The Painful Early Days of the Nintendo 3DS

[@mrperson9877]

Its crazy how the 3ds went from a handheld struggling to find its footing with lackluster sales to being so successful that it got 6 alternate models and a death 3 years after the Nintendo switch's launch. Its such an iconic handheld in my mind despite the fact that, for a period of time, it almost became the Wii U of handhelds.

[@dennisx3397]

It also got so succesful that it carried Nintendo during the Wii U era

[@pokepress]

@@dennisx3397that and Amiibo.

[@absin8078]

Yeah it pretty much became nintendos main console a couple years before the switch came out. Best handheld

[@prestonrcasey]

I think the turning point was Smash Bros 3DS tbh

[@No_True_Scotsman]

You just made me realise there were SEVEN variants of the 3DS. That is truly crazy.

[@lissamissa8618]

Honestly being 8 years old in 2011, getting the 3DS for Christmas is probably one of my favorite memories ever. My mom let me open my gifts at 12 AM while the series finale of DBZ Kai was airing on Nick Toons. On top of the 3DS, she also got me OoT 3D and Mario Kart 7. She told me how she got the last copy of OoT 3D in Best Buy and some kids parents were upset lmao. We weren’t rich or anything but my mom made sure that I got the best Christmas possible, and I did.

[@XxKeNoHxX]

I love stories like this, I'm likely 10 years older than you and have a similar story getting the Gamecube for Christmas with Luigi's Mansion and Smash Bros Melee. Make sure you do the same for your kids some day!

[@sergioramirez7253]

Bro same got mines Christmas 2011 though I didn't get games for it a few months later since my family was poor growing up

[@Hagashager]

This made me nostalgic for Christmas 2011 as well, though in a radically different stage of my life. I was an early adopter of the 3DS as well, I bought it for myself after graduating High School in June 2011. That Christmas I got money from relatives early when we drove out of town to visit them. I bought OoT 3D and played it on-and-off throughout the rest of our vacation. That Christmas is one of my fondest. I didn't know it at the time, but it would be the last one my entire extended family would have together. I still remember, vividly, coming into my grandmother's house, seeing the tree and telling her about 1st Senester of college. Then my cousins, brother and I went out for food (and where I bought OOT 3D). After that we all played cards and mocked some really shitty movie. After that my brother and cousins went to bed/went home. I stayed up with grandma until she fell asleep at which point I started playing OOT 3D. During 2012, everything changed. My grandmother started developing dementia. My brother and two of my cousins all got hooked on drugs. A third cousin left for another state after he came out of the closet and was shunned by his father (not blood related). A fourth cousin got married and moved to Puerto Rico, and a final cousin ended up getting diagnosed with Schizophrenia. Morbid shit aside, the 3DS represents my last gasp of childhood. It's the last gift I received before circumstances changed. It was a final actor in the last good family memory.

[@autismandgaming4532]

It will always be tragic to me how Mario 3d land and Mario Kart 7, despite helping save the 3ds, have become forgotten in favour of what came later

[@MysteryStew5977]

Yeah, it's crazy. The 3DS was originally destined to fail, and they helped it become one of the all-time greats. They were the floodgates

[@tylersimmons4287]

The North remembers

[@artey6671]

I prefer 3D Land over 3D World. And MK7 is the game where I put by far the most effort into time trial, even if I wasn't on world record level.

[@VideoGuy232]

Mario Kart 7 is one of the most mediocre entries in the MK franchise. It barely introduced anything new or interesting to the established formula, had a very limited character roster (even compared to prior titles) and its course design wasn’t particularly memorable. Mario 3D land was great, but when compared to other 3D Mario titles, it doesn’t stand out much. An enjoyable experience, but a pretty safe one overall

[@mackstewart4203]

Mario Kart 7 was like the only thing I ever played on my 3DS lol, I had other games like Nintendogs and Ocarina but barely got into those

[@ade1174]

I remember the 3DS's 2011 well. Street Fighter 4, Ocarina of Time, and Star Fox 64 kept me busy until Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 made my 3DS purchase worthwhile.

[@BlackViperGX]

It's still surprising how good super street fighter 4 run

[@vianabdullah2837]

I got a New 3DS years later so the 3D effect was always pretty cool for me. Stuff like Super Mario 3D Land and Majora's Mask 3D used it pretty well.

[@realbosstakea]

FACTS! loved 3d land, majors mask would be awesome to play on a 3ds

[@alejandrogonzalezakamintyt2242]

​@@realbosstakeaMajora's Mask 3D is a real good play. A few disappointing changes from the original, but it's a solid remaster

[@Gigamyt3]

Don't forget Star Fox 64 3DS that used the 3D effect to get a good feel of distance with targets. And Kid Icarus: Uprising still has the best use of 3D out of any game on the 3DS.

