• Samsung has joint-developed a nano-material to create a 3D/2D switching light-field display
• Glasses-free 3D with wide viewing angles and very high resolution
• Likely to appear in phones, tablets and commercial displays first

Are 3D TVs coming back? Not anytime soon, but a new kind of 3D display tech is still quite exciting, and Samsung has teamed up with Korean private research university POSTECH to make a breakthrough. It's developed a way of switching between very high-resolution 2D and realistic, glasses-free 3D.

We've seen glasses-free 3D from both TCL and Visual Semiconductor recently, and they both use plenoptic displays, aka light-field displays. Samsung's version of a light-field screen uses what are described as a "metasurface lenticular lens" layer of "nanoscale structures" to "transition seamlessly between flat (2D) and stereoscopic (3D) images".

This is an important development because as trade site The Elec explains, conventional light-field displays tend to use bulky lenses, deliver narrow viewing angles, have relatively low resolution and can require real-time eye tracking to deliver 3D. Samsung's design addresses these issues.

What's so special about Samsung's 3D screen tech?

Like other light field displays, Samsung's system transmits light from multiple directions simultaneously to mimic the way light reaches the eye from real objects, which makes it possible to trick the brain to deliver glasses-free 3D. It means there's no limited 'sweet spot' you need to be in to see the 3D effect. But without decent viewing angles for general usage, most displays will still be of limited use. Enter Samsung and its metasurfaces.

Samsung's apparently metasurfaces deliver complex optical functions without the bulk of existing lenses, and Samsung's lens can change its focal properties to deliver either 2D or 3D through a simple change of voltage. According to The Elec, the lens currently delivers viewing angles of up to 100 degrees while only being 1.2mm thick.

That's the good news. The bad news is that you shouldn't expect to have this tech in your home any time soon. Samsung's lens was 25 centimetres square, which is only around a quarter of the size of a smartphone display, let along a TV.

The first commercial applications of the technology are likely to be either small, but that could be fun. Imagine if your iPhone could reproduce your photos in 3D, thanks to the depth maps it already captures in photos? Or the what if the Nintendo Switch 3 actually turns out to be the Switch 3DS, with a return to glasses-free 3D gaming?

It's very possible that actually the first applications will be for big spenders, such as retail and other business displays.

Will the tech make it into TVs? I'm not sure, and I'm speaking as someone who both owned and loved a 3D TV. It seems that every generation has to go through the '3D is the future! / actually no it isn't!' cycle: the 3D cinema boom of the 1950s, the second 3D cinema boom of the early 80s, the Avatar-led 3D cinema and 3D TV boom of the 2010s…

So if that schedule repeats, we're due the next 3D boom in the 2040s. Which gives Samsung plenty of time to perfect its tech.

Thinking of buying a new TV?

Try our TV size and model finder! You tell it how far you sit from your TV, we'll tell you what size to buy based on viewing angle advice from image quality experts, and we'll recommend our three top TVs at that size for different prices.

• There's a way to transfer 3DS Miis to Nintendo Switch and Switch 2
• Users can copy their 3DS Mii to an amiibo and scan it on a Switch
• Scanned Miis can then be added to Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream

A way to transfer Miis from 3DS to Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream on Switch and Switch 2 has been found, but the process is a little complicated.

Living the Dream is finally here, but if you've been wondering if there's a way to bring your long-forgotten Miis over from the 3DS to the latest game, you're in luck.

While Nintendo itself hasn't offered an official solution, the tutorial comes courtesy of a forgotten Reddit thread from nine years ago, along with a more detailed, up-to-date version from IGN for Living the Dream that requires an amiibo.

First and foremost, you'll need to charge up that old 3DS, head to the quick settings, and scroll until you find 'amiibo settings'. Then press "Register Owner and Nickname", follow the steps, and select an Mii from your collection to save to your amiibo. This will be used to transfer to the Switch.

It's noted that a New 3DS, New 3DS XL, or New 2DS XL will make the process easier, since they have a built-in NFC (Near Field Communication) functionality, allowing you to scan an amiibo at the bottom of the screen.

A Nintendo 3DS NFC Reader/Writer, an accessory sold separately, will be required if you don't have any of the aforementioned 3DS devices.

After saving your chosen Mii to the amiibo, you'll then need to go to your Switch or Switch 2 settings, scroll to the Mii tab. Here, you can select "Create New Mii" and then "Copy from Amiibo."

Scan your amiibo, and Bob's your uncle! Now, when you open Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, you can select the option to add a Mii from your device.

Elsewhere, game director Ryutaro Takahashi has revealed that development for Living the Dream started in 2017, with lead programmer Takaomi Ueno explaining that Mii interactions took "six or seven years" to get right.

Nintendo has officially ended repair support for the New Nintendo 3DS.

In a new X / Twitter post shared today to the Japanese Nintendo account, which has been machine translated, the company announced that repair services for the New Nintendo 3DS have now ended due to a lack of parts required to maintain the handheld console.

Earlier this year, Nintendo announced that when replacement parts for the Nintendo 2DS, Nintendo 2DS XL, and the New Nintendo 3DS were gone, its repair services would end. 

Support for the Nintendo 3DS XL and standard Nintendo 3DS has already ended and now it's the New Nintendo 3DS's turn to lose the service. 

"We are now discontinuing repair services for the Nintendo 2DS, New Nintendo 3DS, and New Nintendo 3DS LL systems as the period for retaining repair parts as stipulated in the repair service regulations for each product has expired," Nintendo explained in a support post at the time.

"As a result, we will end repair services for the Nintendo 2DS, New Nintendo 3DS, and New Nintendo 3DS LL systems as soon as our current stock of parts is depleted."

The company has now amended the post with an updated notice, which reads: "We have run out of parts necessary for repairs, so we are no longer accepting repairs for the New Nintendo 3DS system."

The only consoles part of the DS family that are still available for repair support are the Nintendo 2DS and Nintendo 2DS XL, but given the notice it's likely services will come to an end for both soon.

In July, Nintendo also ended repair support for the Wii U, explaining that it had "run out of parts necessary for repairs" and "will no longer be accepting repairs for Wii U consoles and peripherals".

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Apple opened up the iOS App Store to game console emulators back in April, and since then we've seen numerous apps of this type launched – and the latest one brings Nintendo 3DS emulation to the iPhone for the first time.

The app is Folium (via Android Authority), although you're going to have to part with some cash to get it: the emulation app, which also supports Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS games, will set you back $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$7.99.

If you've been longing to play Nintendo 3DS titles on your iPhone, now's your chance – though note that this social media post and video suggests there's still work to be done in terms of game optimization and customization.

Folium has been in testing for a while now, and the developer is promising plenty of updates to come. Based on this Reddit thread, if you're wanting to use the Nintendo 3DS emulation, you need a fairly powerful iPhone or iPad to get the best results – though that might change as the app is improved and optimized.

The rise of iPhone emulators

Under pressure from regulators, Apple has now allowed third-party app stores on iOS in the EU – and opening the door to emulators on the official iOS App Store (not just in the EU but globally) is a move Apple seems to have made to ensure those third-party alternatives aren't quite as appealing.

Emulators are tricky from a legal perspective, as technically you're breaking the law if you download and play a retro game you haven't paid for. Apple says the emulator developers are responsible for making sure their apps comply with "all applicable laws".

For now, it seems to be something Nintendo, Sony, and other console makers are prepared to tolerate. Since April, we've seen numerous emulators appear on iOS, including the Gamma app that runs Sony PS1 games.

While one Game Boy emulator has been kicked off the App Store, that was down to it ripping off another app, rather than anything it did in terms of emulation. As time goes on, we can expect more of these apps to make their way to iOS.

Please note the use of emulators may be in violation of the game developer and publisher terms and conditions as well as applicable intellectual property laws. These will vary so please check these. Emulators should only ever be used with your own purchased game copy. TechRadar does not condone or encourage the illegal downloading of games or actions infringing copyright.

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I love my Nintendo Switch so naturally I’m very excited for any official details about its successor that’s tentatively being referred to as the Nintendo Switch 2. And, if rumors of it being a souped-up version of what we already have do turn out to be accurate, that’s cause enough for celebration in my book. Well, aside from one thing.

The Nintendo Switch’s biggest problem (you know, aside from its subpar specs, awkward online features, and sluggish eShop) is that it’s severely lacking in sauce. Unlike Nintendo consoles of old, there’s no fanfare when you boot up the Switch. No pleasant background music, no welcoming splash screens, and more pointedly, no customizable menu themes.

Above all else, this is the one thing I want to see the Nintendo Switch 2 address. As a 3DS enjoyer (and a staunch Wii U defender), I’d love for Nintendo to bring back these aesthetically charming elements to really set itself apart from the cold, overly-clean dashboard of the PS5 or Xbox’s miserable implementation of Windows 11.

Variety's the spice of life

If you owned a Nintendo 3DS, chances are you downloaded at least one or two menu themes from its eShop. These were easily among the two-screened handheld’s best features, and what really set them apart was that they weren’t just static images.

Well, they did have a larger image on the top screen to tie the theme together, but each individual theme offered much more. They had music relevant to the theme installed (one of my personal favorites being the Ace Attorney Trilogy’s use of the first game’s iconic 'Objection!' track) and entirely unique menu icons based on the theme you’d selected.

The Nintendo Switch, by comparison, lacks all of this. Sure, there’s a dedicated ‘Themes’ menu in its settings, but for what? Your choices are, quite literally, black or white. There’s absolutely nothing joyous here; no pleasant backing track, no Miis aimlessly traipsing around a plaza - just a cold digital void where your massive backlog goes to die.

I hear you; handheld or docked, the Switch only has the one screen. Its themes can’t possibly be as dynamic or creative as they were on the 3DS. But to that I say, both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 would like a word. Sony’s previous-gen consoles absolutely excelled here, offering tons of dynamic (and often animated) themes accompanied by music. And on both, it was common to find themes with unique menu icons and sound effects. It’s all becoming something of a lost art, I fear.

Stepping up

Now to play devil’s advocate, there’s a very likely reason as to why the Nintendo Switch is bereft of any kind of creative menu themes, and it all comes down to the system’s outdated processor. The Switch’s user interface (UI) may inspire nihility, but its sparseness does mean it’s at the very least easy to navigate. The 3DS’s themes, while lovely, did often cause a notable hitch in performance, with boot times suffering in particular. It’s possible Nintendo wanted to avoid this.

However, as mentioned, the most prominent rumors about the Nintendo Switch 2 revolve around the console being something of a ‘Super’ Nintendo Switch. With improved specs, it should be possible for Nintendo to avoid performance bottlenecks brought about by more active menu themes.

Nintendo also already has the perfect way for players to earn said themes: Nintendo Switch Online. At present, players can spend Platinum Coins (earned through rotating Nintendo Switch Online challenges) to earn series-specific profile icons. These encompass some of the best Nintendo Switch games like Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Splatoon 3, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Could Platinum Coin usage then be extended to menu themes on Nintendo Switch 2? Assuming Nintendo keeps its current online ecosystem intact with the next console, I think this would be an excellent way to incentivize folks to sign up to Nintendo Switch Online in addition to existing benefits like cloud storage, its retro game library, and DLC offerings. 

This would be a fantastic opportunity to grow Nintendo Switch Online’s benefits while reintroducing some of the more charming features of past Nintendo consoles. I’ve little doubt that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be a winner; I just want to see the company once again embrace features like menu themes that genuinely set them apart from the competition.

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Nintendo has now confirmed the specific date and time that online services will be shut down for 3DS and Wii U software, and there’s less than three months to go. 

Specifically, the services will close for good on April 8 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET, which is the equivalent of April 9 at 12am GMT or 9am AEST. This confirmation isn’t too shocking, as we knew last October that the services would be terminated in “early April,” but this is the first time that Nintendo has stated exactly when things will come to an end.

The company has also reiterated that “if an event occurs that would make it difficult to continue online services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software, we may have to discontinue services earlier than planned.” Needless to say, if you want to get your fill of For Glory on Super Smash Bros 4, trade some Pokémon in X and Y, or get one final taste of the original Splatoon, it’s worth doing so sooner rather than later.

It’s also worth pointing out that the deadline to merge funds from your 3DS and Wii U Nintendo Network ID with your Nintendo Switch eShop balance is March 11 at 10pm PT, which is March 12 at 1am ET, 5am GMT and 4pm AEDT. If you have any leftover money remaining on your Nintendo Network ID, be sure to merge so that it’s not lost.

With the exception of the date announcement, it doesn’t appear that any of Nintendo’s plans surrounding the termination of the 3DS and Wii U online services has changed. Like in October, Nintendo stated that it’s planned to keep the applications Pokémon Bank and Pokémon Transporter up and running even beyond April 8. 

For those unfamiliar, Pokémon Bank and Pokémon Transporter combined can be used to transfer Pokémon from the fifth generation games (Black, White and their sequels) to the sixth and seventh generation games (X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon respectively). Only from there can players then transfer their Pokémon to Pokémon Home - the app used to store Pokémon on Nintendo Switch for use in the latest games. 

Without these apps, Pokémon from older games may get stuck on their original cartridges forever, which is why it’s a relief that online services will continue to be supported. With that said, Nintendo has stated that this “may also end at some point in the future,” so keep that in mind.

In addition, it’ll still be possible to both redownload eShop games and downloadable content (DLC), as well as update data from the Nintendo eShop on 3DS and Wii U “for the foreseeable future.”

If you’re on the lookout for some new games to play, be sure to check out our recommendations for the best Nintendo Switch games, as well as our roundup of upcoming Switch games releasing on the console soon.

Nintendo has announced that online play and functionality for the Wii U and 3DS consoles will shut down in April 2024, just over one year after the eShop for both systems closed down. 

There isn’t currently a specific date for when this will terminate, but it’s anticipated to be “early April.” Nintendo plans on announcing a more specific end date and timing at a later date, as announced in their support blog post. This means that games on both systems will only be playable offline, which will be pretty detrimental to games with such an emphasis on players coming together to play such as Splatoon on Wii U. 

However, not only will this affect the ability to connect with other players online, but online rankings will also be wiped. So, if you are holding any rankings for any titles, you’ll have to prepare to say goodbye come April since you’ll no longer be able to access them. Nintendo’s full tweet can be seen below: 

Nintendo has also emphasized that this only applies to online connectivity within games rather than with the console as a whole, so you will still be able to download games and reinstall any software you’ve purchased once online play is no longer available. 

While this termination is scheduled for April, Nintendo has also announced that “if an event occurs that would make it difficult to continue online services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software, we may have to discontinue services earlier than planned.” So it’s worth keeping tabs on Nintendo’s social media should anything change between now and next year. 

It’s worth checking out the best Nintendo 3DS games while you still have access to online play, but if you’re looking for a game to play on Nintendo’s newest system, you might want to check out the best Nintendo Switch games. 

I have been collecting video game merchandise since I was old enough to hold a Nintendo DS. So, over the years, I’ve assembled a ridiculous display of things with little purpose beyond looking pretty. So if I can get my hands on something collectible that also benefits my gaming experience somehow, I’m all in. Naturally, then, I was a sucker for Amiibo. 

Back in 2014, following the launch of Super Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS, Nintendo released Amiibo figures, and the small plastic statuettes had one primary purpose: to unlock in-game content. At the base of each statue sat an NFC chip you could scan with your console to unlock a new character or some exclusive content like an outfit, skin, or hairstyle. At first, these statues were exclusively released for the Super Smash Bros. series. But, as years have passed, Nintendo released Amiibo figures and cards for loads of its games, meaning there is now an abundance of figurines available – and even more on the way.

I bought my first Amiibo five years ago – Animal Crossing’s Isabelle, if you must know – and have picked up around 20 since then. Between several house moves, student life, and a change of heart, it’s hard to keep track of the final number. Once, these figures made my favorite Nintendo games better, but now they lie dormant in a box in an attic, waiting to be displayed. And yet, despite my graveyard of Nintendo figures, the announcement of the new Sephiroth and Kazuya Amiibos has my finger hovering dangerously close to the pre-order button.  

 What’s the point? 

When I started collecting Amiibo, they were a key to unlocking my favorite games. This key just happened to be a cool figure, which justified the expensive price tag. But over time, Nintendo’s inconsistent use of Amiibo has made it more and more difficult to work out which ones are worth buying. 

For example, Splatoon Amiibo, for the original game, opened new modes you could only access with the corresponding figures. However, Splatoon 2’s Amiibo only unlocks a few cosmetic items – making them significantly less rewarding than the previous game’s figures. In other games, though, Nintendo has locked key quality-of-life features behind Amiibo. If you wanted to fast travel in Skyward Sword HD, you had to pick up a Zelda & Loftwing Amiibo.  

It’s a difficult balance because, on the one hand, locking game modes and characters behind an Amiibo paywall is frustrating, especially if the cost or availability of the figurines means you’re forever locked out of that content. And, while quality-of-life features, such as fast travel, aren’t essential, locking that behind an Amiibo is a little Scrooge-like. But, making Amiibo only unlock cosmetic rewards makes more recent figures seem comparatively less valuable than the older statues.

 From unique and useful to purposeless plastic 

There are now over 200 unique Amiibo figures, alongside five series of Animal Crossing-themed Amiibo cards featuring over 400 villagers and NPCs. While having exclusive in-game content is a perk of the figures, they’ve become little more than glorified collectibles. A few can unlock a new depth to some of Nintendo’s classic titles on Wii U, 3DS, and Nintendo Switch, but the majority do little more than look pretty on a shelf. 

But there’s something about Amiibo figures which makes me want to keep buying them, even when my shelves are filling up, and I’ve no reason to keep collecting, and it's because they feel limited. Some of the more popular characters like Luigi, Mario, and any stereotypical ‘poster’ character for Nintendo will have a constant stream of merchandise and figures, but for a more niche character like Diablo’s Loot Goblin or indie darling Box Boy, it’s hard to find decent merchandise. So I’ll pay any amount of money for them regardless of whether or not they do anything.

I might have started buying Amiibo, telling myself that it’s because I really wanted that Splatoon mode or that Super Smash Bros character, but now I just have to figure out the fact I really want a Breath of the Wild Guardian statue on my shelf.

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The Nintendo Switch may have been an industry revelation in 2017 but, as time has gone on, its performance issues have become increasingly apparent. While the company’s first-party offerings are highly polished, developed with its console in mind, most modern third-party Switch releases tend to hover around a shaky 30fps as they battle against Nintendo’s aging hardware. But, it’s not just Nintendo Switch games that are affected by that wobbly performance.

For the past half-decade, as performance-hampered games take center stage, a sinister force has been left to bubble away like an infernal cauldron. The Nintendo Switch’s grossly undercooked eShop waits in the wings, ready to bombard players with a litany of baffling issues the moment they open up the app.

The Nintendo eShop was and is a complete disaster, with issues ranging from horrendous input lag and slow load times, to copious shovelware and frankly glacial download speeds. It’s essentially a microcosm of the Switch’s biggest problems: shockingly unoptimized and in dire need of a refresh.

eSchlock

The Nintendo eShop has few redeeming qualities to speak of. Its ‘current offers’ section buries genuinely great deals under mountains of poor-quality games, while scrolling through its menus, even just a little, slows the app to a somewhat concerning crawl.

