There’s a lot of reasons to love the Nintendo 3DS, but StreetPass will always hold a special place in my heart. This function allows you to swap Miis with other 3DS users who pass you by, and then use them in cute minigames. The anticipation of new passes made a lot of things more tolerable for me, especially one of my boring part time jobs.
My first job out of college was as a cashier in the cafe for a museum. It wasn’t the most thrilling or interesting job, but it netted me beer money and my coworkers were pretty nice. Still, every day was a struggle against becoming so bored I fell asleep at the register. After about a month I earned enough money to finally buy a 3DS, and I found that StreetPass made it easier to stay awake.
Obviously I couldn’t play games at work, but during my hour long bus ride home I’d sort through the passes I’d made that day. I stashed my bag in the cubby hole beneath the register, so everyone who bought a soda or an overpriced salad had the potential to be one of the passes helping me through Find Mii or giving me puzzle pieces. I started to really pay attention to guests — which one of the kids on a field trip was playing Bravely Default? Who was the lady playing Style Savvy?
I got hundreds of passes this way. I’ve got a pass from almost all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. I have passes from Germany, the UK, the Bahamas, and a few from Japan. It was really cool to see just how many people from all over the world visited this museum — and so many of those art lovers also loved games.
As I looked back on the passes from my cashier job today, I started to notice some trends. Mum types in the Great Lakes region seem to like Animal Crossing. The museum I worked at was near an art school, and I’ve got a couple dour Miis dressed in all black from people playing VVVVVV at the time. The girl I talked to wearing a Homestuck t-shirt was definitely playing Fire Emblem: Awakening. Surprising absolutely no one, all people, in all countries, of all genders and races love Pokémon.
Where have you gotten interesting StreetPasses, gentle readers? Any other secret goldmines of people playing the 3DS to StreetPass with? And which one of you made the disturbingly realistic Saddam Hussein Mii that I passed with three years ago?
Comments
7 responses to “What Are Your Best StreetPass Stories?”
First time meeting Clockface, @sernobulus mii and being absolutely terrified
I was at the Grand Canyon. One streetpass over the course of the day. From a guy from New South Wales!
I can remember going to the Zelda orchestra concert at the Sydney Opera House. I would say at least every second person had a 3DS with them, and the StreetPassing was insane. I got a special achievement for getting over a hundred in a day.
Taking my 3DS to the midnight launch of Pokemon Alpha/Omega in Canberra. I got over 500 hits – Would of been more if it wasn’t for the cap
Taking my 3DS to Japan and getting dozens upon dozens of streetpasses in a day, just by catching the trains. Not just in Tokyo… but _everywhere_ there!
Way too many. I first met Wingman at college by recognising her from her Mii in StreetPass and saying hi (and freaking her out by having this stranger coming up to her and using her online handle). Getting all competitive with friends while holidaying in Japan trying to see who could collect the most regions. Stomping through Supanova in its dying hours while wearing ski boots trying to scoop up as many StreetPasses so I could hit that magical 100-in-a-day achievement (only to just fall short, but managing to get the final two I needed at the train station just before I got to my car). All the times I randomly picked up a StreetPass from someone I knew or recognised in general day-to-day activities. And of course, every time I found some cool cat who also picked up Shinobi.
I went to Japan in 2015 and got streetpass hits from most prefectures (and also managed to finish most of the streetpass puzzles).
I hope to complete Much of North America when I go to the US later this year.
Got a US 3DS a few days after launch when I was in Tokyo – even that early on, the Streetpasses were insane. Shinjuku station was a literal goldmine. I got set up there for a good half hour one afternoon in peak hour and it was insane. I think it was in the vicinity of over 100, but for a brand new system that was just nuts.
Can anyone tell me how many street passes I can collect before it stops? I’m heading to the us in August and I’m talking my 3DS with me. I would the Nintendo store in new York will be a huge hit but I also don’t know where other places are popular? Can anyone help?