[@DoukNoukum]

​@@alejandrogonzalezakamintyt2242those issues are fixed if u install the project restoration mod

[@juansanchez209]

@@alejandrogonzalezakamintyt2242 Ignoring nostalgia OOT 3D is better than OOT, but MM is still better than MM3D IMO. MM3D has nice graphical improvements, but I really do feel that the "quality of life" updates were for the worse and took away from the game's atmosphere/tension

[@SuperJM9]

I got a 3DS after hearing about the ambassador program. The price cut wasn’t due to take place for a few weeks, so I went out and got one before it took effect. Fortunately the shops were still trying to sell the 3DS with good deals due to its lackluster early sales, so I got the 3DS and Ocarina Of Time 3D for €240, and still got the ambassador benefits. Part of the reason for the price cut was the announcement of the PS Vita. That also cost €250, and had far more features. Its memory cards cost far more, true, but that didn’t register at the time as it wasn’t out yet. It’s easy to forget now due to how badly Sony handled the PS Vita, but it was seen as a genuine threat to the 3DS at one point. For the record I also got a PS Vita shortly after launch and loved both systems. Another advantage of being an early adopter, or even a DSi owner at the time, was The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary edition. This was DSiWare that was available for free as part of Zelda’s 25th anniversary. It was only available for a short period, and apart from another short release only in North America in 2014, it has never been released since.

[@alejandrogonzalezakamintyt2242]

I wish I could've owned a PS Vita. Never had one but did get several chances to play with it, it was an amazing successor to the PSP. Too bad Sony dropped the ball on it.

[@SuperJM9]

@@alejandrogonzalezakamintyt2242 Indeed. Their high memory card prices and the lower price of the 3DS were the main reason initially. While it got some great games early on, after it underperformed in the first year Sony largely gave up on it outside of Japan. 2013 had some really good games, but there wasn’t much after that. By the launch of the PS4 it was being repositioned as a PS4 remote play accessory. A massive waste of potential really.

[@marcoalves9029]

@@alejandrogonzalezakamintyt2242 I mean, it's still not too late to get one, I got mine just a few months ago. But yeah, it's a shame Sony failed the PS Vita

[@nintendonerdjoseph]

I highly disagree that the 3D feature wasn't impressive. It's what sold me on the system in the first place and it's such a treat to come back to after using the boring Switch screen so much lately.

[@charnalk5572]

It's really bad bro, like it doesn't work great unless it's the New 3DS cuz of eye tracking tech. doesn't help that you have to cut the amount of pixels you wanna by two just so the 3D effect can be implemented into the games, and worst of all, the framerate plummets. It's no accident that practically 0 games use it by half way the life of the console.

[@nintendonerdjoseph]

@@charnalk5572 Its implementation on the original model is far from perfect, but if you can keep your hands moderately steady, it's not bad at all. It's flat out wrong to suggest that the resolution of games is impacted negatively by the 3D feature. The 3DS screen uses a parallax barrier which, when activated, essentially doubles the image (from a slightly different angle). You're technically getting more pixels, but the image quality remains the same. The framerate only plummets in certain games. It's definitely a tradeoff in some genres (fighting games for instance). I understand that there were drawbacks to the feature, but to me, the feature blew me away and continues to blow me away to this day.

[@SpunkMcKullins]

My first 3DS had a really loose 3D slider that made it almost impossible to turn the 3D off. I actually had to enable parental controls on my own device so I could play my games comfortably. All I remember thinking was "this thing's biggest selling point is its 3D, and I am actively restricting myself and worsening my experience to deliberately avoid using it "

[@TheDalisama]

The problem with the 3D is that it's awesome for people that it works well for. For everyone else, it was a gimmick that added cost with no benefit. I found the people that handled it the best were nearsighted people that wear glasses that can play handhelds without them. For people who don't wear glasses, the 3D effect feels like how getting new glasses feels like, but slightly stronger. I also found the 3D with glasses on wasn't very comfortable either.

[@youraveragejoe23]

​@@TheDalisamathose people should just get a 2ds or 2ds xl

[@TheDalisama]

@@youraveragejoe23 That wasn't really an option at the time. The Original 2DS didn't come out until 2.5 years after the original 3DS, and the 3DS XL was already on the market. So, to skip 3D you had to get a non-folding system and forfeit the bigger screen too. Plus the New 3DS came out the following year, so you had to also give up better performance, which was a very big deal. The 2DSXL didn't launch until 3 years after the NN3DS/XL. And I should point out that was AFTER the Switch was already in the market and readily available.

[@youraveragejoe23]

@TheDalisama my mario kart 7 2fs has worked fine as a 2ds its the turquoise one. I gave it away to my friend, but still came out before the switch

[@eightcoins4401]

@@TheDalisama In hindsight the n3ds also is way better for homebrew emulation options

[@fatherbrain_]

I had a launch 3DS with all the ambassador games on it that I lent to a friend in middle school, I had forgotten to ask for it back for a little while and when I got round to asking it turned out he had SOLD it. We aren’t friends anymore

[@Lizuma]

