Please help us understand once more, Iwata.
Last night, Nintendo unveiled Codename NX for the first time. The official site described it as "Nintendo's next home gaming system" prior to the reveal. The 3-minute preview trailer finally solidified its identity as the Nintendo Switch, confirming the rumors that it's actually a home console-handheld hybrid. This announcement made some would-be 3DS buyers to rethink about their options. Is the 3DS still worth buying as of now?
Here's what we know so far about the Nintendo Switch:
Unfortunately, other key details such as specs, price, and other related information are currently not available at the time of writing. This means that we are still unable to determine if the 3DS family's life cycle is about to end.
Last December, Nintendo's Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Scott Moffitt reassured the public that the 3DS is here to stay. Sadly, this statement is directed to the inquiry that Nintendo's venture to mobile games will cause them to shift their priority from developing games for their dedicated handheld device. The interview did not mention any particular comparison with the Nintendo Switch.
Let's now dive into the world of unofficial rumors, for reference's sake. Remember to take the following information on this paragraph with a grain of salt. Among the list of information that Emily Rogers posted on her blog last August, one particular figure stood out. According to her source, Nintendo is planning to support the 3DS with software through 2018.
Nintendo denied this statement in a recent interview with Polygon. When asked if Switch was going to impact the sale of the 3DS, Nintendo replies with "Nintendo Switch is a home gaming system first and foremost. We have made no announcement regarding the future of Nintendo 3DS." They also added that "Obviously with sales of almost 60 million 3DS portables worldwide, there’s still a huge hunger for new games, such as Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. There are many more games in the pipeline."
If we look at the Nintendo DS (the handheld system preceding the Nintendo 3DS) for answers, nobody can deny that it had an excellent life cycle. Nintendo supported the Nintendo DS line for 12 years. Even though the Nintendo 3DS was announced in 2011, Nintendo did not stop manufacturing new Nintendo DS systems and games until earlier this year.
If you're not interested in Nintendo's history, official statements from their executives, or unofficial rumors, then you might want to look at its games instead. Here are the currently announced Upcoming 3DS Games for 2017 in North America (the same region as US, Asian, & MDE) alone, not including eShop-exclusive Nindies:
- February 3 - Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World
- TBA - Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
- TBA - Pikmin 3DS
- TBA - Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns
- TBA - Ever Oasis
Nintendo confirmed in their interview with Famitsu that the Switch would not be able to read 3DS game cartridges. A form of digital backwards compatibility might still be possible, but you need to hang on to your 3DS if you wish to play your physical games.
So is the 3DS done for? The 3DS may have passed its peak but it certainly is far from dead. Is it still worth buying one? Definitely, even if you're not a solid Nintendo fan in general. Pokemon and Monster Hunter are two of the most popular 3DS-exclusive titles here in the Philippines. In fact, Pokemon Tournaments and local Monster Hunting sessions have never been so alive.
CONCLUSION
The Nintendo Switch has potential, it's Iwata's legacy after all. Even so, it may still require some time before it stabilizes its lineup. This is why we still recommend that you purchase a 3DS for the time being especially if you have yet to own one. The existing robust 3DS and DS library will keep you busy for a long time. The growing 3DS community also offers a number of local-hosted events and support channels for Filipino owners.
