Users can press the HOME Button during gameplay to do things from the HOME Menu like take Game Notes or check the friend list. Applications must implement processing to launch the HOME Menu when the HOME Button is pressed; for detailed information on how to do this, refer to the Function Reference Manual and the Nintendo 3DS Programming Manual, as well as the content of this chapter.
2.5.1 HOME Button Features
By supporting the HOME Button, an application can provide a number of features for the user’s convenience. These allow the user to perform actions such as the following:
- Check a friend’s online status while the application is still running
- Browse the Internet to get information about the application
- Change the screen brightness at any time
- Check the battery power level or time
To raise user awareness of these benefits, the HOME Button was conceived as a button that can be pressed at any time to return to the HOME Menu, or to display the HOME Menu Disabled Icon in cases when it is not possible to return to the HOME Menu. In addition, with Nintendo 3DS systems we would like to try to encourage users to shut down their applications by opening the HOME Menu and closing the application from there, rather than closing the application by powering the system off.
No required guideline items.
2.5.2 Launching the HOME Menu
Applications must immediately launch the HOME Menu upon detecting that the HOME Button has been pressed. In cases where it would be extremely difficult to switch to the HOME Menu—and only in such cases—you may display the HOME Menu Disabled icon to skip transitioning to the HOME Menu.
However, it is prohibited to have specifications that disable the HOME Button in all or most scenes of the application.
The HOME Menu must be launched within approximately 0.5 seconds after the HOME Button press is detected. It is considered the ideal to launch the HOME Menu within 0.5 seconds of a HOME Button press, but it is acceptable as long as the HOME Menu launches within several seconds. Note that in certain circumstances, CTR systems take four seconds or more to display the HOME Menu after the application detects a HOME Button press and launches the HOME Menu. This means that for CTR systems only, there are several exceptions for cases where it is always acceptable to take several seconds to launch the HOME Menu (see Note).
In cases such as the examples below where it would be extremely difficult to switch to the HOME Menu—and only in such cases—you may display the HOME Menu Disabled icon to skip transitioning to the HOME Menu. When displaying the HOME Menu Disabled icon, the application must comply with section 2.5.3 Displaying the HOME Menu Disabled Icon.
- When it will clearly take more than a few seconds to launch the HOME Menu, such as when the button is pressed while the application is saving or loading data, or the application is transitioning to a different scene.
- When launching the HOME Menu would inconvenience the user or any communication peers, or cause problems in application progress, such as while undertaking any complicated processing during communication.
- When background processing must continue, but such processing would cause issues with the running of the HOME Menu itself.
When your application launches the HOME Menu, it has to perform processing to return to the HOME Menu. But at the same time it can also prepare for the case where it ends up needing to fully transition to the HOME Menu. Specific processing depends on the specifications of the application, but the following are examples of processing performed when transitioning to the HOME Menu.
- Blanking the screen before transitioning to the HOME Menu, so as not to lower the difficulty of the game.
- Causing a mini-game or other sequence in progress to be treated as if it failed and then returning to the start of the scene.
- Causing a cutscene movie or other difficult-to-pause processing to be canceled instead of paused, if the HOME Button is pressed during this difficult-to-pause processing. Note that a separate way of canceling the processing must also be provided.
- Auto-saving, in light of the fact that the application may suddenly close while the HOME Menu is open. Note that there must also be a feature to save data manually, or an auto-save feature implemented that runs with different timing.
There are no particular prohibitions on what processing the application can perform in preparation for transitioning to the HOME Menu. However, Nintendo does not recommend specifications which might end up training or encouraging the user to press the HOME Button for any purpose other than transitioning to the HOME Menu.
Contact Nintendo if there is some technical reason why your application cannot transition to the HOME Menu, or cannot display the HOME Menu Disabled Icon, for an extended period of time.
In the following circumstances, CTR systems take four seconds or more to display the HOME Menu even after the application detects a HOME Button press and launches the HOME Menu.
- After returning to the application from the Miiverse posting applet, if the posting applet was opened and closed from within the application
- After returning to the application from amiibo Settings, if amiibo Settings was opened and closed from within the application
- After the user uses the Resume Game button on the Miiverse posting page to resume a suspended application
This issue does not occur on SNAKE systems.
Library applets must be closed in order to transition to the HOME Menu. If the HOME Button is pressed while a library applet is open, you are free to choose whether to close the library applet or to disable the HOME Button. If your application closes the library applet and transitions to the HOME Menu, you are likewise free to choose whether to automatically relaunch the library applet when your application resumes.
