When it comes to StreetPass games, we all have our priorities. Some of us try to complete the panels faster while others will try to get over with the quests to unlock hats. Either way to make the best you will need plenty of Play Coins. Here are my friendly tips to make the best of your hunt for pieces.
1. Always go after the pink pieces
Every one of us are given one piece when a new panel is revealed. Only really really lucky users will get that first piece to be pink. Pink cannot be obtained with Play Coins. The only absolute way to find them will be if you have a streetpass Mii with them, and it’s just one per Mii encounter every time. You cannot complete a panel without pink pieces because they are necessary, so give them priority. Pink versus Blue? Make pink your winner every time.
I hear you. You are sometimes one piece away from completing a panel and the right blue may be more appealing at the time, but trust me, even at that moment it is better to go after the pink one. I know the impatience, but delaying it a day or two by choosing a pinky will avoid you a crusade of weeks for that same pink. Resist the urge.
2. Use the Play Coins when your panels are almost empty
Every time you use your Play Coins you will get a random blue piece for one of the panels you have yet to complete. The more progress you have made with a panel, the harder is to get new pieces because you you cannot choose what panel you are buying the piece for. It can be frustrating to see them dance to the puzzles you don’t need that much help.
My advice here is to try to stack the odds of getting a new piece in your favour. As soon as you are given a few new panels (or if you got your 3DS recently), spend them like crazy to get new pieces. I usually stop when I have my incomplete panels around half way done. If you have a new panel and two incomplete ones, then don’t spend the Play coins yet and focus on completing the panels. Maybe by the time you complete one of them, a new one will pop up and then the odds will be in your favour again for Play Coin spree. If not, you have already raised your chances of getting a new piece to a little less than fifty percent.
If you are at a disadvantage and have plenty of coins to spare (three digits amount), you might give it a shot but be ready to give away many of them in fruitless pieces you already had. If you are okay with this then go on and you might at least get it to a third of completion, maybe more if you’re lucky. When I do this I usually last a while just getting two repeated pieces and a new one. I keep on spending coins until I get three repeated pieces in a row, at which point I stop as I rather save some coins to grow back my pile.
4. Try to focus in panel with most pieces
Unless it is the most boring unwanted one, which you’re leaving as your fall out, you should always be in the lookout for the panel that is closer to completion and focus the new pieces to this one. A complete panel is one panel less that will receive unnecessary pieces from Play Coins and overall out of your hair.
I know, it can be frustrated to have almost three panels that aren’t quite finished and in a day you might find that you receive from your streetpass pieces for only one of the panels and now the panel with most pieces is a different one from yesterday. That is fine, now you shift your priority to that one. Keep doing that and most likely you will have bursts of satisfaction with a few completed panels every few weeks instead of the sad spread of six or more panels half filled: Too full to use Play Coins effectively and too empty to be near completion. If you are in that situation, just choose the one with the most pieces and try to focus your new pieces towards it.
5. Going out? Don’t forget your 3DS
I don’t know you, but I tend to be unpredictable when I go out. I think I’m meeting my friends for a small catch up, however, we end up going to the city or they want to go take a stroll in a random Mart. If there is something that aches me in those unforeseen changes of plans is to know that I had my 3DS charged and ready to go, but I left it at home simply because I shrugged off the idea and now I am missing the opportunity to make a few streetpass Miis.
So don’t think much about it if you have a backpack or baggy pockets and are interested in getting streetpass. Don’t minimize the possibilities because it is better to be ready than to be sorry.
6. Head toward the masses
This is probably the only trick that is not new as of now. Going to video game stores help me get one or two streetpasses, going to the city and walking around the plaza or the busiest avenue gets me many new Miis, even from different regions. I have even unlocked panels this way, as sometimes I find a piece for a panel I don’t have while meeting a more seasoned 3DS walker.
Forget the gaming stereotype. The truth is, men and women young and old are out there with their 3DS with the same hope as you. Everyone does not have the time of their day or resources to go everywhere they want so they carry them to work, school, shopping or where their routine take them. By going to public areas like the city, big shopping malls, free attendant events and the like at least once a week, you dramatically increase the odds of having streetpass Miis that will contain the pieces that you’re after.
7. Have patience
This is a waiting game. You will know that you’re doing good at it when you gather 10 Miis and only two of them had a piece to offer you while the remaining waves you Goodbye. Sometimes I get this many and no one new piece, but don’t worry because people will catch up, and thanks to random lady they will in time have the pieces you missed. If you are stuck with void streetpass pieces, change the area and try to get the hits from another suburb.
This is what I have learned in my journey to collect puzzle pieces. I hope it can be of help to you so that you can avoid some of the bad situations I got myself into while learning on my own journey.
