u/CosmicPotato278

I grew up with Pokemon, however, I lost virtually all interest and abandoned it after the first generation. I loved Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow, but that was it for the longest time.

When Pokemon X/Y came out, I decided to give it a shot again. I had an incredible time, I played X for months. I can’t really tell you what made it so great, it just felt like I was experiencing Pokemon for the first time again. I’m pretty sure I sold my 3DS before Sun/Moon came out so I never played or looked anything up on them.

I tried again during Sword/Shield, and I remember really disliking it. I can’t remember why but I just remember it feeling really shallow compared to the fun I had with X/Y. I’m not even sure if I ever beat it. Then with Scarlet/Violet, I gave it a shot, it just looked and played really bad, so I quit after a couple hours and told myself I’d come back to it when it gets fixed. I never went back to it.

So here’s what I want:
\* A game that’s at least somewhat difficult throughout the game, as opposed to only the ending. I distinctly remember how easy some of the games were. Something with at least a slight challenge would be nice.
\* A game that has the basic loop of Pokemon, but either executes it exceptionally well or mixes in some new mechanic or something that really makes it addictive. I want to keep coming back.
\* Not necessarily looking for something completely open ended, but something at least slightly less linear than the typical formula.
\* Definitely want something with some degree of side content.
\* I don’t care about carrying Pokemon across generations, I don’t care about battling others, I don’t care about following guides to find the perfect stat roll on a Pokemon and then equipping them with the ideal move set. I just what something that rewards natural curiosity and exploration.

Please don’t recommend me YOUR favorite Pokemon game. Recommend me the one that checks the most boxes based on my preferences.

https://preview.redd.it/3mbdibtmz9uh1.png?width=447&format=png&auto=webp&s=0ec6e437f3e14ac8bc3554a5423f427dbeb6a3dc

I know there's some, but I'm not really looking for anything beyond any reasonable concerns of safety. All it would have would be that we have 1 cat, and then my phone number, that's it. No name, nothing else.

Yes, I know someone who is casing a house may notice its only a cat, or find some way to look up my phone number, this that and the other, but realistically, would this cause any real concerns? My phone number isn't exactly private, and knowing I have 1 cat won't make a difference because its pretty easy to tell who has a big scary dog and who does not. We just go out of town pretty regularly, I like knowing that if there was a fire or something, they would know my cat could be hiding somewhere.

Looking for great games that are often overlooked because of the franchise they're associated with. For example, Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars sounds extremely generic, but it was actually a fantastic little Fire Emblem/XCOM adjacent strategy game that flew way under the radar.

So I'm primarily looking for DS and 3DS games that are part of franchises that are overlooked because of the inconsistent quality. Things like Need for Speed, FIFA, etc.

Also looking at great games that are overlooked because they're licensed games. The GBA really created a tone where licensed games were generally considered pretty bad because of the amount of shovelware quality games that were being pushed out. The DS pretty much drove the final nail in the coffin. Not saying licensed games had a great reputation prior to GBA, but the quality took a huge nosedive with a bunch of low effort games.

But because of that, I feel like there are many DS and 3DS games that never got a proper chance in the light because they were already viewed in a negative light because they're licensed.

Any suggestions?

Looking for great games that are often overlooked because of the franchise they're associated with. For example, Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars sounds extremely generic, but it was actually a fantastic little Fire Emblem/XCOM adjacent strategy game that flew way under the radar.

So I'm primarily looking for DS and 3DS games that are part of franchises that are overlooked because of the inconsistent quality. Things like Need for Speed, FIFA, etc.

Also looking at great games that are overlooked because they're licensed games. The GBA really created a tone where licensed games were generally considered pretty bad because of the amount of shovelware quality games that were being pushed out. The DS pretty much drove the final nail in the coffin. Not saying licensed games had a great reputation prior to GBA, but the quality took a huge nosedive with a bunch of low effort games.

But because of that, I feel like there are many DS and 3DS games that never got a proper chance in the light because they were already viewed in a negative light because they're licensed.

Any suggestions?

I see them on eBay, but I want to know where I can get a good quality screen replacement (both upper and lower) for a New 3DS (the smaller non-XL non-LL model)?

What if I use an R4 card? What about older systems like SNES? Any way to fix this?

My primary handheld is my Steam Deck, which almost never leaves my house. I use it to emulate anything demanding. For my travel handheld, I wanted something that was just easy and reliable. I started on an Anbernic RG35XXS (first gen), it was a cool device in theory, but it physically felt kind of cheap and the buttons were horrendously clicky. Got rid of it and got a Trimui Brick Hammer, really great build quality but the software started to feel janky (I was using NextUI). The thing that sealed its fate was that I didn’t use it for 3-4 months, I went to power it up and it wouldn’t turn on. Apparently the battery or circuitry or something went into deep sleep, which resulted in 1-2 hours of troubleshooting before I could get it on.

Here is what I want out of my handheld:

* Solid build quality. Not cheap plastic that feels poorly assembled so everything kind of rattles.

* Reliable. Beyond the initial setup, I do not want to do any tinkering whatsoever. I just want it to work, even if I put it down for 3-4 months. I just want it to play games.

* Retro Achievements would be awesome.

* As far as emulation goes, I want it to play everything through the SNES home console era and DS handheld era without any problems whatsoever. Low end PS1 games would be nice (mostJRPGs), but beyond that, I don’t need anything else. I just want them to work without giving me a headache.

* I want this device to last me for many many many years. Obviously a repair may be needed here or there, but I don’t want it to do any more than it does now, and I want it to be around. Not like one of these Chinese consoles that feel like they’re disposable, instead of fixing it you just buy a new one.

Is a New 3DS the solution I’ve been looking for?

That’s the only thing I’m missing. Or is this truly a limitation of the device?