There is no need to respond to HOME Button presses (transition to the HOME Menu or display the HOME Menu Disabled Icon) during transitions between applications and library applets, or when displaying the Nintendo 3DS logo, because HOME Button presses cannot be detected at such times. Therefore, as long as your application still operates properly if the HOME Button is pressed, for roughly three seconds after the Nintendo 3DS logo fades out your application does not need to respond to presses by transitioning to the HOME Menu or displaying the HOME Menu Disabled icon. This three-second figure takes into account the time required for application initialization.
2.5.2.1 Support for Launching the HOME Menu
Guideline Item |
The HOME Menu must be launched when a HOME Button press is detected. |
---|---|
Software to Be Tested |
All applications. |
Exceptions |
If the following cases apply:
|
Test Method |
|
Pass/Fail Determination |
Passes if all of the following conditions are met.
|
2.5.3 Displaying the HOME Menu Disabled Icon
In keeping with the purpose of the HOME Button, if the application cannot launch the HOME Menu when the HOME Button has been pressed, the application must display the HOME Menu Disabled Icon. In such cases, it is prohibited to make HOME Button presses do anything other than display the HOME Menu Disabled Icon. Display the unaltered HOME Menu Disabled icon specified by Nintendo for approximately 1 second (60 frames) in the center of the lower screen (see Figure 2-1 Displaying the HOME Menu Disabled Icon).
However, situations when it is technically difficult to display the icon and there is little effect on the purpose of the HOME Button are treated as exceptions to this requirement. The following are some examples.
- During a software reset (call to nn::applet::RestartApplication)
- During the several seconds required to transition between scenes, such as from a movie to the main application.
- During the several seconds of transition before and after a library applet launches.
- During save data formatting.
Other cases that are exempt from this restriction are expected to arise and will be added at that time. Please contact Nintendo regarding cases that are not covered by the above and in which it is difficult to display the HOME Menu Disabled Icon for 10 or more seconds. If, for technical reasons, it would be difficult to display the icon on the lower screen, it is acceptable to display it on the upper screen instead.
If you display the HOME Menu Disabled Icon using 16-bit color, the image’s gradation cannot be displayed properly and the roof portion of the house will appear white. However, the image is still recognizable as the HOME Menu Disabled Icon, so this is not an issue. If it becomes possible for the application to transition to the HOME Menu while the HOME Menu Disabled Icon is still displayed, Nintendo recommends continuing to display the icon for the normal length of time. For example, you could handle such cases by not accepting input from the HOME Button for the duration of icon display. You are free to choose whether to handle other button presses, though.
Display the HOME Menu Disabled Icon as described in the table below. If it is difficult to display the icon as described, you may make minor adjustments to the fade-in and fade-out times. It is not a problem if this extends the display time. Minor frame-dropping during fade-ins or fade-outs is not a problem, so long as the display lasts at least one second, excluding the time for fade-in and fade-out.
Type of Curve | Linear curve (Linearly Interpolate Slope in LayoutEditor) | |
---|---|---|
Display Time (60 frames / second) |
Fade-In | 5 frames |
Display | 60 or more frames | |
Fadeout | 20 frames |
Although it is also generally prohibited to change the angle at which the icon is displayed, applications that use the Nintendo 3DS system held vertically may rotate the icon by 90 degrees so that it appears in the correct position.
2.5.3.1 Displaying the HOME Menu Disabled Icon
Guideline Item |
When the HOME Button is pressed in scenes where the HOME Menu cannot launch, the application must display the HOME Menu Disabled Icon. |
---|---|
Software to Be Tested |
Applications that contain scenes where the HOME Menu cannot be launched in response to a press of the HOME Button. |
Exceptions |
If the following cases apply:
|
Test Method |
In a scene where the HOME Menu cannot be launched in response to a press of the HOME Button, press the HOME Button. |
Pass/Fail Determination |
Passes if all of the following conditions are met.
|
2.5.4 Explaining HOME Button Operations to Users
To help users recognize the benefits of and concept behind the HOME Button (see chapter 2.5 HOME Button), we recommend that applications display explanatory text such as “Press the HOME Button to return to the HOME Menu.” The following are examples of where this could appear.
- Displayed somewhere within the application screen (see Figure 2-2 Examples of HOME Button Explanations)
- Included in messages shown in places such as the dialog shown after a save (see Figure 2-2 Examples of HOME Button Explanations)
No required guideline items.
