Nintendo 3DS nowhere to be seen at E3 2019, but apparently not yet dead

By Aaron Mamiit Published June 16, 2019

The Nintendo 3DS will live on, even if the handheld console was entirely overshadowed by the Nintendo Switch at E3 2019.

New Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser — who landed the top job in April, when beloved CEO Reggie Fils-Aime retired — reiterated that the company will continue to support the 3DS. In an interview with Time, Boswer said the focus at E3 2019 was on the Nintendo Switch, and that the company had no new Nintendo 3DS games to announce at the annual video game event. But that doesn’t mean Nintendo is pulling the plug on the handheld console.

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The Nintendo 3DS business “continues to do quite well,” Bowser said, stating that as long as there is consumer demand, the company will continue supporting the device. Retailers also continue to sell hardware and software for the 3DS system, likely sharing Bowser’s sentiment that the console is “a great entry point for young gamers.”

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“A 3DS at $79 with a game included is a great value proposition for a young gamer coming into the Nintendo ecosystem,” said Bowser.

Nintendo’s renewal of its commitment to the 3DS echoes the company’s stance from last year’s E3, when then-president of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aime said that the company has no plans of phasing out the handheld console.

Fils-Aime said at the time that new games were coming to the handheld console, but in a financial briefing by the company in April, the device was not even mentioned, with no new game announcements. A spokesperson clarified that there were no first-party games in the pipeline for the 3DS, with software coming instead from third-party publishers.

Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn was the last first-party game launched for the handheld console, and the last significant release was Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth. It remains to be seen how long interest in the console will hold, when there is so far nothing laid out for its future.

The Nintendo 3DS has an extensive collection of knockout games, of course, reason enough for both new and old players to keep picking up the console. The Nintendo Switch may have the spotlight, but it looks like the 3DS is not sinking into the shadows, at least for now.

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In April 2024, Nintendo will discontinue online services across its Wii U and 3DS consoles. While the eShops for both systems were shut down in March 2023, this will remove the online functionality of many apps and games, making gaming on either of these platforms an almost entirely offline experience. As a result, many games on those systems will lose important features and never be quite the same to play afterward. So, you'll need to get some gaming time in by next April if you want to refresh and preserve the memories of playing online on these two underdog Nintendo platforms.
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Kid Icarus Uprising is mostly remembered for its entertaining story, charismatic characters, and odd controls, but it also features a surprisingly fun multiplayer experience in Together Mode. In multiplayer, up to six players can use powerful weapons and abilities from the main adventure in one of two modes. Free-for-all lets players loose on a map, tasking them with racking up the most kills within a set time limit. Light vs. Dark is more complex, as two teams of three face off until enough players are defeated that one respawns as an angel; when that powered-up angel is killed, the match is over.
While far from balanced, Kid Icarus Uprising's Together Mode is one of the most entertaining competitive multiplayer experiences exclusive to 3DS. It can be played locally, using bots to fill in empty spots, so thankfully it won't stop working entirely. Still, it's not easy in 2023 to come across multiple people near you who have copies of Kid Icarus Uprising and want to play. As such, check out this cult classic 3DS game's hidden gem of a mode before praying that the rumors of a remaster eventually become true.
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