Five months into the 3DS’ life cycle and we’re already hearing rumors of a drastically reduced emphasis on its eponymous glasses-less gimmick. Yikes. 3D handheld gaming was supposed to be the future, and now some are predicting it won’t last beyond another year. As we and many others have discussed, Nintendo’s scrambling to turn its 3DS fortunes around this holiday, and thanks to that pesky iOS platform, a massive price drop and Mario might not be enough this time. Even as an ardent fan, when I’ve got a few minutes to kill, I’m more likely to turn to Cut the Rope‘s froggy creature than I am the famous plumber, and that’s a reality that Nintendo can’t ignore any longer. But short of a hardware relaunch – and again, that’s supposedly on the table – how exactly is the 3DS to compete? I still say that the secret weapon has been available since the beginning: StreetPass.
When the 3DS debuted, you may recall that most reviewers were more taken with the numerous bells and whistles than they were with early software like Pilotwings and Steel Diver. Between the AR Cards, Face Raiders, 3D photos, SpotPass and more, the general consensus was that these apps would offer limited replayability but maximized laughs. However, the one feature that seemed like it could have legs beyond the novelty phase was StreetPass. Because this function is always on, and because developers can tailor it to fit all sorts of game types, there’s a lot of potential for passive interaction between users. Street Fighter IV and Nintendogs + Cats used it in pretty meaningless ways, but like the old Game Boy’s link cable port or the Xbox 360’s achievements, StreetPass seemed like it could end up being the most integral feature you never knew you needed. Luckily, as someone who has used it extensively during my daily commute, I think it still can.
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