The Nintendo 3DS launched in February of 2011, and its path to relevance has been pretty turbulent--sometimes to a worrying degree. The handheld's sales were lackluster for the first few months of its life, leading some analysts and journalists to declare the Nintendo 3DS a "flop," a "failure," and an irrelevant, outdated piece of hardware that has no real place in a market seemingly dominated by smartphones.
Is the Nintendo 3DS a flop, though? In a word, no. Nintendo initiated a price drop for the 3DS in July of 2011, and sales of the handheld didn't just pick up--they skyrocketed. Unfortunately, first impressions have a way of sticking around. If you need more convincing that the Nintendo 3DS will almost undoubtedly live long and prosper, consider these five points:
Is the Nintendo 3DS a flop, though? In a word, no. Nintendo initiated a price drop for the 3DS in July of 2011, and sales of the handheld didn't just pick up--they skyrocketed. Unfortunately, first impressions have a way of sticking around. If you need more convincing that the Nintendo 3DS will almost undoubtedly live long and prosper, consider these five points:
As of January 2012, the Nintendo 3DS has sold over 10 million units worldwide
The Holiday 2011 shopping season turned out to be a fruitful one for the Nintendo 3DS, which, according to Nintendo, has reached and exceeded the 10 million sold mark. The release of Monster Hunter Tri G in Japan (a 3DS remake of the popular action/role-playing game Monster Hunter Tri for the Wii) helped boost sales of the 3DS overseas. Japan also latched onto copies of Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land, as did Nintendo 3DS owners in North America.In fact, the Nintendo 3DS has sold more units in the first nine months of its existence than the Wii did. Given the Wii's legacy as a super-seller, that's pretty impressive. And if Nintendo and its third parties keep releasing solid games for the 3DS, the userbase will just keep on growing.
The Nintendo 3DS already has top-rated games, and more are coming
Okay, it's impossible to predict with 100% accuracy which forthcoming games for the Nintendo 3DS will be fun, and which will be flops. But we can certainly risk some educated guesses according to the history of the developer behind the game, and the series' history in general (if any).For instance, Nintendo's "Mario" franchise still commands a great deal of popularity thanks to its consistently fun games. That's part of the reason why Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land sold well during the 2011 holiday season. And in the coming year(s), we can look forward to Kid Icarus Uprising, a new Animal Crossing, and a new Paper Mario. Also in the pipeline: possibly a new Legend of Zelda series, new Professor Layton games, a new Super Smash Bros. title, and much more. Good times are ahead for 3DS owners.
It already has a great eShop
The Nintendo 3DS's online market, the eShop, isn't as large or as prolific as Apple's App Store, but the games it offers are quite unique. Nintendo's puzzle/platforming game Pushmo, for instance, is an eShop exclusive that isn't going to wind up anywhere else. The eShop also has the Virtual Console, which distributes 3D remakes of Nintendo (NES)-era games, as well as retro games from Nintendo's old handheld systems. Look for Game Boy classics like Super Mario Land, Metroid II: The Return of Samus, and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, among others.Its apps are one of a kind
In addition to unique game downloads, the eShop offers some interesting apps that are also exclusives. SwapNote utilizes SpotPass and StreetPass to let you send drawings, music, and messages to your registered Friends.Aside from being able to play with pre-loaded applications and software, 3DS owners who have Netflix accounts can download the Netflix app. Though Netflix isn't a 3DS exclusive, it's a great way to stream movies on the go.