I was not expecting my own Nintendogs footage here! Thanks so much for featuring it, this really made my day!! Similar to Super Mario, Nintendogs and Nintendogs+Cats was a huge part of my childhood. I got +Cats when I was 7, back in 2012, after playing the eshop demo and begging for the cartridge. I fell in love with it instantly. I still have my very first Nintendog, Goldie the golden retriever, and uploaded videos of her a few times (I should probably make a playlist to organize all my Nintendogs videos). It’s not just the dogs and cats that are fun, but having a really nice house in a pretty area, getting to relax to nature sounds I don’t usually get to hear, discovering new items, exploring the world through walks and entering competitions! You see progress from training your dogs. They become more obedient on walks and way better in competitions! Unlocking an advanced robot dog reward for “beating” the game is awesome! Meeting others and their dogs through Streetpass was also fun while it lasted. When I want to relax and feel less stressed, Nintendogs has always been there for me. I do think +Cats could’ve been better. It could’ve brought back my favorite dog competition, agility (I like watching the real life ones!), a proper day and night cycle (when I woke up early for school it was fun seeing the sunrise in original Nintendogs, but +Cats doesn’t have one sadly), letting you permanently buy multiple houses, and other little things. But there’s lots of fun new things, including dogs in far better quality. They look so cute and fluffy!! So I’m very happy with it! Not long after getting +Cats, I found the original Nintendogs and also loved it instantly. Even though the previous owner’s dogs were left there, I decided to keep the Labrador Sammy. To this day I love the original and +Cats equally and play them! Funny coincidence, I was just playing +Cats today when this video appeared in my recommendations! I was never allowed to have a real dog because my dad didn’t want one. So while you may have not seen much in it, Nintendogs+Cats was and still is very special to me. It made the harsh reality I faced when little: loneliness, no friends, really bad bullying from kids and teachers, and literally every person in my classes having real dogs but me a little less sad. A real dog has always been my dream. I guess I would’ve loved a wonderful companion I could always rely on to make me feel better, play with me, and keep me company. Even go outside with me on adventures, which would’ve been so helpful since my parents always forced me to go to parks to walk with them. While my parents are now more open to the possibility of a real dog, it always ends in a discussion about needing more money, money this, money that. I wish it were as easy to get a dog as in Nintendogs, and that every little thing didn’t revolve around having excess money to spare. My KZbin videos has given some money, but barely any since I don’t get many views. I really wish I got more… But I’m hoping to get my first job sometime soon, which should be more reliable for money. I’ll continue working on it in the hopes one day, I can have my oldest dream come true at last. Even when I finally have a real dog, I will still return to Nintendogs. The nostalgia, adorable and fun dogs, lovely houses, places to visit, competitions and just how nice the world of Nintendogs is will always have me coming back. Nintendogs was a big reason I chose to get a capture card for my 3DS! Which is how that footage was recorded, since +Cats on Citra lags like crazy on my PC. I also got it for Super Mario 3D Land. It didn’t leave nearly as much of an impact as Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 of course, but I have so many fond memories of it, including conquering the challenges of the eight special worlds! I love 3D Land and still enjoy it! Now I’m feeling inspired to record more Nintendogs and 3D Land, especially since there’s some challenges and things I’m interested in doing. Thanks again for featuring my footage, I’m really happy seeing others enjoying my cute Nintendogs! And thanks for the interesting video about the early 3DS days! The 3DS will likely always be my favorite console and, like Super Mario and Nintendogs, has a very special place in my heart.

[@Lizuma]

I just finished organizing my Nintendogs videos into some playlists for anyone who’s interested!

[@Zetchzie]

Man the 3D effect is what sold me over the Vita. I was so pissed when it wasnt the focus anymore and more games dropped support. Resident Evil Revalations was the hit title for me and Metroid. A Happy Ambassador fwiw

[@Linkale_]

Apparently people didn't like the effect. So bad, because I loved it.

[@incognitod8444]

You could have bought a Vita and been pissed when the console itself wasn't the focus anymore and Sony dropped support

[@TheDalisama]

@@incognitod8444 Sony shot the Vita in the foot with their nickel and diming on storage. The 3DS was overpriced at launch, but it came with some internal storage and a 4GB SD card. Expansion was only as expensive as an SD card. The Vita launched at the same price, but was a more "premium" console, so I think most people were fine with that price. However, you HAD to buy a memory card separately. The Vita didn't have any accessible internal storage until the revision. The cheapest card at the time was (I think) $50. There were only a couple of Vita games that allowed saving to the game card (Ninja Gaiden was one), so at launch if you wanted a Vita you needed to pony up more money on top of the console to get game updates and saves. The 3DS also had almost full backwards compatibility with the DS. The Vita required buying digital copies of PSP games, which were not cheap. They did have a very good selection of PS1 titles at great prices though.

[@Zetchzie]

@@incognitod8444 i own 2 Vitas. Never said i didn't buy one later lol

[@Zetchzie]

@@incognitod8444 I own two Vitas. Im well aware of Sony dropping it.

[@FredDoesStuff0423]

The 3DS probably had better chances with its marketing than now. While you have a good point that it is NOT easy to showcase 3D on a 2D screen, the 3DS released at the time when 3D was the craze back then. Everyone and their dog was VERY fond of 3D, so even without knowing how the 3D looked on a 3DS, people had a better general idea of what it could look like. Nowadays? You probably haven't seen 3D outside the 3DS for a decade since it is a dead fad.

[@pokepress]

3D is one of those technologies that goes in cycles. It’ll be back at some point.

[@twincherries6698]

Also I think the concept of "need to be seen to be believed" or "you have to see for yourself" was a lot more accepted then. These days people want everything to be seen upfront without going out

[@PalaeoJoe]

I was really impressed by the 3D effect. I really enjoyed how A Link Between Worlds used it

[@madnessarcade7447]

9:32 it is it just depends on the game and if the game utilizes it pretty good Nintendo wanted to do a system with a 3d screen since the 90s I think it was a unique concept for a handheld

[@EuroMIX2]

Also since this was around the time when 3D films were really popular, I can see them feeling that this was their chance to try it and it actually be popular. It's likely the 3DS was deep in development while public interest in 3D began to wane and Nintendo had already committed themselves to the concept.

