We’re getting close to the home stretch of this ‘Remembering The…‘ article series, friends! This week, we’re pivoting back to the realm of handheld consoles for the final time, as we take a look at the Nintendo 3DS. This was a real beast of a system, and one that’s pretty near-and-dear to my heart.
Let’s get right into it!
The Console
Immediately, it’s obvious that this system is an iterative improvement upon the OG DS, and not some grand, sweeping redesign.
But why fix what wasn’t broken? The DS established a phenomenal base for a handheld console, so why make any major changes? Two screen gameplay, the bottom screen being a touch-screen, the clamshell design to encourage easy portability…it all stills works great. But what does the 3DS bring to the table that is new? Well, obviously, there’s the 3D, but it’s genuinely just a gimmick. A super neat gimmick, but a gimmick nonetheless. There’s also a Circle Pad now, to allow for more fluid three-dimensional movement in games.
The two biggest things the 3DS brings are its increased power, and Streetpass. In terms of power, we’re now at about the level of a GameCube (a few GameCube games, like Luigi’s Mansion, even got ported to the system). Handheld gaming can really do a lot now, and present some very stunning visuals (looking at you, Kid Icarus Uprising). Streetpass, as well, is amazing. Pass by another 3DS owner, and your two consoles will communicate with each other, and grant both of you some amazing bonuses. So many games took advantage of Streetpass to great effect, and it’s simply an amazing mechanic that’s so much fun to mess around with.
The Controller
Again, like with all handhelds, the console and controller are one and the same. What you see is what you get.
Also, given this iteration of the original DS model, there isn’t a whole lot that’s new to talk about in terms of the system as a controller. Still, there’s some neat inclusions here. The Circle Pad is a big one, of course. The 3DS’ increased power has led to more games being made in true three-dimensional environments, and the Circle Pad gives a good way to really move around that a simple D-Pad just can’t emulate. Also, as a neat bonus, some older OG DS games now benefit from the Circle Pad too, allowing more comfort and control while playing.
There’s also the 3D slider on the side of the top screen, which controls how much the 3D effect is active. 3D is really just a gimmick in most 3DS games, but it’s still nice to have easy access to a slider to control the effect (sometimes it’s fun to pop it on for a minute, go ‘ooh‘ and ‘aah‘, then turn it off again). Pictured above is also the New 3DS (a re-release of the console with upgraded features), and it’s bigger, more comfortable, and has a second mini Circle Pad (more of a nubbin, really) that adds more control to certain games (usually of the camera). It’s a solid console/controller design, simple as that.
Cultural Impact
The 3DS was never going to be as big of a seller as the original DS, it simply wasn’t (not that it did poorly, as the 12th highest-selling console of all time). But sales aren’t everything, and like all previous Nintendo handhelds, the 3DS made a big impact on the gaming world as a tool for playing games on the go, for connecting with friends, and for experiencing a wide plethora of genres with ease. Streetpass was a giant part of this, as it encouraged people to walk around with their 3DSs (the console could even count your steps, and awarded you points for every 100 steps), and the 3DS was a huge hit at social events (I still remember nearly everyone in the crowd of hundreds of people having a 3DS when I went to a Zelda concert once).
Game-wise, the 3DS dominated, and was a huge cultural contributor during this era of gaming. Multiple hugely-successful Pokémon games released, including the series’ long-awaited pivot to three dimensions. The 3DS was gifted with a new Mario Kart game, a Super Smash Bros game (first and only time on a handheld), multiple mainline entries in the Zelda, Metroid, and Super Mario franchises, the rebirth of what was (at the time) the struggling Fire Emblem series, and oh-so-much more. I’d be here all day if I had to talk about everything the 3DS contributed to the gaming world during its time in the spotlight.
Favorite Games
More than the 3D gimmick, more than the benefits of handheld gaming, more than anything else…the 3DS excelled at games. Boy howdy, did it excel at games. I’d need a hundred articles to talk about all the amazing games the 3DS had. Here’s four of them.
Fire Emblem Awakening
My first-ever experience with a Fire Emblem game, and man is it an understatement to say that playing this gem altered my gaming preferences. I still remember the moment I realized was looking at the game online and went ‘wait a second, this is just like Shining Force, one of my favorite games‘, and I rushed out to my local GameStop to buy a copy that instant. And while my first-ever playthrough of this game was rather cursed (I got my own child slain in battle, yikes), I immediately fell in love with the Fire Emblem franchise and have never looked back since.
There’s something so incredibly nostalgic about Awakening, even during a first playthrough. Maybe it’s the visual style, maybe it’s the music, or maybe it’s the wholesome story. Whatever it is, Awakening is a game for everyone, and it just feels really comfortable to play. It’s also pretty stuffed with content, between the lengthy main story and all those optional paralogue missions. You’ll be playing this one for a while, to say nothing of how replayable the game is as it encourages pursuing different unit pair-ups on each new run.
