Hacker News Reader

Comment by lifeisstillgood | Hacker News Reader

Ok this is a silly "uncool dad" question but my gaming chops stopped with Gauntlet.

Should my pokemon obsessed six year old receive a Nintendo 3Ds for Xmas, or an iPad mini with Pokemon Go on it ?

My intuition is to go for the iPad as a more general platform and more understandable - but the main use case here is Pokemon

So, embarrassing question but don't want Santa to make the wrong delivery

View on HN

Definitely a 3DS, Go might just be another terrible cash grab pay-to-win game. It might also be amazing, but the 3DS is the safer choice.

I don't think an iPad will be able to compare as a Pokémon delivery device to a 3DS. It looks like this game is still a ways off, and may only function using smartphone (not tablet) functionality like data connection in our life places and GPS. However a 3DS can play probably a dozen different Pokémon titles and doesn't rely on any data connection when out and about. Since you say that Pokémon is the main use case, seems pretty cut and dry to me.

On mobile can't edit: data connection in outside and public places

Looks like the consensus is the 3DS, I'd go with that too. You might consider the New 3DS XL (it has a second analog control nub) but be sure to pick up the separate AC charger since for whatever reasons it's not bundled with it. The 3DS is a good choice since you have the newest generation (Pokemon X/Y), but also all the game gens from the older DS plus the DS remakes of the game boy color and game boy advance generations. Way more Pokemon than may be healthy. ;)

I bought one a couple of days ago and got caught out by this.

Are they assuming that most people who buy a 3DS have previously owned a DS console, so don't need a charger?

I can't think of any other electronic device that doesn't use USB charging that doesn't come with a way to charge it - and even the USB ones tend to come with a cable.

I'm sure you're already aware, but it's worth noting that Nintendo produce a 3DS aimed at children called the 2DS. There are two key features of the 2DS.

1. No 3D screen. Nintendo warns about the effects of a 3D screen on a child's eyesight.

2. No hinge! Less chance of being broken by folding it back too far etc. Children tend to wear the hinges out on these things.

The part about 3D affecting children seems to have been made up by the legal team, since there's no actual evidence of problems.

Pokemon Go will not be a replacement for a real pokemon game like you can get on 3DS, but a tablet can run an emulator and play the old gameboy games.

Pokemon Go won't be out for Christmas 2015. The release date just seems to be "2016" at this point.

Thank you "wisdom of the crowds"

I would go with the iPad mini too! Hopefully the Pokemon Go will come soon, meanwhile the Pokemon shuffle will last him/her for awhile!

Pokémon Shuffle does not compare to a fully featured story game. Growing up I played Pokémon games on my Gameboy Color while out with the parents (of course, this long predates WiFi) . Shuffle requires being online to function, vastly reducing the places it can function.

I agree with other commenters. The poster should purchase a 3DS.

Shuffle is closer to a flash game really, so I doubt it would hold their attention that long.

6y old? 3DS.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com