Hardware Is a New Nintendo 3ds backwards compatible with DS Games?

bahamut920

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All of my DS games that I tried in my New 3DS work just fine. They're even more stretched and blurry than on my o3DS (my n3DS is an XL, my o3DS isn't), but they're still perfectly playable.

I had more trouble trying to get one of my 3DS games to work on my n3DS than my DS games.
 

petethepug

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All of my DS games that I tried in my New 3DS work just fine. They're even more stretched and blurry than on my o3DS (my n3DS is an XL, my o3DS isn't), but they're still perfectly playable.

I had more trouble trying to get one of my 3DS games to work on my n3DS than my DS games.
Interesting I wonder if it's the higher graphical power that makes it that way on the new 3ds models, luckily my sister has an old 3ds I can use if the specific game I am getting is to stretched out/blurred. Thanks for telling me,

I am going to be testing Star Fox Command as well, did that specific game not work with yours by chance?
 

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Yes. For practical purposes, 3DS is a DSi in the context of DS games.
DSi mode is mandatory should a game support it. (there's no setting to intentionally disable the enhancements)

Plus 3DS inherits the DSi's language selection limitations and missing GBA slot.
 
Last edited by Lumstar,

Exaltys

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They're even more stretched and blurry than on my o3DS (my n3DS is an XL, my o3DS isn't)

Interesting I wonder if it's the higher graphical power that makes it that way on the new 3ds models

The larger sized screen with the same resolution will make your games look more blurry. It was the same on the DSi XL. If you hold Start while booting a DS game it will display in the original resolution. Of course part of the screen will be black though from nothing displaying there. (Think letterboxing for movies)
 

bahamut920

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Interesting I wonder if it's the higher graphical power that makes it that way on the new 3ds models, luckily my sister has an old 3ds I can use if the specific game I am getting is to stretched out/blurred. Thanks for telling me,
The reason DS games look stretched on a n3DSXL is twofold; first, the XL's screen is larger than the original DS. Second, the 3DS (any version, not just the XL) has a higher screen resolution than the DS. DS games played on the 3DS are scaled up to match the higher resolution by default, which makes them look blurry. Pressing Start or Select while booting a DS game on a 3DS (any model) will have the game run at the original DS resolution, which does not fill the screen, but looks much less blurry. On my standard o3DS, I felt that the reduction in size made playing most DS games less pleasant than the blurriness did. I haven't actually tried non-scaled on my n3DSXL; the increased screen size might end up making the games look more or less like they did on a DS Lite.

I am going to be testing Star Fox Command as well, did that specific game not work with yours by chance?
I haven't tried that specific game. The only game in my entire library I had trouble with was Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked, which would boot to the ATLUS logo screen then play music at a black screen while no controls responded, both on a FreeShop download and on my original physical game cartridge. It turns out it was because of the Luma3DS option to enable the n3DS processor and cache for non-n3DS-enhanced games. Turning that off fixed the problem, so if you end up using a9lh on your n3DS and a game won't boot, try disabling that option (hold Select when booting an a9lh 3DS to get to the Luma3DS options).
 

Hanafuda

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On my standard o3DS, I felt that the reduction in size made playing most DS games less pleasant than the blurriness did. I haven't actually tried non-scaled on my n3DSXL; the increased screen size might end up making the games look more or less like they did on a DS Lite.

That's the only thing I could potentially regret about buying the regular n3ds (SM3DL bundle, bought it a couple weeks ago). I do think DS and GBA games would be a lot better on the XL at original resolution than they do on the smaller screen of mine. But, I like the tighter dot pitch on 3DS games on the regular n3ds, especially with the improved 3D. And ergonomically, it's a lot nicer to have the smaller and lighter unit. Since 3DS games are the main reason I bought it (and after Plailect's guide, I'm set), I'll live with the legacy system display compromises. Besides, I have a DSi and an AGS-101 GBA anyway.
 
Last edited by Hanafuda,

bahamut920

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Having tested a DS game in no-scaling mode on my n3DSXL, the actual used area of the screen looks to be about the same size as my o3DS screen, without stretching or blurring. It seems like XL models of 3DS may be the best for playing DS games, surprisingly.
 

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