The Final Physically Released 3DS Game

[Nz17]

Will the last 3DS game to get a tangible release be The Atooi Collection? (Technically it's not really "a game," but it's still a compilation of five games so I'm counting it.) Or do you think there will be at least one more? Do we know what that might be if so? I believe that the 3DS, Vita, and the Wii U keep getting digital releases and their media production factories haven't shut down, so it seems that at least for now any of them appear to be a candidate for another physical release.

[YoshiM]

I can't say I've been following 3DS releases as of late. Retail wise, it's been in its death throes, with a handful of titles available at most department stores. It's either been a blow out of games or the usual PokeMon, Legend of Zelda: OoT or MM, etc. at their regular prices.

If anything, depending on manufacturing, all we might see are eShop games getting ported to cartridge through places like Limited Run Games.

[Aussie2B]

I haven't really kept up with it, but I'm pretty sure I recall LRG stating that more 3DS games may come after The Atooi Collection.

As for Vita, Western production of physical games ended over a year ago, so anything still to be sold was manufactured a long time ago. Asian releases are still being made, but I believe Sony recently gave a deadline for Asian production too, which will end all production of physical Vita games.

[Koa Zo]

I'd thought Shakedown Hawaii was a candidate for a physical release. ...but at this point it sure doesn't seem so.

I tried getting into the 3DS just a couple years ago. Nothing really grabbed me.

[PapaStu]

Considering that the last physical retail release worldwide outside of Atooi was the North American Persona Q2 in June of 2019, the system is basically done unless whoever is doing a print run can get something either huge enough to justify the minimum, or get the minimum lower than what Nintendo is requiring to have to produce a batch. You can't even buy in stores newly produced 3DSXL's. At best if anything shows it's 2DSXL's and outside of Walmart, the only games any stores are still getting or even have are Nintendo produced stuff (which is late run Selects titles and some Smash and Detective Pikachu).

Unless Limited Run has something set up in secret, they've not announced anything else (at least as of the not quite E3 presser in July). Atooi was announced at the previous years presser and between approval and production and other issues, it took them almost 18 months to get Atooi to market. I don't think there's a large enough window to do that again, unless either it's already been made and not announced or the release is more straigt forward. LR said that Nintendo still has production open, so while there is hope, I still feel like it'll be a longshot.

[Aussie2B]

Considering how long LRG has sat on many releases for a whole variety of reasons (for example, Super Meat Boy for Vita was manufactured back in March 2019, if not earlier, and still hasn't been sold, outside of some being thrown into blind boxes) and how often LRG has done surprise announcements just barely before the sales day, I think it's very possible they could've lined up something else for 3DS long ago and still haven't announced it for whatever reason. That said, Atooi isn't one of their "distributed" titles and yet still isn't numbered, which does seem to imply there won't be any further 3DS releases.

[PapaStu]

Considering how long LRG has sat on many releases for a whole variety of reasons (for example, Super Meat Boy for Vita was manufactured back in March 2019, if not earlier, and still hasn't been sold, outside of some being thrown into blind boxes) and how often LRG has done surprise announcements just barely before the sales day, I think it's very possible they could've lined up something else for 3DS long ago and still haven't announced it for whatever reason. That said, Atooi isn't one of their "distributed" titles and yet still isn't numbered, which does seem to imply there won't be any further 3DS releases.

Guh, I got logged out, had a whole thing written up, so now quick and dirty version...

Papers, Please and Super Meat Boy Vita had triggers in their contracts that they can't release until the newer game that was being done by their publishers was complete. Super Meat Boy Forever and Return of the Obra Dinn both had numerous production issues and that's why these have been drawn out so long. Bleeding out a few copies via the blind boxes sold at Xmas was nice, but it just raged folks who didn't get them because I'm sure there were only a few of each sold. They've since moved away from those line items in newer contracts (like they've also moved away from what happened with Streets of Rage 4 and the releas

I haven't seen the back of the Atooi case to see if it's gotten a number, but it wouldn't be on the spine because that's something NOA isn't allowing as part of their packaging requirements.

Part of me still feels like this is a test run to see how something sells with the minimums they've got to make and a lack of international market to sell to, how the whole production process went and if this will even be viable for additional games in the future if they can't snag something HUGE on the eShop (which at this point would be either a NOA or Capcom title.

Both of the PS3 games have gotten numbered, (both Oddworld titles) and they've talked about getting more done, but I haven't heard anything about more PS3 titles coming but who knows. Axiom Verge doesn't appear to have a number anywhere on it, but due to the huge amount of drama that came with even getting the discs only and having to redo packaging themselves and since production was already shuttered for WiiU titles I think they were just happy to even have something to get it out and make back some of the lost money from the process.

[PapaStu]

That said, Atooi isn't one of their "distributed" titles and yet still isn't numbered, which does seem to imply there won't be any further 3DS releases.

Just saw this in a Facebook group i'm in. So it is numbered. Doesn't mean more are coming, but they did number it.

https://i.imgur.com/0EjX0fJ.jpg

[Aussie2B]

Strange. It kind of seems like they're trying to cover all the bases. With a number on the box, they're set in case they do have another 3DS release, yet they chose to make no mention of the number on the store listings.

I definitely agree that how this performs is going to impact if they do more or not, if they haven't already closed the door on releasing more.

[RPG_Fanatic]

I definitely agree that how this performs is going to impact if they do more or not, if they haven't already closed the door on releasing more.

I doubt they will do another 3DS game. You can still buy the "collectors edition" (still have 348 in stock left out of 2000) of the Atooi game, and the standard version took awhile to sell out.

[Edmond Dantes]

They've since moved away from those line items in newer contracts (like they've also moved away from what happened with Streets of Rage 4 and the releas

I think you forgot to finish this line. What happened with Streets of Rage 4?

[PapaStu]

I think you forgot to finish this line. What happened with Streets of Rage 4?

Oh, they had a contract for it, rolled out their pre-order release, only to find out that the dev had also signed on with someone else to publish it, which dropped a week later, was cheaper (I think), came with the music had an arguably better looking cover and was on Amazon/GameStop and the like. It had a HUGE backlash from folks who bought from LR (none of which was deserved), especially because these other copies were basically already printed and it was done, vs LR's pre-order window and production time afterwords it releasing 3+ months later.

Their contracts state publishing rights revert back to the title holder after they do the release drop and the production run is done, but at no point has it ever been an immediate secondary release before.

[mailman187666]

I actually got my LRG copy of streets of rage in before any of the retail copies showed up. I saw there was some backlash online, but I was actually glad to have stuck with the LRG version. The cover art was never something I thought twice about either. I honestly don't see it with the complaints I've heard about it, but maybe I'm not as passionate about SoR.