Nintendo 3DS launches in North America, pre-orders double the Wii’s

By Adam Rosenberg Published March 27, 2011

Last night in New York City, Nintendo kicked off the launch of its new 3DS handheld gaming device — which brings glasses-free 3D gaming to one and all — with a countdown party at the Best Buy in Union Square. At the stroke of midnight, throngs of gamers there and all along the United States’ eastern seaboard streamed into stores to get their hands on the new device. The rest of the country followed suit as the hours ticked over to the March 27 release in each time zone.

A large number of those early adopters paid for their new device in part or in full prior to the release with a pre-order, which has become an increasingly common practice for retailers during this current generation of gaming consoles and handhelds. In fact, pre-orders for the 3DS are nearly double what they were for Nintendo’s incredibly popular Wii gaming console, which was released at the end of 2006. The information comes from Nintendo sales data given to analyst Colin Sebastian at Lazard Capital Markets, Gamasutra reports. It is an impressive feat, thanks in no small part to the device’s much-talked-about glasses-free 3D gaming. Especially given the fact that the handheld’s $250 price tag actually makes it more expensive than the $200 Wii, which also launched at $250.

The 3D gaming is a centerpiece feature, but Nintendo has packed a considerable number of features into the device’s small package. Built-in Wi-Fi functionality streamlines the firmware update process and offers a number of community-oriented elements, something Nintendo’s console is way behind on in comparison to its high-def competitors at Microsoft and Sony.

The big sticking point for many gamers on the 3DS front is the launch lineup, which is really lacking in any of the “killer apps” that Nintendo is so famous for pushing out alongside its technology releases (see also: just about anything starting with the words Super Mario, plus Wii Sports). There are a few solid options, some of which Digital Trends’ own Ryan Fleming has detailed in a series of reviews. Check out his write-ups for: LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars 3D, Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, Nintendogs + Cats 3D, The Sims 3, Madden NFL Football 3DS, Bust-A-Move Universe and Ridge Racer 3D.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

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

What games will Nintendo Switch 2 launch with? We have some ideas

Mario and friends zip through a race course in Mario Kart 8.

We’re officially on “new console watch.” Reports from credible publications like Eurogamer say that Nintendo secretly showed developers its next system behind closed doors at this year’s Gamescom. While it’s only a rumor, it’s a realistic one. We’re six years into the Nintendo Switch’s lifespan and even the longest-running consoles turn over at eight. If Nintendo’s next system is one or two years away, it’s time to start lining up support from third-party developers.

We’ve speculated on features we’d want in a new system before, but the reality of a new platform has me asking another question: What games would you launch with something like this? The Nintendo Switch’s launch day was crucial to its long-term success thanks to a bonafide classic in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. While the rest of its launch lineup wasn’t as impressive, Nintendo capitalized fairly quickly with titles like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Splatoon 2. If Nintendo’s going to push Switch owners over to a new system, it’ll have to roll out the big guns.

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.