Recently, I started to like older generation consoles, turning to games that I unfortunately missed the first time around, like Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Pokémon Sun. For the most part, it’s been a fun foray into games that surprisingly hold their own and, in many cases, offer much better experiences than their more modern counterparts. THE Nintendo 3DS especially, it’s been host to some of my favorite gaming experiences this year, but also, strangely, some of the saddest.
I was naturally disappointed to discover that many 3DS games are now incomplete thanks to the closure of the eShop, but for the most part they were successful in finding new experiences to enjoy. They were rewarding and fun adventures that I have a lot to tell a group of friends who enjoyed all of these games years ago. They just nod their heads as I speak. It’s fun. However, one aspect of my journey that they can all relate to is not particularly fun and that is, strangely enough, deleting save data.
Physical 3DS games keep previous saves
Your progress is saved forever
Something that many people may not know, especially if they have never played a game on the 3DS or bought one second hand, is that save data is stored on the cartridge itself and not on the console. This isn’t particularly new for older generations of consoles, at least for handhelds, but newer consoles, including the Switch, save locally on the console itself. Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way after buying most of my 3DS games second-hand.
Here I was, with the responsibility of essentially recording someone else’s experience and starting over.
I’m a late adopter of the 3DS, and as such, other than my dwindling DS library, I didn’t have much for the console itself. Of course, now that Nintendo has ruined childhood and prevented gamers from experiencing the full package when it comes to certain games by shutting down the eShop, I couldn’t buy anything digitally. So, with just a quick trip to the local store, I found all the essentials: Fire Emblem: Awakening, Pokémon Sun, Mario Kart 7, Animal Crossing: New Leaf; You name it, I probably bought it.
However, as I mentioned, I suddenly found myself faced with a surprising and quite disturbing problem. All of these cartridges I adopted from the local store had history. Each of them came with save data still lockedsome with completed campaigns, others with unfinished stories. I paid cash and wanted to enjoy these games myself. Yet here I was with the responsibility of essentially recording someone else’s experience and starting over.
I hate deleting other people’s 3DS saves
To start over, your progress must be erased
One of the games I was most excited to try on the 3DS was Pokémon Sun. I was excited to decide which starter Pokémon was best for me, to embark on a new Pokémon trip that I inexplicably missed and to see a whole new region. However, when I booted Pokémon Sun For the first time I met Hayden. He existed for 75 hours, met over 100 Pokémon, ventured throughout the Alola region, and met many people. He lived a life inside Pokémon Suncreated memories and established bonds.
I’m being a little dramatic, of course, but in many ways, this is what it feels like to play a game like Pokémon. I remember my first adventure with Red Fire and how deeply upset I was when a family friend deleted my save to start his own. I remember all the Pokémon teams I’ve had over the years and the many journeys I’ve embarked on Ruby, Pearland Black. These are key memories for me, as I’m sure they are for many other people. That’s why deleting Hayden’s data hurt so much.
Of course, eventually I would have to do this. I couldn’t have this completed Pokémon save sitting on the cartridge forevernever to be deleted. Pokémon Sun aims to be one of the best Pokémon games, so I really wanted to try it. Players can also only save one in most 3DS games, so it’s impossible to save those memories forever. I deleted Hayden, watching as he disappeared into the ether forever, locked only in his creator’s mind as distant, fond memories, and now, I suppose, this article. I’m sorry, Hayden.
Every 3DS cartridge is full of memories
It’s unlike any other second-hand product
The question is, it wasn’t just with Pokémon Sun that this happened. My Mario Kart 7 The cartridge, for example, had a number of Cups already completed, with others left untouched. Strangely, there is no other form of second-hand media that has this effect. Of course, everything has memories associated with it, every scratch and stain on a record telling its own story. However, other than old video game cartridges and memory cards, nothing literally contains the history of the previous owner.
The closest thing to this surreal and sad aspect of second-hand physical media are books.as the original owner may write them down or write his name at the beginning. Still, it’s not exactly the same thing. Now my 3DS library is full of my saves, with all the originals, or at least those who owned these cartridges before me, gone. Someday, I’ll probably pass them on again, only this time I’ll be sure to delete my saves before selling them, saving the next owner the hassle and possible heartache of deleting them.
This may not be the most pressing issue for most gamers, especially since few people own a 3DS anymore, despite the console having some of the best games ever made. However, it was something that caught me off guard and made me reflect not only on the incalculable beauty of second-hand physical media, but also on the fact that so many people share these wonderful experiences together, have their own memories of them, and in some cases cases, like mine Pokémon Sun copy, have them permanently ingrained in the media that brought them so much joy.
Source: Nintendo UK/YouTube