Is gifting a 3DS a good idea?

I'm thinking of giving a teenager a 3DS as a gift. Do you think thats a good idea in this day and age with cheap (or even free) games on iPads and iPhones and all that? It seems to me the 3DS serves a niche market for people who enjoy JRPGs, hard puzzle games, old school Nintendo charachters like Mario and for the average person its not as good an idea as say the Gameboy was back in the day.

This guy makes it look like the 3DS would just lie around:

Should I Get a Nintendo 3DS?

I know folk over here are probably 3DS fans but try to put yourselves in the shoes of a teenager. What do you think?

iCrap is really overrated, a few good games does not make a library.

I'm thinking of giving a teenager a 3DS as a gift. Do you think thats a good idea in this day and age with cheap (or even free) games on iPads and iPhones and all that? It seems to me the 3DS serves a niche market for people who enjoy JRPGs, hard puzzle games, old school Nintendo charachters like Mario and for the average person its not as good an idea as say the Gameboy was back in the day.

 

This guy makes it look like the 3DS would just lie around:

Should I Get a Nintendo 3DS?

I know folk over here are probably 3DS fans but try to put yourselves in the shoes of a teenager. What do you think?

greengloop

I have gifted two of them and both of the people I have given them to have LOVED them. The first one I gave was to my younger brother. He used to play a lot of video games like me but then he found other hobbies. He would still tell my about games that he was playing on his iPhone though. I told him he should get back into gaming but he was not motivated enough to do it in his own so when Fire Emblem was released with its limited edition 3DS I bought it for him and he was thrilled. The second one I gave to my cousin who is twenty years old and she absolutely adores it too. The 3DS itself is just a sleek piece of hardware. It is difficult for me to believe that someone would not be able to appreciate some aspect of it on some level.

Just ask him what he thinks of Nintendo and JRPG games. If his answer is anything but negative, get him a 3DS.

I agree.

So I'm not the only one that senses a conspiracy against Nintendo online... BigBen11111

Good lord that's just embarassing to read.

[QUOTE="BigBen11111"]So I'm not the only one that senses a conspiracy against Nintendo online... whiskeystrike

Good lord that's just embarassing to read.

i play my consoles/3dsxl ANY TIME i can over my phone... App's on phones are mostly garbage that last 10 minutes then you come around cool games ONCe in the blue moon that in turn try get you drop tons of micro transactions

has much as i like to say yes, it truly depends on the person.  Remind you most games on 3ds is rpgs/side scrollers so if person isn't to fond of those game styles then it wouldn't be that much of a good buy 

Putting myself in the shoes of a "teenager" is far too vague. Some people will like it, some will not. 

Does the 3DS have many blockbuster games that are not RPGs, side scrollers, platformers and/or puzzles? Cos those arent the type of games this teenager will like.

Does the 3DS have many blockbuster games that are not RPGs, side scrollers, platformers and/or puzzles? Cos those arent the type of games this teenager will like.

greengloop

3DS has a vastly superior llbrary than iPad/Android and you have no guarantee that in a year this teenager will be able to play the latest Android/iOS games on their tablet. With a 3DS or dedicated handheld they will be able to play the latest 3DS games in 5-7 years.

BTW, traditional handheld gaming isn't exactly a "niche" market, since 3DS manages to sell 15 million units per year and looks to explode even more so with MH4, Pokemon, Zelda, Smash Bros, etc. If the 3DS gets no boost from those games and continues to sell 15 million per year for as many years as the DS was out ( 7 years) then the 3DS will sell 105 million units lifetime.

I don't think 80-100 million units lifetime for a portable device like this is "niche" in anyway. That's like saying cheap, free flash and facebook games make the PC market "niche".

Does the 3DS have many blockbuster games that are not RPGs, side scrollers, platformers and/or puzzles? Cos those arent the type of games this teenager will like.

greengloop

Well if he/she isn't interested in those great genres than I don't think they enjoy games at all. Unless they just like sports and shooters, in that case if they aren't 17 you shouldn't be buying them a console with violent games and shooters and sports games suck on iOS/Android even more so.

[QUOTE="greengloop"]

I'm thinking of giving a teenager a 3DS as a gift. Do you think thats a good idea in this day and age with cheap (or even free) games on iPads and iPhones and all that? It seems to me the 3DS serves a niche market for people who enjoy JRPGs, hard puzzle games, old school Nintendo charachters like Mario and for the average person its not as good an idea as say the Gameboy was back in the day.

 

This guy makes it look like the 3DS would just lie around:

Should I Get a Nintendo 3DS?

I know folk over here are probably 3DS fans but try to put yourselves in the shoes of a teenager. What do you think?

El_Zo1212o

[QUOTE="greengloop"]

Does the 3DS have many blockbuster games that are not RPGs, side scrollers, platformers and/or puzzles? Cos those arent the type of games this teenager will like.

bonesawisready5

Well if he/she isn't interested in those great genres than I don't think they enjoy games at all. Unless they just like sports and shooters, in that case if they aren't 17 you shouldn't be buying them a console with violent games and shooters and sports games suck on iOS/Android even more so.