A press of the d-pad can take seconds to register in the eShop, creating just about the worst input lag I think I’ve ever seen on any console. The fact it’s an issue where it wasn’t on prior hardware is frustrating and, frankly, embarrassing. That’s not to say store performance is pristine on PS5 or Xbox Series X|S – both consoles’ stores could stand to be optimized better – but it’s far less noticeable an issue thanks to better layouts, easier navigation, and more powerful hardware.

The reason why performance in the eShop is so dire is pretty easy to pinpoint, though, and it largely lies in the app’s curation. Or lack thereof. That ‘current offers’ section typically features hundreds – occasionally thousands – of discounts. All crammed into a single menu. The Switch’s ancient processor has a rough time keeping all that product information in its memory, turning the app into a treacle swamp.

There’s no rhyme or reason here, either. Some games appear to be perpetually on sale, with many advertised as 90% off, giving the illusion of a great deal when really you’re buying something that looks like it was copied and pasted from the Unity asset store. Good luck trying to find a deal on one of the best indie games when sifting through a smelly landfill of schlocky visual novels and asset-flipped survival horrors. It’s Steam Greenlight all over again.

Wii can fix it

Nintendo needs only to look at its history to recognize what a great eShop could look like. At the risk of sounding like a boomer, remember the Wii Shop Channel? The Nintendo Wii’s online shopping solution was marvelously well curated, segmenting Virtual Console titles by console, while giving WiiWare (Nintendo’s fancy term for smaller budget games on the console) its own section.

The Wii Shop Channel wasn’t perfect, having to buy a tailor-made currency before shopping was grossly outdated even for its time (that goes for you, too, Microsoft Points), while download speeds were painfully slow even for Virtual Console games.

Yet the Wii Shop Channel was consistently a joy to browse. Updated once a week, new games were added to the platform regularly. They didn’t call them Wii Shop Wednesdays for nothing. Oh, and it’d be a crime not to mention the iconic Wii Shop Channel theme, fondly remembered today through remixes and memes. What does the eShop offer in comparison? Silence. Joyless, unforgivable silence. Sort it out, Nintendo.

The good stuff

Despite its glaring issues, the Nintendo eShop isn’t entirely irredeemable and has some strong aspects worth highlighting. For one, the search function is robust, allowing players to sort by genre and price range. You can also choose to search for DLC only, or for games with a demo available.

The Discover tab has improved over time, too. This section shows off curated offers, new titles, and highlights, all with tailor-made thumbnails to better draw your attention. Discover is definitely the eShop’s most polished section, and it shows that the app can be improved further. Of course, Discover doing much of the heavy lifting makes the eShop’s problems all the more glaring. Everything else within the store feels like an afterthought.

Am I confident in the eShop’s future, then? Not particularly, no. Its glaring performance issues mean that it’ll take a substantial overhaul to improve. And that’s not something I see happening on the Nintendo Switch.

Instead, it’s likely we won’t see a considerable eShop revamp until a Nintendo Switch Pro model (or future Nintendo Switch 2 console) materializes. After all, Nintendo did improve upon the DSi shop with the 3DS eShop, so there’s precedent at the very least. But, with the next iteration of the Switch still unconfirmed, we could be waiting some time for a much-needed eShop refresh – if it happens at all.

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Nintendo has announced the exact date for when it plans to close the Wii U and 3DS eShops for good.

If you're still planning on buying games digitally from the Wii U and 3DS stores, you'll have until March 27 next year to do so. The Japanese publisher made the announcement on its official support website.

You have much less time to add funds to these stores with a Nintendo eShop Card, though. On August 29 – just over a month from now – you'll no longer be able to add prepaid funds with these cards. However, you'll still have until the shutdown date next year to use these funds on digital Wii U and 3DS titles.

Nintendo isn't outright deleting these stores or their online functionalities, though. It announced that you can still redownload previously purchased software, DLC, and updates from the stores "for the foreseeable future."

Going, going, gone

With the Nintendo Switch soaring in sales ever since its launch half a decade ago, it's understandably become the company's key focus. Unfortunately, one knock-on effect of that has been waning interest (outside of collectors) in decade-old hardware like the Wii U and 3DS.

Personally, I can't help but feel like the closure of the Wii U and 3DS eShops is premature. The 3DS, especially, is home to a vast library of great games that are far easier to buy and play digitally. 3DS games that have any degree of rarity, such as the Etrian Odyssey series, Rhythm Thief, and Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright, are all much harder to find physically. Not to mention such games command outrageous prices among second-hand sellers.

The Wii U didn't have as many hidden gems, but its library of games turned out to be solid by the end of its lifespan, thanks to games like Xenoblade Chronicles X (still waiting on that Switch port). The Wii U's eShop was also notable for selling coveted Wii games like Metroid Prime Trilogy at remarkably affordable prices.

If you still own a Wii U or 3DS and boot them up every so often, now's the time to hit those eShops and make sure you've scoured the libraries before the cutoff date. The best 3DS eShop exclusive games will be gone forever after March 27, for example. So barring any future re-releases, you have until then to secure your library of games.

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The long, slow march to the big console graveyard in the sky has begun for the Nintendo 3DS, with Nintendo announcing that the 3D-capable handheld’s eShop for digital downloads will close for good in March 2023. Purchases made from credit cards on the store will cease to be accepted after May 23, 2022, and the same will be the case for eShop gift cards from August 29, 2022. And, if you’re a Wii U owner, those dates apply to the Wii U eShop too, which is also set to close.

While the best of the Wii U has slowly made its way across to the Nintendo Switch, we are pouring one out for the Nintendo 3DS here in particular as so many games unique to that console will be lost when the store shuts down. There are some 1,000-odd titles exclusive to the eShop, unavailable elsewhere, that will be unavailable to access (by legal means, at any rate) once Nintendo shutters the stores for good. And while lots of great 3DS games are available in physical cartridge form, they’re increasingly rare on store shelves and online, driving up the price of ownership to collectors’ item levels.

It’s sure to raise arguments once again about the provenance of digital game ownership, and also fuel those pushing for better historical game preservation. But for now, time is of the essence – these are the Nintendo 3DS eShop exclusive games you simply can’t afford to miss. Grab ‘em while you can.

Pullbox / Pushmo

This one is definitely too cute to be killed, Nintendo! Pullbox (known as Pushmo in the US) mixes platforming with puzzle solving, as you star as Mallo, a squidgy little… pig thing (?) that has to physically pull at the world around him to create the platforms required to reach his goals. It made great use of the 3D screen, and should have seen Mallo become a breakout star. Alas, no – that’s what the confines of eShop exclusivity would do to your mascot heroes.

Make sure you check out the soon-to-disappear sequels too Fallblox (AKA Crashmo), and Fullblox (AKA Stretchmo), while a Wii U exclusive (Pullbox World) is ready for the chop too on Nintendo’s last-gen home console.

BoxBoy!

The 3DS eShop, as you can see, was the secret home of many great puzzlers, and BoxBoy! was one of the finest. Its simple monochrome line graphics belie a fiendishly smart puzzler, seeing you summon boxes to navigate the gauntlet-like array of traps and chasms between you and a level’s exit.

A Japan-exclusive physical release did happen – but it was only made in small numbers, with the cartridge region-locked to Japan. On top of that, it shipped with what’s now perhaps the rarest of all amiibo, Qbby, meaning that the resale value of the game is sky high, and likely forever out of reach from all but the most ardent collectors. So snap it up while you can – and pick up the equally excellent sequels BoxBoxBoy and Bye-Bye BoxBoy, too.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies / Spirit of Justice

The Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney series is safe, happily living out its best life on all sorts of different platforms these days, from iPads to the Nintendo Switch. However, two deep cuts – Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice, are set to be lost to the eShop nuke.

Strong continuations of the series’ core deduction loop for case solving, they’re admittedly best serving die hard series fans. But Dual Destinies’ darker plot, and the super-weird supernatural memory pool (admissible in court) of Spirit Justice are curios worth a quick look at the very least. 

Attack of the Friday Monsters

You may better know developer Level-5 for its Professor Layton puzzle games, but it used the Nintendo 3DS for more than just Sherlock Holmes-inspired brain teasers. Level-5’s ‘Guild Series’ was one of the more ambitious and interesting moves by a mainstream developer at the time, releasing a compilation of smaller, more experimental titles for the 3DS.

Our pick of the bunch is Attack of the Friday Monsters. Somewhere between an RPG, visual novel and card battler, this short adventure sees you playing as a child whose hometown lives in the shadow of regular kaiju (giant monster) battles. It’s cute and heartfelt, and a really interesting premise – just what does go on in the minds of those running scared between Godzilla’s humongous feet? We’d love to see the premise resurrected.

Though Japan saw the physical release of the Guild01 and 02 compilations, pulling a few of the Guild series games together, they never hit brick and mortar stores in the rest of the world, meaning these curious titles will be all but lost in the west.

Nintendo Pocket Football Club

Nintendo Pocket Football Club is the Japanese company’s own spin on the popular football manager sim genre – and it’s a real winner. 

You begin by selecting your own flag, kit, and team name, and are tasked with putting together a squad that can rise through the divisions and win the championship. You’ll be able to tinker with formations, sign new players, and train your team with the hopes of transforming them from a sorry bunch of amateurs to world-class pros.

Matches play out in a surprisingly rich, sped-up version of the beautiful game that shows each team battling it out, including reactions from the crowd, goal replays, and more. 

Nintendo Pocket Football Club may seem like a watered-down version of Football Manager at first glance, but don’t be fooled – it’s just as addictive as other management sims, and a must-have for any 3DS owner who has even the faintest interest in football (or soccer, as it's also known). 

Pick it up before it gets relegated to the annals of history on March 2023.

HarmoKnight

The 3DS also allowed Pokemon developers Game Freak to spread their wings a couple of times with some experimental titles, too. HarmoKnight is, perhaps, the most fun game on this list – or at least the most fun 3DS game you’ve never heard of. Mixing rhythm action elements with platforming tropes, you’ll run jump and sword slash through an Adventure Time-like fantasy land, keeping your leaps and attacks in time with the beat of the fantastic soundtrack. It wasn’t really sung about too much upon its release, making it very much a hidden gem of the 3DS catalogue. 

Nintendo 3D Classics

We’re lumping this lot together as they’re all worthy in their own right. Over the course of the Nintendo 3DS’s life span, Nintendo used the console to introduce (or re-introduce) players to classic cuts from its back catalogue. The majority of these games came from the heady days of the NES, but were updated to make use of the 3D effect that was the handheld’s hallmark. Excitebike, Kid Icarus, Kirby’s Adventure, TwinBee, Urban Champion and the lone arcade title, Xevious, were all reworked to factor in stereoscopic 3D effects. The 2D pixel-art nature of the games meant that these proved surprisingly successful, breathing new life into old games with superb depth effects. Excitebike is particularly good – with no other console offering the 3D feature, it’s sad to see these truly go for good.

3D Out Run

It wasn’t just Nintendo revisiting its classics on the 3DS, but Sega too. It also reworked many classic titles to take advantage of the 3D effect. Around 30 titles got the update treatment, and though a good chunk of those remain Japanese exclusives, the majority, including classics like Sonic the Hedgehog, Space Harrier and Echo the Dolphin, went global.

Our pick of the bunch though has to be Out-Run 3D. Based on the Master System version of the arcade racer, it made an already super-fast driving game feel positively nitro-fueled by giving the impression that you were literally driving into the 3DS’s screen. Great stuff.

Dillon’s Rolling Western

A truly weird one this – weird was a bit of an eShop theme, really – Dillon’s Rolling Western mixes 3D exploration with tower defense mechanics. I’m going to be blunt here and state that I’m not sure that Dillon’s Rolling Western is actually all that good – I’m no tower defense fan generally, but the mix of strategy and adventuring just doesn’t gel that well. However, published by Nintendo, it’s worthy of saving if only to remember a time when Nintendo was prepared to put its money behind some seriously weird stuff to see what would stick on its relatively new console. This one celebrates its tenth birthday today!

Mario vs Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars

Even Nintendo superstars Mario and Donkey Kong aren’t safe from the eShop chop. While it’s not either character’s best-known role, Mario vs Donkey Kong remains a fun puzzler in its own right. It’s pretty much Nintendo’s take on Lemmings, with Mario guiding toy versions of Nintendo’s characters to safety through a level by placing ramps and bridges across obstacles.

This one got a Wii U release too, and was Nintendo’s first attempt at cross-purchase allowances – buy it for one machine, get a version for the other. Too bad both will soon be lost for good. 

• After something more recent? Check out the best Nintendo Switch games

Nintendo's venerable old range of handhelds might have come to the end of its lifecycle but we're still on hand to track down the best prices still available. You may not find any truly thrilling Nintendo 3DS or 2DS deals anymore given they are now out of production, but there's still a booming second-hand market due to the console's popularity and the vast library of games. 

Our price comparison widget below always checks the top retailers for the latest stock. Given some of the prices we've seen over the last few months, though, we would suggest a look at the current Nintendo Switch deals if you're after a new portable console. Sure, it's very different to the handheld, but you might end up paying more for a brand new 3DS or 2DS.

Ultimately, then, second-hand is the best way to go if you really want a 3DS or 2DS. There are still plenty of reasons to check out these fantastic little handhelds, especially the solid lineup of first-party Nintendo titles available, many of which are highlighted in our pick of the best Nintendo 3DS games. It's no surprise they've always been the boss in this area since the heady, humble days of the Gameboy.

So, do have a browse below at the best 3DS and 2DS deals around. We can't promise a serious bargain given the older models are very hard to get nowadays and prices have shot up disproportionately. If you want something even more modern instead, do check out the latest news when it comes to Nintendo Switch OLED stock.

The best Nintendo 3DS games are capable of showcasing the best of the system while still offering an unforgettable gaming experience 12 years on from its release. With its software slowly being ruled out due to the ongoing reign of Nintendo Switch consoles, there's a strong chance it's not something you reach for when it comes to selecting your gaming hardware these days. 

That said, there are still titles that make the console worth picking up now and then, some of which you won't be able to experience elsewhere. As you’d expect from any Nintendo console, the 3DS has a big library of games to suit all kinds of gamers. 

There’s slow-paced life simulator Animal Crossing, through to nail-biting racing in Mario Kart, or even intriguing puzzle adventures, like Professor Layton. While these might not be the latest titles from each franchise, they’re still classics that stand the test of time and have a place in Nintendo history. 

Whether you’re playing on the 2DS XL or you've chosen an extra dimension with the 3DS XL, all of the games on this list are worth your time and we’re sure you’ll find something to scratch your gaming itch.  

Best Nintendo 3DS games

In Animal Crossing: New Leaf, you find yourself thrust into the role of a village's new mayor, which means it's up to you to help make the rules and aid in the development of the town. Don't fret, though: it's a pretty chill gig, despite how intimidating it initially sounds. 

You'll still have time to go fishing, catch bugs, design clothes, dig up fossils, decorate and expand your home, and hang out with friends doing lots of relaxing stuff. The 3DS's online and StreetPass functionality is put to great use here, allowing you to visit friends' towns and see how other players' homes are decorated and befriend any villagers you might eventually want to see move into your empty plots. 

After being out of action for many years, Donkey Kong finally made his platforming comeback with Donkey Kong Country Returns on Wii, and this 3D version could be even better than the original. 

It contains everything that fans loved about the classic DKC titles: enemies to jump on, bananas to collect, mine carts to ride, secrets to uncover, and wacky bosses to overcome. It may look like a bunch of monkey business, but don't be fooled—the game can be extremely challenging and it's one of the best Nintendo 3DS games.

Ever Oasis is a game that tries to do many things. Somehow it's simultaneously an action RPG, a settlement-building game, and a dungeon-crawling adventure title. Imagine Animal Crossing mashed into The Legend of Zelda and you get some idea of what it's aiming for. 

You play as a young creature in a dangerous desert world. With the help of a water spirit, your people can create safe spaces called an Oasis. An evil force known as Chaos is moving across the land trying to destroy all living things and it's up to you to build a strong Oasis by drawing in residents through completing missions in the wider world and maintaining the Oasis itself. 

The strategy-RPG series Fire Emblem has been around for quite some time, but the 3DS entry is arguably the best yet. With a variety of unique heroes at your disposal, you'll engage in turn-driven, grid-based combat to bring peace to the land of Ylisse. 

When you're not fighting enemies, you'll work to build up relationships between characters, which allows them to not only cooperate better in battle, but to get married and have children, who also become playable characters. Lots of downloadable extra missions add to the depth and longevity of this game making it one of the best 3DS games you can get.

While Mario has always been bold and brave, his brother Luigi is ... well, not. Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon follows the less adventurous of the two Mario Bros. as he wanders through mansions with a tepid nervousness that's just as likely to make you laugh as it is to sympathize with the game's green-hatted hero.

Dark Moon, the sequel to the original Luigi's Mansion on the Nintendo GameCube, is an adventure game through and through. You'll solve puzzles, collect coins, and generally revel in the game's spooky – but never overwhelmingly frightening – abodes. If you're looking for smart, funny platforming, Dark Moon is the bite-size adventure you've been yearning for. 

Metroid: Samus Returns

We didn't ever ask for a re-imagining of Metroid 2 on 3DS but now that it's here we're very glad indeed. Metroid: Samus Returns is a side-scrolling action-adventure game with a very similar overall structure to the 1991 Metroid 2. But there are game-changing (and improving) modern additions in terms of controls and visuals. 

This game marks a whole new and promising direction for the 2D Metroid games and its visuals show the Nintendo 3DS system at its very best. It should also fill a gap until we hear more about Metroid Prime 4.

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

You might've billed Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire as cash-in remakes of two somewhat middling entries in the creature-collecting franchise. There's no shame in it. That's what we thought, too. But actually sitting down with Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire is like seeing a friend after a decade apart: you're both different people than you were 10 years ago, but just as fond of one another now as you were then.

Level 5's Professor Layton games consistently offer some of the best puzzle-solving gameplay on the Nintendo 3DS so it's really something to say that Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy is possibly the best of the bunch. It might be the sixth in the series but fortunately, you don't have to have played any of the previous titles to understand the story.  

This game's beautiful animation, genuinely challenging puzzles, and engaging, not to mention long, story make it a title you absolutely don't want to miss. Not only that, it's great value for money; even after you complete the main story the game has 365 additional puzzles for you to unlock and solve. 

Being 19 years old, it can be hard for newcomers to break into the action RPG Monster Hunter franchise, but Generations is by far the most accessible title in recent history. The mechanics are still complex and the learning curve is steep, but Generations overhauls combat enough that players can take new approaches on the battlefield. These changes level the playing field for complete beginners but don't grate on old fans as it's a change that also benefits them.

In Monster Hunter Generations, players once more take up the role of a hunter who is on a quest to take on dangerous monsters in an ancient world, moving between offline and online quests to progress. As ever, don't expect much of a story to pull you through the game, instead, the incentive to progress in Monster Hunter comes from securing better and more powerful equipment that allows you to unlock the next tier of quests. 

