The Nintendo 3DS Is Five Years Old This Month! Come Share Your Favorite Memories

Nintendo's 3DS is five years old this month! The Nintendo 3DS is the successor to the Nintendo DS- it was originally announced in March 2010, as a handheld that was capable of generating 3D graphics without the need for glasses. At the time, everyone was on a 3D high, in the wake of Avatar's release, and people began to speculate immediately how Nintendo may handle 3D, and what it might do for their game design. It was speculated to be another masterstroke- like the dual screen/touch screen on the DS.

The 3DS was unveiled at E3 2010, in what might be the best unveiling a system has ever had at the conference:

The Nintendo 3DS was announced with incredible first party backing at the time, as well as what seemed to be industry wide third party support as well. At the time, it seemed clear as though Nintendo had another winner on their hands, and the industry waited for the system with bated breath.

Except when the 3DS launched, it underperformed. A shockingly high price of $249, as well as the reveal of the PlayStation Vita, a far technically superior handheld that would also retail for the same price, as well as an absurd lack of games for months on end threatened to sink the 3DS without a trace, and end Nintendo's monopoly over handheld gaming.

But Nintendo struck back- they slashed the price of the 3DS by $80, fast tracked the release of several anticipated games, secured major third party exclusives for the system, released several revisions, and today, five years later, the Nintendo 3DS stands at 58 million units sold, and the most robust library of any dedicated system this generation.

The 3DS looks to be winding down soon- 2016 is widely speculated to be the system's last full year on the market- but you wouldn't know it by looking at the lineup for the system this year. Multiple high profile games are set to launch on the 3DS this year, including Fire Emblem Fates, Final Fantasy Explorers, Dragon Quest VII, Dragon Quest VIII, Metroid Prime Federation Force, Mario and Luigi Paper Jam, Bravely Second, Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma, 7th Dragon III, Monster Hunter X, and Shin Megami Tensei IV FINAL. The 3DS has secured its legacy in the gaming world- it's the handheld that went on to become a success, and a major tour de force in gaming against all odds.

As it turns five years old today, let's think back to some of our memories with the system- good, bad, fond, unpleasant, whatever sticks out.

Here are mine:

• The 3DS announcement ridiculously excited me. I don't think I've been as excited for a system in the lead up to its launch ever as I was with the 3DS. This ended with me buying the 3DS at launch, for $249.
• What a terrible idea, because the thing wouldn't go on to be used much at all. I had no interest in Super Street Fighter IV (the only game I had bought), and I was done with Ocarina 3D soon enough. There was nothing else to play on the system, and the most use it got from me in this period was as a pedometer, which is sad.
• Nintendo cut the price of the 3DS by $80, and I was furious- at the time, the promise of the Ambassador games did not pacify me, although eventually, having Fire Emblem, Metroid Fusion, and Minish Cap on a modern system was an alluring prospect.
• My views on the 3DS began to change when Super Mario 3D Land (which I adored, and still do) and Mario Kart 7 (which I expected a lot of, but ultimately found disappointing) released. Although after that, the 2012 lineup was still a disappointment overall, in 2013, starting with the release of Fire Emblem Awakening, I was all aboard the 3DS hype train. There were so many games being released for it, I never had a shortage of things to play on it. Fire Emblem, Monster Hunter, Shin Megami Tensei, Pokemon, The Legend of Zelda, and Animal Crossing ended up demanding an almost absurd number of hours that I put into the system.
• 2014 was pretty damn good overall, too- between Bravely Default, which is at least half a good game, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, which is absolutely awesome, Persona Q, which was great fanservice, and Pokemon OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire, which was a great return to form for the franchise, the 3DS was constantly being played in 2014 too.
• 2015 started off great- The Legend of Zelda:Majora's Mask 3D and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, alongside the launch of the New Nintendo 3DS XL. I really liked both of those games, and later on, Xenoblade Chronicles 3D was great as well, but the 3DS really faltered in the second half of the year.
• Happily, 2016 looks loaded to the brim with great 3DS games. Looks like the system is going out on a high, with a bang.

