Buying 3ds Second hand

Rorok

I'm buying a 3ds second hand and I was wondering if there's anything I should look out for when I get it? Like dodgy buttons or stuff like that

Banjo

I'm no expert tire kicker, but I would :
Test shoulder buttons - can't think of how you'd do this without a game that uses them;
check the hinge for cracks and see if the screen flickers when you move the screen back and forth.
There's a calibration app for the touchpad lets you confirm that it works accurately.
Silly one but open the built in sound application and confirm that the mic works (I once bought a standard DS, the mic was knackered, found out a year later and was unable to get more than 5 mins into Zelda Spirit Tracks )
If WiFi is off, turn it on and see if the console goes doolally (There was a black-screen issue caused by loose WiFi cards, which happens if you drop the console a few times.)
If you have a smart phone you can share out your internet connection as an open connection (or look up the SSID and password for a Nintendo Zone network) and confirm the WiFi connects.
Plug it into a charger and confirm the right LEDs come on and that the battery indicator shows it charging.
Take front and rear photos and make sure the lens covers aren't scratched to ****e.
Other than that, fire up a game and test all the buttons and controllers. Street Fighter IV is usually 5 or 6 quid in Argos, uses all the buttons and is worth the money

Edit : Argos have dropped Dead or Alive Dimensions to under a fiver again - that's also a decent fighting game, I think it uses all the buttons, and it has the 2nd best boob-physics on the platform (based on independent investigations, I mean I'm no expert).

ShadowHearth

Just my 2cent:

I would not buy a second hand handheld simply due to hygiene reasons. When it comes to things like Pc parts, consoles, games I never have problems, but stuff like phones, handhelds and god forbid headphones. I am not a clean freak by any chances, but I got my own weirdness.
Handheld console is a thing that is always in your hands. I know where my hands were and I have no Idea whos hands were touching that second hand console.

As for what to look out for if you do buy one, then Banjo pretty much nailed everything you need to know.

Rorok

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Just my 2cent:

I would not buy a second hand handheld simply due to hygiene reasons. When it comes to things like Pc parts, consoles, games I never have problems, but stuff like phones, handhelds and god forbid headphones. I am not a clean freak by any chances, but I got my own weirdness.
Handheld console is a thing that is always in your hands. I know where my hands were and I have no Idea whos hands were touching that second hand console.

As for what to look out for if you do buy one, then Banjo pretty much nailed everything you need to know.

The guy I bought it off was sound and he told me where the scratches were (no matter how small) and all that, if he'd ever dropped it, etc etc. But I know what you mean