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

If you want frantic action and an endless supply of Nintendo fan service, look no further than Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. Gaming's biggest characters are here (along with a few of the more obscure) - Mario, Sonic, Link, Mega Man, Samus Aran, Little Mac, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Pikachu, and dozens of others - all duking it out in stages based on hit Nintendo properties. 

If you've played any previous game in this series, you know the drill: whittle down your opponents with standard attacks and special moves, then send 'em flying off the stage. Naturally, you can play the game solo, or you can fight in matches with up to four players either locally or online., which makes it a fantastic addition to every player's library. 

If you're a fan of RPGs, the 3DS is a great choice of console and Bravely Second: End Layer is one of the best games in the genre. From Square Enix, it's the sequel to the highly praised JRPG Bravely Default. Bravely Second is a continuation of the story in the original game, two and a half years later, bringing in new worlds to explore and new enemies to defeat in the same turn-based combat system.  

If you enjoyed Bravely Default, it's absolutely worth playing Bravely Second as it brings most of what made that game great back to the table. In some ways it's so similar it could be considered a fault, but if it's not broken, why fix it?

The original Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64 is one of the most acclaimed games ever made, and this enhanced version is even better. Not only does it feature the same epic, time-traveling tale, packed with puzzles, peril, and sword-swinging action, but it boasts vastly enhanced graphics and more user-friendly gameplay, such as gyroscopic targeting and optional extra hints. 

As one of the best Zelda games, it's a must-play for anyone looking to revisit the very best of the series while still being able to appreciate how it plays on a more convenient console rather than a Nintendo 64. However, the title is also worth visiting on Nintendo Switch if you have a Switch Online + Expansion Pass subscription. 

Yoshi's Woolly World is one of our recommended titles on Wii U, but if you can't get your hands on the console version we absolutely recommend you don't miss out on this handheld port. Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World contains all of the levels of the Wii U title, with a couple of extra stages tarring Poochy, which is perhaps a way to make up for the fact that the co-op mode of the console version is now gone. 

Even though the game is a standard 2D platformer, it has interestingly designed levels as well as lovely knitted graphics that help it stand apart from the rest of the games you can pick up in the genre which makes it a title worth recommending to anyone who is yet to play. 

Best Nintendo 3DS games: FAQs 

How we made our best Nintendo 3DS games list

Between the team at TechRadar Gaming, we've spent hundreds of hours within the best games the Nintendo DS family of consoles has to offer. Across the team we have experts that cover all genres too, so you can be assured that the decisions we make as to which games are worth including in this list are opinions you can trust. 

In addition to our extensive experience exclusively with the Nintendo DS family, we've also spent thousands of hours across all Nintendo hardware so we have a firm idea of what makes certain titles more enjoyable than others, and which games make the most of the hardware at hand. 

In this case, we've hand-picked this selection of Nintendo 3DS games after careful consideration and debate as to why these games are worth recommending, even with the Nintendo Switch now crowned as Nintendo's flagship console. If you want to make the most of your handheld console, these are the games we are confident in telling you are worth playing. 

If you're looking to make the most of more of Nintendo's older hardware, you might want to turn your attention to the best GBA games. However, if you're rocking the latest console, our best Nintendo Switch games list is sure to offer a title you might've missed originally. 

The Nintendo 3DS turns 10 on March 27 (in the US anyway) so what better time to reminisce about the House of Mario’s innovative handheld. 

A successor to the Nintendo 2DS, the 3DS brought 3D gaming to the homes of millions – without the use of 3D glasses. Nintendo’s 3D handheld had various iterations following its western release in 2011, which came in the form of the upgraded New Nintendo 3DS and the New Nintendo 3DS XL. To date, the 3DS family of consoles has sold over 75 million units globally. 

To celebrate the 3DS turning a decade old, the TechRadar team decided to pull together some of their favorite memories of Nintendo 3DS.

• Best Nintendo 3DS games: the most essential 3DS releases
• Best Nintendo DS games: all the DS titles worth revisiting
• Best Switch games: the most essential Nintendo Switch games right now

A reliable friend
Vic Hood, Gaming Editor
When I first moved to London from Northern Ireland as a student, I took about five boxes with me that contained my most treasured possessions: clothes, plushies, my laptop and a range of practical items I would need to see me through the next (what I thought would be) three years. Nestled among these treasures was my dusty old Nintendo 3DS, which I had barely touched in years – instead opting to play my PS4 instead. 

But the Nintendo 3DS really came into its own in that time. Far from home, at a time before the Switch had released, I found myself returning to my 3DS to play Pokémon Black and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. The Pokémon series, in particular, provided a feeling of familiarity and the fact I could simply tuck my small, reliable friend in my pocket on hectic tube rides and while waiting between lectures gave me some sense of grounding. The 3DS made me feel at home, even when I wasn’t. 

A lean but strong library of games
Samuel Roberts, Senior Entertainment Editor
Unlike the Nintendo DS, which launched before mobile gaming exploded with the proliferation of smartphones, the 3DS lacked a gigantic library – indeed, the sort of casual games the 3DS became known for weren't really a fixture on this handheld. Still, the Nintendo 3DS has at least 10 games that are absolutely essential, from Kid Icarus: Uprising to Animal Crossing: New Leaf (which you can skip if you've got New Horizons on Switch). 

My best memory of the 3DS is going on holiday to Rome in 2017, and almost ruining it for my partner by delaying our plans for each day by conquering the secret levels in Super Mario 3D Land, a phenomenal platformer that suited the handheld perfectly. While the 3D functionality for 3DS never did much for me, the handheld was a lovely bit of Nintendo kit – especially the New Nintendo 2DS I currently enjoy. 

Two 3DS game reviews that really changed me
Nick Pino, Senior Editor, Home Entertainment
Before I joined the ranks of TechRadar in 2014, I spent the first few years of my career working elsewhere in the games industry – first at Official Xbox Magazine, then at Best Buy’s video game magazine, @GAMER. While my memory of the time before TechRadar has begun to fade (the brain can only hold so many years’ worth of editorial memories), I’ll always remember the reviews I wrote for Animal Crossing: New Leaf and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, my two favorite games on the 3DS. 

There was something surreal about sitting in an office, lost in the world of Animal Crossing: New Leaf for a week. While others around me were poring over broadsheets and layout pages, I was seated in the mayor’s chair, moulding my town into something beautiful. After seven days with it, I felt like I was ready to sit down to write the review, but was torn about how thin content was becoming after the first few days. For that reason, I remember how unsure I was about the score I wanted to give it: Should I give it an 8 because, while fun, it didn’t really have the staying power to provide gamers a good value for their money? Or should I give it a 9 because I really enjoyed the 40 hours I put into it? Ultimately I went for a 9 out of 10, and hindsight has shown me I was right on the money. The lesson there? Always go with your gut.

I also struggled with the score for Zelda, but for a different reason. That franchise already had so many great games in it, and while A Link Between Worlds really captured some of that charm of A Link to the Past, it also felt so different. The more I played A Link Between Worlds, though, the more it grew on me. Soon, I felt its break with tradition was actually a strength and the new mechanics, while jarring at first, allowed A Link Between Worlds to expand the breadth of its puzzles, making them more challenging. I had to acknowledge where the franchise had come from, sure, but I also had to appreciate where A Link Between Worlds took it, too. A half-decade later, I can look back fondly at these games and appreciate them for what they were: absolute masterpieces for Nintendo’s handheld system.

Technology ahead of its time
Adam Vjestica, Senior Gaming Writer
Nintendo tends to be behind the curve when it comes to implementing cutting-edge technology, but having a device that offered convincing glasses-free 3D back in 2011 is still quite the feat – even to this day. Even though it had its fair share of detractors, I always played Nintendo 3DS games with the 3D slider cranked all the way up, as it really helped add *ahem* more depth to certain titles.

Games such as Super Mario 3D Land were shining examples of how awesome the stereoscopic 3D effect could be, and I can still remember grinning in awe when I played Super Street Fighter IV 3D for the first time, even if it left me feeling a little queasy afterward. Seeing the cast of Street Fighter characters battling it out in what felt like a little portable diorama was seriously impressive. 

The Nintendo 3DS might have felt like an iterative upgrade over the Nintendo DS to some, but there’s no denying that its glasses-free 3D was, and still is, kind of magical. 

 My Switch alternative
Matt Hanson, Senior Computing Editor
I excitedly bought my 3DS XL around the time it launched in 2013, and after playing a few games I placed it in a drawer and forgot about it... for about seven years. However, when the Nintendo Switch launched, I started considering buying the new console, mainly to play in handheld mode. I was commuting to work by bus since moving out of the city, and with the birth of my daughter, I found playing traditional games consoles (or using my gaming PC) was increasingly difficult, so a handheld console made a lot of sense. The only problem was that 1) the Switch was impossible to buy thanks to high demand, and 2) I was broke (due to the aforementioned baby and commute). It was then that I remembered my 3DS. Why not dust it down and use that instead?

So, I did, and I’m so glad I did. First, it let me revisit those brilliant early 3DS games. Also, during that time, the 3DS had amassed an excellent catalog of games, and many of them could now be bought second hand for cheap. I was able to catch up on some excellent 3DS games I’d missed out on without spending a fortune. I picked up Pokemon X and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire as well, reigniting my love of Pokemon games for the first time since playing Diamond on the DS. I also loaded the 3DS with some classic games from the Virtual Console online store – including Pokemon Yellow, the first Pokemon game I played. Suddenly, I had an incredible handheld packed with some amazing games that I’d never played. I still play it to this day, as I’ve yet to get around to getting a Switch. It’s been a fantastic alternative, and when I finally get a Switch, it’ll have a lot to live up to.

Streetpass was a superb social experiment
Rhys Wood, Surge Writer
Nintendo has always toyed with casual features to broaden its scope beyond just the games it creates, but arguably none were as productive as the Nintendo 3DS’s Streetpass functionality.

Streetpass did what it said on the tin. While you were out and about with your 3DS in tow, the handheld would log other 3DS holders that happened to be in the area. These users’ Mii avatars would then show up as visitors in your Mii Plaza, and when you went to check on them later, these Miis would say hi to yours, passing on gifts like collectible puzzle pieces that filled out a swathe of gorgeous renders from 3DS titles.

Streetpass was a fantastic icebreaker for meeting new people – a common sight at conventions would be gatherings of people sharing their Miis to collect new puzzle pieces, but more crucially, strike up conversations and get to know each other. 

Streetpass encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone, meet new people and forge lasting friendships. It’s a feature that I sincerely wish would make a return on the similarly portable Nintendo Switch, giving owners extra incentive to make use of its handheld capabilities.

• Nintendo Switch 2: what we want to see from a new Switch console

Bravely Default 2 (or Bravely Default II) is catnip for classic RPG apologists. Your characters group up in a line on one side of the Nintendo Switch screen, and enemies coagulate on the other. You take turns wailing on each other with physical and magical abilities until one party falters. For the better part of 60 hours, that doesn’t change. Bravely Default, as a series, has always been designed to add some flair to the turn-based battles of old – layering the curious titular mechanics on top of the familiar to create something new. Or new enough, anyway.

The game is meant to be a fully new chapter in the series – much in the vein of numbered Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest games establishing a whole new world with each entry – and as a fresh start for players that want to get their teeth into a new role-playing adventure, it excels. But, for all the flourishes and revisions to the core RPG formula it's made, Bravely Default 2 still feels hemmed in and hamstrung by its obsession with Final Fantasy 3 or The 4 Heroes of Light.

In many ways, Bravely Default 2 iterates on Bravely Default and Bravely Second; the story is darker, and loses the sanitized YA sheen the first game had. The combat is harder and revels in overwhelming you with options and making you solve puzzles in order to progress. The world itself is broader, and more varied – at the cost of feeling empty or soulless, at times. As much as the development team is daring to dip its feet into new waters, it often feels scared of fully committing to the plunge... and that can have an impact on the game as a whole.

Bravely Default 2 price and release date

• What is it? The third game in the fledgling JRPG series, inspired by classic genre titles
• Release date? February 26, 2021
• What can I play it on? Nintendo Switch
• Price? $59.99/£49.99/AU$69

Holding out for a hero

• Revolves around four Heroes of Light as they journey to save the world
• Adheres to many now-standard RPG conventions
• Continues the series’ classic formula (for better and worse)

From the second you boot up the game, the tropes start coming and don’t stop: the main character is a lone pirate that gets washed ashore after a storm, apparently blessed by the divine light of a crystal. He just so happens upon a ragtag crew duo of travelers, who are searching the world for Asterisks (which bestow Jobs on your characters) and employ him to help. Quickly, and conveniently, you run into the deposed princess of a destroyed nation – and from there, you all band together to help the Princess reclaim her lost throne.

At least the characters all have a bit more agency than they did in previous Bravely titles, though. The localization team has knocked it out of the park with its voice acting and scripting choices, and a special mention must be made to Side UK and the voiceover talent they’ve chosen. Having a whole town of friendly Scottish black mages? Inspired. Having one of the first villains you encounter realized as a cocky Aussie chad? Brilliant. Casting budget Bjork as one of your main four heroes? Unlikely, but it works a treat.

If you’ve picked up an old RPG – or any of the other Bravely titles – the rest will seem formulaic enough: you travel from town to town, solving the locals’ problems and unpicking a wider conspiracy whilst you’re at it. Typically, the center of the town's problems will be a corrupt official or malicious bad faith actor who is inconveniencing the common folk for their own diabolical ends. How art imitates life, eh? You and your comrades – through a series of battles, dungeon-crawling escapades and the odd fetch-quest – right the wrongs, set things straight, and head off to the next town.

Style it out

• Peculiar mix of art styles – some gorgeous, some ugly
• Performance ranges from smooth to choppy, seemingly on a whim
• Fun, self-aware and engaging voice acting

Every single town you visit looks incredible. Every single dungeon you enter comes to life with its own palette, its own graphical asset pool, its own unique monsters. Though many may be color-swapped models, at least the developer respects its environments enough to unify dungeon inhabitants with a few extra puffs of mold here and there, or cover them in mud, or make them wear little plant hats, or whatever, depending on where they live. The OST, as you’d expect from a Square Enix game, also matches all of these varied locales with effortless verve and charm. That’s nice. 

What’s not so nice is the weird, choppy animation, the low-poly models of the human characters, the not-uncommon lag in battles that’ll cause the game to miss showing you why an enemy absorbed your attacks, or why they countered you and you’re now sat on the Game Over screen. Optimization – for both handheld and docked gameplay – leaves a lot to be desired. But maybe that’s because nudging a series from 3DS to Switch is pretty tricky, especially when your whole art style was devised and perfected around a tiny little 800×240 screen. Transplanting that wholesale onto HD hardware just doesn’t look very good when it comes to 3D models. 

And this creates one of the game’s main problems: even the most climactic battles sometimes struggle to connect because of how dodgy the game can feel. Finishing off a boss with a special attack that skips frames of the animation and then just… ends… feels weird. Detached. Unsatisfying. It doesn’t happen all the time, but the inconsistency in performance, the half-baked animations, and the general feel of some of the 3D graphics all combine to make the game – very often – feel anticlimactic.

Why don't you get a job?

• The Job system underpins every battle and combat puzzle in the game
• Grind-conscious players may want to give this a miss
• Min-max enthusiasts, eat your heart out

And that’s a real shame, because Bravely Default 2’s strongest feature is its combat. Bringing in the eponymous mechanics allows for players to gamble or play it safe – to Brave is to use up a turn ahead of time, to Default is to stock a turn and use it later (taking a defensive stance in the meantime). Rather than doing that for your whole team, as in past games, you now control Brave/Default commands per character.

It sounds simple enough, but then developer Clay Tech Works starts weaving in many more small moving parts that make later combat puzzles fiendish in their complexity. Considering each character can have a main Job and a sub-Job, can carry equipment that makes them more or less likely to be the victim of attacks, and can equip two Accessories that allow them to negate status changes or elemental damage… it can all get a tad overwhelming. 

And that’s ironic, really, considering the developer has stated that Bravely Default 2 is designed to grasp lapsed RPG players that find newer genre titles ‘impenetrable’. The upside of this layering of mechanical Jenga is satisfaction when you get it right; going up against an end-of-Chapter boss with the right weapons equipped, the right Jobs in order, and the right Brave/Default rhythm in mind and smashing their last 20,000HP off in one turn – with all your characters Braving their hearts away – is a stupendous feeling. The kind of risk/reward mechanic that moves your butt a bit closer to the edge of your chair, that makes your breath catch in your throat just a bit.

If you’re a fan of grinding, you’ll be happy that the developer has pilfered – wholesale – the one-handed controls from the 3DS games. This means, if you’re playing on Switch Lite for example, you can control everything via the left side of the Switch, or left JoyCon, and use your other hand to scroll your socials and so on. You’ll probably need to grind, too; there are some pretty noticeable level jumps and difficulty spikes if you’re playing on anything other than the easiest mode. Luckily, there’s also an in-game function that allows you to harvest level- and Job-boosting items whilst the game is left idle… but it’s slow-going and meant as a companion to your grinding, not a replacement for it.

Verdict

Aside from a few gripes when it comes to formulaic setups, graphics woes and optimization, Bravely Default 2 is a solid RPG. Fans of classic Japanese RPGs – that long for the halcyon days of turn-based combat, min-max mathematics and a linear story – will find something special in this project. Proper devotees of the role-playing game will find joy in the intricate battle system, which oozes with possibility at every turn and threatens to overwhelm at times. Masochists and maniacs will bristle with glee at the deep and rewarding end-game and promise of bosses and super-powered monsters tucked into the darkest recesses of the world.

It’s a solid game, and one that expands on what worked in previous Bravely titles whilst plastering over what didn’t. A game that rewards tactical thinking, scratches your itch for ceaseless exploration, and does it all with charm and self-awareness? Sounds like a Job for Bravely Default 2.

• Best Switch games: the most essential Nintendo Switch titles

It’s not often Nintendo splashes the cash to purchase a new developer or studio – big acquisitions are usually left to the likes of Microsoft, who recently purchased Bethesda in a deal costing $7.5 billion. However, the Kyoto-based company has decided to expand its portfolio with the acquisition of Next Level Games.

Nintendo Switch owners might recognize Next Level Games as the developer behind Luigi’s Mansion 3, but the Canadian company has also worked on previous Nintendo systems over the years, such as on the Nintendo GameCube with Super Mario Strikers, Punch Out!! on the Wii, and Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon on Nintendo 3DS.

Next Level Games also developed Metroid Prime: Federation Force for the 3DS, but the less said about that title, the better.

• The best Nintendo Switch games: have fun anytime, anywhere
• Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite: is bigger really better?
• Read our Nintendo Switch Lite review

The buyout is ultimately good news for Nintendo fans, as it means Nintendo now has another trusted and proven studio to handle its precious IPs. 

The company has lent more on licensing its franchises to third-party developers in recent years, such as Koei Tecmo for the Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors games, as well as collaborating with Bandai Namco for support when developing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

The acquisition means Nintendo will obtain 100% of Next Level Games shares, and the deal will officially close on March 1, 2021. Nintendo made the following statement below regarding the buyout.

“Next Level Games has worked exclusively with Nintendo in developing software titles for the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch systems, including titles in the critically acclaimed Luigi’s Mansion series of video games,” Nintendo’s statement reads.