Favorite 3DS Game: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Favorite 3DS Model: New Nintendo 3DS XL (as of right now, also my favorite Nintendo handheld hardware ever)

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What are your memories of the 3DS?

EDIT: Remember, shitposting or pointless trolling will be moderated in this thread. You have been warned.

I actually got the 3ds day 1, so I was playing a lot of remakes at first :P. But there really were a lot of great games for it and some of my favorite Series at that like Virtues Last Reward, Metal Gear Solid 3 without the bad controls, Smash, Persona Q, Fire Emblem Awakening. If there is something Nintendo can do its handhelds. The best memory I have of the 3DS is going through VLR for the first time, I played that game nonstop for a while.

Side Note: lol the doorstop design

The Vita is better.

Yeah, I really hated having this thing at launch. It single handedly convinced me never to buy a system at launch again.

But it's really hard not to appreciate the strength of its library going on from there- Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land, Kid Icarus Uprising, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, Zero Escape: Virtue's last Reward, Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Resident Evil Revelations, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Fire Emblem Awakening, Shin Megami Tensei IV, Animal Crossing New Leaf, Pokemon X/Y, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, Pokemon OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire, Bravely Default, Xenoblade Chronicles, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D among others. There was just a glut of great games on the system.

Also, the 2DS is actually really comfortable. If it had stereo sound and the Super Stable 3D, it'd be my favorite model without a doubt.

I own both, and I adore the Vita (have three of them), and I'm one of its biggest proponents on this forum, but... lolno.

@aigis said:

@flyincloud1116 said:

The Vita is better.

I actually have both. 3(DS) and 1 3DS and a the superior Vita.

Ya I have a friend who has one, but it was just so weird to me to fit in my pocket like my original. That was my real problem with it was no closing screen.

So many remakes at the start XD, played a lot of street fighter in those days :P

3DS was the most exciting system since the Xbox, imo. Something about it. A Nintendo handheld with decent abilities and a 3D screen. Great launch titles. Pilotwings Resort is criminally underrated and one of the best games of the last 10 years.

So many great releases. Bought many games and like that the prices range from 20 to 40 dollars.

The bummers? I would have liked to see more Ocarina style remakes--namely, Mario64, Wave Race, and FzeroX. Regardless, Link Between Worlds is an astonishing game on all fronts. Nintendo has been representing the core gamer of old and somehow this all gets glossed over.

@aigis: You;re not supposed to put it in your pocket, you put it in its sleeve, and then in your bag lol.

I think my time was spent playing... Ocarina of Time 3D, and Pokemon Black.

Whats a 3(DS) and 1 3DS? 3 DS' and a 3DS?

Yep.

ya I dont want to put it in a bag... Pocket it, walk around, street pass is the only way to go. Bags are kinda lame imo lol

and ya OoT, Splinter Cell, Star Fox 64. So many remakes, but they are still good :3

The XL models are so big, I end up chucking mine into the front pocket of my bag anyway lol, alongside my Vita.

StreetPass is awesome. Stroke of brilliance right there, hopefully it returns in the next handheld.

Mine was getting the DS with wife and playing club house games.

Yes

I think the DS game lineup is better than the 3DS, but there are some gems though.

@flyincloud1116: Ya they both have some pretty awesome games, but the DS did have more original series (Ace Attorney, Zero Escape, The World Ends With You, etc...). The 3DS was more remakes and sequels. Both great libraries though

If we include the overall third party support, the DS lineup is miles better than the 3DS lineup, this is indisputable, as I like to say.

But if we are just assessing first party showings? The 3DS is stupidly ahead of the DS, which saw some of the weakest entries in most of Nintendo's series (New Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Pokemon Diamond/Pearl, Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon).

Hey, remember that time Ninty made a handheld that went from the 150+ million DS sales to doing worse than the original PSP? :D

In essence Pokemon X and A Link Between Worlds are my highlights.

