Must buy E-shop Games

[BabuFrik]

Got the idea from Lockstar91's post on ps2 games, figured I would put this here for those wondering what to buy before the E-shop closes.
"You can have more than one post but you should not name games that you already named before and you can not edit your post after submitting."
Platinum Tier Games (Top 3)

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Gold Tier Games (7+ votes)

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Silver Tier Games (5+ votes)

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Bronze Tier Games (3+ votes)

• Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
• Shovel Knight

Spoiler: Honourary mentions

• Gotta Protectors
• Shakedown Hawaii
• Pullblox
• Attack of the Friday Monsters
• Dillon’s Rolling Western
• Gunman Clive
• Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Trilogy
• Phoenix Wright DD
• Phoenix Wright SoJ
• Shantae and The Pirate’s Curse
• Steamworld Dig
• SteamWorld Heist
• Shovel Knight
• Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move
• VVVVV
• Harmoknight
• EarthBound
• Shantae Risky’s Revenge
• Mega Man Legacy Collection
• Pokemon RBY
• Pokemon GSC
• Zombie panic in wonderland DX
• X-Scape
• Mightly Flip Champs!
• Zenonia
• Might Milky Way
• Cave Story
  

So most of the comments turned out to be a discussion on whether you should even buy e-shop games anymore, but this is a resource for those who want to buy e-shop games. If you are planning to buy e-shop games however, do read through this thread.

 

[Sotaeko]

Gotta Protectors has multiplayer,a level editor, replay value because of a mod being worked on for it which gives the game more variety.

Shakedown: Hawaii because its an upgraded Retro City Rampage.

 

[draftguy]

My list in no particular order:

Pullblox / Pushmo
Attack of the Friday Monsters
Dillon's Rolling Western
Gunman Clive
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy / DD / SoJ
Shantae And The Pirate's Curse
SteamWorld Dig
SteamWorld Heist
Shovel Knight
Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move
VVVVVV
HarmoKnight
(EarthBound)

 

[Marc_LFD]

Buy eShop games?

When Nintendo shuts down the store and eventually the online services, you can't download it again so make sure to have a backup of it. This is the problem with digital purchases, it's just a rental for an extended period of time rather than actually owning it.

If that wasn't a problem, I'd have no probs buying from there.

 

[TalentX]

Buy eShop games?

When Nintendo shuts down the store and eventually the online services, you can't download it again so make sure to have a backup of it. This is the problem with digital purchases, it's just a rental for an extended period of time rather than actually owning it.

If that wasn't a problem, I'd have no probs buying from there.

This tbh.

I don't suggest anyone to buy games from e-shop, since it's going to shut down.
You're paying for a rent that is eventually about to expire anyway.

I am sorry that this is not really promoting the purpose of this thread, but I feel like you should at least point out about this, since it's actually a big deal promoting something that could cause more trouble than gain.

It's probably also what Nintendo would like everybody to think this way too, somewhat like "oh no, e-shop is closing! Let's buy our favourite games before we can't anymore!".
But it's not like that!!

You can still buy games retail. And you can still pirate it, if you cannot get your hands on retail either. You can also make the retail version a digital version if you have a modified 3DS. Don't waste money for the digital version.
One day you will be thankful to me if you listen now.

Cheers
TalentX

 

[KleinesSinchen]

On topic: Wonder if I should include Virtual Console and DSiWare since they are technically not 3DS games… well… I will include them:
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Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
Shantae Risky's Revenge (DSiWare)
Shovel Knight
Mega Man Legacy Collection
Pokémon 1st and 2nd gen (GB/GBC)
Earthbound (SNES, "New" series consoles only)
Zombie Panic in Wonderland DX (seriously, it's brainless fun)
=====
There are a lot more games for 3DS worth buying, but many of them were also released physically which is often cheaper on the used market and has other advantages as mentioned above.



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So now for the off-topic part. Well, not really off-topic. "Should I buy anything on eShop?" is an important questions standing before "What should I buy eShop?"

The problematic "digital vs. physical" is often discussed and never comes to an end with arguments repeated over and over again. My personal decision on this is physical whenever possible. The only advantage the digital release form has is: Small independent developers can nowadays publish games. Releasing a cartridge (or just a cheaper to produce CD) is a huge financial task and risk. We can now have console games that we wouldn't have in the 1980s and 1990s.
I bought quite a few of them on my 3DS, Wii and Wii U.

Buy eShop games?

When Nintendo shuts down the store and eventually the online services, you can't download it again so make sure to have a backup of it. This is the problem with digital purchases, it's just a rental for an extended period of time rather than actually owning it.

This is an unsolved problem in my opinion. Keeping servers for a discontinued platform up forever costs money and bring none. Something that no company will want. On the other hand: Buying a license means buying a license and not renting. If I have a software license without time limit, I have the right to use it forever. No idea about the detailed juristic implications. Will probably be a classic case of "Two lawyers, three opinions!" There are a lot of people that will just shout "You agreed the terms of services saying […]!!! They have the right to […]!!!" as if TOS and EULAs were scientific facts that cannot be challenged and are beyond any reproach and more powerful/important than laws. Some people like to worship EULAs… but that really goes off-topic.

Server shutdowns aren't the only threat for purchased games (software licenses). Consoles and data storage media (cartridges, optical discs) can and will fail at some point – as all things built by humans. So, if my Super Mario World cartridge corrodes, my Spyro PlayStation CD rots or my GameCube laser fails this will also stop me from playing things I paid for and I might lawfully continue to play. Is the manufacturer obliged to offer service forever? Rather not. So this will be a Game Over as well.
(I have to emphasize at this point how durable old consoles, especially Nintendo stuff, proved to be – up to now I own zero failed consoles/games and one failed GC controller thumb stick which I replaced by soldering in a new one). It might even be hard to find a new TV supporting old analogue inputs (or buying additional converters hopefully not introducing lag).

