll probably hold out for the HD remake or eShop rerelease that is bound to come in like 10-15 years.