Sleeping giant

The statement also suggests that Nintendo will use Next Level Games in a greater capacity going forward, which is particularly exciting when you consider there are plenty of IPs worthy of a revival such as F-Zero, a series that fans are clamoring to see return.

“Completion of the Acquisition will serve to secure the availability of Next Level Games development resources for Nintendo, including development expertise, as well as facilitate an anticipated improvement in development speed and quality by enabling closer communication and exchange of staff with the Nintendo development team.”

We'll be keeping a close eye on any future assignment Next Level Games gets from Nintendo with interest, then, and hope that the studio is a lot more active than some of Nintendo's other subsidiaries like Retro Studios, who developed Metroid Prime and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

• Nintendo Switch 2: what we want to see

Via Gematsu

It may have lost its crown as ‘belle of the handheld ball’, but the Nintendo 3DS is still a tempting proposition if you’re looking for a portable console that packs a punch. And honestly? There’s never been a better time to buy one.

For a start, it’s got a superb library of games, which include critically-acclaimed hits such as Super Mario 3D Land and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. The Nintendo 3DS is also widely available, unlike the Nintendo Switch right now, so you won’t have to wait weeks to get your hands on one. Throw in the fact it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than any other console on the market, and it might just make you think twice about whether you need to buy its flashier big brother at all.

Seriously, don’t dismiss Nintendo’s aging little console just yet – here are five reasons why there’s still life in the old (Ninten)dog yet.

1. Nintendo 3DS is (a lot) cheaper than the Switch

It’s always nice to have a bit of spare change left over whenever you buy a new console, particularly as most of us are keeping a close eye on the coffers. The Nintendo 3DS is now affordable enough that it won’t break the bank, and there’s a plentiful second-hand market to dive into if you really want to save on the pennies. 

You can grab a New Nintendo 2DS XL (that’s the model which removes the glasses-free 3D display) for just $129.99 (£129.99/AU$329.95), which is quite a savings compared to the Nintendo Switch Lite at $199.99 (£199.99/AU$329.95). It’s even more of a bargain when you weigh it up against the standard Nintendo Switch, which’ll set you back $299.99 (£279.99/AU$465.95). Ouch.

2. Nintendo 3DS models are actually in stock 

Can’t find a Nintendo Switch in stock? You’re not the only one. Nintendo’s versatile handheld has been in high demand ever since lockdown measures began, and the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons only seemed to make things worse. It’s fortunate that there’s an awesome alternative that’s more widely available, then. It’s much easier to find a Nintendo 3DS in stock, with many models to choose from including some snazzy limited editions. We’d recommend the New Nintendo 3DS XL, though, as it has a super-sized screen and decent battery life.

3. The Nintendo 3DS is a proper portable console 

This one isn’t even a contest. The Nintendo 3DS is infinitely more portable than the Nintendo Switch, mostly owing to its robust clamshell design. Sure, the Nintendo 3DS XL models are a bit chunky, but you never need to worry about the console’s dual screens getting scratched or damaged in transit, and you don’t even need a carrying case. Just toss it in your bag and you’re good to go. If you want to take your the Switch out into the wild, however, you best have a suitable Nintendo Switch case, screen protector and a firm grip on the console at all times. 

4. The Nintendo 3DS has an incredible library of games 

With a games library built up over nine years, there are a plethora of top titles to play on Nintendo 3DS. All of Nintendo’s big hitters are here: from Mario Kart 7 to Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Super Smash Bros., you’ll be spoilt for choice. There’s quality and quantity, then, and the Nintendo 3DS’ library dwarfs what’s available on Nintendo Switch, and the games are much cheaper, too, which is a nice added bonus. 

5. It’s also packed full of unique features

Never one to shy away from experimental concepts and ideas, the Nintendo 3DS is crammed full of neat little features from the Japanese company. The console comes with a set of AR cards, letting you play fun minigames in augmented reality. The 3DS models also come with a glasses-free 3D screen, which is seriously impressive. It adds extra depth to games and the 3D effect was substantially improved on the New Nintendo 3DS models. 

Finally, although you won’t get much use out of it currently, the Nintendo 3DS comes with a delightful bit of in-built software called StreetPass. You progress through various puzzles and quests by collecting Mii characters of other 3DS owners, who you may encounter on your way to work or at conventions. It’s a typical ingenious, silly bit of software from Nintendo, but it’s sorely missed on Nintendo Switch.

• Ready to build up your library? Best Nintendo 3DS games

Nintendo is switching off the eShop for Wii U and 3DS systems in parts of Latin America and the Caribbean on July 31, 2020. This means that affected countries won't be able to redeem codes for software, redownload games or download updates after this date for both systems. 

Nintendo notes that the affected countries have 'limited' stores, offering more basic functions than their full-featured counterparts. 

Countries due to lose 'limited' eShop access are the following: Anguilla, Antigua/Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Cost Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent/Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The reason given by Nintendo is pretty uninformative: "We constantly re-evaluate our business and make decisions based on a variety of factors." It's noted that Brazil and Mexico's full eShops aren't affected by this.

It's not unlikely that Nintendo 3DS use is down significantly given that the Switch has been the dominant Nintendo platform for a while now, but you could argue that's not really the point. If you buy a game for a system that's less than a decade old, it's not unreasonable to want to redownload that software if you need to clear space for other games, for example. From this summer, that won't be possible for users in these countries. 

Since countries like the US, UK and Australia have full eShops, they won't be affected by the change. 

• The best Nintendo Switch games
• The best 3DS games
• The best GameCube games

What's Nintendo's track record with digital? 

While this won't affect the US or UK, Nintendo has closed digital storefronts around the world before. 

Nintendo shuttered its Wii Shop back in January 2019, and while you can redownload Wii software for now, eventually you won't be able to do so, according to a notice on its site. "In the future, we will be closing all services related to the Wii Shop Channel, including redownloading purchased WiiWare, Virtual Console titles, and Wii Channels, as well as Wii System Transfer Tool, which transfers data from the Wii console to the Wii U console."

So if you spent money collecting digital N64 games on Wii, eventually you'll never be able to redownload them. You might want to do that if you buy a replacement Wii, for example. 

A similar move was made in closing the DSi store in 2017. Again, you can redownload software "for a limited time". 

It's a pretty outdated attitude, and why we're wary of Nintendo taking steps to close any of its digital stores. Compared to Microsoft, where games you bought 15 years ago on Xbox Live Arcade probably still work now on Xbox One, Nintendo needs clarity on its decision making around older digital storefronts. 

Thanks, Nintendo Life. 

• The best N64 games

UPDATE: This model has now been discontinued. See the box right for current 2DS and Nintendo 3DS models, or read on for our review of the 2011 model below...

When Nintendo first launched the Nintendo DS in early 2011, it was a landmark moment. 

After all, Nintendo is responsible for iconic household names like Super Mario, SNES and Gameboy, all of which have made a massive contribution to how we play games today.

But the Japanese company has also been busy redefining the modern medium with its most recognised bit of kit – the Wii, dragging everyone from nine year old girls to 79-year-old grandparents around the TV to wave a white remote in the air.

Nintendo's current handheld line – the Nintendo DS – has had a similar amount of pull on the public, creating a world where everyone's a gamer. You might be Brain Training on the bus or leaping over spike pits at lunch, either way you're a part of a video game boom (at least in terms of awareness) that's never been seen before, and that's largely thanks to Nintendo.

After such success you might forgive Nintendo for resting on its laurels and, indeed, since the UK release of the first DS back in 2004, the progression of the portable has been something of a slow evolution.

Sticking a couple of extra letters on the end of each edition, with devices like the DS Lite, the DSi and the DSi XL Nintendo made the common alterations; making things bigger/smaller/lighter, adding a camera here and a bit more power there.

The core of the DS remained the same though; a book-like, dual-screen handheld with the touch functionality that augments the gaming experience with an extra dimension of interactivity that spawned the DS success in the beginning.

But now, with the release of the Nintendo 3DS, Ninty is having a punt at revolutionising video games for a third time and 'extra dimension' is the key phrase again.

The 3DS originally launched for well over £200 – closing in on £300 in many stores. But after poor sales, Nintendo has slashed the price drastically, and the console can now be picked up for a little over £110.

At first glance it looks like a shinier, sleeker version of its brothers and it still has the same dual-screen, touch sensitive set up. This time, however, the top screen boasts the ability to beam your gaming experience in full auto-stereoscopic 3D - that's 3D without the need for a pair of 3D specs.

Ok, so the likes of Avatar have already reignited the 3D interest for cinema and Sony's pushing 3D gaming on the PS3 – pricey TVs and cumbersome glasses included – but unassisted, palm of your hand 3D is a completely different and massively exciting prospect.

The Nintendo 3DS has the potential to be a massive stride forward from its predecessors and another landmark product that Nintendo can lay claim to. If it works, that is. We've been working on our Nintendo 3DS review for the last week - here's the verdict...

• Best Nintendo 3DS games: 20 fantastic titles you can take on the go

To look at the, the Nintendo 3DS is more or less classic DS design.

It's slightly smaller than the DSi in terms of sheer size, at approximately 135mm x 74mm but is a bit thicker at 20mm deep compared to the DSi (137mm x 75mm x 19mm) and weighs around 8 ounces with battery, stylus and SD card on board.

It looks that bit sleeker though, with curved corners, angled edges and shiny gloss finish. This time the lid houses two cameras rather than one (necessary for the 3D camera we'll come on to), both placed centrally at the top of the panel, and each about half the size of the DSi's camera.

Placed at the back on either hinge, as with the DSi, are the two shoulder buttons which look slightly smaller this time in that they don't protrude quite so much as on the last model. The hinges themselves carry on the gradual lines of the device to complete the look.

Lift the lid on the 3DS and the more sophisticated design ethos is continued with a black, gloss finish border that makes up the front face of the 3DS and surrounds the top screen. It's a neat departure from the single colour-scheme we're used to.

In terms of how the new device is to hold, the 3DS doesn't feel quite so expensive or solid as something like the Sony PSP. The d-pad, face and shoulder buttons are small with that distinctly 'clicky' feel. We'd also say that when fully open, the top panel encroaches on the space your fingers need around the shoulder buttons. A minor quibble that's only noticed every now and then, and who's to say we don't have chubby fingers?

Where the 3DS does trump the PSP in terms of control, however, is with its new analogue nub – officially called the Circle Pad. The point of analogue control has obviously been a tough nut to crack for designers of portable games consoles recently.

Sony's current handheld has a flat nub with imprinted grip, something that has been criticised for being difficult to manoeuvre because of its flat design that sees players slide their thumb around awkwardly rather than pushing and pulling as they would with a stick.

Having gone down the nub route as well, Nintendo's Circle Pad is still a bit of a chore to push around compared to a proper stick as well and Sony's NGP will likely take the analogue control crown when it releases with two full-on sticks.

What does help the Nintendo 3DS, however is the fact that the Circle Pad has a concave surface. The shallow banks of the nub act as a nest for your thumb and mean that you have at least something to push and pull against to an extent without slipping off.

The Circle Pad was responsive with a quick snap back to the centre once it was released. We had a couple of handhelds to play with, however, and one demonstrated a particularly sticky Pad which didn't come all the way back to the middle if it was pushed to its boundaries

Since this was just one case, though, we have to give the 3DS the benefit of the doubt, although it does make us wonder whether the nub design could be prone to stickiness over time.

Also of note the placement of the front facing camera, now above the screen rather than on the join between the panels and the addition of three new buttons (Home, Start and Select) under the bottom screen.

Getting onto the technology that drives the 3DS, that lower screen is LCD with the resistive touch capabilities that can be controlled with the included, 4mm, extendible stylus your finger. It measures 3.02 inches and has a 320 x 240 resolution.

The top screen is the important one though. It makes use of lenticular lens technology to create the final 3D image. Simply put, the screen uses a series of long thin lenses called lenticules that have cured fronts.

Because of their shape the lenticules direct the pixels' light in different directions and each eye sees an alternate column of pixels. You can probably fill in the rest: Two images are rendered by the 3DS' GPU, they are sent to separate eyes by the lenticules and, as you probably know, by seeing two slightly separated versions of the same image we get glorious 3D.

Of course, to look as good as the current Nintendo DSi, the 3DS needs to have twice the resolution, and it has exactly that and then some.

Where the DSi screen ran at a resolution of 256 x 192 This time we're treated to a 3.53 inch wide-screen LCD display zapping 16.77 million colours in what Nintendo's calling 800 x 240 pixel resolution (what it actually means is you get 400 x 240 in each eye and then the same in both eyes when in 2D mode). Not only does the 3DS present you with unassisted 3D then, it's bested its predecessors significantly in terms of resolution in the 2D arena as well.

PAPER: The 3DS comes with a wad-like and not-exactly-environmentally-friendly multi-lingual user guide

What's driving the 3D machine hasn't actually been officially disclosed and without being able to take the console to pieces just yet we have to rely on reports that the handheld contains a twin ARM11 266 MHz processor and the PICA200 GPU from Digital Media Professionals.

Also reported is 1.5GB of flash storage, 63MB of RAM (although some contesting reports suggest 96MB) and 4MB of dedicated video memory. Also tucked away inside the body is a motion-sensor and Gyroscope, which will come into play later.

All this is powered by a battery that Nintendo has estimated will offer 3 – 5 hours of life and longer when playing games from the DS back-catalogue using the 3DS' backwards compatibility.

Not too different to the DSi then, although after putting the 3DS through its paces it seems that the avid amongst us will only hit the minimum estimation - we were out of juice at three hours of constant play in full 3D. 

Nintendo does, however, provide a nice little charging cradle as part of the package and the handheld had no problem lasting the day when in sleep mode.

The 3D effect that's conjured as a result has a focus on depth rather than throwing objects out of the screen at you all the time. How much depth exactly depends on the design of the game itself and player discretion. A slider on the side of the top panels allows gamers to adjust the level of depth, acting almost as a visual volume button.

The slider will probably be used in varying amounts as people take to 3D differently. We had the effect on maximum for the most part though and found the effect to be sharp, deep and with very little ghosting when we had the 3DS positioned in a way that hit the 'sweet spot'.

And the sweet spot is crucial. You need to hold the 3DS so that it's central, still and head on if you want the best effect. It's by no means hard to find the right angle, it's the one you'd most naturally adopt, but movement does interfere with the picture significantly.

The amount of forgiveness you get for straying depends on how 3D your image is in the first place. If the images are split to a greater extent to give the impression of more depth, the difference will be more apparent once you start to angle the screen in such a way that makes one image more prominent than the other.

The games we played

We were able to get our hands on two games; Nintendogs + Cats and Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. Nintendogs + Cats boasted the greater amount of depth and so even a degree of sideways rotation of the 3DS caused flickering of the image and the occasional split-second blackout. Titling the handheld forwards and backwards doesn't have the same amount of visual degradation, though.

Street Fighter could take more movement in all directions before the image started to ghost significantly. There was generally less depth in Street Fighter, though, since the focus is on two players – there's no gameplay element that requires roaming in and out of the foreground so the background plays an aesthetic role.

But there are two camera angles in the 3D Edition of Street Fighter - the traditional side-on view is 3D only in the sense of having different layers of 2D cell-shaded art stacked on top of each other.

A second camera angle, however, rotates the side-view around so that it's more a diagonal over-the-shoulder shot and this is the angle at which to get the best 3D effect. The characters become full 3D models and the sense of depth is much more obvious and complete as objects in the background have depth to them as well as looking further away.

There're also some examples of protruding pixels here as well; because of the angle, the outside of your character's body – particularly the elbow, for example, as certain punches are thrown – noticeably occupy the foreground in comparison to your opponent who appears in the background.

The best example of a 3D image coming out of the screen we witnessed, however, was during Nintendogs + Cats, when our kitten came right up to the screen and then poked its head clearly beyond the glass.

In both cases though, like we've said, the 3D effect is more one of depth. When we're considering how much more immersive the gaming experience becomes, it doesn't work in the sense of surrounding your head and making you feel like you're actually sitting in the game, but it does make you feel like you could stick your hand into the world and touch everything.

It also enhances the graphics, not necessarily in a technical sense of quality, just in the way objects look more realistic and solid because of their added depth.

It was when our cat pushed its head right out of the screen that we started to really appreciate the extra graphical quality the 3DS has over previous iterations, regardless of the 3D wow factor. The graphics in Nintendogs & Cats are far more detailed than previous versions, showing off the extra power and resolution of the 3DS.

Using the 3D slider to turn off the effect, there wasn't too much difference in visual quality when playing both games in 2D. The lines in the backgrounds of both games became sharper in 2D but only negligibly, there a more noticeable dulling in colour with 3D mode activated though.

Outside of its gaming capabilities, the 3DS tech is also used for a 3D camera with a 640 x 480 resolution and an active pixel count of around 300,000. The photos that come out of the other end are good for a bit of pointing and cooing but we found them to be a bit grainy and the 3D effect is actually a case of have 2D images layered on a 3D plain.

For the core Nintendo audience, this will be more than impressive and a nice gimmick, but after playing 3D games that use the tech so well we couldn't help but be a bit disappointed by the camera.

Another trick in the 3DS repertoire is its augmented reality, which makes use of both the camera and the on-board gyroscope. Face Raiders, for example, is a small first person, sci-fi blaster that sees you move the 3DS around to target enemies in a similar way to GunRange for the iPhone 4.

When you miss an enemy and shoot the backdrop it breaks away, sending debris floating towards you and revealing the view from the camera.

It's a simple game but it does seem like a bit of an error of judgement since moving the 3DS around so vigorously means that you'll inevitably lose that sweet spot at some point. The 3D usage in Face Raiders, however, is comparatively less than what we've seen in the full games, with not too much moving in and out of the foreground, which is probably a good thing for the above reason.

There's also a group of more specific augmented reality games that make much more use of the tech. They're activated by putting a yellow card on a clear surface like a desk and pointing the 3DS camera at it. The best of the bunch sees the card turn into a tree covered island before your eyes giving you the task of finding and shooting a number of targets.

By moving the 3DS around the scene as if it were actually there you can look around trees, behind objects and even down holes that are two deep for your desk to accommodate in order to find the targets.

A lot of the other AR features are probably better described as tech demos more than anything, they're there to look impressive but don't actually do much. 'Star pics' is especially guilty of this; it uses separate cards with famous Nintendo faces on them which spawn statues of Link, Kirby, Mario and Samus depending on which dedicated card you put in front of the camera.

Once they're standing on your desk you can change their size, pose or glide them slowly along the table. There's nothing more to them than that, but hopefully they'll be the start of something much bigger.

There's a social element to the 3DS' as well in the Street Pass system. This automatically exchanges things like high-scores and custom characters which other 3DS portables in close proximity.

It also tries to encourage gamers to use the system and keep their 3DS active in sleep mode at least by rewarding them with a piece to a jigsaw puzzle for every new person (and their virtual Mii avatar), more interestingly, a piece to a jigsaw puzzle or XP for a basic RPG action game centred around your Mii.

The 3DS could pick up our fellow users the second we walked into the office, so it seems sharp in terms of connectivity there. The related mini-games are overly simple but will be enjoyed by gamers with a gotta catch 'em all mentality. Besides, it's more a way for Nintendo to keep 3DS consoles active so that they can automatically grab updates and software from the net using the Spot Pass system over WiFi.

