The Nintendo 3DS will be 10 years old on March 27 (in the US anyway), so what better time to remember House of Mario’s groundbreaking handheld?
A successor to the Nintendo 2DS, the 3DS brought 3D games into the homes of millions of people, without the use of 3D glasses. Nintendo’s 3D handheld had several iterations after its western release in 2011, which came in the form of the improved New Nintendo 3DS and New Nintendo 3DS XL. To date, the 3DS family of consoles has sold more than 75 million units worldwide.
To celebrate the decade of the 3DS, the TechRadar team decided to gather some of their favorite Nintendo 3DS memories.
(Image credit: Tinxi / Shutterstock)
A reliable friend
Vic Hood, Game Editor
When I moved to London from Northern Ireland as a student, I took about five boxes containing my most prized possessions: clothes, stuffed animals, my laptop, and a variety of practical items I would need to get through the next (what I thought would be) three. years. Nestled among these treasures was my dusty old Nintendo 3DS, which I had barely touched in years, opting instead to play on my PS4.
But the Nintendo 3DS really came true at that time. Far from home, in a moment before the release of the Switch, I found myself returning to my 3DS to play Pokémon Black and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. The Pokémon series, in particular, provided a sense of familiarity and the fact that I could simply tuck my trusty little friend in my pocket on busy tube rides and while waiting between lectures gave me a grounded feeling. The 3DS made me feel at home, even when I wasn’t.
A lean but solid game library
Samuel Roberts, Senior Entertainment Editor
Unlike the Nintendo DS, which was released before mobile games exploded with the proliferation of smartphones, the 3DS lacked a gigantic library; in fact, the kinds of casual games that the 3DS became known for weren’t really an accessory on this handheld. Still, the Nintendo 3DS has at least 10 games that are absolutely essential, from Kid Icarus: Uprising to Animal Crossing: New Leaf (which you can skip if you have New Horizons on the Switch).
My best memory of the 3DS is taking a vacation to Rome in 2017 and almost ruining it for my partner by delaying our plans for each day by conquering the secret levels in Super Mario 3D Land, a phenomenal platformer that was perfectly suited to the computer. hand. While the 3D functionality for 3DS never did much for me, the handheld was a lovely kit from Nintendo, especially the New Nintendo 2DS that I currently enjoy.
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Two 3DS Game Reviews That Really Changed Me
Nick Pino, Senior Editor, Home Entertainment
Before joining the TechRadar ranks in 2014, I spent the first few years of my career working elsewhere in the gaming industry, first at Official Xbox Magazine and then Best Buy Video Game Magazine @GAMER. While my memory of the time before TechRadar has started to fade (the brain can only hold so many years of editorial memories), I will always remember the reviews I wrote for Animal Crossing: New Leaf and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, my two favorite games on the 3DS.
There was something surreal about sitting in an office, lost in the world of Animal Crossing: New Leaf for a week. While others around me pored over newspapers and design pages, I was sitting in the mayor’s chair, molding my city into something beautiful. After seven days with it, I felt like I was ready to sit down to write the review, but I was torn by how little the content was getting after the first few days. For that reason, I remember how unsure I was about the score I wanted to give it: Should I give it an 8 because while it’s fun, it didn’t really have the staying power to give players good value for their money? Or should I give it a 9 because I really enjoyed the 40 hours I put into it? In the end, I went for a 9 out of 10, and hindsight has shown me that I was right. The lesson there? Always go with your instincts.
I struggled with Zelda’s score as well, but for a different reason. That franchise already had so many great games, and while A Link Between Worlds really captured some of that charm from A Link to the Past, it felt very different, too. However, the more I played A Link Between Worlds, the more I believed. Soon, I felt like its break from tradition was actually a strength and the new mechanics, while jarring at first, allowed A Link Between Worlds to expand the breadth of its puzzles, making them more challenging. She had to recognize where the franchise came from, sure, but she also had to appreciate where A Link Between Worlds got her. Half a decade later, I can look back fondly on these games and appreciate them for what they were: absolute masterpieces for Nintendo’s handheld system.
Technology ahead of its time
Adam Vjestica, Senior Game Writer
Nintendo tends to be behind the curve when it comes to implementing cutting-edge technology, but having a device that offered compelling 3D glasses-free in 2011 is still a great feat, even to this day. Even though it had its fair share of naysayers, I always played Nintendo 3DS games with the 3D slider turned all the way up as it really helped add * ahem * more depth to certain titles.
Games like Super Mario 3D Land were shining examples of how amazing the stereoscopic 3D effect could be, and I can still remember smiling in awe when I played Super Street Fighter IV 3D for the first time, even if it left me a bit dizzy. then. Seeing the cast of Street Fighter characters fighting in what looked like a small portable diorama was truly impressive.
The Nintendo 3DS might have felt like an iterative update over the Nintendo DS to some, but there’s no denying that its glasses-free 3D was, and still is, something magical.
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Mi alternativa a Switch
Matt Hanson, Senior IT Editor
I bought my 3DS XL with enthusiasm when it launched in 2013, and after playing a few games, I put it in a drawer and forgot about it… for about seven years. However, when the Nintendo Switch was released, I began to consider buying the new console, mainly to play in handheld mode. I was commuting to work by bus ever since I moved out of town, and with the birth of my daughter, I found that playing traditional game consoles (or using my gaming PC) was getting harder and harder, which is why a handheld console it made a lot of sense. The only problem was that 1) the Switch was impossible to buy thanks to high demand, and 2) it was ruined (due to the baby and the aforementioned commute). It was then that I remembered my 3DS. Why not dust it off and use it instead?
So I did, and I’m very glad I did. First, it allowed me to revisit those brilliant early 3DS games. Also, during that time, the 3DS had amassed an excellent catalog of games, and many of them could now be bought second-hand for little money. I was able to catch up on some great 3DS games that I had missed without spending a fortune. I also collected Pokémon X and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, rekindling my love for Pokémon games for the first time since playing Diamond on the DS. I also loaded the 3DS with some classic games from the virtual console’s online store, including Pokemon Yellow, the first Pokemon game I ever played. Suddenly, I had an amazing handheld packed with amazing games that I had never played before. I still play it to this day as I have yet to get a Switch. It has been a fantastic alternative, and when you finally get a Switch, you will have a lot to accomplish.
Streetpass was an excellent social experiment
Rhys Wood, escritor de Surge
Nintendo has always played with casual features to extend its reach beyond the games it creates, but none were arguably as productive as the Nintendo 3DS ‘Streetpass functionality.
Streetpass did what it said on the tin. While you were out and about with your 3DS in tow, the handheld would record other 3DS headlines that were in the area. The Mii avatars of these users would appear as visitors in your Mii Plaza, and when you went to see them later, these Miis would greet your loved ones, passing gifts like collectible puzzle pieces that filled a swath of gorgeous renderings of 3DS Titles.
Streetpass was a fantastic icebreaker for meeting new people – a common sight at conventions would be the gathering of people sharing their Miis to collect new puzzle pieces, but more importantly, to strike up conversations and get to know each other.
Streetpass encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone, meet new people, and build lasting friendships. It’s a feature that I sincerely hope will return to the equally portable Nintendo Switch, giving owners an added incentive to make use of its portable capabilities.
Today’s best Nintendo 3DS deals
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