The Nintendo 3DS has one of the most eclectic game libraries of any Nintendo system. Released smack dab in the middle of the company’s flop era, the system soon became a bastion for quirky little passion projects that can’t be played anywhere else. And guess what? Now that Nintendo’s closed the eShop servers, those games are GONE. It is now impossible to buy any eShop exclusive games. Everyone agrees Nintendo is really cool for doing this, and it isn’t a slap in the face to game preservationists.
When I first heard the eShop was closing, I did what any gamer would do in that situation: I ignored it. As the deadline grew ever closer, I continued to do my duty and forget what box my 3DS was in after moving twice in two years. And then, March 2023 arrived. The eShop closure was imminent. After watching my social media feeds blow up with people talking about how many games were about to be lost to the sands of time, I contracted what medical professionals would call “Stage 4 FOMO.” I dug out my 3DS, bought $100 worth of Nintendo Cash from Costco, and got to downloading. And now, months later, I’m proud to say that I’ve played maybe 2 hours of these games total. What do you want from me? The 3DS has a weird plug and I keep forgetting to charge it. So let’s take a trip through my MicroSD card and take a look at these incredible, unique games I will get around to eventually.
#5 — Crimson Shroud
This is a cute little tribute to tabletop RPGs made by Level-5. The characters are all styled like D&D miniatures, and you use d20s, d12s, and the like to make all of your actions. It’s a coll aesthetic, but this thing tries to have an actual story and lore. There’s so much reading! If you’re going to try and make me care about these characters and this world, underlining how artificial the whole thing is not the way to do it. If I want to play a game of Dungeons and Dragons, I’ll call up my friends and say “we should play D&D sometime” and then never actually do it, thank you very much.
#4 — 3D Classics: Kirby’s Adventure
Can I make a confession? I really like the 3D on the 3DS. I’m using a 3DS XL and they really improved the technology to where it only gives me minor eye strain instead of feeling like my eyes are going to pop out of my skull and roll away. There’s something to the feature that just feels futuristic. I’d always had my eyes on the 3D Classics series that updated classic NES games with 3D pixel art visuals, but it never felt like a great value. So, I bit the bullet and took a chance on Kirby. And you know what? The 3D effect here is really cool! It’s like playing a little diorama. A little diorama I played on the GBA, Wii, and Switch many times before. It’s Kirby’s Adventure! It’s fun! I played the first world and got what I needed. Sue me.
#3 — Attack of the Friday Monsters
So, you guys watched that Tim Rogers video too, huh? A spiritual successor to Boku no Natsuyasumi, it’s a game about being a little boy in a little Japanese town going about your little life collecting little cards, and sometimes giant monsters attack. Look, I think video games as an art form should encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and gameplay styles. But I don’t know if I have it in me to play a game this slow and quiet when I have so many options available to me in the two hours between finishing dinner and getting into bed. Tim, please make a 5-hour video about this game so I can form an opinion on it!
#2 — Aeroporter
Did you know the creator of Seaman made a 3DS game where you direct baggage at an airport? It’s very funny that it exists and it’d be a great phone game. I’ve got nothing else to say about this game.
#1 — Rhythm Heaven Megamix
Out of all the games here, this is the one that I don’t feel any sort of regret for purchasing. I’ve always wanted to play the Rhythm Heaven games, but their heyday was when I was losing interest in Nintendo for the grittier, greyer pastures of the PlayStation 3. This compilation brings together the best minigames from across the series in one package, and it scratches that WarioWare itch that Nintendo decides to throw out every so often. The thing that holds it back? It’s a game on a portable system that requires you to listen to the audio. I’ve got undiagnosed ADHD! I need a game I can play while watching Star Trek: Voyager in the background and checking my email every five minutes.
Hoo boy! A bunch of great games here, huh? Can’t buy them anymore though. Know this. Yes, these games are great and One day you should play them. Until then, Rest easy knowing that your humble author gave Nintendo $100 that they successfully manipulated me into spending. 3DS had a lot of fun stuff on it, almost as much fun as you’ll have spelling out the capital letters in this paragraph!!!!
