The Nintendo 3DS remains the company's best handheld console to date

Released in 2011, the Nintendo 3DS is a handheld portable gaming console. Featuring dual screens and an intriguing glasses-free 3D display, the 3DS quickly grew to become one of the top-selling Nintendo hardware releases, far eclipsing its competitor, the PlayStation Vita. Coupled with a massive library of quality first-party tiles, the success of the 3DS should really not come as a surprise to anyone.

Indeed, the Nintendo 3DS remains the best handheld released by Nintendo to date, even managing to outdo the current-gen Nintendo Switch.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author’s opinions.

---

The Nintendo 3DS is an amazing system that brought with it a ton of innovation in the handheld space

The Nintendo 3DS was a successor to the Nintendo DS and was a natural evolution of the console. Featuring dual screens with glasses-free 3D technology, the 3DS was ahead of its time. The clamshell design made it a lot more portable and easier to hold than something more modern, like the Nintendo Switch.

The key pillars of its success can be attributed to the following reasons.

---

Massive library of unique games

The Nintendo 3DS had a massive library of games that included first-party titles, such as Super Mario 3D Land, and more unconventional third-party ports of games, such as Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

The success of the handheld can be mostly attributed to the release of stellar titles, as well as re-releases of classic Gameboy Advance and NES/SNES games that made it stand out from the competition.

This made the 3DS stand out despite not having bleeding-edge hardware, a trend that seemingly continues with the Nintendo Switch.

---

A unique design complemented by a UI that oozes personality

A 3DS is easily distinguishable from other handheld consoles, thanks to its unique design and user interface. The clamshell design was first introduced with the Nintendo DS and later perfected with the 3DS, making the console much more ergonomic and pocketable.

For most, the 3DS trounces even the Nintendo Switch in this regard, with the latter being widely considered to be uncomfortable to hold for an extended period of time.

Of course, no device is complete without a user interface to complement it. To this extent, the 3DS comes with its own UI that is full of unique, cute, and quirky animations, complete with sound effects. This makes the console stand out from its peers and reflects a different time in gaming, where minimalism and its consequences were still absent.

Again, compared to the Nintendo Switch (and even current-gen consoles), the 3DS UI simply blows it out of the water, exuding a charming personality of its own.

---

Multiple iterations that further refined the console

While the 3DS is revered by many today, its initial release was not without controversy. The console was overpriced during its launch, something which was acknowledged by Nintendo. The company announced a massive price cut for the device under six months of its release.

This was shortly followed by the launch of the 3DS XL, a console that featured bigger screens and improved battery life - something the launch version of the 3DS was in sore need of.

The 3DS XL was also followed by multiple iterations, such as the 2DS, 2DS XL, and 3DS XL - all of which brought further customizations and refinements to this beloved handheld console series. The 2DS XL remains a fan favorite to this day.

---

The Nintendo 3DS was also successful due to the company’s clever marketing and its push for excellent exclusives, which made it a much-desired system. It remained in production until September 16, 2020 - after which it is estimated to have sold an impressive 75 million units worldwide, making it one of the most successful handhelds to have ever been released.

It was only recently, on March 27, 2023, that the Nintendo 3DS EShop was shut down, bringing an end to an era.