I'd like to take a moment to discuss a sorely under-discussed feature of the 3DS called StreetPass.

For those unaware, StreetPass is a feature of the 3DS that comes into play when the system is in sleep mode, with the communication function on. Any other 3DS systems that you pass by (which are also in the same state) will go through a brief communication with your system, and transfer some data.

The basic functionality of it transfers Miis which can then be used in the Mii Plaza Games. The Mii Plaza also lets you pass messages to anyone you've passed by more than once, as well as see what games they have been playing lately.

The genius of the system, though, is that games can be set up to transfer data as well. What gets transferred depends on the game.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds transfers your StreetPass Dark Link, a copy of your character with all your stats and equipment, and two items that you select. This Dark Link can then be fought by those who StreetPass with you for money, or to complete achievements.

Fire Emblem Awakening transfers your StreetPass team: ten soldiers (including the player avatar) that you select and equip to send out. The person who gets your team can choose to recruit your avatar, fight your team, or buy the items that your team is carrying.

Bravely Default lets you transfer villagers to rebuild the town, or friends to summon to battle.

Even better, however, is that once you set up StreetPass for a game, your system will continue to maintain the data, even after you stop playing it. So when everyone starts playing Bravely Default in a few days, you can still pick up the data from their Fire Emblem StreetPass, along with the new data for Bravely Default. The system is capable of maintaining up to 12 games worth of data at a time.


StreetPass really is one of the best social functions I've ever seen or heard proposed for a game. In the hands of a good game designer, it allows for some great social interaction, and some excellent additions to games. I carry my 3DS around with me all the time, and I just rack up StreetPass connections. I've seen regular customers at my work place that I've connected with several times, and passed items and team members on in Fire Emblem, or let them face my army of maxed out Dark Links in Link Between Worlds (actually, two maxed out, and one that I leave blank which they can fight for achievements). It's a fantastic way to have small, game-related interactions, and to give small gameplay rewards and bonuses.

I haven't heard a lot of people talk about StreetPass, which is a shame, because I think it's a brilliant system. So I'd like to make a thread here where we can discuss it. Give your opinion of the system itself, list which games you think use it best, and talk about how you think games could or should use it going forward.