Even with Nintendo Switch mania in full swing, 3DS sales remain strong

By Gabe Gurwin January 19, 2018

nintendo 3ds strong sales in december 2017 new 2ds xl 13716 — Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Nintendo had an incredibly strong holiday season, with the Switch selling like hotcakes alongside exclusives games like Super Mario Odyssey. But the company’s aging 3DS handheld hasn’t been forgotten. In fact, the system had its best month in three years.

Nintendo revealed that in December, the various models of 3DS managed to sell more than 750,000 in the United States, alone, which is the highest total the system has had since December 2014. It’s also 27 percent more than what we saw from the 3DS a year ago, and that was following the worldwide phenomenon that was Pokémon Go. To date, the 3DS family has sold more than 21 million units in the United States. It’s a far cry from the nearly 60 million DS units sold in the United States, but the 3DS continues to prove that dedicated handheld gaming systems can still thrive alongside iOS and Android phones.

Aside from Nintendo being on everyone’s minds because of both the Switch and the SNES Classic, the launch of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon appears to have also had an impact. According to the NPD Group, the games were the 13th- and 14th-best-selling titles of December, even though they released during a remarkably crowded holiday season. Switch games on the list include Super Mario Odyssey in the third slot, as well as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at No. 4. July’s Splatoon 2 even managed to come in at 16th, likely as a purchase for those who just received their Switch system. According to Nintendo, the Switch is the fastest-selling home console in U.S. history at this point, with nearly 5 million units sold since it launched last March.

The launch of the Switch hasn’t slowed down the software support for the 3DS in the slightest. Aside from the aforementioned Pokémon games, 2017 saw the release of the excellent Metroid: Samus Returns as well as Fire Emblem Echoes — Shadows of Valentia. Upcoming 3DS games in 2018 include Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux, and Detective Pikachu. Sadly, that game will not feature the voice talent of Danny DeVito, though a film adaptation will star Deadpool‘s Ryan Reynolds.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

Gaming

As the 3DS eShop closes, devs reflect on a golden age of Nintendo indies

Best Nintendo 3DS games

The 3DS eShop is no longer allowing Nintendo fans to make new game purchases, marking the end of a long era of DS-branded handhelds. Not only that, but it's also sunsetting a vibrant indie community in the process. After helping smaller developers break through with WiiWare and DSiWare, the 3DS eShop was where indies really started to flourish on Nintendo consoles. Multiple games and developers built success stories on the platform, starting series that are still recognized in the eyes of Nintendo fans and stand as some of the 3DS’ most iconic games.

Within a year of the eShop's launch, WayForward's Mighty Switch Force provided one of the system's best 3D experiences, Renegade Kid's Mutant Mudd showed the potential of a platformer where players can hop between the foreground and background, and Hörberg Productions' Gunman Clive provided a short, sweet, and cheap throwback platformer experience with lots of styles. By 2014, Yacht Club Games' Shovel Knight had cemented itself as one of the best indie games of all time on the 3DS. Titles like that gave the 3DS a reputation as a haven for smaller developers. a platform where they could break out of a niche and connect with a larger audience.

Gaming

Pick up these Nintendo games you can only get on Wii U and 3DS

xenoblade and pokemon picross headline eshop update chronicles x nintendo wii u

The Nintendo Switch has one of the greatest first-party lineups of any Nintendo console. In addition to several outstanding original games, a lot of awesome Wii U games like Super Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3, and Mario Kart 8 finally got all the love they deserved when they were ported to the Switch. Even some 3DS games like Miitopia have made their way to Nintendo Switch. Still, that isn't all-encompassing, so when the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops are discontinued on March 27, we will lose access to some amazing first-party Nintendo games that aren't available elsewhere.
From black sheep in their respective series to new IP that tests out some novel ideas, four Wii U and four 3DS games that are still platform exclusives stuck out the most to us. If you're specifically looking for Nintendo-published games to pick up before the 3DS and Wii U eShops stop allowing the purchase of new games, consider picking up one of these titles.
Xenoblade Chronicles X

Considering the rest of the Xenoblade Chronicles series is on Nintendo Switch, it's very surprising that Xenoblade Chronicles X has not made the jump over yet. This RPG stands as the black sheep of the series, with a more gritty style and tone, mech suits, and a plot about humans who crash land on an alien planet after escaping Earth, which might be why it didn't come over before the trilogy was completed. Xenoblade Chronicles X is a great game in its own right, though, and also makes ample use of the Wii U GamePad for its detailed map and menus. As such, it's a worthwhile Wii U pickup for those who like to play games uniquely tailored to the system and enjoy seeing what the oddball entries in game franchises have to offer.
Star Fox Zero

Gaming

You need to get this oddball Zelda game for free before the 3DS eShop closes

legend of zelda twilight princess nintendo wii grandma grandmother reddit 755 hours

The day of reckoning is fast approaching: The Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShop isclosing down on March 27. When that happens, you’ll no longer be able to make any digital purchases on those systems. Considering that several games on each platform only ever got digital releases, it’s creating a bit of a preservation nightmare. Hidden gems that never came to another platform, like Affordable Space Adventures, will be totally lost to time.

But it isn’t just obscure indies that are impacted by that change: One of Nintendo’s biggest franchises is about to lose a piece of its storied history. You’ve only got just over a week to grab a certain Legend of Zelda game before it disappears forever -- though it’s probably not one you’re expecting.