Nintendo 3DS fans are saying goodbye to the beloved handheld

While the final days of the Nintendo 3DS may be a long time coming, that doesn’t take away the sting that comes with the final step to end a generation of consoles.

Nintendo shut down the online servers for the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld consoles on Monday. While the discontinuation of services doesn’t exactly mean the end of the 3DS in general (people can still enjoy games offline), it does provide a bookend of sorts, as it marks the final step in ending the console’s life cycle .

Nintendo first released its electric blue Nintendo 3DS in 2011. I remember watching trailers in slight disbelief at the time when the gaming company promised players full 3D graphics that would pop out of the screen without glasses. The 3D gimmick may have been a bit lame, but this contribution to Nintendo’s handheld history featured a great library of games, combining Nintendo DS titles and new games for the 3DS. Later additions to this console family, such as the Nintendo 2DS, represented some of Nintendo’s best handheld designs. The 2DS quickly became a fan favorite for its affordable price and the way it embodied Nintendo’s knack for creating elegant yet bright and toy-like handhelds.

But like all good things, it had to come to an end. Nintendo formally stopped production of Nintendo 3DS consoles in 2020 and closed its eShop in the spring of 2023. Now the games no longer have online functionality, and fans of the 3DS are sharing videos on social media platforms like TikTok and the beloved handheld . In this video, a player captured the moment the servers were shut down during a final cruise down Into Rainbow Road Mario kart 7.

In Animal Crossing: New Leafplayers could visit other cities online via the Dream Suite. TikTok user Acnl.e commemorated the game with a loving comment and a series of screenshots out of the game. Under the photo gallery they wrote: “It’s so sad to see that after so many years it has really come to an end. I have been playing ACNL for almost ten years and it was the best time of my life, but now we have to say goodbye.” In another video they say goodbye New leafa group of friends collected virtually to spend their last moments in the game together online.

In this video, a player takes one last walk through a city to say goodbye.

The Nintendo 3DS is not the only console that lost online functionality on Monday. Nintendo also stopped service for the Wii U servers this week. I didn’t see much fuss about the Wii U, but this video is a tribute to both consoles.

Even though this chapter is over, that doesn’t mean the console won’t find other ways to live on in the hearts of fans. It could mean that players will have to get a little creative… and customize their handhelds to continue using certain features or playing certain games. The only downside is that these assets don’t get Nintendo’s sticker of approval.