The Life and Times of the Nintendo 3DS: Answering All of Your Nintendo 3DS Questions

After a long journey, the Nintendo 3DS can finally rest. On March 27, the 3DS (and the Wii U) shop will be officially closed. This means that users will no longer be able to buy games digitally anymore.

But there is some good news. People will still be able to re-download digital games that they already own, and for a lot of games, it’s still possible to buy physical copies.

This is a long time coming; the Nintendo 3DS isn’t young, but it’s still sad to see it go.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the life of the 3DS, and let’s answer your pressing questions.

When Did the 3DS Come Out?

The Nintendo 3DS was released worldwide in 2011. It would then be followed by other iterations such as the Nintendo 3DS XL and the New Nintendo 3DS. The last one, the New Nintendo 2DS XL, was released in 2017.

When Was the 3DS Discontinued?

The Nintendo 3DS (and every iteration of it) was discontinued in September 2020. Crazily enough, it outlasted the Wii U and was still being produced 3 years into the Nintendo Switch’s lifespan.

How Many Units of the Nintendo 3DS Were Sold?

According to Nintendo’s official website, the answer is 75 million units. This number includes the entire 3DS family. Although it’s only half of what its predecessor, the Nintendo DS, sold, it eclipses the units sold of the next console Nintendo released, the Wii U.

What Are the Best Nintendo 3DS Games According to Metacritic?

Out of all of the Nintendo 3DS games that were sold, only 6 have a score of 90 or higher on Metacritic. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is the highest at 94, followed by Fire Emblem: Awakening at 92 and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds at 91.

Shovel Knight, Super Mario 3D Land, and Pushmo are all tied at 90.

What Are the Best Nintendo 3DS Games According to Sales?

When it comes to sales, the list changes entirely. Pokemon Sun and Moon comes in at #3 with 16.2 million copies, Pokemon X and Y comes in at #2 with 16.49 million copies, and, if we’re only going off by the sales, Mario Kart 7 is the best 3DS game with 18.92 million copies sold.

Although it was discontinued years ago and the eshop is closed, the 3DS isn’t dead and gone forever. There is still a (relatively) healthy online community, and it’s still possible to get your hands on a console if you ever feel the itch. (Going to Ebay or looking at local online markets are your best bets.)

So, just because the majority of our best memories with the 3DS are behind us, it doesn’t mean that there won’t be new ones in the future.

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