Now that the Switch 2 has been out for a while, I wanted to take a look back at Nintendo’s last handheld before the Switch era: the Nintendo 3DS. Released around the world in 2011, the 3DS was a step up from its predecessor, the Nintendo DS. That said, the 3DS had its fair share of issues, namely with its price and lack of 3rd-party support. Even with those massive issues, however, the 3DS still stands as one of Nintendo’s strongest consoles, and I’m about to tell you why.
Hardware
The 3DS may not be the most… sleek console there is, but it has a couple of things going for it. For starters, the compact design was great. Being able to fit a whole gaming console in your pocket is still such a novel concept, especially in the present day, where the smallest console we have is the Switch Lite. While consoles like the Switch and the Steam Deck are far more powerful than the 3DS, they are also more of a pain to carry around, essentially needing a carrying case to do so. While this doesn’t seem like a big deal, being able to just slip the 3DS into a pocket was so convenient, and is unfortunately a product of its time.
The 3DS also had some of the best limited-edition variants of any console. Most iterations of the system had several unique variants that really stand out among the crowd of limited-edition consoles. Some iterations, such as the original 3DS and the 2DS, never really had anything that special. The XL consoles, on the other hand, featured some great limited editions from various series. Even the New Nintendo 3DS had interchangeable faceplates, which let you make your own special edition. The model that really stood out in the special edition department, however, was the New 2DS XL. Even though it came out towards the end of the 3DS’s life, the New 2DS XL has some of the most intricate special editions I’ve ever seen. From the Minecraft Creeper edition to the Pokeball edition, the raised fronts on these systems not only looked awesome, but came with a great textile feel. While the Switch era special editions weren’t bad, they don’t hold a candle to the 3DS. Even the normal edition consoles were great. The New Nintendo 3DS XL had a Galaxy edition, which might just be my favorite console design of all time. It helped the 3DS stand out, especially from its predecessor, and also helped raise the 3DS to the exorbitant prices that we see today.
The durability and battery life were also pretty good. While the 3DS wasn’t as durable as its handheld predecessors, it was still one tough cookie. It could usually survive a drop onto concrete when closed, no problem. It was when you opened the console that problems started to arise. The hinge was the system’s most vulnerable point, and having that hinge snap could be a death sentence for the console. Even so, its durability compared to modern technological devices makes it seem like a brick wall. As for the battery life, while not the best it could be, it thrashes modern handhelds like the Switch and the Steam Deck. I find that I can usually get twice the battery life out of my 3DS than I can my Switch. Now, this is due, in part, to the more graphically intense games that the Switch can handle. Even still, I find myself missing the battery life of the 3DS.
Built-In Software
The 3DS had quite a few built-in titles. You have some of the obvious stuff, such as the settings and Health and Safety Information. Activity Log was a great addition that allowed players to keep track of play time and what games they’ve played on their 3DS. Download Play was a great way to play locally, and a dedicated EShop app is sorely missed on the Switch. Nintendo Zone, while long defunct, was a great place for news and even downloadable content. The 3DS even had a built-in web browser and its very own social media platform with Miiverse. The 3DS also had a camera, and while not crazy, it was nice to have. Then there’s also Nintendo 3DS Sound, which was a nice little audio recorder for the console.
While most of these applications haven’t been all that interesting, there were a few that really stood out. First, we have AR games. Every model of the Nintendo 3DS came with an assortment of AR cards, with icons from a variety of Nintendo franchises. These cards could be used with AR Games to play a variety of minigames and view your favorite Nintendo characters. While there wasn’t much to do beyond playing the minigames, AR Games was a great demonstration of the 3DS’s AR camera, which doubled as a neat little pack-in title.
Then there’s also Face Raiders. The general premise is that the player can take photos of themselves, friends, family, or even objects, and face off against those pictures by shooting down the oncoming raiders, finishing each stage off with a boss battle. Much like AR Games, there isn’t much to Face Raiders. There are only four main stages and a bonus stage, making Face Raiders a very quick game. That said, it’s still a fun little distraction that showcases the 3DS’s camera capabilities.
Streetpass Mii Plaza
The best built-in title on the 3DS, however, has to be Streetpass Mii Plaza. The 3DS included a unique feature known as Streetpass. This allowed players to take their 3DS wherever they went and connect with other 3DS users. Functionality depended on the game, but the headlining game for Streetpass was Streetpass Mii Plaza. How it worked was that once you had streetpassed with another player, their Mii would appear at the gate of your plaza. Their Mii would then join you in one of several games found in the Plaza. When the 3DS launched, Streetpass Mii Plaza had two games: Puzzle Swap and Find Mii. Puzzle Swap is just what it sounds like: you swap puzzle pieces with the Miis that you meet. There are several puzzle boards to complete, with more being added later on. Then there’s Find Mii and its sequel, Find Mii II. Both are glorified turn-based RPGs that have the player controlling different adventurers trying to save the King from a Dark Lord. The bosses get progressively harder as you continue your quest, with many having unique ways of beating them. This is usually dependent on the color of a Mii’s shirt, as the shirt color determines a Mii’s type. Overall, though, both Find Mii’s are nothing special. Once you’ve cleared them once, you’ve cleared them a thousand times.
