Nintendo 3DS launch title review roundup

By Ryan Fleming Published June 20, 2017

Even if the Nintendo 3DS had the ability to pay your taxes, clean your house and make dinner for you, the system would still only be as good as the games released for it. Well, ok, being able to pay your taxes would be pretty cool, but the 3DS can’t, so the success of the hardware is going to be determined by the games that have been released for it.

Nintendo is foreseeing a long and profitable life for its newest handheld system. It is, after all, the successor to the best-selling video game system in the history of the planet Earth, so you can expect an avalanche of new titles for the system over the coming months and years.

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Of course, patience is for suckers. When a new gadget is released we want it now, and are willing to stand in line for hours to get it. The Nintendo 3DS is no exception. But with a device like the 3DS, simply grabbing the system and taunting all of those behind you still waiting in line—though no doubt good clean fun—is only part of the shopping process.

The 3DS itself is a device with promise, but you can’t stream Netflix on promise, nor can you browse the internet (both of which are features the 3DS has promised, but neither are available yet). So now more than ever, the 3DS will be reliant on the launch day games to justify its existence (and price). And that is where our launch day roundup comes in.

Check out our Nintendo 3DS review, and click below for a look at each title.

Check out all our reviews of the Nintendo 3DS launch titles:

Ridge Racer 3D	Bust-A-Move Universe	Madden NFL Football 3DS
Image used with permission by copyright holder	Image used with permission by copyright holder	Image used with permission by copyright holder
The Sims 3 on 3DS	Nintendogs + Cats 3D	Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition
Image used with permission by copyright holder	Image used with permission by copyright holder	Image used with permission by copyright holder
Samurai Warriors: Chronicles 3D	Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D	Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars 3D

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…

Gaming

Nintendo is shutting down online services for 3DS and Wii U next April

Mega Man and Mario fight in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U,

Nintendo confirmed it will widely shut down online services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U games in April 2024, which will be just over a year after it discontinued the Nintendo eShop on those systems.
This deactivation of most of the online services for those platforms was revealed on X (formerly Twitter) and Nintendo's support site early Wednesday. "In early April 2024, online play and other functionality that uses online communication will end for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software. This also includes online co-operative play, internet rankings, and data distribution," the message says. "We will announce a specific end date and time at a later date. Please note that if an event occurs that would make it difficult to continue online services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software, we may have to discontinue services earlier than planned. We sincerely thank players for using the online services of Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software over a long period of time and apologize for any inconvenience."
Essentially, this means that after April 2024, you won't be able to use any online features in things like 3DS Pokémon games or Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U anymore. Nintendo does say in the Q&A section of its support article that people will still be able to play games offline and redownload updates and games from the Nintendo eShop for the foreseeable future. Pokémon Bank will remain unaffected, so it'll still be possible to transfer Pokémon from Ruby and Sapphire all of the way to Pokémon Home. However, SpotPass support and other online-focused applications like Nintendo Badge Arcade will stop working entirely.

Just like the Wii U and 3DS eShop closure that caused a ruckus earlier this year, this move is a blow to game preservation and will forever harm some games not available anywhere else. While it's understandable that Nintendo might want to move on from these systems' dated online infrastructure, it's still a disappointing move for those of us who spent a lot of time playing games offline and online on these systems.

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

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