Hint: It's the 3DS :P

You mean in a post smartphone world, when handhelds were supposed to be all but dead, it still managed to sell nearly 60 million units, while outpacing the PSP, if not outselling it? In spite of a terrible launch and absurd overpricing? Yeah, I remember that. I find its performance to be extremely impressive, to say nothing of just how great the system itself was.

Now, the true stumper, in my opinion, was that time Sony made a handheld that went from the 80 million+ units the PSP sold to being outsold by even the Wii U, in spite of being a year longer on the market, and in spite of Sony having everything go that way. How the hell could that happen?

@charizard1605: By virtue of maths:

150 - (~)60 = 90

80 - (~)11= 69

Seems to me, one fell quite a bit more than the other! :D

Are we trying to spin that the 3ds did bad? Everyone is saying handhelds are a dying breed, so the 3ds did actually pretty good considering... Also the original PSP is still really awesome, so even if it is doing worse I wouldnt be concerned...

I seriously don't know why people hate the game so much.

But Super Mario 3D Land was one of the best games I played on the system. It was like it took the best parts out of 3D and 2D mario games.

@Desmonic: Actually, the 3DS fell to over 33% of what the predecessor did. The Vita fell to less than 12.5% of its predecessor's performance.

No point spinning this one, bro. It's a celebration thread, let it go >.>

Statistics? Pfffttt. The favourite maths of MS's PR department :P

Cold hard numbers >>> statistics brah, not even close. Where be them 90 million extra users? :v

They went the same place the 90 million PS2 users went with the PS3 :-3

Also, percentages are still math. Cold hard math.

It sucks. It's like everything I couldn't want out of a handheld all packed up in one nice looking handheld.

You guys know my opinion on it otherwise, not much else I have to say.

@charizard1605: More like yucky cold coffe type of math :P

Hey man, the PS3 at least had the excuse of a proper competing console in the form of the X360 taking it's costumers away. The 3DS only has the Vita XD

3DFailS am confirmed! :v

Super Mario 3D Land was amazing- I found it to be the perfect translation of 2D Mario into a 3D space.

Super Mario 3D World was even better, though I do admit not having the stereoscopic 3D hurt that game a little in the long run.

Completely disappointing for its 5 year run. Link Between Worlds and Rhythm Thief were rad, but the rest of its lineup was either safe all hell or a significant step down from its predecessors (Fire Emblem Awakening, SMT4, etc). To be honest I was not super high on Nintendo's first party when it came to the DS, it was the more unique third party stuff that made the DS special, and in that regard the 3DS just stunk, outside of Rhythm Thief nothing else was really creative.

It was more of shit the DS already had, and that makes it a dull platform very much like what is dull about modern triple A gaming.

But the 3DS had the strongest competitor any gaming device has ever faced- smartphones.

3DS greatest success story of all time, proven beyond doubt.

Thank you, please don't forget to tip your waitress before you leave

Yeah that game is awesome. It only gets some hate cause it looks the same as a game before it i think. I think might have caused many to pass on it. This happens sometimes, like with Metroid Other M, Paper Mario Sticker Star, and so many others, many write them off and just never played it. To them its just not appealing enough to purchase.

I think my fondest memory was playing Pokemon 3 way with the boys on Pokemon Omega Ruby. We would gather around and i would tell them tales of the great Ash and all his woes. Like how Charizard doesnt behave for Ash, Pikachu didnt trust him, Squirtle is afraid to evolve, how Ash tamed Mewtwos heart, anything i could think of to give them more context on what all Pokemon is about. Or what i feel its about, that sense of improvement, the no struggle, no progress, that never give up mentality.

Only problem now is its hard to get them away from Pokemon. The oldest beat Pokemon Omega Ruby two months ago, but is still playing bout daily trying to find new Pokemon, trade online and is still battling in the Pokemon League, he says its a lot of work to finish the Pokemon League. Im trying to get him on Zelda Link Between Worlds, but that game and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon he wont let go right now.

@charizard1605: What is this, 2010? The Angry Birds craze has come and gone dude, you can't keep blaming smartphones for the failure that is the 3DS :P

Remember: 150+ million to ~60 million :P You could fit several WiiU LTD's in that gap XD

The stereoscopic 3D in 3D land was perfect !