2.5.5 Use of Screenshots by Miiverse
On Nintendo 3DS, the system makes use of the screen images that the application is displaying immediately before transition to the HOME Menu.
Aside from using them in Game Notes, the system may use these screens for various purposes which would allow other users to see them: for example, the system may take a screenshot and display it on Miiverse as an application screenshot, or upload it via Miiverse to the Internet where other users can view the screenshot.
If taking such a screenshot is undesirable for design reasons or for a particular scene in the application, the application can disable the use of such screenshots by Miiverse for individual instances when it transitions to the HOME Menu. For example, disable screenshots in the following cases in order to prevent possible problems.
- If other users seeing the screenshot would result in important information about the application becoming known in undesirable ways
- If you want to prevent screenshots from being saved on the system
- If the uploading of such a screenshot to Miiverse is undesirable for some other reason
For details on how to disable the use of screenshots by the system, see the nn::applet::CTR::SetScreenCapturePostPermission function in the API Function Reference Manual for the CTR-SDK 7.x series or later. Versions prior to the SDK 7.x series have some differences in behavior, including the fact that they forcibly disable screenshot posts while cameras are in use.
Note that this feature does not disable the screenshot display in Game Notes.
Since it is possible to create screenshots that other users might find offensive if this screenshot is of a camera image, you must either disable the use of screenshots while a camera image is being displayed on-screen, or you must ensure that camera images are not included in the screenshots captured when the system transitions to the HOME Menu.
Here is an example of the latter option: in cases where the camera image only represents a portion of the screenshot, the application could black out or otherwise obscure just that portion of the screen immediately prior to transitioning to the HOME Menu. If this is done it would not matter whether Miiverse is currently allowed to use screenshots. If this method would result in the entire screen being blacked out, then Nintendo recommends simply disabling the use of screenshots.
Disable the use of screenshots when any photograph is displayed on-screen, not just images from the Nintendo 3DS cameras. For example, you must disable the use of screenshots of the following kinds of scenes.
- Scenes displaying a camera image on the screen for purposes of recognizing an AR marker or QR Code
- Scenes displaying images taken by the Wii U camera, in applications that communicate with Wii U
- Scenes displaying a slideshow of images saved on a user's SD Card
Actual photographs included as part of an application's assets are not subject to this restriction.
Also note that some applications (such as Video-on-Demand services or e-book-type services) can display content whose rights are retained by third parties. Screenshots of these applications could lead to images of copyrighted video or e-book pages being posted on Miiverse.
You must either disable the use of screenshots while such content is being displayed on-screen, or you must ensure that any such content is not included in the screenshots captured when the system transitions to the HOME Menu, unless you have permission of the copyright owner.
Note that in order to check this requirement, you must create a general community for Miiverse in the development environment. See the Nintendo 3DS Planning and Operation Guide: Miiverse Edition and the Nintendo 3DS Miiverse Community Application Package for details of how to create a community.
The requirements explained above are the only restrictions on screenshot content. There are no additional requirements such as prohibiting screenshots of violent scenes within the application.
Likewise, if the user uploads screenshots to the Internet via Miiverse, this action does not count as exchanging data within the application.
Therefore, even if such screenshots contain UGC, the action of uploading them via Miiverse is not subject to the guidelines in the UGC Volume, and applications do not need to be concerned about the possibility.
2.5.5.1 Handling Screenshots That Display Camera Images
Guideline Item |
Screenshots are automatically created when the application transitions to the HOME Menu. While the screen is displaying a camera image, applications must either prohibit use of these screenshots by Miiverse, or must ensure that the camera image is not included in the screenshot.
|
---|---|
Software to Be Tested |
Applications that do all of the following:
|
Test Method |
|
Pass/Fail Determination |
Passes if at least one of the following conditions is met.
|
2.5.5.2 Handling Screenshots That Display Content Whose Rights are Retained by Third Parties
Guideline Item |
Screenshots are automatically created when the application transitions to the HOME Menu. While the screen is displaying content whose rights are retained by a third party, applications must either prohibit use of these screenshots by Miiverse, or must ensure that this content is not included in the screenshot.
|
---|---|
Software to Be Tested |
Applications that do all of the following:
|
Exceptions |
Applications for which the copyright owner of the content has given permission to include images of copyrighted materials in screenshots and post them on Miiverse and other general websites. |
Test Method |
|
Pass/Fail Determination |
Passes if at least one of the following conditions is met.
|