[@video-luver769]

I'm one of the rare few people that *was* sold on getting a 3DS by seeing PilotWings Resort in person. I saw a demo model at a Best Buy store in 2011 or 2012, and the 3D effects of Pilotwings absolutely wowed me. I knew I had to have one... But I didn't actually get my first until a few years later, Christmas 2015.

[@RetroMango]

“There were a handful of cool titles like: VeVEveVeveve…vevev?

[@scottcaramel]

VVVVVV peak

[@SMCwasTaken]

Eevee

[@TheSultan1470]

​@@SMCwasTaken Eweyuvi

[@AVeryUncreativeUsername]

I remember begging my mom for a 3DS when it came out. Then I got it and was like "Wow.... This is disappointing." It literally had no games. So my 3DS sat in a drawer for 2 years until Pokemon X and Y came out.

[@rustyarmour]

Hey yeah, I bought my 3ds and the only thing I saw I wanted to play was Pokemon black 2.

[@noel_996]

Same. I still had my dsi and I was like: Dsi > 3DS

[@charnalk5572]

​@@rustyarmourYeah BW2 also had Dream RAdar tied to it. Iirc, you could get it for free in the release date if you bought BW2.

[@creativityfails1]

Pretty much. Nintendo was my childhood and I love both the consoles and the handhelds but when the 3DS came out I was way too old to run to my parents and beg them to buy it for me and $250 was a massive joke. Of course it dropped to $180 but the library was terrible for the longest time. Never ended up buying one and never regretted not getting to play games on the platform while they were new.

[@sillkthashocker]

Do you still have it?

[@weebsquit347]

I always loved the 3D effect on this little thing. Some 2D games looked like pop up books. It was really neat.

[@jacklawsen6390]

Nintendo managed to save the 3DS from early decline, but it still sold less than their other handhelds, and had unusually weak 3rd party support outside of RPG's.

[@twincherries6698]

This feels like such a strong constant with nintendo handhelds, lol. Though luck for everyone else sometimes, but if you're an rpg fan you're in HEAVEN

[@andrewdowell6474]

I had a lot of great experiences with the 3DS for many years but it never felt like it reached the potential it could have. The library always felt just good enough, whereas the DS was an endless ocean of games to discover.

[@twincherries6698]

I love the 3ds library in concept and there's a lot of things I like about the console's history, but I completely agree.

[@twincherries6698]

​@@fritzthecat8158he's not saying there's 0 great games, there are loads of them. But when you compare it to the DS, it just feels more limited. Kind of a hard thing to really express unless you compare both libraries

[@VideoGuy232]

@@fritzthecat8158 Planet Robobot wasn’t really a banger. It was mostly just another Kirby game, meaning very basic platforming and serviceable level design. Just with gimmicky mechs. There have been a ton of Kirby games at this point and they haven’t evolved much since the days of the SNES. Canvas curse actually made an attempt to revitalize the gameplay for the touchscreen on the DS.

[@pacomatic9833]

5:00 A *third* of the price. A *third* of a year. 5:37 *3* million sales. After *3* months, Not even a *third* of that was sold. Coincidence?

[@multigrandmarquis]

D

[@radonbox6569]

4DS in 2044 confirmed

[@kesedo1024]

I think not!

[@brettmccollum1]

Bought this on release day and had a ton of fun with just the built in software. Unfortunately didn't know about the ambassador program til it was too late but I remember getting Four Swords for free for some reason.

[@RayoMcQueen95990]

It was free because of the Zelda anniversary that happened that same year

[@Isotropic_Phoenix]

I didn’t get a 3DS until 3D Land came out, and that was the summer of 2012! I think I bought it with the birthday money I got! Anyways, I loved the handheld. I sold it tho to get the Switch.

[@michaelvangelista335]

I personally always play the 3DS with the 3D feature on. I love the 3D effect.

[@ogre706]

Same! 3D enthusiasts unite!

[@HUYI1]

It's a shame, newer versions of the 3DS discontinued the 3D effect, glad I still have my New 3DS XL in good condition

[@michaelvangelista335]

@@HUYI1 I would love to own a New 3DSXL but could never bring myself to buy one when they came out. Broke college student at the time 😆. I eventually bought a New 3DS when it was on sale at ToyRUs (Wow, I feel old) when it’s was on sale for $100 one Black Friday season. Now they go well above original retail price on eBay. It’s quite disgusting to think about it.

[@michaelvangelista335]

@@ogre706 👊✊

[@panpai9241]

Funny knowing the 3ds is now more popular than ever since the homebrew community became more active I’m glad they refuse to let the system die.🙏

[@890Mitch]

I remember my first 2 3DS games were Lego Star Wars and Dead or Alive. When that Ambassador Program came out, I remember playing the hell out of the titles that were on it cause I didn't have anything else

[@PancakesTheDragoncat]

I remember following the 3DS really closely in 2010/2011 The planned launch lineup was WAY better than what we actually got, mostly due to game delays. We were supposed to get: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (delayed) Resident Evil: Revelations (delayed) A brand new Assassins' Creed game (cancelled completely) a Metal Gear Solid 3 port (delayed) Conduit 3 (sequel to an FPS series with a cult following on the Wii, cancelled) also, iirc the eShop was SUPPOSED to be available from launch, but apparently it wasn't ready and had to be delayed until June (although the eShop didnt carry games you could buy physical versions of until August 2012 when New Super Mario Bros. 2 released, prior to that eShop games and games you would get on a game card were mutually exclusive) I think if all these games hadn't been delayed/cancelled, the launch lineup for the 3DS would have been much stronger Maybe Nintendo was overambitious with the March 2011 release date, and should have waited a few months until more titles and the eShop were ready

[@c-domination]

I still have Steeldiver, even after selling my old 3DS. Not because I couldnt gift it, let alone sell it, but as a reminder to never be an early adopter ever again.

