3DS News (Page 4)
Full server shutdowns could be coming sooner than you think, too
Over the holidays we're republishing some choice features from the last 12 months. A mix of talking points, interviews, opinion pieces and more from NL staff and contributors, you'll find our usual blend of thoughtfulness, expertise, frivolity, retro nostalgia, and — of course —...
News Mario Kart 7 Gets Its First Update In Over A Decade
Update: New details about the changes surface
Update [Tue 20th Dec, 2022 03:45 GMT]: Dataminer OatmealDome has shed some light on last week's Mario Kart 7 update. It appears changes have been made to the game's netcode, and there's also been an update to stop Version 1.1 from being used with Version 1.2. 3DS homebrew developer and Mario Kart 7...
News Game Freak Registers Trademark For Potential 'Pocket Card Jockey' Sequel
Or could it be a remake..?
Game Freak, the core developer behind the Pokémon franchise, released a much loved 3DS title back in 2013 called Pocket Card Jockey. Exclusive to Japan for three years, it eventually made its way to other regions in 2016 to positive reception. Now, it appears there may be a new game on the horizon, as a trademark for...
Random Sounds Like Masahiro Sakurai Wants A Kid Icarus: Uprising Port As Much As Us
"It sure would be nice"
Masahiro Sakurai has put out another video through his 'Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games' YouTube channel, this time looking at the implementation of difficulty settings. Focusing primarily on the 3DS action title Kid Icarus: Uprising, Sakurai explains the concept of risk and reward with difficulty, going into the 'Fiend's...
Poll So, Animal Crossing: New Leaf Or New Horizons - Which Do You Like Best?
Don't Leaf me this way
Today marks exactly ten years since Animal Crossing: New Leaf was first released on 3DS. Outside Japan, we had to wait until June the following year to become mayor in our autostereoscopic 3D hamlets, although its Switch counterpart, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, would be the first game in the main series to get a...
News Nintendo's 3DS & Wii U Image Share Services Have Now Ended
"Thank you for using our service"
Last month, Nintendo revealed it would be discontinuing two more 3DS and Wii U features on 25th October 2022. It's now officially past this point in certain locations around the world, and this means the Image Share feature is no longer available on both of these devices. To remind everyone, Nintendo's Japanese...
News Bravely Default Developer Team Asano Asks Fans If They Want A New Entry
And how about some ports of the 3DS games?
As you might have already seen, the Bravely Default series is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary. Yes, it's now been around for that long! During a special anniversary stream, developer Team Asano asked fans if they would like to see another entry in the series. Here's what was apparently said...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D
All-S.T.A.R Brawl
Happy Sunday, everyone; welcome to another edition of 'Box Art Brawl'! We've got another great one for you this week, but first let's take a look at the previous results. Last time, we featured the GameCube classic from Rare Ltd, Star Fox Adventures. Criminally underrated at the time of its release, the action-adventure title has...
News The 3DS And Wii U Are Losing Two More Features Next Month
Update: Changes to Switch log-ins too
Update: You will also be unable to link your Facebook or Twitter account to your Nintendo Account, even on Nintendo Switch. Here is the information on what's changing from Nintendo: As of October 25 , 2022, it will no longer be possible to link a Facebook or Twitter account to a Nintendo Account. - This...
Random Reddit User Creates The Ultimate 3DS Emulator With A Steam Deck
Bigger is better after all
The Steam Deck is widely known for its remarkable emulation capabilities, with users most recently managing to enable gyro controls for Wii U emulation. It's not entirely surprising when you consider that the Steam Deck is effectively a portable PC, but it's still impressive nonetheless. Now, one Reddit user has taken...
News 3DS System Update 11.16.0-49 Is Now Live, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
Super stable
Following the 3DS system update late last month, Nintendo has now issued another one. This bumps the system up to Version 11.16.0-49. Here are the full patch notes, courtesy of Nintendo's support website: Ver. 11.16.0-49U (September 12th, 2022) "Further improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been...
Random Wii U Emulation On Valve's Steam Deck Supports Gyro Controls
Dual screen 3DS and Wii U gaming also possible
Valve's Steam Deck has already proven it's able to run all sorts of video game emulators. What's even more impressive though is just how capable it is when it comes to Wii U and 3DS emulation. As highlighted by the website Steam Deck HQ, Valve's handheld PC is not only able to split screens across...
News 3DS System Update 11.16.0-48 Is Now Live, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
Another stability update has been delivered
Well, just like the Wii U - the Nintendo 3DS has also received a system firmware update today. This bumps the entire family of 3DS systems up to Version 11.16.0-48. It's another "stability" update. There have also been some other minor adjustments. Like the Wii U update, this also happens to be the first...
