Nintendo 3DS

From Sega Retro

Nintendo 3DS logo.svg
Nintendo3DS.jpg
Nintendo 3DS
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Variants: Nintendo 3DS XL (LL), Nintendo 2DS, New Nintendo 3DS, New Nintendo 3DS XL (LL), New Nintendo 2DS XL (LL)
Release Date RRP Code
Nintendo 3DS
JP
¥25,00025,000
Nintendo 3DS
US
$249249
Nintendo 3DS
EU
Nintendo 3DS
UK
Nintendo 3DS
AU
$349.95349.95
Nintendo 3DS
KR

The Nintendo 3DS (ニンテンドー3DS) is a handheld video game console manufactured by Nintendo and released in 2011 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The 3DS is notable for its pioneering use of 3D visuals, which can be seen without 3D glasses. It competed directly with the PlayStation Vita.

Overview

For the Nintendo DS's successor, Nintendo sought to expand on the hardware and bring stereoscopic 3D technology to the system (after previous failed attempts such as the Virtual Boy), and as such the display is capable of displaying 3D visuals without the aid of 3D glasses. The player can adjust how strong the visuals are with a slider on the system. A Circle Pad is also added to the system for more precise control in 3D games, and SD cards up to 32 GB are used for storage.

The Nintendo 3DS, however, had a disappointing launch due in part to its high price tag and lack of hit games. Not helping matters was its poor battery life of 3-5 hours. Less than six months after launch, Nintendo announced a significant price reduction from $249 to $169, and offered 20 free games (10 Nintendo Entertainment System games and 10 Game Boy Advance games) to consumers who bought the system at the original launch price.[1] This strategy majorly turned things around, allowing the system to become very successful and sell 73.53 million units as of September 30, 2018.[2]

Like the Nintendo DS before it, different versions of the system have been released, including an XL model (LL in Japan) with bigger screens and better battery life, and the Nintendo 2DS, a cheaper model that removes the 3D functionality to cater to younger audiences out of health concerns. An updated 3DS, the New Nintendo 3DS and New Nintendo 3DS XL, was launched for Japan and Australia in 2014, and the rest of the world in 2015. The New Nintendo 3DS sports several upgrades, including extra RAM, improved 3D functionality that tracks the user's movements and adjusts the picture accordingly, amiibo support, the ZL and ZR buttons and C Stick, and the use of microSD cards for storage instead of SD cards.

Sega support

Sega has been among several companies to show support for the Nintendo 3DS, with Super Monkey Ball 3D as their first title for the system, and select Sega Game Gear games being released for the system's Virtual Console service. They have even collaborated with M2 to bring classic Sega games remastered with stereoscopic 3D support to the system via the 3D Classics series.

When custom HOME menu theme support was added to the system, Sega contributed with various Sonic the Hedgehog-themed menu themes, as well as menu themes based on Sega consoles from the Sega Mark III to the Sega Dreamcast.

List of Sega games for the Nintendo 3DS

By region

Promotional images

References


Non-Sega consoles
Nintendo
Nintendo Entertainment System (1983) | Game Boy (1989) | Super Nintendo Entertainment System (1990) | Nintendo 64 (1996) | Game Boy Color (1998) | Game Boy Advance (2001) | Nintendo GameCube (2001) | Nintendo DS (2004) | Wii (2006) | Nintendo 3DS (2011) | Wii U (2012) | Nintendo Switch (2017)
Sony
PlayStation (1994) | PlayStation 2 (2000) | PlayStation Portable (2004) | PlayStation 3 (2006) | PlayStation Vita (2011) | PlayStation 4 (2013) | PlayStation 5 (2020)
Microsoft
Xbox (2001) | Xbox 360 (2005) | Xbox One (2013) | Xbox Series X (2020)
Mobile
iOS | Android | Windows Phone
Other
Atari 2600 (1977) | ColecoVision (1982) | PC Engine (1987) | R-Zone (1995) | Game.com (1997) | WonderSwan (1998) | Neo Geo Pocket Color (1999) | N-Gage (2003) | LeapFrog Didj (2008) | Stadia (2019)