Nintendo 3DS: What games for 2017? – Part 2: Third Party
In just a few days, another year will have come and gone (yes, already!). In just a few days, 2017 will be upon us: a pretty important year for Nintendo, who will launch its brand new dedicated gaming platform: the Nintendo Switch. But it’s also an important year for the Nintendo 3DS, as it will be its very last year with significant support from both first and third party developers/publishers.
So you might be wondering, what exactly is coming to the Nintendo 3DS in 2017? Well… many more games than you might think! As officially, the Nintendo Switch isn’t replacing the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo (and other publishers) are planning to support the handheld well into 2017. Here’s a little guide of the various games releasing in 2017!
Nintendo 3DS: What games for 2017? – Part 1: Nintendo
In this second article, we’re only focusing on retail titles from third-party publishers and developers.
Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 3 Professional (Japan)
- Europe: ???
- North America: ???
- Japan: February 9th
Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 3 Professional is an enhanced version of Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 3, featuring new monsters, new story content, and more. It will be released on February 9th in Japan, less than a year after the original version. Unfortunately, a western release is highly unlikely, as Square-Enix doesn’t seem interested in localising non-mainline Dragon Quest games on Nintendo 3DS…
Dragon Ball Fusions (Europe)
- Europe: February 17th, 2017
- North America: November 22nd, 2016
- Japan: August 4th, 2016
Dragon Ball Fusions is a turn-based RPG based on the popular Dragon Ball series, which is all about fusions. It already came out in Japan and North America, and only Europe is yet to get the game. If you’re a fan of the Dragon Ball series, this is one game you do not want to miss!
Doraemon: Nobita no Nankyoku Kachikochi Dai Bouken
- Europe: ???
- North America: ???
- Japan: March 2nd
The latest Doraemon game for the Nintendo 3DS, once again developed by FuRyu. Do not expect this one to make it outside Japan!
Manga Debut Monogatari: Sutekina Manga o Egakou
- Europe: ???
- North America: ???
- Japan: March 16th
Manga Debut Monogatari: Sutekina Manga o Egakou is a manga-drawing game/app, that will most definitely never be released outside Japan.
Future Card Buddy Fight: Mezase! Buddy Champion!
- Europe: ???
- North America: ???
- Japan: March 16th
The latest Buddy Fight game for the Nintendo 3DS, once again developed by FuRyu. Do not expect this one to make it outside Japan!
Monster Hunter XX (Double Cross) (Japan, Worldwide?)
- Europe: ???
- North America: ???
- Japan: March 18th
Monster Hunter XX (Double Cross) is the G / Ultimate version of Monster Hunter Generations. It features two new Hunting Styles, new and returning monsters, new Deviant monsters, and a lot more. It will be released on March 18th in Japan, and has only been announced for the Nintendo 3DS so far.
However, a Nintendo Switch version is more than likely, and it’s that hypothetical version that would be released in the west (chances of a Nintendo 3DS release outside Japan seems unlikely). We will know whether that hypothesis is spot on or not on January 12th/13th!
Attack on Titan: Shichi Kara no Dasshutsu (Japan)
- Europe: ???
- North America: ???
- Japan: March 30th
Attack on Titan: Shichi Kara no Dasshutsu is the second Attack on Titan game on Nintendo 3DS, but this one is radically different from the first one. It’s an Adventure game featuring an entirely original story, and developed by Ruby Party (a studio known for their NeoRomance titles).
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely this title will be released outside Japan, even though Koei-Tecmo’s first Attack on Titan game (on PlayStation consoles) did make it to Europe and North America. The reason for that? It’s an Adventure game, and on Nintendo 3DS to boot, which makes it a much tougher sell than an action game on PlayStation consoles. But who knows, maybe Koei-Tecmo will have a surprise for us in 2017?
The Alliance Alive (Japan, Worldwide?)
- Europe: 2017?
- North America: 2017?
