3DS Friend Codes to be 12 digits long, support surprisingly robust feature set

Yeah, fumbling through a bunch of numbers is definitely a hassle, but this time, Nintendo actually plans on making it worth your while.

In its never-ending quest to become a shapeless energy being of pure 3DS knowledge, Nintendo 3DS Blog caught a glimpse of one of the handheld's new-and-improved Friend Codes. Twelve digits look to be the sweet spot this time around, but - as you probably figured out after the collective sigh of relief that caused tidal waves large enough to be mistaken for The End Times - Friend Codes are now universal. No more game-specific malarkey.

On top of that, Andriasang took a closer look at the 3DS central interface, which can be accessed mid-game on the bottom screen. Among other things, it allows you to write memos, view which of your friends are online and what they're playing, and receive Spot Pass and Street Pass notifications.

All told, we think it sounds pretty solid - though not exactly revolutionary. Good to see Nintendo getting with the times, though. Well, 2005, anyway.