As of September of 2020, the Nintendo 3DS has been officially discontinued. For many in the gaming community, this is a rather sad occasion, considering how many great games came from the 3DS and its various iterations. However, for those looking for something nostalgic to honor the 3DS, a YouTuber has recently put out a video showcasing a tech demo that Nintendo used to convey what the 3DS was capable of.
Following the 3DS' discontinuation, many in the gaming community were rather downcast. Though, in all honesty, for how long the 3DS has been out and for how many different iterations of the handheld have been released since its initial launch, it makes sense that the handheld is getting discontinued. That being said, when the 3DS first launched, it was a rather exciting time.
At the time, the ability to emulate 3D graphics without the use of any wearable glasses or peripheral was quite impressive and Nintendo understood this very well. As a result, the company was able to capitalize on the excitement by way of 3D movie trailers and tech demos that showed off segments from classic Nintendo games such as Star Fox 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, both of which would go on to be remade on the 3DS. However, there were some tech demos that weren't shown to the general public and instead were delegated to press gatherings.
In a video put out by Akfamilyhome, the user mentions that numerous 3DS tech demos were shown to the press, such as 3D Paddleball, 3D Hopper, and 3D Challenge, none of which were meant to be shown to the general public. Although, Akfamilyhome actually managed to get his hands on an early version of 3D Challenge and is far more rudimentary than the likes of Star Fox 64 comparatively.
3D Challenge is essentially a puzzle and word game intended to show off the handheld's 3D hardware capabilities. When presented with a hand-drawn cube, the player is asked to identify which cube is 3D and which is a flat image using the 3DS's 3D technology. While simplistic in its design, it's clear that the intended effect is to show what the handheld can do graphically. Little did Nintendo know that the company would have to issue health warnings to users who spend too much time in 3D mode.
In any case, it's interesting to see tech demos like this surface just after the system's discontinuation. It reminds the gaming community how groundbreaking the 3DS was at the time and further highlights the impact it made on the world of gaming. While Nintendo will continue to with 3DS online support, for many users, it's still sad to see the 3DS go.