Hi all, I have a noob question regarding 3DS. I have never bought any Nintendo consoles, so I need some advices. My sister wants to play some 3DS games. I heard that 3DS still has region lock. How does it work?
If I buy 3DS console here, does it mean I can only play games from Australia only or maybe Europe (UK PAL)? What if my sister is looking for Japanese games? Can she play it with Australian 3DS?
Thanks in advance.
Only a Japanese 3DS can play Japanese games; an American 3DS can only play American games, while a European/Australian 3DS can play both European & Australian games (their regions are considered the same, game wise).
Generally speaking, Australia has some of the highest 3DS prices in the world, so usually price wise, it's better to purchase from Europe (or find retailers, online or otherwise, that import European games rather than sell the local ones). For the 3DS eShop, you can actually switch your 3DS's region to one of the European countries, and then purchase games with your credit card. Money leftover after purchasing a game however will not carry over (if you use the UK eShop to purchase a digital game and you have a bit of money left over, you can't use that money in the Australian eShop).
In terms of release dates…it's a mixed bag. There are often times where both Australia and Europe will not get a game for months, while Americans have already got it. Sometimes games released in the States don't even get a European/Australian release. Of course, the opposite can also happen.
Video Ezy and (judging by the price) Blockbuster sell imported ones. I got Wind Waker for about $55 which is listed on EB Games for $79.95. The only thing is you can't redeem Nintedo Club points.
thanks for the info guys. one other thing, does Nintendo have its own network service like PSN and XBLA? If yes, can we buy game online and share it with other 3DS?
Games released overseas sometimes have different (but similar) names so sometimes some research is needed too. Have no idea why they do this!
Yes it is region locked. There are three regions - Europe/ AU, Japan and US.
You can buy a 3DS in Australia and it will work with games sold in Australia and Europe… but not with Japan or US games.
Similarly, Japan or US console will not work with Australian/ Europe games.