So does this mean it’s basically a dead platform as of today?
I just played Kid Icarus: Uprising for the first time and my goodness what a delight.
That is such a gem! The controls take some getting used to but it’s a brilliant game with a charming script. I need to replay it soon.
No you have until August to add funds using eshop gift card. And the shop closes in February next year
No. If your eShop account is connected to your Switch account, then you can continue adding funds to your account on the Switch and use them on the 3DS eShop until it closes in late March of 2023.
Users who link their Nintendo Network ID wallet (used with Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems) with their Nintendo Account wallet (used with the Nintendo Switch family of systems) can use the shared balance to purchase content on any of these systems until late March 2023. After that, the balance can only be used to purchase content for the Nintendo Switch family of systems.
So since I got this thing modded I’ve been dabbling in a ton of games on it, more than ever before (and I already owned a lot of carts for it). Does the combination of the DS and 3DS culminate in the best handheld library ever? I kinda think it does. I mean the Switch is nice and all but it feels like a lot of games on the DS/3DS are truly innovative.
Um… [goes and takes 3DS off charger that it’s been on for years]
Guess I should be looking for a backup battery, too. Thanks for the heads up!
Yes! Which is why I’ve picked up a few 2DS models (non-New non-clamshell, and New XL) as backups. But it’s only recently that I’ve started to truly appreciate the 3D effect and regreting that I didn’t pick up a backup 3DS. Of course, I’ve got the New, non-XL model, so it was like winning the lottery to get that one in the first place.
I don’t think you can beat the ratio of good games on any other platform, though that’s in large part due to the scope of the releases. But I do think there is something magical imposed both by the unique features and the constraints of the system that doesn’t translate to the Switch or any other console, handheld or not.
I got an original one like this off ebay:
Had to use a special screwdriver though to open it, which I got here:
Thanks for the link! And, it turns out, my tri-wing screwdrivers I bought for my DS Lite back in the day still work on the 3DS!
Nice!
Yes and no.
Don’t forget to consider some of the virtualware stuff in your inclusion of games. For instance, I was sorely tempted to get the Zelda:Seasons and Zelda:Ages games that were released for the gameboy back in the day. Great games. Links Awakening less so, though you can get that on Switch now. Still plenty of time to get them, just a decision on if they’re really worth whatever their AUD$ cost is.
But I think the same argument of DS/3DS could be said for the original DS where it could take Gameboy Advance games. And I have to say the GBA had a fantastic collection of games too mixed with the 3DS.
I was watching a video the other day that covered some of Ninteno’s in-house emulation for their systems (eg: developed by Nintendo European Research & Development). So I remain optimistic that over time, there will be a unified approach to keeping some of their old games alive.
Hell yes the 3DS is the greatest handheld ever (thanks to DS BC). It’s too bad it didnt play GBA games, too, like you could do with the DS.
Reminds me i need to find a DS as my original one has a screen that is failing. So I could play my GBA games.
You can always pick up the Analogue Pocket to play GBA games, if you don’t mind playing letterboxed on a GB-style screen (and it has extra benefits, like being able to play docked to a TV). Otherwise, I’ve had great luck with getting a reworked GBA on Etsy with the old form factor but with a backlit screen, louder speaker, and rechargeable battery with USB-C.
I totally pre-ordered an Analogue Pocket because it looks astounding.
On the one hand, I probably have a half-dozen devices in my house that play GBA games, including a GBA SP, a DS Lite, and the aforementioned reworked GBA that I bought off of Etsy. Oh, and a Gamecube with Game Boy Player so I can play games on my TV.
On the other hand…it does look really nice! And I have to admit, there’s something appealing about being able to play my old Lynx games again.
Right? My Lynx died AGES ago, but I still have several games for it. I mean god I’d love to play Warbirds again.
I think I will stick with my DS for GBA games but it does make me curious if it would work with a flash cart.
As crazy as it sounds, I’ve been getting far more enjoyment from my DS/3DS library in the past few months after essentially retiring the physical hardware in favor of emulating it on my phone.
Nah, a lot of folks are fine playing games on a touch screen. I prefer physical controls.
Oh, I prefer physical controls too. But:
- Exchanging them for a single-thumb control scheme on a device that’s always in my pocket, so I can comfortably play while eating lunch / waiting for my dog to poop / lying in bed / etc. turned out to be a very worthwhile tradeoff in games where you’re primarily navigating grids or menus without time pressure.
- An appreciable chunk of the DS/3DS library is already touch-based to begin with.
- Any situation I have space / forethought to bring a dedicated gaming device (i.e. the only times I would have had the 3DS in the first place), I just bring a controller so I can still have physical controls. I have giant hands, and the 3DS ergonomics were always just barely adequate at best, so playing the same games with an Xbox pad and untethered screen placement is actually a major upgrade in comfort.
Two-month warning! The 3DS (and Wii U) eShop will be closing permanently in two months, on March 27, 2023. If you’ve been waiting to pick up any digital-only games, the time is now!
I’m compiling a list of eShop games that I still need to get, so if there’s any interest, I can post the list here!