While 3D gaming still splits opinion, this is a relatively cheap, accessible way to enjoy it and the quality is more than good enough to offer an impressive and immersive experience.

We liked:

The revelation that is glasses-free 3D visuals in a handheld device. More to point, the fact that it works so well. Okay, there's a definite sweet spot that you need to maintain if you want that 3D image to remain sharp but it's not really that hard to work it out.

Couple this with the extra power and resolution that the 3DS has over its closest ancestor and there's a much better graphical showcase on offer for 2D lovers as well, which is why we can expect bigger and better looking games than what's been possible on the DS to date.

The new price is very attractive, too.

We disliked:

The camera. For us it fails to be much more than a gimmick. Perhaps we're coming from a hyper-critical perspective and may fall just outside of the audience Ninty is hoping the camera will please but, with its slightly grainy quality and 2D layering, it's little more than a toy to us. A good chunk of people will be pleased with it for that reason though.

We're not completely taken with the application of the augmented reality tech either, especially the Star pics feature which has little more than slightly movable statues of Nintendo greats to offer. However, if there's any company we feel we can trust to take the foundations of what feels more like a tech demo and turn it into something great, it's Nintendo.

Verdict:

The 3DS outdoes its predecessors significantly when it comes to power and visual output, which means Ninty players can look forward to demanding names like Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid in the future.

This is a device that's going to grab everyone all over again but, at the same time, it's got plenty to offer the gaming hardcore as well and that's just as big a step forward as the specless 3D visuals.

• The best Nintendo 3DS deals you can get right now

UPDATE: This model has now been discontinued. See the box right for the current Nintendo 3DS models available, or read on below for our original review of the 2015 model...

For all the stuff it does well, Nintendo doesn't do itself many favours when it comes to naming conventions. After the messy and confused messaging of the Wii U and the perhaps even more confusing 2DS, it's now gone and named its latest 3DS the New Nintendo 3DS.

To add to the confusion, there are two different models, a standard New 3DS and the New 3DS XL. Why the distinction? The New 3DS proper comes with interchangeable faceplates, while the New 3DS XL sports a larger screen.

Just looking at them, though, you wouldn't be able to tell much difference between these and their prior form. It's less of a problem for the serious gamers and Nintendo nuts, but for the parents who are out to buy their kid a birthday present… well, you can see the problem.

But the New 3DS really is new. The alterations might not immediately strike you – many are under the hood – but the handheld has undergone a number of beneficial tweaks. From the addition of the right-stick near the face buttons and more powerful internals to the interchangeable faceplates, there are plenty of worthwhile tweaks that justify the upgrade.

Design

I've never had a problem with the design of the 3DS and, clearly, neither has Nintendo. The clamshell shape is as familiar as ever, although it has been bumped up a smidge in size to accommodate a slightly larger display.

As an added bonus, Nintendo has granted the power of interchangeable faceplates to this smaller model. Nintendo sent me a rather eye-catching Luigi one to try but you'll have a vast range to choose from (Japan already has 40) if you fancy some added customisation. Why this is absent on the XL is a bit of a mystery to me – again, I imagine it comes down to market research.

The system itself also comes in a number of styles and colours. There's the classic Red/Black and Blue/Black combinations, but Nintendo has also announced or already launched Pokemon-themed versions, Lime Green, Pink and Galaxy-themed iterations of the handheld as well.

Open it up and, again, it's a familiar sight. As a nice little touch, the face buttons now replicate the colours of those on the SNES controller. But the biggy is the one we've been waiting on for far too long - a second analogue stick.

• Read: The best Nintendo 3DS games!

Don't be fooled by that puny-looking grey nib that's sprouted on the right hand side - it's a fully-fledged C-stick capable of 360 degree movement. It feels stiff but it's surprisingly sensitive. During my time playing Majora's Mask it worked wonderfully for controlling the in-game camera. Much of that is down to the placement that makes thumb-jumping between face buttons and analogue stick super easy.

To go with your new analogue stick is a pair of added shoulder buttons, putting the much-berated Circle Pad Pro accessory out of a job. Thank goodness, it was ugly as sin. Meanwhile, the new ZL and ZR buttons sit side by side with the old shoulder pressers, making Nintendo's handheld finally feel complete.

But there's more; the wireless button is now gone, the start and select buttons both rest below the fact buttons, the volume slider sits on the left-hand side of the top screen, and the power button has shifted to the bottom right of the device. That last one is perhaps my only niggle with the new aesthetic as it makes turning the console on and off a tad more awkward than it should be.

Switching up the design isn't the only reason for changing the faceplates on the New 3DS - both the battery and MicroSD card lie beneath. The fact you need a screwdriver to change an SD card in 2015 is, in my eyes, a design flaw – especially when you consider how quickly those cards fill up.

But that's not the strangest decision Nintendo has made on the New 3DS. No, the strangest decision was to not include a charger with the console. I guess the assumption is that most buyers will be upgraders from an older 3DS, but what about everyone else?

These days it's assumed that any gadget not running on AA batteries is going to come with some sort of charger in the box, and I think there are going to be a lot more disappointed people than Nintendo anticipates.

• Best Nintendo 3DS games: 20 fantastic titles you can take on the go

If I'm ordering the new features in terms of importance, the next on the list is the tremendously better 3D effect. The 3DS of yesterday demanded you kept your head in a 'sweet spot' to get the benefit of an extra dimension - now the 3D follows you around.

Thanks to the console's new front-facing camera, the 3DS will follow your head and adjust the parallax to meet the angle of your focus. Much like when the 3DS and its stereoscopic function showed up in 2011, this new 3D feature is something you really have to see to understand. But I can tell you now, it makes a phenomenal difference; finally, I have a reason to push that 3D slider back up again.

That said, there's still much debate over whether the 3D effect of Nintendo's handheld is more than a gimmick, and Nintendo hasn't done much of late to prove otherwise. Pokemon Sun and Moon, two of the biggest games to hit the 3DS, completely ignored the feature. The 2DS speaks for itself.

Nintendo's new head-tracking 3D doesn't make it better in clarity and pop, but it does make it more consistent and comfortable to use, which is still a big improvement in my eyes.

What might be less noticeable when you pick up the 3DS is the added speed. Nintendo has swapped out the CPU for a faster model. Apps now open and close with added brevity, and a number of upcoming games will only be compatible with this newer model.

Here's the rub of the New Nintendo 3DS. The Circle Pad Pro provides a (rather cumbersome) fix to anyone who wants to stick to their current model, but when it comes to new games that are New 3DS-compatible only, there's only one solution for those who don't upgrade: suck it up.

That's going to cause fragmentation, but obsolescence is the very driver of technology so it's difficult to criticise Nintendo's decision to up the processor on a device that's nearly four years old.

However, aside from some faster load times and better framerates, the improved processor doesn't offer too much of a benefit to your gaming experience. This is still a 3DS after all. 

What's not been boosted significantly on the new model, however, is the New 3DS's camera. There's been a slight improvement for capturing pictures in low-light conditions, but overall it's a pretty weak feature that I'd say the console could do without were it not for augmented reality games like Face Raiders.

Nintendo made one other preparation for the future, NFC, and its gotten a lot of use over the years. The New 3DS comes with NFC built in to make use of Nintendo's army of Amiibo figurines. By placing an Amiibo on the bottom screen of the 3DS the two will interact, allowing you to level up your character, gain some bonus items, and more. 

As for the games, I shouldn't need to tell you that they're in abundance. Good games too, which is where the technically superior PS Vita falls down.

The library of games available to 3DS owners is already vast and varied but it's no coincidence that Nintendo is launched its new handhelds on the same day as Majora's Mask 3D, the handheld port of its classic N64 Zelda adventure.

But with the Nintendo Switch now on store shelves, we've definitely hit the handheld's twilight years, and it's unlikely that we'll see another major release for the console. 

The bottom line on the 3DS's games library is that at this point you're buying the console for the games that are already out rather than for the games that are on their way in the future. 

It's an impressive library to be sure, and you can check out the best it has to offer in our guide to the best 3DS games. Particular highlights include the excellent Super Mario Maker, Pokemon Sun and Moon, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. 

• Best Nintendo 3DS games: 20 fantastic titles you can take on the go

Nintendo has long been boss of the handheld market, but the fact it continues to be so successful in a market now dominated by smartphones is, quite frankly, damn impressive.

The New 3DS means Nintendo should continue to hold its own for a while longer. With more power, extra controls and a reason to turn that 3D slider back up again, Nintendo's latest handheld is a welcome refresh that - despite some minor niggles - is definitely worth the upgrade.

We liked

Almost every change Nintendo has made here is welcome, and the result is a handheld that finally feels complete. The 3D is now much more consistent, meaning less headaches and a more enjoyable experience, while the C-stick gives us what we've been asking for since 2011.

We disliked

There are sadly still a few niggles. Having to remove the back with a screwdriver to change the microSD in 2015 seems crazy, the camera is still quite poor, and the name might cause some confusion for those less familiar with the Nintendo family.

Final verdict

The new 3DS makes a number of small improvements, but put together they make for a console that's definitely worth the upgrade, especially as a number of future games will be incompatible with the older model.

Faster, comprehensive, more powerful – Nintendo's best handheld finally feels complete.

• The best Nintendo 3DS deals you can buy right now

Nintendo of America may have a new president, but its approach to supporting the 3DS console is the same as ever: if you want it, we've got it. 

During E3 2019, the new president, Doug Bowser, told Time that the handheld console "continues to do quite well" and is still in demand from consumers and retailers. For that reason, and quite possibly because Nintendo also sees the console as "a great entry point for young gamers", the 3DS will continue to see support. 

And if you have any concern that the 3DS didn't really make much of an appearance during Nintendo's Direct at E3, don't fret. According to Bowser, Nintendo's focus on the Switch during the event wasn't a sign of bad things to come for the 3DS, it's just that it's not really the star of the show any more. 

Gateway console

"At this point," he explained, "we have no games to announce on 3DS at [E3], and in fact we're not really showing 3DS content here, because it is all about Nintendo Switch."

Continued support for the 3DS is a promise Nintendo has been making since the Switch launched in 2017 and it has kept it so far. However, the last significant release for the 3DS was Persona Q2 and, with a sparse first-party release schedule for the future, it's worth wondering how long consumer demand for the eight year old platform can actually continue with so little to encourage it. It certainly feels like its life is petering out.

That said, the 3DS and its two-dimensional sibling are reliable consoles with a great and extensive back catalog of games to dig into and enjoy. Although the rate of new releases is slowing down, it's likely people will keep finding reasons to pick up a 3DS, even if it is just because they've been handed one by an older, Switch-wielding sibling. As such, Nintendo's continued support for the console can only be a good thing for itself and players.

• Want to know what 3DS games you shouldn't miss? Check out out picks of the best

When Nintendo announced the latest 3DS handheld, it delivered two big surprises: one, that it planned to release a new iteration of the market leading Nintendo 3DS handheld by the end of the year, and two, that it would release in Australia before Europe and North America.

The first is surprising because no one expected it. A 3DS with a more powerful CPU and better 3D support isn't something the masses have been baying for.

The second is surprising because traditionally, Australia is usually among the last major regions to receive hardware releases.

Releasing a new 3DS is a typically opaque business decision for Nintendo: the 3DS, 3DS XL and 2DS models all have a substantial user base and all operate the same software.

The New Nintendo 3DS line up (the 2011 Nintendo 3DS and 2015 New Nintendo 3DS have since been discontinued) seems to commit the same messaging error as the Wii U: casual customers may be confused by the subtle rebrand, or not realise it's a new product at all. While previous 3DS iterations have served only to expand Nintendo's audience, this one threatens to divide and confuse it.

Additionally, the New Nintendo 3DS range exhibits no substantial leap over its predecessors – none that can be discerned with the naked eye, at least.

Whether Nintendo's audience is prepared to pay for a system which seems to offer as much evolution as a smartphone generation is yet to be seen.

Cosmetically the New Nintendo 3DS XL does not alter the series' core design. The laptop-aping dual screen setup is intact, though the screens are marginally larger than those on the vanilla 3DS XL.

The biggest change is the addition of a second analog stick on the right hand side of the console: a small nub absent on earlier devices unless you owned the CirclePad Pro peripheral.

• The best Nintendo 3DS deals this month

Arguably the most useful change to the New Nintendo 3DS XL is the new analog stick, or nub. Rather than a smaller replica of the left hand nub, it's a tight, unmoving rubber protrusion just above the X button.

While its inclusion is an advantage, it really ought to have been included in the original 3DS models, so its appearance here feels like a much needed fix rather than a fancy new feature.

Even then, it's not particularly user-friendly. Those with big thumbs will find themselves grazing the top half of the unit with the tip of their finger, while the nub's general lack of give can prove uncomfortable.

By contrast, the two new bumper buttons, previously exclusive to the CirclePad Pro peripheral, are comfortably situated on the inside of the standard bumper buttons.

Meanwhile, the faster CPU is currently lacking software that can demonstrate any noticeable benefits: the New 3DS XL is backwards compatible of course, but at the time of publishing there is no software exclusive to it, compounding the general feeling that the product as a whole is a bit unnecessary at this point in the 3DS's life cycle.

New Pokemon games, in addition to the forthcoming Xenoblade Chronicles, will work exclusively with the new 3DS and 3DS XL, but they won't arrive until 2015.

As for the 3D itself, well, it is noticeably more… three-dimensional than its predecessors, which is fantastic if you actually use it.

In 2014, 3D is no longer the drawcard it was back in 2011, but there's little doubting Nintendo has improved the feature. It's no longer as nauseating with extended play, and Super Smash Bros. looks especially radiant.

But Nintendo has a habit of not including at least one standard feature in its products (see previously: second circle pad) and the New 3DS XL is no exception: it doesn't come with a charger.

While those upgrading from previous models can use their existing charger, parents buying their children a New 3DS XL this christmas should be made aware of this omission lest Christmas goes sour by 10am.

Storage wise, the device comes with 1GB internal flash storage but also accepts MicroSD cards. While the upgrade is to be expected, it does mean you won't be able to use your standard SD cards from previous 3DS models.

The New Nintendo 3DS XL (2014) also supports NFC compatibility with the company's new Amiibo figurines, though we have so far been unable to test these. The console itself can be personalised with snap on covers, if making things look prettier is your thing.

We tested three games with the New Nintendo 3DS XL (2014): Super Smash Bros., Mario Golf: World Tour and Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. As we expected, no performance issues were encountered, indicating that older software runs on the newer hardware with no discernable issues.

In 3D mode, the 3DS XL is best viewed with at least 30 centimetres between the user's eyes and the screen: any closer and the image blurs.

As with previous models, it's necessary to view the screen from a frontal position, as any angle on the view will affect the 3D output. Given that it's a handheld, this should not present any problems.

One fancy addition is the camera facial tracking, which reduces some of the problems associated with image blur when viewing the screen from different angles.

Battery-wise, expect up to four hours of continuous play on this model, with the 3D and brightness turned to its fullest settings. Expect double that if you choose to play without 3D and with no online play.

We left the 3DS XL (2014) on continuously for several days in standby mode and noticed only an incremental decrease in battery life, which is welcome news for anyone who wants to pick up the console and be playing games within seconds.

Navigating the 3DS XL's clunky interface is no more enjoyable than it has been in the past, with the included stylus making the finicky touch interface a little more bearable.

It's not horrible - and compared with the PS Vita's front end it's quite nice – but iOS this ain't. Navigating to the Nintendo eShop and then finding specific software can be a chore.

Browsing is by certain predetermined categories ('new releases', 'special offers' etc), and it would have been nice to have a simple alphabetised list of all software.

While it doesn't come close to matching the usability of an iPad Air 2, using the 3DS XL (2014) as a web browser is a more user-friendly, quick and manageable affair than on previous iterations, though you'll only use it if another device is out of reach and you want to consult an online game guide.

YouTube operates beautifully, with videos playing at full screen on the top screen, while options and the scrub bar is accessible on the bottom screen.

Nintendo's 3D handheld has overcome many of its early hurdles, but with this update it seemingly hasn't addressed all of the issues we had with the console when it launched three years ago.

Still, it's far from a bad device, and is still a more enjoyable commuting partner than the hungover drunkard you inevitably end up sitting next to on the bus.

We liked

The New Nintendo 3DS XL (2014) certainly feels like a higher market product than any of its predecessors, and the 3D is much improved. The battery life is generous and the ability to leave the console on standby for extended periods of time is helpful for those who like short but meaningful gameplay sessions.

The 3DS XL is the best handheld on the market, so for those arriving for the first time to Nintendo's stable, this is a go-to purchase.

We Disliked

The right hand control nub isn't perfect, and nor is the 3DS's user interface. The latter still feels primitive during an era where user experience has turned into its own fine art, but it's nothing a small child can't operate so consider the complaint minor.

The lack of hefty internal storage in the 3DS XL (2014) disappoints. Having to purchase a Micro SD to purchase games digitally seems absolutely backwards in 2014, though it's not like Sony's Vita offers any better alternative.

Verdict

If you don't already own a 3DS this new version is a no brainer. It's sleeker, the 3D is improved and it will operate forthcoming software its predecessors cannot.

The 3DS really is the best handheld console on the market, and its software line-up features some of the best first-party Nintendo titles ever. At this price point the 3DS remains as strong a product as ever, after an initially shaky start.

If you do own a 3DS then there's no reason to update immediately. Anything can happen between now and when Nintendo finally releases software which requires the new CPU power - for instance, a price drop.

That seems unlikely, but even so there's no reason to pack your old unit away when all current software will still operate on it.

Overall, it's a curious decision for Nintendo to release such a minorly iterative console, but all things considered, it's cheaper than what many people pay to update their smartphone every two years. If you're a Nintendo diehard you'll want one even if your current unit is in mint condition.

• The best Nintendo 3DS prices and deals available now

The Nintendo 3DS had a good, long eight-year run, but now it may be time for the handheld gaming console to hang up its hat at last. That's judging by the console’s recent financial performance and recent rumors of a smaller, more affordable Nintendo Switch due in 2019.

TweakTown recently took a closer look at Nintendo’s most recent fiscal 2018 financial results, in which Nintendo touts positive growth for its Switch console, and found some rather muted statements regarding the Nintendo 3DS console’s current performance and its future.

“For Nintendo 3DS, we will continue to leverage the platform's rich software library and its hardware install base to further expand sales of evergreen titles,” the report reads.

• How to connect Nintendo Switch to your TV
• The cheapest Nintendo Switch deals for February
• Nintendo Switch Online: everything you need to know

Nintendo’s original plan upon the launch of the Switch was for the two consoles to be supported side by side. So, why the shift in position? 

“Hardware sales of Nintendo 3DS, now in its 8th year since launch, were 2.31 million units sold (60.5% decrease on a year-on-year basis), while 11.08 million software units were sold (64.5% decrease on a year-on-year basis),” the report reads.

Compare these precipitous drops in 3DS console sales with the sharp, nearly 20% growth of the Switch console in sales from 2017 to 2018, it’s easy to see why the company is shifting focus. 