- Japan: March 30th
Developed by the same core team as The Legend of Legacy, The Alliance Alive is FuRyu’s latest JRPG on Nintendo 3DS (and closer to a traditional JRPG, too). Will it also be the second FuRyu RPG on Nintendo 3DS to be localised by Atlus? It’s definitely possible, as Atlus is also working on localisation for another RPG by the same publisher, but nothing has been announced (or even simply teased) so far.
Lady Layton: The Millionaire Ariadone’s Conspiracy (Worldwide?)
- Europe: 2017?
- North America: 2017?
- Japan: Spring 2017
Lady Layton: The Millionaire Ariadone’s Conspiracy is the latest entry in the Professor Layton series, which went on hiatus a few years ago. It features a brand new protagonist: Katrielle Layton, who happens to be the professor’s very own daughter. The trailer from the Level-5 Vision 2016 conference showed a rather light-hearted game, with lots of humour.
Lady Layton: The Millionaire Ariadone’s Conspiracy will be released in Spring in Japan, and Level-5 has already confirmed there would be a western release. The only questions are: when, and who to publish?
In the west, Nintendo took care of publishing duties for all the previous entries (including the Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney spin-off), and pretty much all Level-5 retail games, so it’s quite likely they will also be involved this time around. But since we have absolutely no details regarding the western release (other than it will happen), we put this game in the “Third-Party” category, and not the “First Party” one.
Harvest Moon: Skytree Village (Europe)
- Europe: Spring 2017
- North America: November 8th
- Japan: ???
Already available in North America, Harvest Moon: Skytree Village will be released in Spring in Europe. For those who don’t know, it’s the latest entry in Natsume’s own Harvest Moon series, not to be confused with Story of Seasons (the original Harvest Moon series, known as Bokujo Monogatari in Japan). If you really can’t get enough farming on your handheld, this one is for you!
The Snack World (Worldwide?)
- Europe: ???
- North America: ???
- Japan: July 2017
The Snack World is Level-5’s latest cross-media project, which takes place in a “hyper fantasy world” (where traditional elements from JRPG, such as dragons, co-exist with high-tech devices like smartphones or even convenience stores).
The anime series is expected to debut in April in Japan, with the Nintendo 3DS game launching in July. Back when the project was announced, Level-5 made it pretty clear this would be a global project. Unfortunately, since that initial announcement, we haven’t heard anything regarding The Snack Wold outside Japan, so a 2017 release (especially on Nintendo 3DS) doesn’t seem very likely…
Dragon Quest XI: Sugisarishi Toki o Motomete (Japan)
- Europe: ???
- North America: ???
- Japan: 2017
At long last, the latest mainline entry in the Dragon Quest series will be released in 2017 in Japan. Called Dragon Quest XI: Sugisarishi Toki o Motomete, it’s to be released on both the Nintendo 3DS and the Nintendo Switch. Unfortunately, Square-Enix hasn’t announced a western release (yet), but even if they do, it’s unlikely it would be in 2017.
Runbow Pocket
- Europe: 2017
- North America: 2017
- Japan: ???
What’s Runbow Pocket, exactly? Well, it’s easy: you take all the fun from Runbow, make it available on a handheld, and tadam! Pretty much all the content from the original version is included, with a couple of exceptions (such as local multiplayer, as explained in this post). Even if you’ve already played the Wii U version, Runbow Pocket is a must-have for anyone interested in great multiplayer fun!
As you can see, third-party developers/publishers are bringing quite a lot of games to the Nintendo 3DS, though quite a few of them are localisations of games released in 2016 in Japan. There’s also a few titles that may never be released outside Japan, though some of them may make it to Europe and North America on the Nintendo Switch instead.
But overall, the 2017 line-up for the Nintendo 3DS looks pretty solid, and varied. There’s some pretty big titles releasing (Monster Hunter XX, Dragon Quest XI: Sugisarishi Toki o Motomete), though it’s clear Nintendo’s handheld is nearing its 7th year on the market.
