If you've played Zelda Phantom Hourglass, you probably know what I'm referring to. Because of this one part, the game and the 2DS model, either of them must "take the blame" as it were, and be consider flawed. But it can't be 2DS because we know for a fact the 2DS is awesome, not to mention the 2DS just came out.

But I was brainstorming ways Nintendo could address this:

a) 2DS comes preinstalled with a patch that removes this puzzle from the game, and/or release a 3DS system update that removes this puzzle from the game. (or somehow detect whether you are using a 2DS or not) This is probably the most ideal solution possible, and it would pretty much shut this thread down.

b) Make it so 2DS can't play Phantom Hourglass. While this would technically solve the issue, it does so at the expense of the 2DS, so I dislike this idea.

c) Make it so ALL 3DS models can't play Phantom Hourglass. This is much preferred.

d) Make the 2DS come with several inserts and/or pamphlets explaining the sleep button and that it mimics closing the 3DS on other models. The inserts should feature drawings of Link and Linebeck, Link could be using a 3DS in one of them, and one of them could say "Remember, the sleep switch is the equivalent of STAMPING a 3ds shut!" with a cartoon drawing of a 3DS being closed. (Link could be the one closing it) Besides simply beating it into the 2DS owner's head, the 2DS owner would have to ponder the sheer oddity of all this, further ensuring they are unlikely to forget when the time comes.

e) Release Phantom Hourglass on the eshop for free. This will result in that particular "puzzle" being common knowledge, so everyone will have heard of it. Although this doesn't even qualify as a solution, so I don't know why am I listing it.

The way I see it, Nintendo needs not be overly concerned with the 2DS compatibility of a game that was made for their previous system. That issue is a bit crappy, though, as I believe there are other games that use that gimmick.

wait so what happens right now when you play phantom hourglass on the 2DS?

Didn't Hotel Dusk also have a similar puzzle? It's been so long I don't remember, but that game had all kinds of weird dual screen, touch-based puzzle stuff that took advantage of the DS.

Anyway, they're probably going to do none of the options you've suggested, and instead do absolutely nothing. It's one small edge case, in a game that most people who were going to play it have probably finished. Backwards compatibility is largely a feature that appeals to parents because it doesn't immediately obsolete all of the old games the kid owned for the previous system, but in reality, it's a feature that is not widely used unless a some major games for the old system come out well after the new system is out (Persona 4, for example).

When I Streetpass people, I haven't seen a single one playing a DS Zelda game. The only DS games I've seen people playing on their 3DS are old Pokemon games (before X and Y came out).

I want to say yes. Also, I believe Patrick mentioned 999 doing something similar.

By all means, name them!

Let's be more specific. Of course many games used dual screens and touch based puzzles, but these features are intact on the 2DS. It's just the closing of screens which we want to look at here, and the game has to do it in a way where a sleep switch doesn't suffice.

@egg said:

I looked it up on GameFAQs, and yeah, in Hotel Dusk, you get a jigsaw puzzle that you have to assemble, and then you have to flip it over (by closing the DS), because there is a message written on the back (brown cardboard) side of the jigsaw puzzle. Puzzle spoilers, in case anyone somehow hasn't played Hotel Dusk but is still going to at some point.

My point was that Hotel Dusk had so many gimmicky, DS-specific puzzles (more than most DS games) that I was almost positive it had to have used the "close the screen to make a thing happen" trick.

Ohhhhhhh I never thought about that. There's a few games that do things like that so...does it really not work to do the switch that puts it in standby?

To be fair, I think playing DS games on a 3DS or 2DS is a terrible idea because of the crappy resolution issues, but since they do advertise it so highly and Phantom Hourglass is easily one of the top five DS games...that kinda stinks.

c) Make it so ALL 3DS models can't play Phantom Hourglass. This is much preferr

Wait what? Why?