[@scikoolaid]

@@fritzthecat8158 It was difficult to control as well, I mean, communication was purposely forced through the morse code keyboard thing. It was hard to communicate with teammates but the combat was quite good and skill demanding. It's too bad it's stuck to the touch screen controls on the 3DS... It could be a pretty awesome full title.

[@izzy4492]

i'm a pilotwings fan lol i love it, the one in the 3ds is not that bad when you take as what it is: a pick up and play game on a portable console. all the runs are timed so you can play for 10 min here, for another 15min there, and just enjoy flying around the island collecting the different views and items, which to me is what a portable console is all about. after getting all stars on all missions, you can work towards the 3d dioramas which are super cool (when taking it for what it is lol)

[@milesrodger3724]

Man I remember the early days. Gosh darn they were rough. BUT when we got the free early adopter games and I got them off McDonald’s free WiFi.. man that was good stuff.

[@TheDalisama]

I didn't even get a 3DS game for a few weeks after I got the system. Just playing DS games was pretty cool on there. Plus Streetpass was a fun concept that I really wish the Switch kept.

[@yungakie]

Steeldiver was lit af, i learned morse code from it

[@dannykazari]

Early 3DS days were so much fun, despite the droughts. Still some of my fondest gaming memories. Coming off the DS that had been around for seven years, since 2004, it felt like a huge step up.

[@andyblargextra]

The 3 best games to use the 3D effects were Ocarina of Time, Star Fox 64 remake, and Mario and Luigi Dream Team.

[@octogigas]

"Painful early days" Shows 3 absolute bangers in the thumbnail

[@NintendoMania]

I remember until Mario 3D Land came out all I really played was Lego Star Wars 3 lol. I enjoyed it because I was only 13, but looking back, it was rough. Overall, though, the 3ds has a special place in my heart and is my favorite handheld console of all time. It REALLY took off once those big first-party titles like 3D Land and Mk7 hit store shelves.

[@Velocifaptor92]

I bought this handheld day 1 with my first adult paycheck. It was a wild time. Loved the system and thought it would sell out like crazy so I got one as fast as I could. Was mainly looking forward to OoT 3D and DOA Dimensions when it first launched. Was so happy to hear about the ambassador program at the time. It ended up collecting dust for a few years and then I sold it. Recently wanted to get back into so I modded 2. A new 2ds and a an OG purple model. What a blast

[@luca-hall]

Good video. I remember getting my 3DS in mid-2012, thanks to our insurance providers. Even back then, I felt like the library was starting to get quite good at that time. I have great memories playing games like 3D Land, the Gen 6 and 7 Pokemon games and Smash 4. Even now when I've got a Switch, I still love my New 3DS XL. I'm continuing to check out the console's games that I haven't played through yet. I think it's the console I've spent the most time playing. It's hard to imagine how much the system was struggling during its launch, so this video gave me some more perspective into that.

[@OmarAlikaj]

This was also around the same time when Capcom cancelled "Mega Man Legends 3," a game meant to release on the Nintendo 3DS. The 3DS had to wait for "Super Mario 3D Land" to help give it a sale boost.

[@PianistTanooki]

I was one of those early adopters… got it as a late birthday present. Man… those early days were sad. I actually didn't own any native 3DS game because the launch titles were so shit. Instead I played a bunch of older DS games on my 3DS… It wasn't until Super Mario 3D Land when I finally played a native 3DS game, then I got Mario Kart 7. This and the Wii U are perfect examples of game consoles that launched way earlier than they should have. These consoles should be remembered any time someone gets impatient about the Switch 2. The first Switch managed to succeed because Nintendo launched it when they WERE ready. They had a full lineup of games mapped out from day one and continued to provide consistent major releases each month or two. Having said all that… getting those ten free GBA games was totally worth it. A shame they never brought GBA to the 3DS outside of the Ambassador program… as there was no real way to natively play GBA games on the system (without hacking, of course).

[@Monhamd1000]

Speaking of 3DS, you should review Both Project x Zone games.

[@ZorroCeleste1]

Kogoro Tenzai, master of Tenzai Ninjitsu... is here! ...or something like that.

