Is this it for the Nintendo 3DS? No new first-party games in the works

By Aaron Mamiit April 27, 2019

There is no official announcement that the Nintendo 3DS is winding down, but the contents of a financial briefing by the video game company hinted that the handheld console is nearing the end of its rope.

More specifically, it is the lack of content regarding the Nintendo 3DS in the briefing that signals the decline of the handheld console, according to Kotaku.

In the same briefing last year, Nintendo said that it would “continue the 3DS business,” and just before the meeting, Nintendo revealed new titles for the console such as Luigi’s Mansion and WarioWare Gold. This was after the 3DS posted U.S. sales of over 750,000 units in December 2017, the highest total for the system since December 2014, as part of an incredibly strong holiday season for Nintendo.

However, in this year’s version of the briefing, Nintendo did not mention the 3DS at all, with no game announcements beforehand.

“We have nothing new to announce regarding first-party software for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems,” a spokesperson said in an email to Kotaku. “We can confirm that new software is coming from third-party publishers.”

The previously announced Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn may turn out to be the final first-party game for the 3DS, and the only third-party game in the works is Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth. It appears that Nintendo is moving on from the handheld console, as it turns its focus on the massively successful Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo has supported the 3DS longer than many expected, but with the release of the Nintendo Switch and the company’s push into mobile gaming, the handheld console’s days became numbered.

The Nintendo 3DS, which was released in 2011, has sold about 75 million units. Combined with the Nintendo DS, the second best-selling video game system of all time at 154 million units, just 1 million behind the PlayStation 2, the DS family has sold about 230 million consoles.

It remains to be seen if this is really the end for the Nintendo 3DS, but it appears that the only thing missing is an official announcement to confirm the handheld system’s retirement. Here is a look back at the 25 best 3DS games, for fans who would like to stroll down memory lane.

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Controller port on the Nintendo 64.

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With 3DS online support ending, we need classic Pokémon games on Switch

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Captain Falcon in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

In April 2024, Nintendo will discontinue online services across its Wii U and 3DS consoles. While the eShops for both systems were shut down in March 2023, this will remove the online functionality of many apps and games, making gaming on either of these platforms an almost entirely offline experience. As a result, many games on those systems will lose important features and never be quite the same to play afterward. So, you'll need to get some gaming time in by next April if you want to refresh and preserve the memories of playing online on these two underdog Nintendo platforms.
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Kid Icarus Uprising

Kid Icarus Uprising is mostly remembered for its entertaining story, charismatic characters, and odd controls, but it also features a surprisingly fun multiplayer experience in Together Mode. In multiplayer, up to six players can use powerful weapons and abilities from the main adventure in one of two modes. Free-for-all lets players loose on a map, tasking them with racking up the most kills within a set time limit. Light vs. Dark is more complex, as two teams of three face off until enough players are defeated that one respawns as an angel; when that powered-up angel is killed, the match is over.
While far from balanced, Kid Icarus Uprising's Together Mode is one of the most entertaining competitive multiplayer experiences exclusive to 3DS. It can be played locally, using bots to fill in empty spots, so thankfully it won't stop working entirely. Still, it's not easy in 2023 to come across multiple people near you who have copies of Kid Icarus Uprising and want to play. As such, check out this cult classic 3DS game's hidden gem of a mode before praying that the rumors of a remaster eventually become true.
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