Where Mii Plaza really stands out is with its DLC. Starting in 2013, Nintendo began releasing DLC for Streetpass Mii Plaza, which usually consisted of adding more games. The first wave consisted of four games: Flower Town, Mii Force, Warrior’s Way, and Monster Manor. All of these games have a lot more depth than the starting lineup and overall feel like a more fleshed-out experience. The second wave, released in 2015, is much the same. While it only included two games, Battleground Z and Ultimate Angler, both games felt fresh compared to the others and provided even more variety to the lineup. This update also included other features, such as the Game Vault, VIPs, Birthdays, and more, which really added a lot of cool and unique features, even if it came at a hefty price. Then, in 2016, one final update was released for the Plaza, this time including five new games. These were Slot Car Rivals, Feed Mii, Mii Trek, Ninja Launcher, and Market Crashers. This ended up being the weakest lineup of them all. Most of the games in this collection aren’t all that interesting, save for Market Crashers and Slot Car Rivals. Ironically enough, these are the two Nintendo chose to offer to players for free, letting players pick one to add to their collection at no cost. While cool, the third wave didn’t really stack up to the other two. That said, overall, these new games helped bring Streetpass Mii Plaza to life and made it one of the most memorable experiences on the 3DS.
Related: Why Nintendo Needs to Make More Games Like NWC
Game Library
The 3DS also had a great library of titles. The 1st-party offerings from Nintendo from this era were some of the best we’ve seen. Many of the major Nintendo franchises saw brand-new entries on the 3DS. Mario had its next mainline 3D platformer on the console, Zelda had several titles on the system ranging in quality, Pokémon had several generations on the 3DS, Kirby had quite a few mainline and spinoff titles, and even series like Kid Icarus actually got titles on the system. There are plenty of games from a variety of genres to keep players occupied. On top of that, there are quite a few retro offerings via the Virtual Console. Now these titles are sadly no longer available due to the closure of the EShop, but if you have an old 3DS lying around, you might have some of these titles sitting on your system. If so, it might be worth picking up that old 3DS and giving Virtual Console another try.
The 3DS also had a lot of great download-only titles. I’ll discuss Badge Arcade in a little bit, but there were plenty more of these titles. You had software that was more like applications, like Swapnote and Swapdoodle, Camera apps, like Photos with Mario and Chibi-Robo! Photo Finder, and several spinoff titles, such as Pokémon Shuffle and Dedede’s Drum Dash Deluxe. Beyond those titles, the 3DS also had some great original games, like Pushmo and Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball. These smaller titles were goofy and didn’t take themselves too seriously, but they were unique experiences and great additions to the 3DS’s library. It’s these kinds of titles that I really miss from Nintendo. I hope to see more of them on the Switch 2.
The 3DS’s library wasn’t perfect, however. There was one area where it really faltered: the 3rd-party releases. Now, it wasn’t all bad; there were quite a few great 3rd-party titles on the console, such as the Monster Hunter games and Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure. That being said, there wasn’t much beyond that. Many of the iconic 3rd-party titles from that era are completely absent on the 3DS, and some of what we did get wasn’t all too impressive, a far cry from consoles like the Switch. I wish the 3DS had better 3rd-party support during its life, but even without it, it still doesn’t take too much away from the 3DS’s library as a whole. There’s still a great selection of 1st and 3rd-party games on the system that’ll keep players preoccupied for years to come.
Customization
The customization features that the 3DS had are unparalleled, and are something that is sorely lacking on the Nintendo Switch. Sure, you can move icons and group games together, but that’s nothing new. Both of those features were possible on the 3DS. The 3DS, though, had more. It actually had themes, what a concept! Starting in 2014, Nintendo offered players a variety of themes that allowed them to customize their home menus. Each 3DS came with several built-in themes. The themes weren’t anything special, just a small selection of colors, but it was the themes found in the theme shop that truly made this feature special. There were a plethora of themes from a multitude of different franchises. From Pokémon to Mario to Zelda to even 3rd party titles like Persona, there were plenty of themes to go around. Most themes cost at least a couple of bucks, but there were a few themes in the theme shop that were offered for free. Codes for themes were also occasionally offered with games such as Mega Man Legacy Collection and Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon. These were always a nice bonus, but were usually pretty underwhelming. The themes in the shop were usually where it was at. This is because, many times, the themes would change the sounds found on the home menu. This would differ from theme to theme, but many themes had unique background music, unique sounds for moving the cursor, and unique sounds for opening software. It brought the home screen to life and really let players personalize their 3DS system.
Badges were also a fantastic way that Nintendo let players customize their 3DSs. Badges, introduced in Japan in 2014 and to the rest of the world in 2015, were little icons that players could place on their home screen, in folders, and even put them in folders to make them more distinct. Like with themes, there were badges from a variety of series, such as Pokémon, Mario, and Fire Emblem. Badges could be obtained from the digital-only title Nintendo Badge Arcade. The premise was that players could enter the arcade and use plays to win badges. While the game was free to start, players could only get a limited number of free plays. If you wanted more, you had to buy them. Now, while this was a very greedy tactic, Nintendo would give out free plays semi-consistently. This helped players fill out their collection of badges, and was overall a great way to help players decorate their home screen and make it unique from everyone else’s.
Conclusion
Overall, the 3DS was a fantastic system. While it had some troubles at the start, the hardware, unique built-in software, stellar 1st-Party lineup, and the plethora of options for customization help the 3DS stand out among not only its competitors, but even against other Nintendo systems. Even nowadays, the 3DS is a great investment for new and old Nintendo fans. There are so many games and series that were lost to time, and now might just be your chance to check out these long-lost titles and play them for yourself. If you have an old 3DS lying around, you may want to boot it up and take one last trip down memory lane. It’ll be more than worth your while.