are nintendo ds games region locked?
DSL is not region lock. DSi and XL is. This is only a part truth - the DSi and XL are region locked only for DSi-Enhanced games. The vast majority of DS games are normal ones that can be played on any DS system (apart from the Chinese one). There aren't many DSi-Enhanced games around, but there are some notable ones such as Pokemon Black and White. These will play on any original DS or DS Lite without enhancements, but will only play on the same region's DSi or 3DS. I don't think this is a complete list and I couldn't find an official list of DSi region-locked DS games, but chances are that any games on this list won't work on a different region's DSi or 3DS. Talk3 Share. As with a large amount of commercial media, Nintendo games have different regional formats to discourage importing and to fit the corresponding region's video formats. These restrictions can be bypassed however with a variety of exploits, though at the user's own risk. Nintendo's general history, and current approach for Wii U and 3DS, would seem to preclude any shift in approach, regardless of fan interest. Still, Nintendo has experimented with its approach, even during Iwata's tenure - the original Nintendo DS and DS Lite were region-free, before the DSi locked things down. Iwata noted that the strategy behind regional approaches to hardware and content was something not unique to Nintendo, that it was something the entire industry had to grapple with and manage. I hope that game fans can understand that the industry isn’t doing this solely out of business ego, Iwata said. The locking system on the 3DS will be much like the system used by DVD players and movie releases. The gaming console and corresponding games will have an embedded region code — the console’s region code will not be editable by the user. If the handset region and the game region do not match, gameplay is disabled. The publication cites the following conversation — purportedly between a customer and a Nintendo support staffer — as the source of its information: There are no Region codes in DS and DS Lite, but DSi, DSi [XL], and 3DS have region codes. The region codes are installed in each game and the 3DS itself. … You can’t play if the region codes are different. For example, if you play a Korean 3DS game with a Japanese 3DS system (or vice versa), you won’t be able to play at all. Nintendo of Japan statement suggests software will be restricted. Nintendo's much-anticipated 3DS handheld will apparently be region-locked, meaning that software will only work on hardware from the corresponding territory. That could be bad news for anyone hoping to import the console upon its release in Japan on February 26, or those hoping to sample any of the games that won't make it over to their own shores. With Sony and Microsoft officially supporting region-free systems as they enter their next generation of hardware, Nintendo remains committed to a strategy and philosophy that it has used for the majority of its time in the games industry - Wii U and Nintendo 3DS are locked to specific regions, unable to play software acquired from another territory ... Most Nintendo DS games are region-free and will also play on any type of DS system from any region. DSi-enhanced games, however, won't play on a different region's DSi or 3DS. Except for the four below, DSi-enhanced games can play on any region's original DS or DS Lite, though without the DSi-enhanced features. 1 Answer 1. The 3DS, unlike the Nintendo DS before it, is region-locked. There are 3 regions: North America, Japan and EU/Australia. So if you buy your 3DS in Australia, you'll need to purchase games from either the EU or Australia as well. Nintendo explained their reasoning in the following statement:
Yes, Nintendo's much-anticipated 3DS handheld will apparently be region-locked, meaning that software will only work on hardware from the corresponding territory.