I hear people say this all the time. People say that there's no reason to bother with the Vita because all it has to offer are console experiences, whereas the 3DS offers handheld experiences.
I have both the 3DS and the Vita, and based on my research of both, combined with hands-on experiences, I've come to a conclusion of what people mean when they say this.
Handheld experiences = An attempt to recreate a console-like experience on a handheld while failing to maintain the integrity of graphics and controls.
Console experiences = An attempt to recreate a console-like experience on a handheld while keeping the integrity of graphics and controls intact.
This is the only logical explanation I can come up with after analyzing the software libraries for each system.
Before I get ahead of myself, here's why I've drawn this conclusion.
Here are the top 10 3DS games on Gamerankings.com
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
- Super Mario 3D Land
- Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
- Mario Kart 7
- Kid Icarus Uprising
- Resident Evil Revelations
- Cave Story 3D
- Dead or Alive Dimensions
- Star Fox 64 3D
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
Let me begin by saying, I've thoroughly enjoyed my 3DS. I think it's a great system, and Mario Kart 7 / Super Mario 3D Land were two of my favorite games of last year. However, how are these not console experiences?
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is a remake of a Nintendo 64 game, a home console.
Super Mario 3D Land plays like any other home console 3D Mario game in terms of controls. There aren't even any handheld specific gameplay mechanics to differentiate it from a home console Mario game. SM3DL would be perfectly playable on the Wii. The only difference is that SM3DL doesn't look as good as a console game, take for example Super Mario Galaxy. SM3DL was made by the same dev team that made SMG. Also, SM3DL doesn't control as well as a home console 3D Mario game, not because of programming, but because of hardware. There is a run button because the circle pad doesn't work as consistently as an analog stick when altering the speeds of Mario with precision.
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition is a port of the console game, Super Street Fighter IV. The only difference is that the 3DS version has worse controls and graphics.
Mario Kart 7 is a game within a franchise that originated on home console. It has a home console game released this generation in Mario Kart Wii, and Mario Kart 7 may be a great game, but it does nothing to differentiate itself in terms of controls or experience. It's a game that could have been done just as well on a home console, with better controls and graphics.
Kid Icarus Uprising is another great game, but it doesn't do anything that requires a 3DS to play it. It's another game that would play just the same on a home console. Going back to my control argument, you could argue that this game would be better on a home console because of added precision and a 2nd analog stick as standard, along with improved graphics.
Resident Evil Revelations is another game that doesn't require the 3DS for anything. In fact, you could argue that this game would be better on a home console because of enhanced graphics, controls and a 2nd analog stick as standard.
I haven't played Cave Story, so I can't comment on that.
Dead or Alive Dimensions is another example similar to Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. It's a game that originated on consoles, but made the move to 3DS with sacrifices in controls and graphics.
Star Fox 64 3D is a remake of a 15 year old Nintendo 64 game, a home console game.
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So I'm just kind of confused here. People use "console experience" as a negative towards the Vita, but isn't that a good thing? What is a "handheld experience"? Isn't it just a home console experience with worse graphics and controls?
Ever since the Game Boy, handheld systems have always tried to provide experiences as true to home consoles as possible. In fact, home consoles were always the measuring stick in which handhelds were compared to. Whenever a handheld game would come close to a home console game in terms of graphics, controls and experience, it was a big deal, it was an achievement.
Just look at The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Adventure Island II: Aliens in Paradise, Donkey Kong Land III, Mega Man III. These are original Game Boy games, some of the highest rated ones in fact, and they're attempting to recreate console experiences.
Or how about the Sega Game Gear? Games like Sonic and Mortal Kombat did a great job of recreating home console experiences and were praised for it.
Some of the highest rated Game Boy Advance games are Super Mario World entries, Metroid Fusion, Mario Kart Super Circuit, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap, all games that were based on home console experiences, only held back by graphical capabilities and controls, but still widely praised for the similarities to their home console counterparts.
Or what about the best DS games? Chrono Trigger, Mario Kart DS, Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow, New Super Mario Bros. Wii.... The DS actually did the best job of differentiating itself from home consoles out of any handheld system, but a lot of its best games were still based from the ground up on home console games.
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The Vita and the 3DS are both trying to recreate console-like experiences, it's just that the 3DS is more limited by controls and graphics. Is that what makes the 3DS capable of offering a "handheld experience"? Is a "handheld experience" a good thing or a bad thing? I'm under the impression that it's a bad thing, and that it means worse controls and worse graphics while still attempting to recreate a console-like experience.
The Vita isn't handicapped by graphics power or contols inputs. It's able to flawlessly recreate home console experiences with the same controls and graphics, yet people hold this against it.
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