The Failing 3DS

So the 3DS isn't doing so good. You know it, I know it. Nintendo knows it too.


I was an early adopter of the 3DS. I have an infallible devotion to Nintendo products, and while I don't buy all their games, I buy enough that I'll buy any new console they produce. I bought DS on release, I bought Wii on release, and I'll buy Wii U on release. But I'm not blind to the shortcomings of the 3DS, far from it. While I've gotten some fun out of the Mii Plaza and Pokédex 3D (thanks to one other person I know who owns a 3DS), and my one game purchase, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, for the most part it sits unattended. In the first month or two of ownership, I played Pokémon Black on it exclusively.

There's a strange correlation between the PS3 and the 3DS that I feel worth noting. They relate on three points: both consoles are following huge successes (the PS2 and the DS), both are priced unusually/unexpectedly high ($250 for 3DS, five hundred and ninety nine US dollars for PS3), and both came out with a limited selection of worthwhile games. Now, ~5 years later, the PS3 has been completely redesigned and revamped, it has a well-populated online store, and a considerable price cut, and it's doing reasonably well. It still falls behind the Xbox 360 and Wii, but it's doing alright. The most significant point they differ on is another hit Nintendo has to take: the 3D. Their prediction that 3D is the next big thing was probably wrong, and the 3D on 3DS, while stunning at first glance, has been slagged since day one. With criticisms of causing eye strain, and the incredibly narrow viewing angle, they can't seem to catch a break. Check out this new European ad for 3DS, which doesn't even mention the 3D.

The 3DS seems to be taking its cue. Something needs to change, and Nintendo knows it. They recently announced a considerable price cut: from $250 down to $170. This combined with the upcoming holiday releases (they cite Kid Icarus: Uprising, Super Mario 3DS and Mario Kart 7) is Nintendo's hope for the future of their fledgling device. Now, you might think that I'd be bitter about such a decision, considering that I bought it at a full $250 and haven't gotten much use out of it yet, but Nintendo isn't neglecting the early adopters. In addition to unabashedly announcing the NES and GBA Virtual Consoles for 3DS, they have announced that anyone who bought one and went to the Nintendo e-Shop prior to August 11 (which is when the price drop takes effect) will receive 10 free games for each virtual console (20 in total) , some of which will not be available for others until much later, or at all. The list is as follows:

• Super Mario Bros. (NES)
• Donkey Kong Jr. (NES)
• Balloon Fight (NES)
• Ice Climber (NES)
• The Legend of Zelda (NES)
• Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 (GBA)
• Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA)
• Metroid Fusion (GBA)
• WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ (GBA)
• Mario vs. Donkey Kong (GBA)

That list seems pretty awesome, so I'm not unsatisfied with my purchase. I just hope that this effort on Nintendo's part is enough, I want to see the 3DS flourish, I really do.