04.07
From Nintendo Life.
With the 3DS’ days numbered as an active platform due to the upcoming eShop closure, I decided to dust it off and pick up some digital exclusives that will soon officially go the way of the dodo, lest we enjoy re-releases or the advent of time travel. It’s always a strange feeling to see a console become ‘obsolete’; how these cutting-edge devices into which we devote years of intrigue, money, and time are suddenly usurped by ever-evolving technology. My love for the 3DS, however, is particularly deep-rooted and as I browsed the storefront for some last-minute additions to the collection, my mind started wandering.
It was 2013 and I found myself back in my old hometown, having graduated from university. It’s a story that’s probably familiar to a lot of people — you go from the regimented nature of full-time study to losing that structure overnight, suddenly at the mercy of a ruthlessly competitive job market and separated from the comforts of friends and freedom. Such a shift in lifestyle can be tough to take and after the first ten or so rejection letters from potential employers, life can begin to feel a bit directionless. After a few months of this, the days sort of blend into one.
One thing was new though — my shiny 3DS. I had largely fallen out of the gaming habit over my years in academia, my last purchases having been the GameCube and original DS. But a workmate at my last part-time job — which I left to move back home and look for something in my field — had insisted I try Nintendo’s latest handheld. Giving into this one-man peer pressure, I treated myself to a red XL version. Before long, said colleague and I were sitting on upturned buckets in the store’s warehouse playing Mario Kart 7. Something dormant in me stirred. Continue reading on Nintendo Life…