A New 3DS Story: A Second Monster Home

As evidenced by several posts on this blog, I've had a spate of problems with my 3DS, so I had been planning even as far back as August last year to obtain a New 3DS (XL), which I had hoped to materialize soon. That didn't happen then, but recently I was able to make things happen, and I finally got a New 3DS as my new workhorse for my Pokémon games. Even so, this New 3DS kind of a bit of a departure, but not one that is too strange in some ways.

While I had managed to survive with my Pikachu 3DS XL from when it was repaired last year, the impetus for getting this New 3DS was because it seemed the problems with my 3DS got more severe. It seemed that the lid problem had extended to when I close my 3DS; sometimes it would turn off as I did so. Also, sometimes when I let the 3DS rest and play it on an unstable or soft surface such as the mattress of my bed, it would also suddenly turn off. This meant I could no longer hold my 3DS up in the air as I play, precluding any sort of travel with it, and this becomes an even graver threat to all my games and their saved data, especially Pokémon Shuffle, with years' worth of progress.

Thus the time to get a New 3DS became imminent. To my luck, another person in one of my game groups offered his New 3DS XL for sale, and it was with a fantastic offer that was suitable with current conditions. I did not hesitate in taking up the offer and purchased it so that I could transfer all my data before the worst happens. That is exactly what I did as soon as I received the New 3DS, ensuring that I could continue to play Shuffle or any other Pokémon game without concern.

As for the "departure" part, that's where "second monster home" comes in. This New 3DS is actually... the Monster Hunter Generations LE. The previous owner is (or was) a Monster Hunter player who also graciously included the cartridge for said game as part of the offer. I don't play Monster Hunter, but I maintain good relationships with those who play it. Incidentally, a year or two ago, there was one such player who only played Monster Hunter, but did so on a... Xerneas 3DS XL; he said the 3DS XL just looked too good. The situation that I'm in is therefore the inverse of that, being (mostly) only Pokémon games on a Monster Hunter 3DS. It's a little ironic and strange, but that's why I call it a "second monster home".

This is a Monster Hunter 3DS...

...that really only plays Pokémon games. (Shuffle, for instance.)

And I must say, the experience with a New 3DS is quite smooth and responsive, even with Shuffle, which has expanded to the point that even on my old 3DS, it has short but noticeable delays, and there is little of that on the New 3DS. Even Ultra Moon works well in comparison, which makes me a little sad that I didn't get one sooner. But that's the way things are, I suppose.

Thus the story of my old 3DS ends and the story of my New 3DS begins. But it's not a complete ending, as my old 3DS is still workable to some extent even with its flaws, and may be able to play certain games to aid progress. This is the "epilogue" which I mentioned in the other post. Regardless, the story of my Pokémon games continues, whether possibly on my old 3DS to assist, or on this New 3DS as my "second monster home".

One year ago: Personalities