Nintendo 3DS Games to Look Forward to in 2019

Yes, believe it or not, there are still new Nintendo 3DS games coming out in 2019. Well, “new” is kind of a relative term here, since the few games on this list are either new versions or new localizations of older games. Nintendo has been adamant that they’re going to continue to support the 3DS alongside the Switch, and though clearly the vast majority of their attention over the past two years has been on their new handheld-home console hybrid, there are still some things that 3DS owners may look forward to this coming year.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey – January 11, 2019

The first major 3DS game of the year is a new version of Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, an RPG that was originally released for the Nintendo DS in 2009. Like Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga before it, Bowser’s Inside Story is getting a re-release on the 3DS, coming on January 11 in North America, January 25 in Europe, and January 26 in Australia, with the Japanese release of the game already passed as of late last year. Along with the original base game, this new version will also include a new story called “Bowser Jr.’s Journey,” just like how the 2017 3DS re-release of Superstar Saga included the new “Bowser’s Minions” story.

Etrian Odyssey Nexus – February 5, 2019

Atlus seems to have been giving more love to the 3DS console lately than Nintendo itself, with the company releasing a number of games on the handheld last year. This year, Atlus releases Etrian Odyssey Nexus for the 3DS, which will serve as the final entry of the dungeon crawler series on the console. As such, a number of characters and classes from previous entries in the series will return, as well as new classes. The game already came out in Japan last year, but Etrian Odyssey Nexus is set for release in North America on February 5.

Yo-kai Watch 3 – February 8, 2019

Yo-kai Watch 3 was originally released in Japan in 2016 as two games: Yo-kai Watch 3: Sushi and Yo-kai Watch 3: Tempura. Later that year, a third, definitive version called Yo-kai Watch 3: Sukiyaki was released. Late last year, Sukiyaki was localized outside of Japan for the first time and released in Europe as simply Yo-kai Watch 3, and now the game is coming to North America under the same name on February 8. It’s likely that this will be the last Yo-kai Watch game released on the 3DS, since it has already been confirmed that Yo-kai Watch 4 will be released in Japan this year for the Switch.

Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn – 2019

Another re-release coming to the 3DS this year is Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn, which serves as a new version of the 2010 Wii game Kirby’s Epic Yarn. This re-release will contain the entire original game, as well as including new abilities, a new Devilish Mode, and new minigames that will let you play as King Dedede and Meta Knight. Kirby’s Epic Yarn is a delightful game, so if you missed the original Wii version, this new revamped version should be something you keep an eye out for. Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn will be released on the 3DS at some point in 2019.

Beyond 2019

I’ve ended each of these articles about games coming in 2019 for various consoles with a section dedicated to discussing what is in store for the console after 2019, especially as it pertains to incredibly highly anticipated games that may or may not come out this year, such as Halo Infinite, Metroid Prime 4, and The Last of Us Part II. But things are a little different for the 3DS. Early last year, I was wondering if the 3DS would even still be relevant by the end of 2018, let alone the end of 2019. Only a few particularly notable games were released for the handheld console last year, and it seems like even fewer will be coming out this year, with all of the major ones so far being re-releases or localizations of older games. Of course, Nintendo has yet to hold any of their Nintendo Direct presentations this year, so it’s certainly possible that more new games will be announced later, but as Nintendo continues to shift their focus more and more to the Switch, it seems increasingly unlikely that there will be much to look forward to for 3DS owners past 2019.