[@genevievetaylor]

It's wild how although the early days of the 3DS were rough, some of my fondest gaming memories came from that system. From hours upon hours spent on Tomodachi Life and Animal Crossing, replaying Pokemon games over and over while waiting for the release of the next one, and time spent enjoying platforms like Mario and Kirby, I really miss my 3DS and all of the joy it brought me during that period of life. I currently game on an Xbox Series S (although minimally) and after experiencing a life of 120fps, I just can't go back to lower quality, even though I much prefer the game titles that Nintendo has to offer as a whole. Admittedly, I don't even own a Switch anymore, yet I patiently await for Nintendo's next system release to get me back into gaming :)

[@AtinsMusic]

I remember peeping thru the window and watching my neighbor come home with the 3ds on launch and we got into a small fight couple days earlier so I didn't get to see an unboxing of his or a hands on experience. I was anticipating the 3DS so much at the time and when it came out I was bugging my parents nonstop to buy it for me, 2 months later in May 2011, my parents finally bought me one and first thing I did was ring my neighbors doorbell to make up with him so I could have someone to play with. First thing he told me was that I wasted my money and he might even return his because the thing had no games 😭😭I didn't have an up-to-date home console like a PS3, 360 or even a Wii so my friend said I messed up and should've paid the same price for a home console instead. He was right and the ambassador games even felt like a slap in the face since I had already played most of those games, still ended up loving the 3DS though after around 2014 when smash bros came out

[@napzon19]

My favorite app I love about the 3DS is Streetpass Mii Plaza as both 3DSes or 2DSes streetpass needs to be turn on to work. When I got that green LED light on my 3DS, I was surprised that I got a streetpass and when I check the notification, I got a streetpass tag for Mii Plaza and I was excited to see who came to my plaza and get to play the Mii Plaza games too.

[@MegamanNG]

I believe it. Not only that but I also bought my 3DS for Legends 3 and I stuck with it even after it was cancelled.

[@kingstarscream320]

2011 was amazing. Mario 3D Land, Ocarina of Time, Star Fox, Resident Evil Mercenaries, Splinter Cell, and Shinobi. One of the best years of the 3ds.

[@lol-ih1tl]

That was mostly the second half of 2011 after the price cut.

[@HotEmeraldX]

I bought my 3DS pretty close after launch, as well as my beloved copy of Lego Star Wars III. And until The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D and Mario Kart 7 came out, I mainly used my 3DS for trading Pokemon from one game to another without needing a friend's help

[@Sly88Frye]

Yeah I never got into the 3D gimmick which is why I was so happy with the 2DS when it came out. $70 cheaper and works just the same. Weird that you can't close the screen, but it has a perfectly good standby button you can press and despite it being flat with 2 screens it still fit well in my pocket anyway.

[@JustJulyo]

From last place to long lasting legacy! The story of the 3DS

[@Megadoomable]

I remember getting my 3DS after losing my DSi XL. I literally went to Best Buy and never heard of it until I saw it on the shelf. So, I went for it. After experimenting with it I bought another one to play StreetPass as my BFF wasn't getting one until Christmas.

[@jacksonlovesnintendo]

Have you guys realized that the 3DS was kinda the lone pillar of stability for along the entire 2010’s for Nintendo?? It lived alongside a dying Wii, a failed Wii U, and remained a source of strength at the birth of the Switch.

[@AkameGaKillfan777]

They should've either stopped making new software for the 3DS altogether when the Switch was new, or done a MUCH better job still supporting it. If they did, Alphadream would still be around.

[@NotArmani31]

​@@AkameGaKillfan777I'm one of the few people out there that feels the 3DS should've stood as a sorta sister system to the Switch. Sales would be pretty bad but at least we would still be getting a focus on the system and new games

[@Onotosho]

I remember buying a launch 3ds, i wanted one after the ds and how many games i had for it. Took a lot of time to get the ball rolling but once they did. The 3ds was a great console. Still play 3ds now and then, even tho i have a switch these days

[@renegaderaven3777]

3DS is probably the console I’ve put the most hours into over the past decade. Have even learned quite a bit about maintenance and repairs if something is wrong with it as well. I don’t play it as often as I used to but I still bring it with me at work to play on my lunch break.

[@amirgarcia547]

The DS’s rocky launch makes me kinda glad that I didn’t get a 3DS myself until about a year later around the launch of Super Mario 3D Land. The one thing I feel like I missed out on those were those ambassador games, especially sincen we wouldn’t get GBA games on *any* Virtual Console until the WiiU. And even then, that wasn’t until 2014.

[@maliciousbugman]

I do have a certain nostalgia for that rough start era. Not so much for the games themselves, but due to it coming out in my final year of high school (launching less than two full months before I graduated). And by the time the 3DS picked up steam and became clear as the Nintendo system of choice that generation, I was in college, forging several new friend circles thanks to the 3DS (and the Wii due to me discovering and spreading the gospel of SSB Project M, but that's another story). It was not just where the bulk of Nintendo's output lay that generation, but it was our way to cope with what a miserable disaster the WiiU was quickly turning out to be.

[@HMMadsen]

"I don't think the 3DS hit its stride until the following year 2012" And then 2013 came and the 3DS just hit peak performance

[@KingAges]

Also a little something I realised: Early 3DS games used the 3D functionality more often than the later releases in the console's lifetime (past 2014/2015 and so on). Each early game had a *LOT* of 3D depth compared to the later games. Kid Icarus Uprising, the LoZ Majora's Mask & Ocarina of time remakes, Mario Kart 7, Etrian Odyssey 4, Pilotwings to name a few. I've been living and following alongside the life of the 3DS, I got to see many great games come year after year and as more time pass, I noticed a lot of developers lose faith in the 3D functionality and just make their games use less depth until they started releasing games that do not have 3D functionality at all (that was a crazy time). More people should test my theory out, check out the depth of later games and compare them to earlier games. I suspect that the lack of enthusiasm for this functionality also contributed to this. A lot of people would report having their eyesights hurt after playing for long periods on the console (I must be special because I never experienced that growing up). I'm also guessing it was also hard for developers to find ways to properly use the 3D functionality so they just stopped caring. It's unfortunate because I really loved that feature growing up, hell even till this day I still use my 3D functionality on my 3DS. Granted, all the games I've played never got framerate issues after using the 3D effect.