Reminder Today Is Your Last Chance To Redeem eShop Cards On Wii U And 3DS
Funds can still be added via linked Nintendo Accounts, though
Nintendo is ending 3DS and Wii U eShop functionality with prepaid cards today, 29th August. After today, you won't be able to redeem the card directly on either the 3DS or Wii U consoles. Maintenance is scheduled for 30th August 4:30am UTC, and if we had to guess, that's when the...
News Nintendo Prepares For 3DS & Wii U eShop Closure With Scheduled Maintenance
We're in the endgame now
This week is pretty significant in the world of Nintendo - with the Japanese company previously announcing it would "no longer be possible to use a Nintendo eShop Card to add funds to an account on Nintendo eShop for Wii U or Nintendo 3DS". This will take effect "as of" 29th August 2022, and it seems Nintendo has now taken...
Random Mobile Game Spotted Using Official Nintendo Imagery
Ex-Nintendo veteran makes the shocking discovery
Mobile companies are often known to embellish marketing materials to make their games more appealing to prospective audiences. This includes running ads featuring misleading gameplay, hiring influencers to run over-the-top promos, and - in this case - using imagery from other IP entirely. Yes, as...
News Pokémon Shuffle To Enter 'End Of Life' Service On 3DS In 2023
Everyday I'm shuffling - not for long
Alongside the news that the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops would be closing on March 27th 2023, Serebii.net has today confirmed that the same closures will apply to the free-to-play puzzle game, Pokémon Shuffle. While all save data and play hours will be safe for those who already have the game downloaded,...
Guide Best 3DS And Wii U DLC You Should Get Before The eShops Close Forever
Paid and free DLC to download ASAP
So. The 3DS and Wii U eShops are closing. You probably got that from the title. The full closure will be on the 27th March, 2023, with some games becoming unavailable even before that. We've got the full rundown on the closure here: When Does The 3DS And Wii U eShop Close? Nintendo eShop Closure Guide Of course,...
Random Masahiro Sakurai Reminds Nintendo Fans About 3DS & Wii U eShop Closure Dates
"It's my last chance"
As you probably know by now, Nintendo is discontinuing the 3DS and Wii U eShop as of 28th March 2023. And later this month on 29th August, you'll no longer be able to add eShop card funds (aka points) to accounts. This is happening worldwide, and as a result - Nintendo fans around the globe are grabbing certain digital titles...
News Animal Crossing Welcome amiibo Cards Have Been Restocked At Nintendo UK
Play your cards right
In a pretty random update, amiibo cards for Animal Crossing: New Leaf — which you can also use on New Horizons — have been spotted again on Nintendo UK's store! Noticed by the Animal Crossing amiibo Card Trading Group on Facebook, you can currently pick up a pack of these cards for only £3.49. There are three cards in...
Video Don't Forget About Attack Of The Friday Monsters!
We're going on a summer vacation
One of the games we're most excited for this month is Shin chan: Me And The Professor On Summer Vacation – The Endless Seven-Day Journey — yes, the title really is that long. The game is inspired by the My Summer Vacation series and has been developed by the same team, Millennium Kitchen. Originally released in...
News Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 3D May Return To The 3DS eShop Soon
That would be... "pretty good"
Since November 2021, the critically acclaimed Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 3D for Nintendo 3DS has been unavailable to download on the eShop after Konami removed it, along with multiple other digital titles, from sale to renew licenses. Now, in a post celebrating the 35th anniversary of the original Metal Gear on...
News A Brand New 3DS Game Is Launching This Week (US)
It ain't dead until it's dead
If you remember a little while back, we reported on a rather ambitious indie developer from Australia who's looking to bring seven new titles to the Wii U and 3DS, defying the upcoming eShop closure. One of those games is about to come to fruition, as Silver Falls: Ghoul Busters will be launching on the Nintendo 3DS on...
News Jupiter Celebrates 30th Anniversary With Switch And 3DS eShop Sale
Savings on Picross and more start tomorrow
Japanese developer Jupiter hits a milestone celebration on 11th June — it turns 30! And to share the love, and promote its motto — "Let’s Play! Let’s Smile!" — the studio has announced that it will be slashing the price of its games on the Switch and 3DS eShop by 30% from tomorrow! We couldn't...
News Go! Go! Kokopolo Anniversary Collection Could Be The Last Physical 3DS Release
Go! Go! 3DS!
We're starting to get into the thick of the summer of gaming announcements, and last night, Limited Run Games held its 2022 Showcase, highlighting a plethora of upcoming rare physical releases. Among those announcements was the physical release of 3DS of "the world's first Chase 'em up" Go! Go! Kokopolo 3D. Released back in 2017, Go!...
