Hardware In need of some advice

[Hoang Tran]

Hi everyone


I am looking to buy my nephew a Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary 3DS as a Christmas Present. My local video game pawn shop has one for sale in mint condition however it is a Pal Region 3DS and we live in North America.


I read that the 3DS is still region locked? and that the previous method that people were using to make it region free is not safe anymore?


With that being said, is it safe to say my only option(aside from Sky3DS) would be purchasing a Gateway 3DS? The Zelda 3DS is on Firmware 2.1.0-4E.

Do I have to purchase a Retail Cart from a Pal Region in order to update the Zelda 3DS to Firmware 4.5? Or can I getaway with using a NTSC Shin Megami Tensei IV just to update it? (will the region lock block that too?)


Or is it just more simple to buy a NTSC 3DS that has Firmware 4.5 and less? : \


Thanks for reading.

 

[hippy dave]

You would have to use a Europe-region cart to update the firmware for gateway.
If you don't want to use gateway and worry about region-free, you could buy a local 3ds as well, and swap the cases over, so the local 3ds was in the zelda case, and sell the euro 3ds in the normal case.

Edit: I *think* you could use the MT-Card firmware in classic mode to run cartridges region-free without having to buy a flashcart. Someone else can confirm. Then you'd be reliant on MT-Card updating their firmware when it came to updating to a new 3ds firmware.

 

[Hoang Tran]

I like the idea about switching the cases between the 2 x 3DS. Only problem would be reselling the PAL Region 3DS(which I sadly do not have the time for).

Anyways thanks for your input.