Let the changing of the guard begin

Nintendo is clearly reducing its focus on the 3DS, with Nintendo listing 84 upcoming Nintendo Switch games on its website within the next two months and a mere six games for the 3DS through the same period.

However, this redirection will leave Nintendo without a game console for the 13-and-under crowd of kids that the 3DS and later 2DS served so well for eight years. The Nintendo Switch is certainly not a toy for most young children, with delicate and moving parts abound.

It’s this void that lends strong credence to recent rumors and reports of a smaller, more affordable and more kid-friendly Nintendo Switch console for a possible 2019 release.

To create a heavily modified version of an existing platform for an expanded audience is certainly not out of Nintendo’s purview – just look at the Nintendo 2DS. 

With that impetus, and the truth in the numbers, it looks more than likely that Nintendo 3DS will soon enter a comfortable retirement with a respectable 74.84 million lifetime sales. That’s a lot of entertained people.

Now, it’s finally time to usher in the next evolution of the Game Boy – the Switch – as Nintendo’s console for everyone.

• Ring it out on a high note: the best Nintendo 3DS games

Nintendo is stepping up its crusade against pirated games by bringing the anti-piracy measures it introduced to the Nintendo Switch to the Nintendo 3DS line of handheld consoles.

Infamous Nintendo hacker and homebrewer SciresM shared the unfortunate – fortunate? It depends on who you ask – news via Twitter.

The Nintendo 3DS software update 11.8.0 was originally thought to be a simple system stability update, introducing nothing noteworthy to the interface beyond small improvements – but not according to SciresM, who's an authority on homebrewing Nintendo consoles.

Hack this, not that

The update enables the console to send possibly encrypted app tickets to Nintendo’s servers whenever a game is connected to the internet. If said game app came from a source other than the Nintendo eShop or an official cartridge, then Nintendo reserves the right to ban those consoles – and attached Nintendo Accounts – from online play.

It’s a shame for Nintendo that this change comes so late into the 3DS's lifespan, as the console has become one of the most widely hacked and homebrewed gaming devices in recent history. The move also suggests that Nintendo isn’t quite finished trying to make money with the 3DS – otherwise, we suspect it would be less likely to spend development resources on such protections.

For instance, Nintendo has a far more laid-back stance when it comes to homebrewing – and ultimately piracy – on its NES Classic Mini and SNES Classic Mini retro consoles; the company even includes fun little notes to hackers within the underlying code, welcoming them into the systems.

Of course, the difference here is that Nintendo still stands to make money on software sales for 3DS consoles, whereas it doesn't on the classic consoles. Pirates, you have been warned.

• These are the best Nintendo Switch games to date

Via NintendoSoup

Despite Nintendo assuring us it wouldn't sell out immediately, the SNES Classic Edition is beginning to look a lot like a repeat of the near-impossible-to-find NES Classic.

Thankfully, for those looking for another way to indulge their gaming nostalgia, Nintendo is releasing a Super Nintendo-themed New Nintendo 3DS XL in Europe on October 13.

The Super Nintendo edition of the 3DS XL is mostly unchanged from last year's Japan-exclusive Super Famicom version of the handheld, save for details like the 'Super Famicom' lettering swapped out for a Super Nintendo logo. 

• How to pre-order the SNES Mini Classic Edition

As one might guess from the distinct lack of purple on the 3DS, (the US version of the classic console featured a purple-accented design) this particular edition of the SNES-themed handheld is currently exclusive to Europe, with no plans announced yet for a US release. 

The New Nintendo 3DS XL – Super Nintendo Entertainment System Edition price is also a mystery, though the Super Famicom edition ran for 21,600 yen (about $190 / £150 / AU$250) in Japan, so it's possible the handheld's price could be in that realm.

While Nintendo is optimistic about the newest reskin of its 3DS XL hitting store shelves in October, we still urge interested buyers to keep an eye out for preorders. If there's one thing to learn from Nintendo's nostalgic reissues, even a 3DS painted to look like an SNES could become a hassle to buy.

Via Engadget

• Our review of the Nintendo Switch
• The latest 3DS, 3DS XL and 2DS XL deals

As we expected there is indeed a Pokémon game coming to the Nintendo Switch, but it’s not quite what everyone anticipated. Rather than a Switch port for Pokémon Sun and Moon called Pokémon Stars, Pokken Tournament will be coming to Switch, with the title Pokken Tournament Deluxe. 

Though many hoped the Switch would see a ported mainline title, this does follow The Pokémon Company’s tradition of releasing side titles to Nintendo’s home consoles rather than mainline titles. 

The Pokemon Company has previously said that it believes Pokemon's main games are better suited to handheld consoles. Considering previous release patterns in combination with the news that there's going to be a new 2DS XL console later this year the news, while disappointing, isn't without precedent. 

The versus element of Pokken Tournament will suit the Nintendo Switch due to the fact that it encourages social play anywhere and everywhere. 

Switch on the sidelines

To earn its Deluxe title, the game will feature 16 playable Pokémon that were on the Wii U version but will add five additional Pokémon, including Decidueye from the new Pokémon Sun and Moon games. The game will feature three versus three team battles as well as online ranked matches and friendly group matches so that you can play in a way that suits you. 

Pokken Tournament Deluxe will be released on September 22 and will feature heavily at Nintendo’s E3 booth this year. 

Ultra additions

There was also an update announced to Pokémon Sun and Moon, but these mainline titles will remain on the Nintendo 3DS platform for now. Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon were announced for release on November 17 and will offer an alternate story with new Pokémon and new features set in the same Alolan setting as Sun and Moon.

Throw it back

Finally, for a bit of a throwback, The Pokémon Company also announced that Pokémon Gold and Silver are coming to the Virtual Console for 3DS like Red, Blue and Yellow did for the series’ 20th anniversary celebrations. 

These games were originally released in 1999 on GameBoy Color but players will be able to enjoy them on the larger 3DS screen. They’ll both launch on September 22 alongside Pokken Tournament Deluxe. 

• Still not picked up Sun and Moon? Why not read our full review

The Nintendo 3DS is by no means an unsuccessful handheld console. Over the course of its lifetime it’s sold over 60 million units worldwide, and its also played host to fastest-selling Nintendo game ever in the US with Pokemon Sun and Moon. 

But there’s a consistent sense  the dedicated gaming handheld is on the wane thanks to the rise of smartphone gaming. The 3DS’s sales are currently dwarfed by both those of the previous-generation Nintendo DS and PSP. 

This has lead to speculation about the death of the handheld line, and now Nintendo has confirmed that, for the time being at least, it’s not working on a follow-up. 

In an interview with Time the company’s president Tatsumi Kimishima confirmed that the company is not currently working on a dual-screen successor to the 3DS right now (although he didn’t rule out the possibility of one appearing eventually).

So we’re not going to get a new 3DS anytime soon, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that the upcoming Nintendo Switch is starting to look a lot like a follow-up. 

Switching it up

Although battery life concerns have lead to many dismissing the Nintendo Switch’s potential handheld capabilities, what many people are ignoring is that the new console has a very similar battery life to the existing 3DS. 

Nintendo is claiming that the battery life on the Switch is anywhere from two and half to six hours, while the battery life of the original 3DS was between three and five hours.

Two and a half hours is definitely short, but outside of worst case scenarios, the Switch should otherwise get a comparable amount of playtime as the 3DS.  

Then there’s the fact that Nintendo has said that it’ll continue to support the 3DS past the launch of the Switch, which some have taken as an indication that the Switch isn’t replacing the handheld but this ignores the fact that every console has continued to be supported after the launch of its successor. 

For example, the PS3 continued to see support after the PS4 launch, and in turn the PS2 saw releases until 2013, a whole seven years after the PS3 was first released. 

With no follow-up to the 3DS on the way, and with the Switch matching it in terms of battery life, it’s hard not to see it as eventually replacing Nintendo’s 3D handheld - albeit with a single, rather than a dual screen experience. 

• Check out everything we know about the Nintendo Switch's release date news and features.

Good news Nintendo 3DS owners – Nintendo has reiterated its promise that it will continue to support the 3DS console even after the release of the Nintendo Switch. 

The company’s president Tatsumi Kimishima said in a recent investor briefing that although the handheld is approaching its sixth year and it’s a “common assumption” that it’s entering its final stage, the plan is to “continue to introduce new titles that players can enjoy for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.”

All the way back in 2015 when the Switch was still known as the NX, Satoru Iwata said that Nintendo did not consider the Switch a “simple replacement” for the Wii U or the 3DS. 

Strength to strength

Now that Wii U production has come to an end in Japan ahead of the Switch launch, it’s understandable that there have been rumors the 3DS could soon be put to bed too – the Switch does, after all, fulfill both the home and handheld needs of players.

Kimishima has said, however, that though Nintendo is aware of the speculation that the Switch will replace the 3DS as both can be played outside the home, the “Nintendo 3DS has unique characteristics that differ from those of Nintendo Switch.” 

Not only that, “the price points and play experiences offered by the two systems are different and [Nintendo does] not see them as being in direct competition.”

The 3DS’ continued lease of life is also helped by the fact that its hardware sales have continued to rise to over 62 million (unlike the Wii U) and the sheer success of Pokemon Sun and Moon have proven the power of good software in driving sales and maintaining consumer interest.

So, while the Wii U might be bowing out to let the Nintendo Switch take center stage in the home, Nintendo says it will have “several follow-up titles from popular franchises on Nintendo 3DS” as well as “many other unannounced titles to continue to enrich the software lineup going forward”.

• These are our picks of the best games on the Nintendo 3DS

Just in case you haven’t already purchased Pokémon Sun and Moon, we’ve gathered the places to get the very best deals.

Both Sun and Moon are two of the most pre-ordered Nintendo games of the last five years, and each is rather good. Be sure to read our full review of the game right here.

Below we have some of the best deals and prices we can find for Pokémon Sun and Moon.

Pokémon Sun and Moon

As far as getting your hands on the basic game, Toys R Us is the cheapest place to go. At £29.99, it’s selling it even cheaper than it’s selling older games in the series. 

Nintendo is selling the basic game for slightly more at £39.99 but this includes an exclusive sun or moon pin which fans might find is worth dropping slightly more.

• Toys R Us - Pokémon Sun and Moon - £29.99
• SimplyGames - Pokémon Moon - £28.99
• Smyths - Pokémon Sun and Moon - £31.99
• Sainsburys - Pokémon Moon - £31.99 Sainsburys only has Moon listed on its site, but both titles are available in store for £31.99
• Tesco - Pokémon Sun and Moon - £32
• Amazon - Pokémon Sun and Moon - £32
• Nintendo UK - Pokémon Sun and Moon - £39.99

Pokémon Sun and Moon Steelbook Fan edition

For true Pokémon masters, there’s something undeniably appealing about a steelbook cover and the cheapest place you’ll be able to purchase this fan-focused version of Pokémon Sun and Moon is Smyths Toys. 

Once more, though, Nintendo is able to differentiate itself slightly as despite charging more for the special cover at £44.99, it also throws in a special legendary Pokémon figurine of either Lunala or Solgaleo. 

These are likely to sell fast, though. 

• Smyths - Pokémon Sun and Moon - £35.99
• SimplyGames - Pokémon Sun and Moon - £34.85
• Toys R Us - Pokémon Sun and Moon - £39.99
• Argos - Pokémon Sun and Moon - £39.99
• Nintendo UK - Pokémon Sun and Moon - £44.99

Pokémon Sun and Moon console bundles

The only place we can find the special edition 3DS XL still in stock is Argos, which is selling it for £179.99. But it's really important to note that if you do buy this version of the console, the game and the console charger don't come included and will have to be purchased separately. 

As far as 2DS bundles are concerned, the pricing seems to be fairly set across all retailers, sitting at around £89.99 in Tesco, Toys R Us, and Smyths.

• Don't miss your chance to get some great Black Friday deals this week

All eyes may be turning to the Nintendo NX, but the home of Mario still has a few surprises up its sleeve ahead of its new console launch. Nintendo has just revealed that Super Mario Maker, one of the Wii U's best games, is coming to the Nintendo 3DS.

Perfectly suited to the dual-screen handheld device, the game will essentially mirror what was possible on the Wii U version – the 3DS touchscreen acts as your level-designing canvas, while the top screen is your play area, letting Mario jump through whatever dastardly creations you've put in front of him.

The game will launch with 100 built-in levels, though not all Wii U creations will be replicable on the 3DS version.

Streetpass sharing

Also missing will be the ability to share user created levels over the internet. Only Wii U classics will be available online. But that's not to say Super Mario Maker players on 3DS won't be able to dip into the delights of other players creations entirely.

Instead, taking advantage of the 3DS's mobility, you'll be able to share levels with friends and strangers by directly downloading them over Streetpass, the handheld console's local wireless connection option.

While this may seem limiting compared to the wide variety of levels that Wii U players enjoy, the 3DS version will launch with a cool collaboration tool, letting nearby level designers work together to make the most madcap courses possible.

Super Mario Maker for the Nintendo 3DS will launch on December 2. Just in time to slip it onto your Christmas wishlist.

• Holding out for Nintendo's next console? Check out our Nintendo NX rumor round-up.

The 3DS may no longer be the spring chicken it once was, but there's life in Nintendo's handheld yet as it's been announced that the handheld has just passed 60 million sales worldwide.

The news that its console has sold over four times the amount of its closest competitor, the PlayStation Vita, should be reassuring to Nintendo but it's clear that the handheld market is no longer what it once was.

For comparisons sake, the DS and PSP had sold around 125 million and 50 million units respectively, meaning this handheld generation has seen just under half of the sales of the last.

Mobile killed the handheld star

In light of this drop it's not surprising that neither Sony nor Nintendo is even hinting that they might one day bring another handheld console to market.

• Click here to see this month's cheapest 3DS deals

In fact Nintendo is instead throwing its weight behind gaming on mobile phones with the recently released Miitomo, and has mobile versions of Pokemon, Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem on the way soon.

From Desert Golfing to Monument Valley and Hitman Go, mobile gaming has seen some excellent titles come its way. The days of half-baked versions of Solitaire are thankfully behind us.

But it's hard not to miss the days of the 'proper' handheld game, portable versions of Motorstorm, Ratchet and Clank and Uncharted that attempted to bring a full console experience to you while you wiled away a long train or plane journey.

The biggest success stories on handheld have always been the more casually focussed titled like WarioWare and Lumines, but I've always had a soft spot for the games that felt too big for handheld, the games that were impossible to play for short spurts on the bus, but that took on a life of their own when you had a long journey to kill.

The end of big mobile games?

My fondest handheld memory is for Persona 3 Portable, Atlus' port of its 100 hour JRPG masterpiece that was originally released on the PlayStation 2.

When I found myself facing an hour long commute every day for three months one summer, P3P was there to entertain me for the entirety of my train ride.

It's complexity kept me far more engaged than any mobile game ever could. I'd get stuck in boss battles that would last an entire train ride, or get sucked into crafting menus and become completely blind to the world around me.

One day I sat down with my PSP only to look up what felt like a moment later to find myself pulling into my destination.

Another day I was so involved with the story mission I was undertaking that I got to work and immediately locked myself in the bathroom for ten minutes to finish a battle sequence.

Our mobile future

But now as mobile gaming takes over, the era of the massive handheld game is unlikely to continue. Mobile games are good for games with simple controls that can be played for a quick five minutes, not the hours I used to spend on my PSP.

Disappointingly, the one attempt to combine a mobile phone with the handheld console, Sony's Xperia Play was met with a muted response and the experiment has not been repeated since.

I'm not one to claim that mobile gaming isn't fun or engaging. I loved 80 Days and still occasionally dip into a couple of rounds of Desert Golfing.

But it seem that for the time being at least that this is the end of the era of the massive handheld game. An end to the Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walkers and Person 3 Portables, the Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and the Daxters.

At least we've got another Pokemon game to look forward to. That'll take the edge off somewhat.

• Leaked Pokemon Go footage reveals how you'll catch Pikachu in the wild

The weirdest announcement to come out of Japan so far this year has to be Detective Pikachu, the latest 3DS game from the Pokémon Company which portrays Pikachu as a tiny, coffee-swigging Sherlock Holmes.

The game is out now in Japan, and several YouTubers have already uploaded gameplay footage that reveals more about the game.

In the introduction video we discover that Pikachu was once happy, munching on apples and bouncing around without a care in the world. Then one day he was in a car accident which killed his owner, leaving the little yellow guy wandering the streets, catcalling at women and yelling at cars.

We suspect he's hitting the bottle pretty hard at this point.

The memories of the crash clearly still haunt Pikachu, who finds companionship in a boy named Tim Goodman. Together the duo set out to solve cases, the first of which looks like this:

Don't worry, it's just tomato juice. But still.

Pikachu rolls over Aipom's lifeless body. He doesn't care about contaminating the crime scene. Pikachu doesn't play by the rules, but he sure as hell gets results.

Without a translation we're not sure what he's saying. Something about waiting for a "real rain" to come and wash the scum off the streets, probably.

There's also plenty of MILD PERIL, such as in the scene below. It's like Die Hard or something.

But at the heart of this story is a story of a Pikachu just looking to replace the hole that his owner left behind. He's a damaged Son of a Raichu with a thirst for the truth - and coffee.

Anyway, you can watch over two hours of footage below. A release outside of Japan hasn't been confirmed, but if it is, over 40,000 people are currently petitioning for Danny DeVito to voice Pikachu.

Sometimes I'd like to send people on the internet back to school. It's usually when they've fundamentally misunderstood the meaning of a word: irony, feminism, censorship, funny. A lot of people seem to learn the alphabet, figure out how to put it together and then consider themselves sorted, because censorship is not, and has never been, a word that means "changing something you did for different audiences". Censorship is having someone else change those for you, against your will - the suppression of what you wanted to say.

If I had a great anecdote about running naked through the woods like a bear, and I told all my friends and they loved it, I could still decide not to tell the internet. That's not censorship.

There have been a couple of stories recently that have been labelled by some as "censorship" - the first was Dead or Alive's developers deciding not to release their boob-tastic volleyball game, DoA Xtreme 3, in the West; the second was a story about Fire Emblem Fates' release in the West having certain scenes removed.

It's muddy, but I'll try to explain: there's a gay female character in the game who can become attracted to your character, despite them being of the opposite sex. The character is explicitly not bisexual or gay, and is able to fall in love with your character when you put a special powder in their drink which makes them see you as a girl. The powder wears off, and they eventually fall in love with your male form.

Regardless of cultural differences, the scene is pretty bad. Spiking someone's drink, trying to convert them from gay to straight for your benefit - it's pretty offensive, even if you do bear in mind that certain audiences will see it differently. Ultimately, it's about how the average player will see it, and if it can be seen as promoting those two things, it's just not good.

Certainly not the first time

Understandably, there have always been differences between Japanese and Western releases - in the original Nintendo release of Punch Out!! the boxer "Vodka Drunkenski" was renamed to "Soda Popinski"; Bowser flips the bird in the Super Mario RPG and that has to be taken out for obvious reasons. There is a gulf between what flies in Japan and what doesn't here, and that's not the issue - the issue comes when people get angry.

It's an incredibly tricky subject, and one that requires a full reading of the transcript (an approximation can be found here) and a familiarity with Japanese and Western culture to properly understand.