Guide How To Prepare Your 3DS And Wii U For Retirement - Hard Drive, Battery, Backup Tips
Recommendations to help get your affairs in order
The announcement that Nintendo will be closing the 3DS and Wii U eShop stores and effectively sunsetting those consoles has caused many of us to fire up our old systems and survey our digital libraries. Both of these consoles represent the first generation of Nintendo hardware where it was possible...
Random Many At Retro Studios Weren't 'Excited' To Work On Mario Kart 7
Studio was brought in to assist development
It's widely known at this point that Retro Studios - famed for the Metroid Prime series and for reviving Donkey Kong Country - was recruited by Nintendo to help out on development for the 3DS release of Mario Kart 7. The developer had just wrapped work on Donkey Kong Country Returns and according to...
Random People Are Recording Concerts On Their 3DS Consoles, And We Love It
A new level of immersion
We've never really been fans of the idea of buying an expensive ticket for a concert only to spend the 2 hours or so it's likely to last holding some sort of recording device up in the air, watching the whole thing through the lens of a screen. Call us old fogeys, but to us, concerts are one of few experiences in life where...
News Nintendo Reports That More 3DS Games Launched Last Year Than In 2020
Eight games to two!
If you thought it was all over for the 3DS, think again. Nintendo's marvellous handheld is still hanging in there, despite the fact that production of the console ceased in 2020, and that the eShop will be closing next year. That hasn't dampened developers' spirits, however, as Nintendo has reported that the console got eight...
Review Fragrant Story - A Goofy, Final Fantasy Tactics-Style Indie Swansong For 3DS
Needs a little more watering
Since this review was originally published, the free Papaya's Path DLC update — which remains downloadable from the 3DS eShop if you own the game — was made available on December 11th, 2023. This free expansion is significantly longer than the base game and adds a large amount of content, including new story...
News Reggie Fils-Aimé Wanted The 3DS To Launch At $199, But Was Rebuffed
"With 3DS, we did not let the poor sales performance linger"
When the 3DS launched it had a tough task as the successor to DS, a portable family of systems that had become Nintendo's greatest success story. Though the 3DS (and 2DS) range of systems couldn't hit those heights, by the end of its run it had been a reasonable success with 75.94 million...
News A Bunch Of NIS America Games Get Huge Price Cuts On 3DS (Europe)
Only for a week, mind!
Ever since the announcement of the upcoming 3DS / Wii U eShop closure, gamers have been clamouring for sales left, right, and centre, eager to grab some last-minute deals to bolster their game libraries. RPG games for the 3DS in particular have become highly sought after, and while this latest sale doesn't include the likes...
News Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D Physical Prices Jump As eShop Closure Looms
Game still 'temporarily' unavailable to download due to license issues
Hideo Kojima games not only feature the creator's name a few hundred times, they're also well known for being loaded with licensed content. This can be in the form of iconic music or even video clips to tie games into real history, a clever bit of storytelling often deployed in...
News Atlus Dominates 3DS eShop Chart As Pokémon Crystal Falls Off Top Spot (North America)
A perfect timeline for Atlus
Since Nintendo announced it would be closing the 3DS eShop earlier this year, we've been keeping our beady eyes on the little handheld so we can complete our digital libraries before the Big N pulls the plug. If you've been following along with us, you know Sega / Atlus has been discounting their 3DS catalogue pretty...
News Save On Pac-Man, Anime Games & More In Bandai Namco's Switch eShop Spring Sale
Huge savings
Following on from Sega's massive spring sale, Bandai Namco is now running one on the Nintendo Switch eShop. There are all sorts of games currently available for cheaper prices. These range from Pac-Man, to anime games like Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece and even My Hero Academia. Other series like Taiko no Tatsujin and Digimon are also...
News Looks Like Nintendo Has Been Reprinting 3DS Retail Games For A Final Hurrah
Look for thinner boxes and tweaked package design
The 3DS was officially discontinued back in September 2020, with hardware production ending for a system that couldn't match the dizzy heights of its predecessor (the DS), but nevertheless remains a favourite for plenty of Nintendo gamers. There are definitely a few members of the 3DS fan club among...
Sale ends April 17th
There's a massive Sega Spring Sale currently taking place on the Nintendo Switch and 3DS eShop in North America. If there's a game you've been holding out for, or you just want to buy everything on the 3DS digital store while you still can, now is a great time to see what might interest you. There are all sorts of discounts...
News The 3DS Is Getting Another Physical Release This Year, And It's A Pun On 'Vagrant Story'
Smells good, right?