[@Frokken]

I remember getting my 3DS around September 2011. It was a week before the Red model and Star Fox 64 3D released. Shame I missed out on the Ambassador program, but I did get the Four Swords special release.

[@Zahuizima21]

Im still waiting for that F-ZERO X remake on the 3DS😢

[@A_Person_64]

😔

[@YaaSalty...0_o]

Really hope you make that second 3DS video covering 2012 and how games got way better! You should just make a retrospective like a 30-minute video covering the 3DS. I'm subscribed and keeping an eye out

[@Pineconic]

0:00 Hey I have a good friend whose dad still plays this game and *only* this game *TO THIS DAY*

[@GoogleHelpYou]

I remember considering the 3DS for Resident Evil Revelation. I eventually bought 3DS XL for Pokemon Y

[@davismorgan99]

The 3DS was the first system I ever bought day one with my own money. I was fortunate enough to get a weekly allowance from my parents if I did all my chores. I saved every penny of it for 9 months until it released and bought a black 3DS with super monkey ball 3D. I played a lot of face raiders and AR card games for a while until Nintendo gave me 20 free NES and GBA titles for being an early adopter. I have massive fondness for the system to this day.

[@amadeus2938]

I always found comfort in the demos, it was depressing seeing how they had a limit number. My favorite were MGS3, Castlevania, Adventure Time, Monster Hunter, etc

[@SwaggyG_2102]

I actually had gotten my hands on a 3DS back when it was new during the early 2010s. To say that the game library was lackluster is an understatement, as aside from the AR games, Super Mario 3D Land, and Steel Diver, there wasn't that much to play before the mid 2010s came around.

[@yoshimasterleader]

My dad doesn't really play games but he LOVES Pilotwings 64.

[@JGr2000]

I was not an early adopter of the 3DS. I got mine for new years 2011 with Super Mario 3D Land, and I beat it in one sitting. Watching this video, I’ve realized that getting my 3DS at the time I did was great. I would not have been interested in any of the launch games

[@Evan.280]

What a wonderful system the 3DS was. So many great games with a ton of gems. I got my 3DS around launch but I didn’t have WiFi so I couldn’t claim the free games though. But it had a great run that I wish more games got ported to the Switch

[@kyberstudios7358]

The 3DS also had some pretty bad press on launch too. I distinctly remember wanting one really badly as a kid but my mom was convinced that it would give me terrible eye strain if I played it because there was reports of that happening on the news. It took me until after the release of the 3dsXL to finally convince my mom to let me have one and that I’d be fine because I could just turn off the 3D mode

[@pureillusion3536]

the coolest thing I remember about the 3ds was it's ability to play original ds games, so the 3ds wasn't too bad in the start, just limited on it's 3d capabilities of games at the time.

[@ababyharpseal6534]

I got the 3DS at launch for my tenth birthday. Nintendogs, Freakyforms and Starfox were more than enough for me!

[@zyrenfall]

Fun fact: The 3DS was $250 when it launched ☠️ Edit: Yes, I watched the video, but when I made this comment, it didn't get to that part yet.

[@noahfencek]

I had it and remember getting those GBA games when they downed the price 😭 Metroid Fusion was so much fun

[@xtr.7662]

Thats 300 nowadays so same as switch

[@charlieasalgadosalgado1369]

The Nintendo DS was way cheaper when it came out and at least when the DS first release you had some games to play like super Mario 64 DS can’t say the same for the 3DS launch

[@sahaprocks7751]

Hey at least you got free GBA games before they cut the price

[@abdo_pro151]

Psp was same price too

[@CritAlps]

Looooove the 3DS! It was my first console I started trying other franchises outside of Pokemon/Smash/Mario. Excited to watch your vid about 2012!

[@CritAlps]

Fire Emblem Awakening, Kid Icarus Uprising, Animal Crossing New Leaf, The Ocarina of Time Remake + LBW (and lowkey the Kirby Adventure EShop Title) were all so instrumental in making me the Nintendo Fan that I am today!

[@BryanPopeProductions]

The 3DS is my favorite console of all time, I still play it more than my Switch and yes I crank the 3D to the MAX (and I even use homebrew cheat codes to enhance the 3D in many games like Majora's Mask)

[@HatStackMike]

2:25 Us Pilotwings fans totally do exist! We're real, I swear. 😛

[@LectroNyx]

honestly, as someone who grew up with pilotwings 64, i was excited for pilotwings resort. I'm a pilotwings fan!

[@yoshionem]

great video. Loving the polish and flow your newer videos are having, sprinkled with comedy "vvvvvvvv....something" it's great. Keep it up, I hope your channel blows up one day.

[@bepis_real]

Nintendogs was and still is one of my favorite video game franchises, I was pretty psyched and satiated at launch

[@XxKeNoHxX]

I bought my 3ds in college with the ambassador program. I spent SOO many hours commuting to college playing Ocarina of Time 3D, Super Mario Land, Mario Kart 3DS and Link Between Worlds. Then after college spent a lot of time playing Smash 4 and Majoras Mask 3D. I think smash 4 on 3ds was superior to the wii u version, it brought a lot of us together and by the time the Wii U version came out the hype kind of died down.