There are issues with the story - don't put powders in people's drinks, folks, no matter how magical those powders might be - but at the end of the day, what do we get out of calling it censorship? Whether you think the changes are good or bad, it's not censorship. In fact, Fire Emblem games before this one have been changed during localisation, you just might not have noticed.

So, maybe I have this excellent anecdote about running naked through the woods like a bear. And maybe you hear about it from someone. But if you get mad at me for being mean about bears, or for not telling you the story… perhaps there was a reason I didn't tell you in the first place.

2016 is going to be a good year. Today Nintendo announced it would release a New Nintendo 3DS system to coincide with the re-release of the original Pokemon games on the Nintendo eShop on February 27.

The system comes with two faceplates that will sport the franchise's most iconic characters, Charizard and Blastoise, and comes with Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow pre-installed, as well as a special menu theme.

We've known that re-makes of the games were coming for a few months - ever since the last Nintendo Direct near the end of last year - but this is the first we're hearing of the special edition bundles that completely trounce the Animal Crossing New Nintendo 3DS that the US was given last year.

The games themselves, remember, aren't exactly one-for-one remakes. Nintendo and developer Game Freak have included some modern conveniences like dropping a link cable for local Wi-Fi trading and battling.

The systems and the re-release of the games themselves are in celebration of the series' 20th anniversary of when it launched in Japan, and are part of a larger year-long celebration similar to Nintendo's "Year of Luigi" campaign that it ran in 2014. (Side note: It's not exactly 20 years for all of us. The original games wouldn't come to the US for another two years, and the UK and Europe for another three.)

• Planning on getting one? Check out our list of Best Nintendo 3DS games for other must-own titles!

The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes will give me a reason to unearth my Nintendo 3DS after E3 2015, and I'm fully expecting to pull the underutilized system out of a treasure chest with the series' patented chime when it releases later this year.

This top-down Zelda video game with a three-player cooperative twist makes up for the fact that Nintendo failed to demo the new Legend of Zelda game for Wii U. It's been teased since January 2013, but won't launch until 2016.

Magically healing that pain point, my Tri Force Heroes demo for 3DS ended up being more fun than any other game I played during the Los Angeles-based conference.

Of course, I owe that personal "best of E3" honor to the fact that I was in the ideal situation: two friends were playing alongside me... in person.

Yes, an online mode when two buddies aren't nearby. Alas, Nintendo's inability to spearhead proper online gameplay will hold this title back from true greatness.

Why it was fun

My Tri Force Heroes demo for 3DS ended up being more fun than any other game I played at E3 2015.

Assuming the roles of a red, green and blue link in Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes, two friends and I set off on what ended up being our longest E3 demo.

It took a full 25 minutes to play through one level and a challenging boss battle. You know you're having fun when you don't realize how annoyed the people are waiting in line behind you.

I was drawn into the classic overhead perspective in this game, which is mixed with cartoon-like The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker graphics, giving it a 2D design with an updated look.

The cooperative multiplayer gameplay was also a new spin on an old form. It made us work together to solve intricate puzzles and sword-slash enemies along the way.

Teamwork often required using our special abilities, like using a wind-blowing gust jar to send another Link across a gap. As the one person equipped with bombs instead, I was the one hurtled across dangerous pits to open up blocked pathways.

No one has to fight over being Link and hearts are shared in this game, too. You can have a straggler Link on the team and succeed.

Where Nintendo 3DS falls short... and silent

Communication is essential in this co-op game, and that's exactly what we experienced while playing through our demo standing within inches of each other.

But out of that close range makes all of the shouting and softly muttered curses in Nintendo's family friendly E3 booth impossible. The chaotic fun of talking to each other is absent in online multiplayer.

There's no voice chat available in this game and it's sorely missed.

Like Mario Kart 7, there's no voice chat available in this game and it's sorely missed. Instead, Tri Force Heroes relies on Link emotions to direct or cheer on your friends. (SadLinkFace)

There's no other built-in way to artfully solve puzzles and call attention to needing to form a three-person totem pole in order to reach new heights. Prepare for FaceTime and WhatsApp video calls, friends.

Where it literally gets 'odd'

It might as well be titled 'The Legend of Zelda: Forced Tri Heroes.'

Another strange multiplayer limitation I found on the show floor was that while this is a three-player game, it's not simply "up to three players." It's one OR three players.

That's an odd number for a co-op game, a mode that usually translates into a two-player campaign. It might as well be titled "The Legend of Zelda: Forced Tri Heroes."

Playing Tri Force Heroes solo is possible with the touchscreen manipulation of two AI paper dolls, which gets the job done. But truthfully, three players is what makes the game fun

For now, playing this game with friends in person is the only real way to get the full experience. One day, maybe with Nintendo NX, the company will get online gaming right.

• Here's more of our E3 2015 coverage

About a year or so ago I wrote a piece on why Nintendo missed an opportunity to draw the Wii U and 3DS closer together. My thinking was that, with a few hardware and software tweaks, Nintendo could offer better cross-platform compatibility between the 3DS and Wii U, while also allowing its handheld to be used as a Wii U controller.

Today, I stumbled on a YouTube video purporting to be a leak for a new Nintendo handheld called the XDS. There's a voice introducing it at the start followed by some applause and a rather well put-together render.

The device itself looks like a more rectangular 3DS and is capable of playing games from generations of Nintendo consoles, including those of the Wii U. It's obviously fake.

But the idea isn't a bad one, and possibly even doable. If Nintendo were to push out a slightly less ugly version of this - yeah, we'd buy one in a heartbeat.

We just passed the three-year anniversary of the North American launch of the PlayStation Vita, and some proper perspective may be in order:

When the PlayStation Portable turned three in 2008, the PSP Go (as ill-fated as it was) was still yet to come, and big-name games like LittleBigPlanet and Gran Turismo hadn't made their portable debut.

When Nintendo DS turned three in 2007, it was a year away from a hardware refresh via the DSi that would add a bounty of new download-only games.

The Nintendo 3DS turned three around this time last year with news of the New Nintendo 3DS about to break and killer app Super Smash Bros. was months away from hitting.

While all of those portables have some life left after three years, the Vita's future isn't as clear. Beyond the fact there are more on-the-go gaming options than ever before, the Vita lacks the triple-A franchise support of the PSP or really any major third-party support.

Yet there is hope for the platform due to unique indie darlings and some great technical ideas on Sony's end. But to understand where the Vita is going - and where it needs to go - we should explore its vastly different beginnings.

The Vita of yesterday

When the PlayStation Vita launched in February 2012, you got the sense Sony had learned from at least some of its mistakes in the portable arena - the change from UMD to cards was a welcome one - but, more importantly, it came into the new handheld with the preparation Nintendo sorely lacked.

Instead of rushing to market to meet Nintendo head-on with its new handheld, Sony made sure its portable hardware was reliable and its launch slate impressive before heading to the masses.

Good design decisions were made by the boatload. The awful UMD format was scuttled in favor of more ubiquitous cards and a reliable download service. A second analog stick was added for console parity, while dual cameras and touch surfaces encouraged innovation.

Unfortunately, despite its preparation, the Vita never really took hold.

Unfortunately, despite its preparation, the Vita never really took hold.

It became obvious quickly that despite PS3-level power, big name franchise releases on the Vita would never quite live up to their console cousins (and in the case of Call of Duty, would straight-up embarrass the series). After a subpar holiday season at retail, third-party support dwindled as most North American publishers shifted support away from the handheld.

The prime culprit of the Vita's slow start was likely the price. While Nintendo knew the 3DS had a botched launch and initiated a price drop within six months, the Vita launched with a $350/£280/AU$349 model (more than the PS3 at that point), and stuck around that range until August 2013.

That, combined with the poorly thought out proprietary memory cards that are still overpriced, have bled the system dry after three years. The Vita quickly went from being a high-priced tech luxury to an overpriced and under-supported cautionary tale.

The Vita of today

The Vita's inception was full of conscious design choices, both good and bad. Sadly, however, little has changed in that hardware - and problematic price point - since launch. In fact, the Vita in 2015 is not much different than the one that launched in Japan in late 2011.

A slight 2014 hardware revision added a bit more battery life and a smaller form factor, but it still has bells and whistles that have gone largely unused. That innovative rear-facing touch pad? It turned out to be a poor substitute for a second pair of shoulder buttons. Worse, those unnecessary dual cameras are a big reason the system is still overpriced.

Compare the launch to today where the price of a Vita is more than a fresh New Nintendo 3DS, and the Vita becomes an extremely hard sell if you're strictly looking for a portable gaming device.

The multiple failings of the set-top box PlayStation TV (which was incompatible with many top Vita games) didn't exactly move the needle as far as third-party support either. Plus, with controller support for more versatile tablets on the rise, the Vita's role as a high-end mobile gaming device dwindles with each day.

Despite all that, it's not game-over yet. Sony and select third parties have found a comfortable niche for the PlayStation handheld as an accessory to one of the fastest selling systems of all-time, the PS4.

Despite all that, it's not game-over yet.

Demoed at the PS4's unveiling in New York City, the Vita seemed built with cross-platform play in mind, allowing both save transfers and cross-platform purchases for a wide swath of notable indie games and big-name PlayStation titles. But while the PS Vita's firmware has seen a number of revisions since launch, the price hasn't shifted in nearly the same way.

The Vita of tomorrow

Despite its relative salvation as a PS4 accessory, could the Vita still improve? No question about it.

An even lower price, perhaps via PS4-Vita combination bundles, would encourage higher adoption rates. A hardware revision with a second pair of shoulder buttons would make the existing PS1 library a snap to play and could encourage greater PlayStation Now compatibility, should Sony's streaming service grow in popularity.

The Vita may not be the system Sony expected it to be; a system you'd play on public transportation and attract attention due to its PS3-quality graphics. Instead, it's the perfect portable to take anywhere within your own home, whether it be on the couch to dive into an epic RPG or in bed to continue your progress by streaming The Last of Us Remastered.

But the question remains: Does Sony see it that way? Is there any support from top-level North American publishers? Is there any chance the Vita will outsell the 3DS at any point in the future? It's tough to say yes to any of those.

While the few hardware issues probably won't be fixed and many big-name franchises won't ever be Vita-exclusive, a reduced price and steady slate of indie and Japanese games with great PlayStation 4 interactivity could give the Vita life in the coming years. Even if it's not a particularly high-profile one.

It's fitting that Vita means "life" in Italian, because life found a way for PlayStation's portable system to continue in a far different form than originally expected.

So maybe no one will buy you chocolates shaped like circulatory organs this year. Perhaps no one will turn up at your door holding a bunch of deceased plants. And sure, you might not have any bits of paper coming through your letterbox declaring rather hyperbolically that you're the world's best boyfriend or girlfriend.

You're probably not the world's best anything, let's be honest. But that's no reason to be sad. Games are still your friends. Games will always love you, and so do I. I mean, I love games. Not you. Sorry.

The best thing about this Valentine's isn't going to be food or presents or smooches from your chosen loved one/cat. It's the release of the New 3DS. Some of you lucky bums already have one - either through the Ambassador early release or because you totally cheated and bought one from another country.

The rest of us will be sitting cross-legged beneath the letterbox waiting for that lovely new console to drop into our hands. Oh, the faceplates! The SNES buttons! The increased screen size and smaller memory card! So much to love. I'm pretty sure it's going to be the happiest day of my life.

If you are spending Valentine's with a loved one, but you're scared that they don't like your grand romantic gesture of a handmade voucher offering one free trip to Pizza Hut (unlimited salad bar included), then don't worry - your week can't possibly be as bad as Peter Molyneux's. The evidence against him started stacking up with a rather awkward interview with Gamespot in which he essentially admitted to ignoring the demands and promises of the Kickstarter that funded his newest game, Godus, as he'd recently told TechRadar.

What's happened there is akin to preordering, say, the next Taylor Swift album for £20, only to find out that she decided to record a solid two hours of cats mating. And no, you can't have a refund, because you clearly don't understand the process of making ART.

But even worse than taking a load of money for something you don't actually end up making or possibly even finishing is 22Cans' treatment of Bryan Henderson, winner of the incredibly boring Curiosity, in which you tap cubes to make smaller cubes until the cubes go away to reveal more cubes AD INFINITUM.

His prize, according to compulsive over-promiser Molyneux, was a cut of the profits of Godus (the Kickstarter alone raised $750,000) and the ability to help with the game, alongside regular contact with the studio. Has he received any of that? No, and he'd be better off hoping for a rare bootleg of the classic album, Taylor Swift's Cat Screams.

Oh, and on top of that, Peter's now saying he'll never speak to the press again...

Also, what's going on with Bethesda? They've just invited us to their (get this) first ever E3 conference this April, but they haven't said what it'll be. Now, Fallout 4 has been swirling around the rumour bowl for a while, and we can't say we wouldn't be excited if that was the case... OR, alternatively, they could just be talking about the Elder Scrolls Online, which is still delayed for console release and has been pretty broken on PC so far. Let's hope not, yeah?

That's all the news straight from the games watercooler this week (it's like a regular water cooler, but 8-bit, and the water has a +2 health buff). If you're still feeling bummed about Valentine's, watch the video below - you'll forget all about it. You'll also forget all about your sanity. Good luck.

It's Nintendo Direct day, which can only mean hype, hype and more hype. But the biggest announcement was the US and UK launch date for the new 3DS and 3DS XL.

Nintendo's new handhelds will launch on February 13. Both sizes will launch in the UK but America will only get the XL - no swappable faceplates for you.

Both handhelds feature the long-awaited second thumbstick, built-in NFC, better 3D and a power upgrade that'll make things a bit zippier.

A number of upcoming games will only be playable on the new 3DS, including Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, which launches April 2.

The updated consoles hit Japan and Australia last year, and the rest of us have been patiently waiting ever since. Not long to go now.

New 3DS review

Just a day after Nintendo sent out the first European invitations for people to buy the new 3DS Ambassador Edition, the first consoles have been delivered.

YouTube user Virtual Accomplishment has posted an unboxing of the handheld, claiming to have placed the order just the day before.

The Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Edition edition is only available to Club Nintendo members who are invited to buy. To get on the list you need to fulfil certain unnamed criteria, designed to prove you're a true hardcore Nintendo nut.

If you've not revealed the invite, it's likely that you've not made the cut. Need one right now? Your best bet is to import.

New 3DS = excite

The unboxing reveals no surprises, but is a way to get a look at the Ambassador Edition cover plate that is a key reason to order this for those who want to boast of their exclusive gadgets.

For the average gamer, though, the attraction of the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Edition is that it's the most convenient way to get hold of a new-style 3DS.

This version of the 3DS features an extra analogue stick and improved battery life, but to date has only launched in Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

When is the rest of the world going to be graced by the new Nintendo 3DS? We don't know yet, beyond that it'll be some time in 2015.

• New 3DS: the full review

The Nintendo 3DS Ambassador edition is a way for folks into the EU to get hold of a new-style 3DS, but only rabid Nintendo fans get the privilege of buying one.

The new 3DS has only been released in Japan, Australia and New Zealand to date, but the Ambassador bundle offers gamers a chance to get hold of one as early as 23 January.

However, only real fans have the option to bag the £179.99/200 Euro bundle as you need to be invited to purchase one by Club Nintendo.

And much our chagrin, much of the TechRadar crew doesn't seem to have the cred to get on the list, even the ones who know their Professor Laytons from their Phoenix Wrights. Members need to "fulfil certain criteria" according to Nintendo. Exactly what that means remains a mystery.

What's the big deal?

The main attraction of the Ambassador bundle is getting the new 3DS early rather than getting a good deal, though.

It includes the console, a paltry 4GB memory card, some AR cards and Super Mario Smash Bros. Joystiq writes that this bundle is not strictly quite worth the asking price, but around £156.

Are Nintendo's most loyal fans getting stiffed? Sort of, but we imagine they won't mind. The bundle also comes with an exclusive set of plates for the outer part of the 3DS console, giving Nintendo fans premium bragging rights.

Changes made in the new 3DS include the addition of a second tiny analogue stick, improved battery life and Amiibo-enabling NFC.

Nintendo has explained why the New Nintendo 3DS has launched in Japan, but won't come to the UK, US and Europe until 2015.

The New Nintendo 3DS could be an obvious Christmas smash hit in the US and Europe, but Nintendo has decided to ditch that potential in favour of a later launch for the new handheld.

During a recent financial briefing, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata explained that in Japan, where the New 3DS has recently launched, 3DS sales slowed significantly while the US and Europe don't yet need the new model.

"The overseas markets are different from the Japanese market in both their stages of popularisation of Nintendo 3DS and their market characteristics," Iwata explained.

"Neither of the cumulative sales figures of Nintendo 3DS in the U.S. nor Europe is more than that in Japan despite, based on the historical performance, bigger sales potential. In short, Nintendo 3DS is still at an earlier stage of popularisation in these two markets."

So either we in the West haven't bought enough 3DS handhelds to date, or are still buying too many, depending on which way you approach it.

Turning Japanese

By comparison, Iwata makes it sound like the original 3DS is on its last legs in Japan.

"In Japan, the total number of sales of Nintendo 3DS has reached nearly 17 million in the three and a half years since its launch. It is almost the same as the lifetime sales of GameBoy Advance released in 2001, which implies that it is reasonable that the sales of Nintendo 3DS have been temporarily slow moving in the Japanese market. This is one of the reasons we needed to bring New Nintendo 3DS/3DS XL to the market this year."

Australia is to get the new handheld this year too, but the rest of us still have a while to wait.

3DS vs New 3DS

The main differences between the current 3DS and the New 3DS include much better battery life, interchangeable front plates and a second analogue stick.

3D performance has also been improved, letting you see the effect from a wider angle, and the New 3DS has a faster processor than the original.

As part of the financial call in which we learned about the New 3DS disappointment, Nintendo also announced the 3DS series has sold 45.4 million units to date, which is pretty impressive.

Via TechnoBuffalo

No matter how tough things may get for Nintendo, it will always have the go-to franchises that guarantee the big bucks. Mario Kart, Zelda, Pokemon, and Super Smash Bros are arguably the biggest of those, which means that with Mario Kart 8 now out, the latest iteration of Nintendo's brawler could be the game that determines how high the Wii U will fly. If Mario Kart and Smash Bros can't sell a Nintendo console, nothing can.

We won't know that for a while longer, but the 3DS version of Super Smash Bros should be an indicator of just how good it will be. Now it's here, the embargo has lifted, and the review scores are in, we can finally talk about the first half of one of this year's most anticipated games.

So here's what you need to know...

1. Afraid that the game has been cut for handheld? Breathe easy

There was some concern among fans early on that the 3DS version of Smash Bros might be compressed and 'light' compared to its Wii U counterpart, but you can rest assured that's far, far from the case. There are over 40 characters, customisations (which I'll come onto) with a crazy amount of depth, and more stages than you can shake a Villager's umbrella at - although those stages are understandably smaller for the handheld. Weapons are also aplenty too. What's more, the action looks superb and miraculously manages to remain at 60fps all the while.

