Nintendo celebrates 20 years of Pokemon with New 3DS hardware bundle

By Danny Cowan Published January 12, 2016

Nintendo is celebrating Pokemon’s 20th anniversary in style as the company readies a New 3DS hardware bundle that include free copies of the original Game Boy Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue games.

The bundle, launching in North America on February 27th, includes a New 3DS system and a pair of swappable cover plates featuring artwork from the original Game Boy Pokemon games, in addition to preinstalled copies of Pokemon Red and Blue.

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Pokemon fans in Europe can look forward to an exclusive trio of 2DS hardware bundles featuring the monochrome Pokemon games. Starting on February 27th, players in Europe can purchase three Nintendo 2DS Special Edition hardware bundles that are each uniquely themed to match Pokemon Red Version, Pokemon Blue Version, and Pokemon Yellow Version.

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The Europe-exclusive 2DS bundles include a transparent 2DS in red, blue, and yellow variants, along with a preinstalled copy of Pokemon Red, Blue or Yellow that matches the featured system color. These bundles also offer an exclusive sheet of 15 stickers that players can use to customize their hardware.

The upcoming Pokemon-themed New 3DS and 2DS bundles additionally include download codes redeemable for a Pokemon Home Menu theme.

Nintendo further promotes Pokemon’s 20th anniversary this year with a series of mythical Pokemon giveaways. Starting in February, players can download Mew, Jirachi, Darkrai, and other rarely-seen Pokemon within the 3DS games Pokemon X, Pokemon Y, Pokemon Omega Ruby, and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire.

Though many of the forthcoming mythical Pokemon can be freely downloaded from the Nintendo Network, certain creatures must be downloaded from networks set up within participating GameStop retail locations on specific dates.

Nintendo 3DS owners will be able to download Virtual Console adaptations of Pokemon Red, Pokemon Blue, and Pokemon Yellow from the 3DS eShop in North America on February 27th.

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

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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.

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Grab these Nintendo 3DS games before the eShop closes

wii u 3ds exclusive nintendo games eshop closure ever oasis

While the Nintendo 3DS had a rocky launch, the handheld system recovered gracefully and ended up having one of the best game lineups of any Nintendo system. Many of these 3DS games, like Super Mario 3D Land and Fire Emblem Awakening, were very popular and well-known. Still, the 3DS had a lot of fantastic games that not as many people know about and threaten to be lost to time when the eShop closes down.
The 3DS eShop will shut down soon, preventing people from purchasing new games. As such, we've been reflecting on the system's vast library and all of the fantastic games that 3DS owners will no longer be able to buy digitally. From games that we think will skyrocket even further in price after the store shuts down to some enjoyable hidden gems that didn't get the attention they deserve, you might want to snag these 3DS games before you can't anymore after March 27.
Ever Oasis

Grezzo is one of Nintendo's most underrated developers. It's delivered top-notch The Legend of Zelda remakes like Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and Link's Awakening. So what if I told you that it used that experience to make an original IP for 3DS that's one of the best-looking and expansive games on the system? Ever Oasis, a 2017 3DS game, follows a young kid as they help a water spirit named Esna build an oasis and try to save their brother from Chaos.
The result is a mix of 3D The Legend of Zelda and city management games. Players can venture out into surprisingly large open worlds and dungeons to restock and grow the number of "bloom booths." This mix of open-world exploration, dungeon crawling, and oasis-building will keep players engaged for dozens of hours, and it also stands as one of the deepest and best-looking action-adventure games on the platform.
Ever Oasis didn't get much attention when it launched because the Nintendo Switch had been released a couple of months earlier. Still, it stands as one of the 3DS' best games, so it's a shame that more people don't know about it. It risks being forgotten forever now the 3DS eShop is closing down, so check it out before the closure; it will surpass your expectations.
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The Nintendo 3DS’ best (and weirdest) cult hit is coming to Apple Arcade

Horses race in Pocket Card Jockey.

Apple Arcade is kicking off 2023 by adding three new titles in January. Most notable among them is Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!, a mobile port of one of the Nintendo 3DS cult hits set to launch on January 20.

The original Pocket Card Jockey, released in 2013 in Japan and 2016 in North America, is one of the 3DS' oddest titles. Developed by Pokémon studio Game Freak, it's a horse-racing RPG that revolves around solitaire. Players raise and breed horses and then race them by playing fast-paced rounds of solitaire. It's an extremely bizarre concept, but an incredibly fun one that made it one of the handheld's most charming hidden gems.

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