Nintendo announced last week that it will be shutting down its 3DS and Wii U eShops on 23 March 2023. As heartbreaking as this is for fans of these consoles, it comes as no surprise. After all, the 3DS turns 11 this month and the Wii U is only one year it’s junior. While it seems Nintendo is closing the lid on the 3DS by announcing the eShop’s impending closure, there’s still life in this charming system, and its inauguration into console heaven isn’t upon us yet. In light of the 3DS’ wide array of affordable games and unrivalled portability, it still has a niche in the gaming world. With the system offering exclusive titles and the only practical way of owning certain classic games, it will come as no shock to see people turning to the system well after the eShop closes.
A link to the past
Although news of the eShop shutting down will be devastating for 3DS owners, a phased closure should help to soften the blow. This means it isn’t shutting down right away, with it still possible to purchase eShop games using a credit card until 23 May 2022. Lasting even longer, support for Nintendo eShop cards runs until 29 August and the ability to carry over Switch eShop funds to a linked 3DS will only cease when the handheld’s store closes next year. Paired with the ability to re-download purchased games and DLC after the online store closes, the temporary continuation of these payment options allows players to buy digital titles before they disappear. With Nintendo likely to offer a sale when the store’s closure approaches, 3DS fans not taking advantage of this period is about as probable as a new F-Zero game being announced tomorrow.
Following on from this, the impending store closure could spark renewed interest in the 3DS. According to Video Games Chronicle, there are over 200 Virtual Console games on the 3DS eShop, allowing players to purchase titles from retro platforms such as the NES and Game Boy Advance. Despite the Wii U eShop boasting significantly more classic games, the handheld system provides the only Virtual Console to offer Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Gear titles. Given this, it will be impossible to purchase games like Metroid II and Pokémon Red when the 3DS store closes down unless you’re willing to spend big on physical copies and their supporting hardware. Making matters worse, around 600 digital-only 3DS games will also disappear. This is a terrible prognosis for the likes of Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure and Pokémon Picross.
A virtual consolation
Although this is disastrous for game preservation, it may cause a resurgence in 3DS usage. As Nintendo will only be offering classic titles through its Switch Online subscription service from now onwards, the 3DS provides the only practical way of owning these games. In addition to this, it’s unfeasible for Nintendo to add every 3DS Virtual Console game to Switch Online, especially as the service doesn’t offer emulators for the various Game Boy systems. Even if the rumours of a Game Boy platform coming to Switch Online were confirmed, it’s likely this wouldn’t result in all of the games being ported over. After all, the service doesn’t offer the 3DS’ entire selection of games for the currently supported formats. This is besides Switch Online’s ubiquitous performance issues, the shockingly slow roll-out of games, and questionable pricing. Incredibly disappointing, these flaws mean that the 3DS offers a much better experience when it comes to retro gaming. While it’s true that the handheld has been overlooked in recent years, the doomed fate of hundreds of classic titles and digital-exclusive gems could very well encourage players to return to the console. If anything, the eShop’s closure may bring about a newfound appreciation for the 3DS, with its sheer amount of content allowing this to last for years to come.
Banking on the future
It’s worth noting that online play won’t be going anywhere when the eShop shuts down.
Giving players another reason to continue using the console well into the future, there are a whole host of quality multiplayer titles on the 3DS. Although games like Mario Kart 7 and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate take a back seat to more recent and graphically sound entries in their respective franchises, last week’s announcement might encourage players to take a trip down memory lane with their friends. What’s more, Pokémon Bank will remain accessible when the eShop closes, with the added bonus of becoming free. This is brilliant news for anyone still looking to complete their Ultra Sun and Moon Pokédex.
Multiplayer gaming aside, the 3DS sports an incredible library of single-player games. Featuring captivating exclusives such as Bravely Default and Mario 3D Land, it also offers thousands of Nintendo DS titles to delve into. As such, there’s enough content on the 3DS to entertain players well beyond the eShop’s closure, even if they have been enjoying the console since its 2011 launch. In virtue of the system’s age, many of these games won’t break the bank. While this isn’t the case for all 3DS Games, even the rarest is less elusive than a discounted Switch game. This is combined with the handheld’s compactness and unmatched portability, making it perfect for pick-up and play sessions during a long car journey or work commute. Owing to this, the 3DS definitely still has its own niche in the video game world.
Although the 3DS is well past its heyday of StreetPass and Wonder Trading being all the rage, the eShop shutting down won’t be the death of this charming system. Given the 3DS’ wide breadth of exclusive Virtual Console titles and extensive catalogue of games, there should be enough content on the platform to keep gamers entertained until its batteries die for the very last time. Those who’ve dropped a 3DS only to find it miraculously unscathed will know just how resilient the console is.
Words by Julius Lawless-Master