It's no secret that 2017 was an amazing year for Nintendo. The Nintendo Switch managed to put everyone's fears about a console/handheld hybrid to rest, by being one of the fastest-selling consoles of all time. The Switch had a first year that was packed with incredible games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. 

It seems like Nintendo fans are constantly on the edge of their seat while waiting for news of the next game coming to the Switch. The 2018 lineup isn't quite as stellar in terms of first-party support, but there are some amazing third-party games and ports of Wii U titles that will fill out the schedule until the next big hit.

The Switch & the mobile market have become Nintendo's top priority

Aren't we all forgetting another important part of Nintendo's console lineup? There is a handheld system that helped to prop the company up during the years when the Wii U was flagging in sales and support. This is a system that has been all but abandoned in the wake of the success of the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo's burgeoning mobile game lineup.

Is 2018 The Final Year For The Nintendo 3DS?

The upcoming lineup of games for the Nintendo 3DS is sparse and mostly consists of third-party games. The biggest name game still in development for the 3DS is Detective Pikachu, which is a long-awaited title that has been out in Japan for a while now. It's likely that Detective Pikachu is only being localized due to the upcoming movie based on the game, which will feature the voice of Ryan Reynolds as the titular Pokémon.

The biggest supporter of the Nintendo 3DS has to be Atlus. The 3DS has hosted some of Atlus' best games from the past few years including the likes of Shin Megami Tensei IV. The upcoming Atlus games include Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology, which is an updated remake of a Nintendo DS games, and Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux, which is also an updated remake of a Nintendo DS games. These were both excellent titles, though it remains to be seen if the new content will be enough to make fans buy the game for the second time.

Atlus has also announced a sequel to Persona Q, though we know almost nothing about this game. The one thing we do know is that it will feature the cast of Persona 5, which will be a huge draw for fans of the series.

Atlus will also be publishing The Alliance Alive, which was developed by Cattle Call. This game received an anemic reception from the critics in Japan, so we may have to accept the same over here.

There is a severe lack of first-party titles coming to the Nintendo 3DS

One possible addition to the Nintendo 3DS library in 2018 is Dragon Quest XI. Yuri Horii has announced that Dragon Quest XI will be receiving an international release, but it wasn't clear if he was only talking about the PlayStation 4 version of the game. The success of the Nintendo 3DS outside of Japan suggests that we will be receiving the 3DS version of the game, but it isn't set in stone.

There are also a few other minor mentions; Kirby Battle Royale was released in North America in January, though it had already been released in other regions. Sushi Strikers is an upcoming puzzle game about the preparation of sushi. It also bears mentioning that the New 3DS version of Minecraft has also not yet been released in Europe, though it is available in North America.

 

The Switch Insurance?

The small lineup of games is surprising when you consider that the Nintendo Switch's success was by no means guaranteed. The failure of the Wii U had diminished Nintendo's position in the console market, while Sony and Microsoft seemed to be leading the way by delivering on what the fans wanted. There was always going to be a contingent of die-hard Nintendo fans who were going to feel burnt about the Wii U being abandoned as a system, as their investment in the console was essentially wasted in the face of the latest Nintendo computer.

What was Nintendo's plan if the Switch had failed?

The initial negative reaction to the Nintendo's Switch first press conference must have been demoralizing for the higher-ups at Nintendo. There were numerous reports and think pieces about how the Switch was doomed to failure, thanks to its price point, lack of hard drive space, and sparse lineup. The Switch managed to exceed everyone's expectations, but things could have certainly gone sour for Nintendo.

If the Switch had bombed and sold poorly, then Nintendo would have had to have fallen back on the 3DS as their main system, as it would be their last foothold in the video game market. The sparse 2018 lineup for the 3DS suggests that Nintendo did indeed put all of their eggs in one basket, considering how little has been announced for the system.

Was 2017 The Last Year Of Real Nintendo 3DS Support?

The state of the Switch in the marketplace dominated gaming news when it came to discussing Nintendo in 2017. This is a shame, as the Nintendo 3DS did have a few excellent titles throughout the year.

The most exciting new release on the 3DS in 2017 was the return of Samus Aran in Metroid: Samus Returns, which was loved by critics but not a huge seller.

The Nintendo 3DS had a solid but uneventful 2017.

2017 also saw the release of Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, both of which had a polarizing reception. There are many fans who felt that the games weren't different enough from Pokémon Sun & Moon to justify a brand new release.

There was also a rash of mediocre games, such as Hey! Pikmin, Miitopia, and Fire Emblem: Echoes, none of which turned out to be particularly noteworthy.

The Nintendo 3DS also received numerous updated ports in 2017, such as Dragon Quest VIII, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World. The Virtual Console also saw Pokémon Gold & Silver were released on the system.

The 2017 lineup for the Nintendo 3DS had some decent games, though nothing that you would consider to be a major hit or a critical darling. This is why the system wasn't able to overtake the Nintendo Switch in terms of coverage.

The Final Year Of The Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo has already had a mini-Direct this year which focused entirely on upcoming titles for the Switch. There haven't been any rumors concerning big games that are coming to the system. Barring some huge announcements at E3 or an upcoming Direct, it seems that the Nintendo 3DS has reached the end of its run. Outside of the previously mentioned games, we will likely only see indie titles and licensed games on the system till support finally fizzles out.

The slow death of the Nintendo 3DS is a shame, as it helped to keep the company alive during the tumultuous years of the Wii U. The StreetPass functionality of the system and the online modes of games like Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate and Pokémon X & Y helped to bring gamers together in ways that they had never done before. Gamers from all across the world gathered together to see the green StreetPass light flicker on their system, which helped to create a global community of Nintendo fans.

The Nintendo 3DS deserves one final year of amazing titles, but as it stands, it seems like the system is destined for a slow demise that is unbefitting of its success.