Video game-type question. · 5:27pm Sep 21st, 2014
Okay, so in anticipation of Persona Q coming out at the end of November, I have purchased a 3DS. Because I've heard a "New" model is coming out soon, I decided to purchase a used 3DS, to save money in case I decide to upgrade in the near future. I just got it home and turned it on, only to realize two things:
1. The store didn't wipe away the data of the previous user.
2. That data includes a copy of Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures.
This... is awkward. I've unexpectedly got a free game, but I also have the previous owner's Mii's, and also I can't use some features because, obviously, I do not have the previous owner's password (nor do I want it, for that matter). I've found the command to reformat everything and start with a clean slate... but... that means no surprise bonus game.
Is there any way around this, or will I just have to reformat the whole thing? (I mean, I'm not that into Zelda...)
I find it unusual that neither the previous owner nor the store had already run a wipe on the system. I have not used a 3ds in a while but you may be able to copy the game to a SD card, wipe the system, and then copy the game back. Does anyone know if Nintendo finally stopped encrypting games to only work on the system they where downloaded on?
Actually do you have a second SD card or are you willing to get another SD card that is compatible with a 3ds? Most likely the game is stored on the removable SD card. So if you remove the SD card insert the other, then reboot you will probably save the game but still have a clean system. To test that you will want to turn on the system before you reboot and check to see if the game is still on the screen with the new sd card in the slot. If it isn't then you have the game on the other SD card and can safely reboot.
2472253 - I took out the SD card and the game is still there. Looks like it's on the 3DS itself.
2472272 hrrrm is data management locked under a password? so try and copy the game to the sd card and then reboot? Other than that if that didn't work I's say reboot and be done with it since if data management wont allow you to move it then there's no way to actually save it.
You'll probably have to wipe the thing yeah.
The password is 12345.
2472284 - It looks like that's what I'll have to do, since Data Management doesn't seem to show the game anywhere.
EDIT: (Note, though, that I haven't done so just yet, in case someone else has a different idea that might work.)
2472310
Take it back to the store and act like the game was supposed to he included free but the thing is passworded. Demand they wipe it and provide a new game.
2472310
Careful. The "SD" in "SD card" stands for "Secure Digital" and it's possible that the 3DS will lock the game to a key that gets erased when you wipe the user profile.
I seem to remember hearing people bemoaning that they use the SD features to lock save files on SD cards to specific 3DS units.
2472392 Such a dishonest tactic deserves only one icon in response:
2472272
That seems odd. Outside of the SD card, I was unaware the 3DS had anyway to store data on itself. I could easily be wrong though.
2472572 - I don't think it's locked to the SD card, because the game was still there when I turned on the 3DS after removing the SD card. Basically, I'm fairly certain that wiping the game from the 3DS's memory is unavoidable, if I want to Nintendo's eShop, for example, because I can't change the user settings (because I don't know the previous owner's password). I'm just trying to figure out if there's any way to keep the game.
2472817
My point is that, if you copy it to the SD card, the 3DS might encrypt the game with a key that'll be deleted when you wipe the user's profile as a way to ensure that games can't be given away or resold through a mechanism where Nintendo wouldn't get a cut of the profits.
2473066 - I can't copy it to an SD card. The 3DS seems reluctant to acknowledge its existence anywhere but the Home menu.
Chiming in here. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures for 3DS is no longer available. It was a limited-time free release to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the franchise. only individuals who downloaded it in that timeframe can redownload it from the store, and it can no longer be purchased.
From what I know:
Games are tied to 3ds ID..meaning you cant move it without nintendo's help
This changed when the Wii U came out and they allowed you to link a nintendo ID to your 3ds. So if the game was downloaded prior to that, or the prior owner did that, then the game will be gone if you format the data.
The Zelda 4 swords was a free download on the 25th anniversary if you didnt know that alreayd..so its likely this game is tied to the hash of the 3ds youre holding (meaning it wont move). You MAY be able to download it again from the store.
IN the future though, as long as you make a nintendo eshop ID and tie it to your 3ds, you SHOULD (I repeat SHOULD..I have yet to try this as I have an original 3ds from 2011 before all this happen) be able to re-download anything youve purchased or got for free.
IMO nintendo was kind of stupid not initially just making you sign into a store..but whatever. I hope I dont get boned in the future (I prefer buying game carts to prevent this anyway..only one game I want is download only..hesitant to spend 40 bucks and risk losing it should I upgrade hardware.