So, you assumed that Andro Dunos II was going to be the very last physical 3DS release? Think again, because the console is getting another boxed title this year, and the name is utterly pun-tastic. Fragrant Story arrives this April and is a 3DS exclusive. It's described as "an all-new 16-bit tactical RPG in the style of
News Andro Dunos 2 Switch Physical Edition Pre-Orders Fly Into View
Or 3DS, if you want to go old school
The Switch has an impressive range of shoot 'em ups, and we're still getting regular new releases to check out. One lower profile entry that arrived recently on the eShop is Andro Dunos 2, but if you're a fan of the genre you shouldn't sleep on it. We gave this one a hearty recommendation in our recent review...
Talking Point 3DS Is 11 Years Old, And Our Eyes Still Feel Strange
Remembering the magic and buzz at a preview event
Over this past weekend the 3DS turned 11 years old, not exactly the biggest of anniversaries but enough to make us look wistfully at the little portable. It's a real favourite in our team, and I still keep both it and its charger handy when a bit of sentimental play is required — or when I want to...
Random Look At This Custom Eggdog 3DS
What's up eggdog
Do you know Eggdog? The weird meme stemmed from a video of a fluffy white dog being groomed, but taken at a specific angle, the dog looks like an egg with a face. And thus, Eggdog was born. From out of the legend of Eggdog came a host of new memes, and one of the prime Eggdog memers is zamsire, who used a 3D render of the ovoid...
Random Someone Just Spent $1600 On A Super-Rare Canadian Barbie 3DS Game
Those are some expensive dogs
Across the Nintendo Life staff, we've probably collectively been in and around the games industry for at least a couple hundred years... and yet, there are still things that surprise us every day. Today's surprise was finding out that one of the holy grails for 3DS collectors is a game called Barbie Groom and Glam...
News Shin'en Kicks Off 'Everything Must Go' 3DS And Wii U eShop Sale, Up To 80% Off
Discounts in US and EU
The 3DS and Wii U eShops are sadly on their way out and, as expected, publishers are beginning to line up with some heavy discounts on their 3DS and Wii U software libraries in preparation for the store closures next March. Just yesterday, Capcom launched their own 3DS sale in the US, and now developer and publisher Shin'en...
News Capcom Launches Its Biggest 3DS Sale Ever (US)
The end is nigh
It's no secret that the 3DS — along with its console sibling Wii U — is heading toward that bright light at the end of the tunnel. With the handheld's eShop closing within the next year, it's natural that publishers will want to capitalise on this unfortunate eventuality with some rather sweet deals. It's a nice opportunity for...
News Indie Dev Cancels Roguelike Horror Game For 3DS In Response To Nintendo's eShop Closure
"this decision was made on our behalf by Nintendo"
An aspiring indie game developer says it's been left with no option but to abandon its plans for a 'New 3DS' game port after Nintendo announced last month it would be closing the system's eShop. Otyugra Games is currently working on a roguelike horror title called Dream-Prison Wanderer, which it had...
News Here Is This Week's 3DS eShop Chart, Pokémon Crystal Is At The Top (Again)
Get the best Game Boy games while you still can
Last month, Nintendo shocked 3DS owners by announcing the eShop for this platform would be closing up. If you are interested to know what's charting in the lead-up to this or happen to be looking for digital games to get on your 3DS, these North American charts are worth taking a look at. Here are the...
Feature Is It Worth Importing A Japanese 3DS For These Virtual Console Games?
Save money on import classics before it's too late
As we all know the 3DS and Wii U eShops are closing down, taking with them countless classics in all genres. It's a decision that's understandably left many of us scrambling to find our old passwords and make those last minute purchases, finally turning those 'Maybe next time' purchases into a...
PSA Update All Your 3DS Games, Even The Ones You Don't Own (Just In Case)
Yes, really
Our pals over at the Nintendo Life YouTube channel are full of wisdom, and today's advice comes to you from our very own Zion Grassl, who wants you to know that you should download every single update that exists on the eShop. Wait, shouldn't you just download the updates for the games you own? Well, yes, you should do that. But what...
News Nintendo Reveals Japan's Best-Selling 3DS eShop Games From 2011 - 2020
Animal Crossing, Pokémon and more...
Ahead of the 3DS and Wii U eShop closure, Nintendo's website has rounded up the top 15 best-selling games on the 3DS eShop in Japan from 2011 through to 2020. Monster Hunter, Pokémon and Animal Crossing have frequently charted to the top over the years, and some other popular series include Battle Cats,...
Guide How To Redownload Games From The 3DS eShop - Downloading Digital Games You Already Own
Your games need rescuing
The Nintendo 3DS eShop will close after March 2023, but you'll still be able to redownload games you already own "for the foreseeable future". When Does The 3DS And Wii U eShop Close? Nintendo eShop Closure Guide 29 Best 3DS eShop Games You Should Get Before They're Gone Forever But if you're not sure how to actually do...
