It seems that the 3DS is nearing its end, if Nintendo's most recent briefing is anything to go by.
Put simply, the handheld console was left out of the discussion, and needless to say, that means there aren't any games for it in the pipeline.
RIP 3DS?
As Kotaku reports, Nintendo held an investor's briefing in 2018 where it said that the "3DS business" would continue and that there were "new software for release in 2019 and beyond." Not to mention that former Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aimé also said during that year that it was going to "continue to have some new games."
On top of that, the company also announced a slew of games, such as remakes of the original Luigi's Mansion and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and WarioWare Gold, to name a few.
Well, this time around, the case is different. In its briefing, Nintendo didn't mention the 3DS, and it certainly didn't announce any new games, meaning there aren't any first-party titles to look forward to.
"We have nothing new to announce regarding first-party software for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems," Nintendo told Kotaku.
However, there are a few third-party titles coming, only one of which is landing on the United States. The other two are rolling out only in Japan.
"We can confirm that new software is coming from third-party publishers," Nintendo continued.
If this really were the end of the 3DS, then the last first-party title would be Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn, which was announced alongside Yoshi's Crafted World for the Switch.
Moving Forward: New Switch Model
Of course, the 3DS isn't going to disappear just like that. Nintendo still aims to sell 1 million units of the handheld console for 2019, after all, banking on the classic titles released for it. Still, without any new games on the horizon, it's almost as good as dead.
At that, the company might be looking to replace it with a new Switch model that's rumored to be smaller and cheaper. Referred to as the "Switch Mini," the console could be revealed at E3 2019 in June. That's despite Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa saying otherwise. As Kotaku points out, Nintendo also denied rumors of the XL version of the 3DS, saying they were just "speculation," but then it unveiled the device soon after E3 2012.
At any rate, once a Switch Mini or something like it goes official, it would be the perfect replacement for the 3DS.