2. But you'll probably want a 3DS XL

Having played a lot of the game on a regular 3DS, we can tell you that the action can sometimes get a bit too intense for that small screen, especially with four brawlers in the ring to keep track of. We'd advise getting yourself an XL, unless you can wait until the "new" XL - although unless you're in Australia or Japan, you'll be waiting until 2015. Smash Bros was a game built for the big screen, and that's not changed.

3. It's more customisable than you probably think

Not only can you create new fighters from the Miis on your 3DS, but you can further alter their items, weapons, clothing and special moves. For example, you can add an item that makes Smash Balls gravitate towards that character, which could make all the difference in those vital final seconds.

But the customisation stretches to every other character too, meaning you can meddle with Luigi, Villager, Samus or anyone else you so wish, completely changing the way they handle. It gives the game a feeling of more depth than ever before, but if you fancy a simple, old-school scrap, custom characters can be switched off in a flash.

4. Characters feel balanced

There are a lot of characters, with many unlockable secrets that we're not allowed to talk about right now. But we're pleased to say that so far the characters feel carefully balanced; for every possible move it seems another character has a move to counter it. No one (at least yet) feels more powerful than anyone else, which means you'll spend even more time testing out each face to find the one that suits your style of play best.

5. Online play is much better this time around, but the jury's still out

It won't be long before you're ready to take the fight to the rest of the world, and Smash Bros' online functionality is much more evolved than Brawl's laggy, clunky attempt. But there's more than one way to do it, with two types of battle to pick from: 'For Glory' and 'For Fun'. You can probably guess who one is for the serious brawlers.

For Glory takes out all of the items and places you on the 'omega' version of each stage, with all the the extra fun bits cut out. As the game is yet to be released in the West, we've had little chance to explore how well the speeds hold up online. Going up against Japanese players there was quite a lot of lag, but Nintendo says that players will be put against geographically close opponents, so this shouldn't be a problem come the game's release. Fingers crossed.

6. Classic mode is back with a vengeance

Yup, the age old Classic mode makes a glorious return, putting you on a journey of battles against random CPUs with the promise of some tasty rewards. But most fights come with some unique twist - you might be up against an army of Miis, or a giant Donkey Kong - making for a decent quick-fire game when you're away from the Wi-Fi. You can also choose the intensity of your journey, with more demanding quests offering better loot.

Then there's Smash Run, a five-minute, side-scrolling adventure in which you collect power-ups to use in a final showdown. But it makes us long for Melee's Adventure mode more than anything else, if we're honest, and it's unlikely to be a mode you'll return to many times.

7. Miis from your 3DS will show in the background on the Tomodachi Life stage

It's a small detail, but a nice one. Miis saved on your 3DS will appear in the rooms on the Tomodachi Life stages, occasionally doing something a bit weird. My personal Mii was running around in women's underwear. If seeing a virtual version of yourself in some weird lingerie isn't an effective distraction, I don't know what is.

8. The reviews are pretty good so far

Unsurprisingly, Smash Bros 3DS is getting a lot of praise across the board.

CVG gave it a score of 9/10 and concluded: "Whether you enjoy it as a technical fighting game or an insane Nintendo block party, Smash Bros' handheld debut delivers big on all fronts."

GamesRadar was a bit more critical of the multiplayer features, landing on a 3/5 and summing up: "A highly polished iteration of Smash Bros. that plays great on its own. But when you're afflicted by latency problems in local multiplayer, you'll suddenly become painfully aware of the 3DS version's critical shortcomings."

CVG has rounded up the rest of the reviews from around the web, which you can see here.

If you can hear faraway screams, it's probably Apple's quality control department: with headlines already appearing about bendy iPhones, Apple released and then promptly pulled a spectacularly buggy iOS 8 update.

Rivals such as Google and BlackBerry are probably having a good laugh at Apple's expense, but can their next generation handsets beat the bananaphone? Week in Tech has the answers to these questions and many more, including one about ghosts.

Boing Boing

Some call it bendgate, others bananagate. It's the news that the iPhone Plus is much easier to bend than its predecessors, and Gary Marshall is bemused. "it looks like Apple is getting it in the neck for making a phablet that isn't safe to sit on," he says. "Since when was that part of the spec sheet?" Marshall hasn't encountered the problem with his iPhone 6, but then "as a 14-and-a-bit-stone man I try to avoid sitting on any of my consumer electronics".

While bendgate bounced around the web, Apple issued an iOS 8 update to fix some problems. Unfortunately it caused more, severe problems, so Apple pulled it again. "Our bad," Apple more or less said, promising to be "working around the clock" on a fix.

BlackBerry's back! Back! BACK!

It's the phone Spongebob Squarepants has been dreaming of: a square BlackBerry, the brand new BlackBerry Passport. "Is it really hip to be square?" Jeff Parsons asks. "It's just as weird in real life as it looks in the promotional pictures", he says, and while "you won't be reaching for it over an iPhone 6 or HTC One M8" it's a good business device.

Google's new Nexus

We don't know what it's called yet but we've got a pretty good idea of what it'll do: the Nexus 6 has leaked, and it sounds pretty good. There's a 13MP, 4K camera, a 3200 mAh battery, a 498ppi screen and a Snapdragon 805 with 3GB of RAM. Not only that, but we may have spotted the first leaked shot of the handset. Expect to see it in late October.

Who's winning the VR war?

Virtual reality headsets are like buses: you, er, stick them on your head and, er… let's leave that one. Virtual reality! It's nearly here and everybody's at it, but who's going to win the wwar? JT Ripton compares the plans of Google, Samsung, Oculus, Microsoft and Sony to see which firm, if any, has the edge. The Facebook-funded Oculus Rift looks like the leader, but Sony's catching up quickly.

Can Apple make everyone pay?

We mean pay in the good sense: Apple Pay, the NFC-based payment system launched with the iPhone 6, hopes to become the world's favourite wireless payment system. Does it stand a chance? Industry experts Gavin Arrowsmith and Souheil Badran take a detailed look at the system and the challenges it faces. It won't be an overnight hit, but it could well turn out to be one of the biggest things Apple's ever done.

Games for ghosts

Good news for our readers among the undead community: Nintendo's new 3DS can be played by ghosts. That's what we're taking from Nintendo's latest trailer anyway, as it shows the console being played by transparent hands. The new 3DS and 3DS XL are due to launch in Japan by Hallowe'en and in Australia and New Zealand by Christmas, but sadly US and UK customers have to face the spectre of a Christmas without them: they don't launch in those markets until 2015. Boo!

• Suffering with iOS 8 glitches? Try these fixes for Wi-Fi and battery drain

It came without warning. We awoke on a Saturday morning to talk on Twitter of a Super Smash Bros demo. People were begging and pleading for the download codes that Nintendo had exclusively released to its club platinum members overnight. We weren't a platinum member. This was a problem.

And so began our mission to find a working Super Smash Bros demo download code. 3DS gripped tightly in hand, we were a tech site on the edge, anticipating the next code drop and ready to punch those numbers and letters into the screen with an absurd level of determination. But every time we got one, someone beat us to it.

It was turning into an event you'd one day tell your grandkids about. "Oh I was there in the great Smash Bros code battle of '14. You truly saw the desperation of humanity on that day. And sometimes at night, I still see the words so vividly: 'Error: code already used'"

But just when we were about to give up hope, a hero delivered a working code to our inbox. That eShop loading screen had never look quite so beautiful, and within 10 minutes we were booting up Super Smash Bros 3DS for the first time.

So what do we think? Well, it's just a demo, with only five characters and one stage to choose from. But let us sum up our initial thoughts in the following…

- The game runs impeccably smoothly with (so far) not a frame rate problem in sight, which is important because this is a series that's always been about quick reaction times. Every character is rendered beautifully too.

- You will, however, need some time to get used to the controls: it's a little harder to pick up on the handheld with all those buttons being so small, and it can be a bit frustrating at first.

- Playing on a standard 3DS, we found the screen size to be a tad too small for all the mayhem. It's certainly not unplayable, but it's going to be easier to keep a track on your fighter with an XL - and indeed the Wii U version.

- Villager is awesome, with heaps of references to the Animal Crossing games. Plus, his final smash move is to build a house on your opponent. HOW COOL IS THAT!?

- You'll be able to use your 3DS as a controller for the Wii U version of the game.

We're yet to play the full version, but so far we're blown away with how much Sora Ltd and Bandai Namco have crammed into a single cartridge. This is Smash Bros through and through, fine tuned to perfection. We can't wait to get our hands on the full version soon.

Heist fidelity

Rockstar's finally confirmed it: GTA 5 will come to PS4 and Xbox One on November 18, and it's not just going to be a lazy port either.

It's going to have 100 new tracks! Increased draw distances! Higher resolution! Better-looking grass! Up to 30 players online! More guns to shoot old ladies with! EVEN THE DOGS LOOK EVEN FURRIER!!

Plus, Rockstar will slip you a shady briefcase filled with a million dollars of in-game currency if you pre-order GTA 5 on any of the new platforms. As you can probably tell, we're a bit excited to revisit Los Santos in glorious new-gen-o-vision.

And to keep your appetite whetted, the team over at CVG have done a nice little trailer analysis, which you can check out below.

But it wasn't all good news. While a PC release date was also confirmed, that date isn't until January 27 2015.

Predictably, this has got a lot of PC gamers taking to their keyboard to unleash their anger in the YouTube comments, but everyone please just chill out - we all know it's going to be worth the wait. Just like Red Dead Redemption was.

Oh right...

It's Destiny, baby

You might have heard of another little game released this week. Bungie's MMO Destiny had an impressively smooth launch (that's how it's done, SimCity) and is no doubt managing to sell a few copies too.

Due to the scope of the game, the reviews are ongoing, but CVG's current 8/10 verdict pretty much reflects our own thoughts on the game right now: it's a beautifully-made world that plays things too safe, but there's a lot of potential.

"Big, beautiful and generous, Destiny will keep FPS fans happy for months to come. Yet its feeble story and safety-first approach means it can't help but feel slightly underwhelming." [Full review here]

Meanwhile GamesRadar's review diary notes: "Bungie has been very smart to balance character development and combat to ensure that the focus never shifts away from the tactical, dynamic, second-to-second FPS joy of its emergent and robust shooting mechanics. And no point can I just wade in, trigger held down, and rely on my level to carry me through. I still have to think. I still have to improvise. I still have to strategically work the angles, weapons and approaches needed to get the best of every enemy in every situation. And my tougher adversaries are still damn tough."

In true Nintendo fashion it looks like the 3DS hardware will see more variations than stars in the sky by the time it's done, including the three new 3DS XL designs revealed today.

There have been plenty of special edition 3DS makeovers before, and now a Super Smash Bros. design, a Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth design, and a 3DS XL themed after the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) will join them.

Nintendo announced these new 3DS XL variants at the 2014 GameStop Expo in California - appropriate, since the Persona Q and NES versions are GameStop exclusives.

The Super Smash Bros. 3DS XL goes on sale in red or blue September 19, the NES 3DS XL goes up October 10, and the Persona Q version goes on sale November 25. All of them will cost $199 (about £120, AU$220).

Join the club

The NES-themed 3DS XL will probably be a favorite for Nintendo diehards. Even its retail box is themed after the classic Nintendo console.

The other two versions take inspiration from upcoming game releases, and may find traction among fans of those titles.

Nintendo said as part of its announcement that more than 12 million 3DS models, including the original 3DS, the 3DS XL, and (most likely) the 2DS, have been sold in the US alone.

Yet there is one thing that may stop these new 3DS XL variants from selling well. That, of course, is the very attractive, larger new 3DS and 3DS XL models arriving in the US next year.

• People are watching a lot of porn on the 3DS

Rumour has it that Nintendo president Satoru Iwata is a big Week in Gaming fan. There's nothing he likes to do more on a Saturday morning than chow down on some lovely big bananas and read through TechRadar's pick of the gaming crop.

And rumour has it that, having realised how humdrum the gaming news had been this week, he decided to reveal two new designs for the 3DS and 3DS XL on Friday - just for us. Thanks Iwata!

And what do these new handhelds add? A faster processor, new trigger buttons, a better screen, and most importantly, a new directional nubbin. The only downside is that some new games, such as the upcoming Xenoblade Chronicles, will be incompatible with the existing versions.

Other than that we're pretty damn pleased with Nintendo's new handhelds, but we'll be waiting a while to get our hands on them: the new designs will launch in Japan on October 11, but won't reach here until 2015.

Oh, and while we're on the subject, Nintendo's American president (and TechRadar hero) Reggie Fils-Aime did the ALS ice bucket challenge - and didn't nominate anyone after. Which means the ice bucket challenge is now over for everyone. That's it, done.

Son of a twitch

Ok, we lied, there was some other important gaming news this week. Amazon announced it had bought Twitch, which is kind of a big deal - and a bit of a shock too: following numerous reports, we were led to believe that Google was in the final stages of making a deal with the streaming giant.

Why this is good news for gamers

The justin.tv spin-off has rocketed over the years thanks to a thriving fanbase, a lot of which has been aggravated by the Amazon buyout. But Amazon is no longer just an e-tailer, and while selling stuff might still be its bread and butter, the company is betting big on home entertainment and gaming right now. Twitch.tv falls into that plan quite perfectly.

Or is it bad news? Arrrgggh!

The cynic inside us worries that Amazon recommendations might start creeping into the service, but the optimist sees an opportunity to build its presence in gaming alongside its own studio (announced earlier this year), as well as building a serious YouTube rival. And Twitch, in turn, gets access to the Amazon bank vault.

So yes, while it's a shame to see another growing swooped up by one of the big dogs, we'll remain hopeful that Twitch will only be all the better for it.

Incidentally, these 'Twitch plays' are getting really out of hand.

Smash and grab

Super Smash Bros fever is sweeping the office as Nintendo continues to drip-feed us like the hype hamsters we are. This week the treat was a medley of music tracks from the upcoming brawler, including the one below. TUNE.

Nintendo also revealed the next character in the lineup of fighters, Shulk of Xenoblade Chronicles fame. This adds more credence to an earlier character roster "leak". We won't spoil anything here, but if you really want to know who else might be joining the party, CVG has the skinny.

Nice to meat you

Team Meat, creators of Super Meat Boy, has been teasing a new project - and it's just revealed that project is an endless runner called A Voyeur for September.

All was announced at PAX this week, where attendees were able to play a demo of the endless platformer. The game is actually based on Super Meat Boy, maintaining the same art style and gameplay, but will be available on phones and tablets as well as Steam.

Unfortunately the name isn't an indicator of its release date. A Voyeur for September is just an anagram of Super Meat Boy. The game will be out "when it's done". [CVG]

• We're at PAX Prime 2014 right now - check out what's going down.

People watch porn. It's a fact of life. People watch porn and they watch it on things. But what things? And for how long? And why are we so interested?

Well, PornHub has crunched the data and spat out some unnecessarily detailed metrics about the tech people use for their, er, private time. And we've learned the following:

- People are watching porn on their Nintendo 3DS
- BlackBerry users "do it" for the longest (an average visit lasts 11 minutes, 53 seconds)
- Several thousand monthly visitors view porn on Windows 95 and 98 systems
- Windows Phone users really like cartoon porn
- There are people watching porn on the BlackBerry Playbook

We've quite a few other concerns too, the biggest being the number of people still using Windows NT. But come on, the 3DS? We actually feel a weird sort of respect for you, but are there honestly no better options?

More blips

When you enter the blips, you don't come out again

• One of the fish playing Street Fighter 2 is now a sponsored pro gamer
• The maker of pop-up ads: I'm sorry for what I created
• Devastating Chromecast hack will let you Rickroll your neighbors

Via Gizmodo, Kotaku

2013 wasn't Nintendo's year. Yes, technically it was the year of Luigi, but times were financially tough for the big N.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is the venue for Nintendo President Satoru Iwata and Co. to turn things around, and as reluctant as we are to say it, we're cautiously optimistic they can pull out of the fiscal nosedive.

Nintendo's confirmed three big pieces of news before the show gets under way: one piece involving a quality of life product, a dash of Pokémon news and a perfectly wrapped gift of Super Smash Bros. announcements.

Then, after we wade through the facts, we've had our ear to the ground and can share a few rumors that we hope will play out at some during the main event.

Nintendo says plastic is fantastic

In an interview with Diamond.jp, a Japanese business information site, Iwata has gone on record for the existence of a "quality of life" product that will help shape Nintendo's fiscal plans for 2014.

Whether or not this is the NFC figures Iwata revealed last week is anyone's guess, but if it is our money's on Nintendo leveraging the lucrative physical toy model that Activision has been using for Skylanders and creating a lot of demand for Nintendo-themed toys and the games that go along with them.

Gotta catch 'em all

Pokémon has been a common denominator in Nintendo's plans for the past decade and has yet to fail them, that's why at E3 2014 you can expect to hear a bunch about the upcoming Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

"A fresh take" on 2003's Ruby and Sapphire versions of the monster-collecting RPG, these will potentially allow Nintendo to make re-skinned 3DS consoles and the games are bound to bring in more cash than their exorbitant namesakes.

Pick your battles, Nintendo

Finally, thanks to last month's Nintendo Direct, we now know the next iteration of Super Smash Bros. will have a staggered release generating a ton of profit; first in the summer on the 3DS and then during the all-important holiday months when it comes to the Wii U.

Nintendo has also announced plans to hold its first professional Super Smash Bros. tournament at E3 while gamers around the country can hit their local Best Buy for hands on demos of Mario Kart 8.

Our crystal (Poké) ball

"Surely a few lousy Nintendo figurines and a pair of Pokémon games can't be everything Nintendo's going to show this year," you say. No, of course it's not. And don't call us Shirley.

Shown a few years back as a Twilight Princess tech demo, the big N likely has a new Wii U-exclusive Legend of Zelda ready to be shipped late 2014 or early 2015. If the recent re-release of Wind Waker and A Link Between Worlds are any indications, the Zelda fan base are starving for a new mainline entry into the series, and now is as good a time as any to show it off.

(Price) drop it like it's hot

We've heard time and time again, there's no new console coming until the current Wii U owners are "satisfied." If we take that to be true, then the one big hardware announcement we can assume will happen is a much-needed price drop on the Wii U to a competitive $199 (around £100, AU$300).

Nintendo has to move these consoles by either A.) Dropping the price and selling each console at loss, B.) Announcing another huge first-party title on the level of Super Smash Bros. and hope that dredges up some sales or C.) A combination of A and B.

The last prediction on our list, and this is a long shot mind you, is for an all-you-can-play service similar to PlayStation Now. Realistically, the technology's almost there - the eShop is ripe with games to download and all Nintendo would need to do is create an intelligent tiered pay wall to bring back recent Sony and Microsoft converts. That, or Iwata will give Miyamoto full control of the company. Either way works.

What do you expect Nintendo to show off at this year's digital event? Let us know in the comments below!

We've just spotted that Amazon's deal of the day is a Nintendo 3DS for just £79.99. That's a huge saving of £35 on the price of £115 that it usually goes for.

The handheld gaming device from Nintendo was given 4 stars by TechRadar's very own Tom Pankinkis and features 3D graphics without the need to wear glasses! You can read our full Nintendo 3DS review to help you make up your mind.

This rock-bottom price will only be around until the end of the day, so get yours while you can.