I saw that on a demo kiosk in a store, and I was sold on the effect.

Should definitely get started on Zelda: a link between worlds !

You're right, smartphone gaming definitely died out with Angry Birds. How silly of me to think otherwise.

You absolutely should! It's the best Zelda game since A Link to the Past in my opinion.

You gonna get Fire Emblem Fates this year?

I didnt even know there were people who didnt like it. You may be thinking about Super Mario 3D Land (3DS) to World (Wii U) being similar, but Land was the first one to come out. It was pretty simple granted, but it was still pretty fun to play.

My favorite memory of the 3DS is when i sold it and earned small profit out of it

Bravely Default brought Final Fantasy back to where it should be, and A Link Between Worlds was stellar. I own 4 3ds's because i'm nuts.

Of course, it didn't have the Sony logo on it, that makes it worthless automatically.

Buying the New 3DSXL

I always felt people compared it too similar to New Super Mario Bros. Even though it did have new mechanics and everything.

@charizard1605: See, I knew you'd see the light! :D

Let us celebrate the failure that is the 3DS! :P

Really? I thought they were pretty different since 3d land was more in the vein of mario 64 while new was more of a classic style mario. Kinda weird if thats the case...

You have linear timed courses, three coins to collect per course, mid level checkpoints, stored power ups... the Super Mario 3D series is definitely a 3D translation of New Super Mario Bros., mesome is right.

Hmmm I never thought of it that way. I always considered them to be more mario aspects than NSMB aspects, myself...

@charizard1605: New Super Mario Bros 2 is the worst 2D Mario I ever played played.

Diamond and Pearl were better than X and Y, and Black and White were ahead of either pair.

Triple Deluxe is a game made for ten year olds (haven't played DS Kirbys, but they have to be better than this, right?).

3D Land's not nearly as good as Galaxy or 64 (which had a dope DS remake), hell if Sunshine wasn't such ass I would easily say it's the worst one.

Layton peaked on the DS.

Mario Party DS is way better than the 3DS one.

Mario Kart DS is more feature packed than 7, even though I like how 7 plays more.

Bowser's Inside Story is better than Dream Team or Paper Jam.

Intelligent Systems made Advanced Wars on the DS, here they made Codename STEAM.

Mario vs Donkey Kong, the series with the mini Mario, was great on the GBA and DS, the 3DS one wasn't as nicely received.

Even Pokemon remakes were better. HGSS actually added more to the games they remade. ORAS took out a post game that existed nine years before it.

Nintendo's work on the 3DS compared to the DS only has two series where it's become better, Fire Emblem and Zelda, maybe Animal Crossing but I didn't play New Leaf. Mystery Dungeon games were better received on DS but haven't touched them.

Hell, the DS's variety way from Nintendo outdoes the 3DS too. That had an original Metroid Prime (and Pinball), a Princess Peach platformer, WarioWare, Pokemon Ranger, hell even Golden Sun which we were talking about. It started NSMB and Layton too.

On the 3DS there's Pushmo and its series, there's Codename STEAM, there's that new Detective Pikachu game, idr what else.

I slept at 3:30, I'm tired, TL;DR you're wrong and you're ugly

Checking through my library, I bought more games for it than I remember.

Fire Emblem: Awakening
Fire Emblem: Fates - Conquest (JP)
Mario Kart 7
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies
Resident Evil: Revelations
Senran Kagura Burst
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Virtue's Last Reward

Not many, but I'm surprised nonetheless. A few I still need to get my hands on and a few upcoming, but yeah, not bad, little guy.

They are 2D Mario aspects (more or less) that NSMB popularized, and Mario 3D appropriated.

@aigis: I agree they are very different. I just feel some dont think that way. I remember reading peoples complaints that its was more of the same Mario. It was getting weird reviews on Metacritic, but it seems that has now been overpowered by good reviews. For some reason i remember it having a lower Metacritic score from users, i could be wrong though, its well received now.