Long story short: For preservating our stuff, we must back it up. The 3DS security system being fully broken, there is nothing from stopping us backing up purchased items for the case of:

• eShop server shutdown
• Defective/lost/stolen consoles
• Having to use the games on a newer device (emulator)

 

[RAHelllord]

My list of games would include the following:

DSi Ware:
- Shantae Risky's Revenge (though this one has a pretty good port on the switch)
- X-Scape (US) / 3D Space Rank (PAL)
- Mighty Flip Champs!
- Zenonia
- Mighty Milky Way

Apart from Shantae none of those games have decent ports to other consoles that are still available.

3DS:
- Cave Story (I like the 3D effect here, skip if you don't have a NN3DS, though)
- Pullblox / Pushmo
- VVVVVV
- Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
- Shovel Knight Treasure Trove (You're getting all 4 campaigns for just 30 bucks here)


Also ya'all need to learn how to back up your shit. Nothing physical is immune against the passage of time, or just freak accidents like a cable in a wall catching fire thanks to some rodent thinking it's edible. Basically every console on the market can now be soft modded to allow you to make full backups compatible with other consoles of the same type, allow for emulation on other systems, and more. Physical cartridges can also mostly be backed up easily these days via stuff like the Sanni cart reader, and disk drives take care of most other formats. Backing up save files from memory cards, the N64 memory pak, and similar is also possible via similar tools.

If you don't own a backup, you don't own the data at all.

 

[BaamAlex]

I don't suggest anyone to buy games from e-shop, since it's going to shut down.

It's not like you can make copies of it. You have full control over your 3DS anyway when a CFW is installed...

 

[Marc_LFD]

It's not like you can make copies of it. You have full control over your 3DS anyway when a CFW is installed...

True that you can do that, but since we bought it digitally it should be available for redownload though we know that'll eventually be revoked.

At least PlayStation and Xbox handle legacy support better than Nintendo. Well, Sony had to receive backlash so that they'd keep PS3's service still activate otherwise it'd have become unavailable.

And now, Modern Warfare II on physical media is just a code in a box (technically a code in a disc or something), pretty much.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Got the idea from Lockstar91's post on ps2 games, figured I would put this here for those wondering what to buy before the E-shop closes.
"You can have more than one post but you should not name games that you already named before and you can not edit your post after submitting."
Platinum Tier Games (Top 3)

•
•
•

Gold Tier Games (7+ votes)

•

Silver Tier Games (5+ votes)

•

Bronze Tier Games (3+ votes)

•

Spoiler: Honourary mentions

There is a similar thread.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/essentials-nintendo-e-shop.317813/
Probably hasn't been updated in a long time, but could be a good starting point.

 

[Deleted member 194275]

Edit: I answered thinking on the switch eShop, my bad, deleted everything.

 

[Kwyjor]

There is a similar thread.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/essentials-nintendo-e-shop.317813/
Probably hasn't been updated in a long time, but could be a good starting point.

I mean, does it really need updating? The 3DS eShop selection hasn't changed.

I also suggest this rather excellent video.

-Hades
-Celeste
-Horizon Chase
-Stardew Valley
-Octopath Travler
-Cult of the Lamb
-SEGA AGES Outrun
-SEGA AGES Alex Kidd
-The messenger
-Divinity 2

If this thread isn't going to be limited to 3DS games, then it is going to be of even more questionable purpose.

 

[duwen]

It's also a tricky prospect considering that certain titles were e-shop only in some regions but had physical releases elsewhere... as such it follows that this list is only really of benefit to non-pirates, and a non-cfw'd system is region locked.

 

[Deleted member 194275]

I mean, does it really need updating? The 3DS eShop selection hasn't changed.

I also suggest this rather excellent video.



If this thread isn't going to be limited to 3DS games, then it is going to be of even more questionable purpose.

I was browsing the switch section before landing here, my bad.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I mean, does it really need updating? The 3DS eShop selection hasn't changed.

I also suggest this rather excellent video.



If this thread isn't going to be limited to 3DS games, then it is going to be of even more questionable purpose.

People's opinion might have changed, games that came out late in the 3DS' life cycle might not be on the list. The thread is from 2012, and it doesn't say when it was last updated, so who knows. Looking at the list, it certainly doesn't seem complete, I mean Shantae is not even on there. But as said, could still be useful.

 

[Maximumbeans]

snip

Really excellent answer and you're right, it's an unsolved question. This is what happens when you have something like the internet—a vast information network to which basically all human endeavour now trickles—meeting a concept like traditional media 'ownership'. If the internet had never happened, the issue would be very different. The owner of the work has all the supply and you buy a piece of it for yourself. Okay, yeah, we all used to tape songs off the radio and rip/burn CDs, but that's low level stuff that made even lower quality versions.

But now you can actually have the game. You don't just buy a copy on a disc or cartridge that can scratch or burst or degrade. Somebody somewhere gets the ROM and you can download it for free. Hell, hold down CTRL and spam V to make as many copies of the thing as you like. You can keep a backup on your phone or saved in your emails.

Regardless of where you stand in the rights and wrongs of that from a legal and moral standpoint, it does beg the question as to why any of us should accept that the thing we paid for should get taken away from us when the company decides it's too old to bother with anymore.

 

[cvskid]

I agree unless you are dumping games and dlc for the community there is no point in buying anything digital anymore.