[@Trowelhands]

I love Pilotwings, so when I found out Resort was basically an asset-swap hotpot instead of something original like the others, I was dissapointed.

[@terryechoes3192]

Samurai Warrior Chronicles was fun and it was a launch title. I don't know why people made such a big deal about the 3DS's launch. It's like, you have to wait for them to make the games. It's not like they made every NES game before the NES came out.

[@PhoenixDening-cz5wd]

Guys the best part of it is the slightly enhanced features some DS games got when played on it

[@foggy_EQ]

great video! but one thing i will absolutely defend is the stereoscopic 3D. now i wont pretend to act like most 3ds titles used the 3D in any meaningful way. But the technology, especially on a handheld, is so useful for games which rely on precision platforming. Stereoscopic 3D literally gives your game depth perception. its like trying to touch your index fingers together with one eye closed vs two eyes open. its a huge difference but only for select titles. Super Mario 3D Land comes to mind as a fantastic example.

[@jubeimercury5619]

I had my 3DS day 1, I remember that I had a HARD TIME getting a game that I was interested in. I use to play the AR titles for more than I should have. I bought SSF4 but it wasn't enough, if it wasn't for the ambassador program it would have been collecting dust until the release of Zelda OoT remake.

[@epicsause21]

As a 3DS ambassador, i remember when the first set of games appeared (they werent released all at once from what i remember) i was scared to download all of them because i thought it was a bug and if nintendo noticed, they would call the cops on me. So I only got a few at a time. Eventually i learned tho.

[@alexcharles8541]

Street Fighter IV 3D was so fun- until I noticed the completely static stages and noticeable drop in frame rate when I turned 3D on

[@seto_kaiba_]

WTF? Those were the good old days. Those pioneer games had me for hours. Especially Ocarina and 3d Land.

[@JanaeRose]

I remember loving the 3d effect way more than anyone else. I never turned it off. Only problem was trying to use it in the car smh.

[@lpnp9477]

3D Land is not at the very top of my Mario tier list, but it's very near the top. I love that game. And I didn't even grow up with it. I played it for the first time 2 years ago.

[@kirotalksyt]

I may have to give 3D Land another play through.

[@luisdiegohernandez2326]

2011??! Jesus Christ! I could have sworn it came out in 2013. God. Now THAT makes me feel old.

[@washurbrik2848]

It was HARD to get excited about it in the beginning. 3D land was it for like a year and a half, and even that took like 9 months to come out after launch

[@MetaGamingDojo]

makes sense, I never got the first version of the 3DS and instead waited until the 3DS XL to come out.😂

[@Tommy-bd2wq]

i miss the 3ds days so much, makes me want to cry

[@moparlifene]

Well yeah. All of us wanted the new pokemon and mario games for 3ds platform but pokemon b&w came out in 2011 for ds & b&w2 came out a year later sending off pokemon ds platform games for its last time therefore allowing the 3ds to be the main platform starting 2013 thankfully. What a ride.

[@realkingofantarctica]

Looking back, there's something so charming about the early 3DS library. Every 2011-2012 AAA game had this bright, colourful aesthetic to it, that's hard to really ascertain unless you experienced the 3DS' lifespan for yourself.

[@andrewosborne7544]

I'm a huge PilotWings fan! I love PilotWings 64!

[@APEXGuerilla]

Desperately needs a reboot. So much potential there. It should be *the* more accessible Flight Simulator. I liked Resort but that was way too simplified.

[@pokepress]

Speaking of remakes, I wish they also remade the Star Fox 64 promo video for the game remake.

[@TANKTREAD]

It's a shame, just as the 3DS was finally kicking ass, the switch came out and kicked it to the curb. But now, any iteration of the 3DS is being sought out like the "The City of the Lost Gold". What got me on board, finally, is when they released The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time". My favorite game of all time, on the go? HELL yeah.

[@hannahdeards9652]

I actually loved playing Pilot Wings Resort on my 3DS when I first got it 😅

[@tankmchavocproductions6907]

For me the 3D was the main selling point. I was 6 going on 7 when the 3ds first came out and I thought the 3D was the coolest thing ever. I originally heard about the 3ds through Flipnote Hatena on the dsi and I remember thinking it was fake, because I thought glasses free 3d was physically impossible. However at a daycare I used to go to somebody brought a 3ds and let me try it there. When I first saw the 3d my mind was blown. I remember sticking my fingers behind the screen in disbelief it didn’t show up inside the graphics! I didn’t get my own until 2015 when the New 3ds xl came out and I was actually disappointed in it. Not because I got tired of 3d (I never did) but because the 3d on my model was defective which made playing games with 3d unbearable. What kept me hooked though were the games. 3D land is classic and I enjoyed M&L Dream team, as well as Pokemon Omega Ruby. Luigis Mansion Dark Moon might be my favorite on the whole system though, I had a period of time where I would play that game every day before school. Unfortunately the defects of early New 3ds systems would catch up on me: Though I babied that system and did my best to take good care of it, the B and L buttons stopped working, and the red paint wore off due to many hours of use. Unfortunately that 3ds no longer works or turns on. Which is a real shame because I have a video of a dead friend on there somewhere.

[@grapejuice1092]

I’m still mad those gba games never made it in the eshop, I would have definitely bought those games