The games themselves cant be stored to the SD card, I believe, because that just makes it easier to pirate the games (not that its not easy...but more effort required). Now you got me worried whats going to happen to my Zelda should I want to get an XL (resisting..but the big screen..*whine*)
2473234 - I haven't purchased or downloaded anything. The last owner downloaded the game, but neither this person nor the store thought to reformat the 3DS before reselling it. I'm not too upset about this, as it makes perfect sense to keep new owners from mooching off previous ones, but it is a mild disappointment.
2473241
Right, thats what I gathered. Sorry I typed that fast.
The game was free, but no longer available. Unless you can somehow get it to an SD card, I think youll end up losing it. Even IF you get it to an SD card, youll likely not be able to play it because of the security before the Nintendo ID junk.
You COULD try wiping it (if you have to anyway and risk losing it)..then contact nitnendo with the serial of the 3ds, and complain that it was yours and now you cant get it back again..they MAY allow for another download. Like I said the game was free, so they already earned no money towards it at that time..worth a shot if you really want it.
2473249 - Nah. Applejack would disapprove, and I was never a particularly avid Zelda fan in the first place. If there's no way to have my cake and eat it too, I can accept that.
Zelda 4 Swords isn't a 3DS title, it's a DSi title, meaning it works like DSi games. It will only work when in the 3DS's internal storage. But you CAN archive it to an SD card, format the 3DS, then move it back to the 3DS after formatting. I do NOT know if the game will work once you've put in your own account in the 3DS, but it might.
To do this. go to "System Settings" (the icon that looks like a wrench), then choose "Data Management", then "DSi Ware", find the game under "System Memory", tap the game, and choose "Copy", then "OK".
You will be unable to play the game while it is on the SD card.
So… about the game itself. 4 Swords is one of my favorite multiplayer games. But it's not all that amazing single-player (the original version didn't even work single player), and you can't play over the Internet. I played it quite a bit in college on the GBA, but I haven't spent much time with it since. The DSi version has extra features, such as additional levels (which I really want to play), but I'm holding out hoping that it will become available for more people to download, AND hoping that a friend of mine (or 3) will actually get 3DSs (or DSis, since it's cross generation playable.)
Games downloaded to the 3DS are locked to the console, not the owners Nintendo Store login. You can just log out the previous owner and sign in to your account and keep the game while acquiring new purchases on your account.
Miis are easy to remove, just make a new one.
2473307 - Huh... it was already on the SD Card. (That's the other weird thing, actually - the store never mentioned that I'd get an SD Card. They said their used 3DS's only came with adapters. I'm not sure the last owner realized that their SD card was still in this thing.)
Well, if there's any way to do this honestly, this sounds like the best way to do it. If it doesn't work out, so be it.
Have you tried playing it yet? If it's on the SD card already it shouldn't work.
2473327 - I did try playing it, and it worked. It's on both the system and the SD card.
2473311 - Wait, you can log someone else out? How do I do that? It won't let me on unless I have the previous owner's password.
So when you're looking at the list of DSiWare games in data management, 4 Swords shows on both the system storage AND SDcard lists?
2473351 - Indeed it does.
OK, silly me. I just tried it with a DSi game I have. It sounds like you already have an archive copy on your SDcard, but when you play the game, you are playing the copy on the internal system memory.
You SHOULD be able to format the 3DS, put in your own Nintendo network ID (or create one) and copy 4Swords back onto the system.
As far as I am aware, DSi Ware games only cared about the hardware, not the account they were purchased with. So it should work.
If you weren't the person that made the SDcard archive copy then you might want to delete it off the SDcard and make a new archive. You don't know if that archive came from another 3DS/DSi.
2473380 - Well, it didn't work. Even though I removed the SD card before reformatting, the 3DS can no longer read the archived copy. Eh, it's just as well. I don't like the idea of keeping other people's stuff around, anyway.
2472656
You say that but Sonic seems to like the idea.
2473380
If the 3DS is reset using the built in tool, it won't matter whether the SD card has changed or even if it's the original. The encryption on the 3DS will no longer match the encrypted game files on the SD card. It's the same reason you can't backup a game on the card and just give it to a friend to use on their system.
2473333
Used to be able to. Just checked, can't do it any more. I guess things have changed in the past two years since Iast turned on my 3DS.