Handheld gaming...a new revelation

So last December I decided to pick up a Nintendo 3DS XL. Up until that point, I was playing games mostly on my iPhone. I just dont always have the time to play my Xbox360. I kind of miss my uni days with my housemates at times, skipping class and playing Halo 2, Pro Evo and Mario Party.  But with a girlfriend now, a job and bills to pay, priorities change. Or at least in my case, ways in which you get your gaming on. I had been enjoying a port of Phoenix Wright which they released on iTunes and decided, I wanted to upgrade my handheld experience.

I consider myself a gamer, Ive been sharpening them skills all the way since the original NES. I consider myself more of a console gamer, more because a lot of my great gaming experiences have been born from it. Streetfighter 2 on the Snes, Tekken2 on the PS1 and Goldeneye on the N64. All hold really classic moments and memories for me and close friends.

Handheld gaming however, Ive always thought - whats the point? Why buy one of these systems when I can get a more immersive experience with my console. Why settle for graphics hugely inferior? (Probably the view PC gamers have of console gamers) Ive definitely had a narrow view of handheld gaming.

The 3DS has been a revelation for me. It has completely obliterated any sort of negativity towards this sort of gaming and I can honestly say, I have been converted and seen the light. I have a few games, 2 of which I have sunk countless hours into. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and Fire Emblem Awakening. The games and nostalgic feeling I get really harken back to days when JRPGs were great. The graphics have come leaps and bounds - and although still not up to the level of the current console generation, are done tastefully enough to keep you immersed.

But other than the games, a really nice feature I enjoy is StreetPass. To those who dont know, StreetPass is a system which allows your 3DS to connect to other 3DS consoles when you are out and about. Its a way for you to connect with other gamers, see what they are playing and even use their avatars in StreetPass games.

So of course, Ive been using my avatar to promote SketchZero.com !

Right now, Fire Emblem Awakening is my obsession. I am utterly hooked. And of course, its another opportunity for me to get SketchZero out there. Every time my 3DS connects with another gamer with the same game -- my SketchZero team invades.

I can only hope my SketchZero team is raining fire on the gamers of North London. And maybe one of those gamers comes here to the blog and ends up reading this. And to you I say 'GG'! Isnt handheld gaming friggen awesome?