Pokémon Alpha Sapphire
I’m a huge fan of Pokémon, but outside of Black 2 and Scarlet, I don’t often talk about the series very much. This is a shame, because there’s plenty of other amazing entries in the franchise. And boy howdy did the 3DS get a lot of good entries, with a special nod going to Moon for its fantastic story. But, for one reason or another, Alpha Sapphire is the entry I played the most on the 3DS, and is one of the closest times I’ve ever come to truly ‘catching ’em all‘. And that’s interesting, given the game is a remake of the Third Generation of Pokémon, a generation I don’t care for too much.
Of course, a lot of my love for Alpha Sapphire comes from how well designed of a remake it is. Obviously there’s the 3D benefit that really enriches the world, but then there’s brand-new quality of life features, an improve soundtrack, a ton of new Pokémon to catch (plus the Mega Evolution mechanic from X and Y returning), and oodles of new content, including the post-game story that introduces Zinnia, one of my all-time favorite Pokémon characters. It’s a very breezy Pokémon experience that is easy to get stuck into an find fun and enjoyment.
Bravely Default
One of the best JRPGs ever created, and it resides here on the modest 3DS as an underappreciated classic I wish more people could experience. I’ve never experienced a JRPG that so clearly understood the tropes and archetypes inherent in the genre, and knew how to exploit and subvert them to create an undeniably unforgettable experience for the player. The amount of craziness that happens in this game is of legendary status, whether it’s mind-boggling plot twists, insane multiverse shenanigans, and the infamous title screen change thanks to a certain conniving fairy.
Bravely Default does an amazing job of respecting the player, too. It respects your time, through features such as the ability to speed up battles, increase or decrease enemy spawn rates, and the mechanic of chaining battles together to ease up on the exhaustion of grinding. It respects your intelligence too, presenting a story with some of the darkest and most distressing plot elements in all of JRPGs, and also some extremely complicated and layered character development and world-building, but thanks to an in-game journal, you’re able to learn at your own pace and follow along with the story.
Lord of Magna: Maiden Heaven
I don’t get the chance to talk about this goofy little game as much as I’d like, so I couldn’t help myself from giving it a spot here (because, realistically speaking, it isn’t actually one of my four favorite 3DS games). It’s got somewhat spotty visuals, a fun but relatively simple soundtrack, and the company creating it went out of business, leading to a rushed ending in order to get the game on store shelves. But, gosh darn it, it’s filled to the brim with charm and spirit, and it’s really fun to play! I’d still happily recommend it to anyone!
At the very least, there’s not a single game out there that controls like this one does, in terms of battling. You literally smack enemies into other enemies, like you’re playing a game of bowling with goblins as the pins. It’s as silly and light-hearted as the rest of the game is. Sprinkle in some heartwarming relationship interactions, a charming cast of characters, and some gut-bustingly funny moments (most courtesy of the best gaming NPC ever, Bart), and you’ve got an extremely overlooked and underappreciated little gem. A rough gem, but a gem nonetheless.
Gaming Memories
The 3DS was my go-to gaming system for years, most pertinently in my junior and senior years of high school. As such, a lot of my memories are related to the countless times I’d bring it to school with me (it was in my backpack every single day, actually, even if I didn’t plan to play it, simply because it would rack up points with my steps). I remember playing hours of the Smash Run game mode in Super Smash Bros 4, and racing around circuits in Mario Kart 7. I remember collecting new fighters for my adventures, and precious puzzle pieces in the Streetpass Plaza. I remember being awed by the 3D gimmick with the pack-in app, Face Raiders.
I remember being blown away by a certain mid-game twist in Bravely Second, and struggling for hours to conquer the hard-as-nails final boss in Stella Glow. I remember enjoying the creations of others in RPG Maker FES, and realizing I was only halfway through the game when I bested Bowser in Super Mario 3D Land. I remember the mind-bending puzzles of Radiant Historia Perfect Chronology, and getting lost in the sprawling Lumiose City in Pokémon Y. I remember becoming the world’s greatest hero in Fantasy Life, and discovering my love of defeating gigantic beasties in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate.
Conclusion
To wrap up, the 3DS is one of the absolute titans of the gaming world when it comes to the games themselves, and I’ll hear no counterargument to this point. There’s simply so many fantastic classics on this console, in every genre imaginable. Add in the bonuses from being a handheld console (portability, ease of access, the amazing benefits of connectivity with Streetpass), and the 3DS stands tall and proud as one of gaming’s best consoles. With Nintendo clearly devoting their focus to the Switch and its brand of gameplay, we’re clearly leaving the era of dedicated handheld gaming behind, and I’ll always be a bit remorseful for that…but it’s not like I can’t just pick up my 3DS and have a blast when I’m in a nostalgic mood!
The Contrarian Corner 