This is a good week for 3DS owners. Partially, because we’re all pretty much getting the chance to enjoy Super Smash Bros . That’s pretty important. However, something almost has big has also happened. We received a 3DS firmware update that allows us to customize our systems with themes and take screenshots.
It’s undoubtedly good news. Any firmware update that does more than miscellaneous adjustments and system stability improvements is always welcome. It makes us feel like we updated for a reason. It gives an impression that the company cares. Especially since the themes and screenshot function work right away, and further firmware tweaks aren’t required to perfect them. There are just two minor issues.
The biggest is, the Japanese launch was better. Japan had 50 themes at launch . The selection was huge, and featured subtle themes with character patterns, as well as more intricate designs. Sadly, the North American launch is about half that. Many of the themes present in Japan are absent here, despite the games having been released in both regions. I was especially sad to see the Animal Crossing: New Leaf variations weren’t immediately available so I could throw my money at Nintendo.
It seemed an odd decision on the company’s part. You’d think Nintendo would want people to be spending money on these customization options right away, and the best way to do that would be to have every possible design. I know I would have purchased every Animal Crossing theme, had they been up there at launch. Instead, I’m only grabbing the Hanafuda one. Sure, they’re only $2 each, but that money can add up if people see a game they love and buy in bulk.
The other downside is the lackluster screenshot function. The Vita has the delightful ability to take screenshots of pretty much every game, so long as someone presses the Home and Start buttons at the same time. A handful of 3DS games have offered screenshot capabilities, but this boon is limited to single games. When the 3DS update promised screenshots, the hope was that suspending the game would allow someone to take a screenshot of the home screen. Instead, it only allows a user to take a picture of the Home menu.
Which makes no sense. There’s no real reason for anyone to take a Home menu screenshot. It isn’t as though we can make custom themes, which we would then want to show off. It just lets you have to show off a theme, which anyone could get from the eShop and see for themselves. I suppose someone could use it to show off what games they have installed on their system, but is anyone that desperate to brag? At the moment, it’s pointless.
Essentially, the 3DS themes firmware update is a good first step towards something greater. This firmware update helps make the system a little more unique. One can only hope it gets better with the addition of more themes, and perhaps a screenshot feature that does more than, you know, take a picture of the Home screen.