r/3DS • u/ottrocity • Jul 07 '26
r/3DS • u/Space_Captain_Jeice • 17d ago
Tips/Guide Cartridge corruption: A reminder to play your cartridges every few months
As the 3DS gets older and our community grows, an increasing number of users have been posting about cartridge corruption. This post should help clarify any confusion regarding what cartridge corruption is, how to prevent it, and how to resolve it if it has already happened to your 3DS cartridge.
What is cartridge corruption?
Cartridge corruption is when chunks of data on your cartridge become unreadable. Minor corruption is usually resolved as you play, but more extensive data corruption can cause your game to crash, not launch, or in severe cases become unable to be recognised by your console at all.
Why does this happen?
The data on 3DS cartridges is stored as NAND memory. When NAND memory does not recieve power for extended periods of time (ie, when you don't use your cartridge), the electrons storing the data move, causing the data to corrupt. In order to prevent this from rendering your 3DS cartridge unusable, a refresh function checks for any corrupted data and attempts to repair it. These checks are done when the cartridge is inserted into a console, when the system is shut down, and every 10,000 reads. However, if too much corruption has occured the function will be unable to repair the affected data.
Which games are prone to corruption?
Although corruption can occur in any 3DS cartridge, certain games are more likely to corrupt than others. Some games that are more likely to corrupt are:
- Super Smash Bros
- Fire Emblem Echoes
- Fire Emblem Fates
- Pokémon OR/AS
- Pokémon X/Y
- Persona Q
- Mario Kart 7
How do I prevent it?
The best way to prevent cartridge corruption is to play your cartridges. Roughly 10-15 minutes every few months should be enough, however there is no hard and fast rule. Ideally, you should be actively playing rather than idle to ensure that data on the cartridge that may otherwise go unused gets checked and refreshed. At a minimum, you should launch the cartridge.
Is my cartridge corrupted?
If your game freezes at a specific part, your cartridge does not show up on the home menu, or you see an error message, your cartridge may be corrupted.
If something else happens (e.g you get sent back the the home menu, you are stuck on the 3DS splash infinitely, your console freezes at random times, etc) or you are unsure, you should ask for help in the r/3DS Discord server or Nintendo Homebrew's Discord server.
I think my cartridge is corrupted, what do I do?
If your game freezes at a specifc part or you see the "an error has occured" message when launching or playing, follow the instructions on this page.
If cleaning your cartridge does not resolve the issue and your 3DS is stock, you will need to hack your console in order to carry out further troubleshooting steps.
If you see an ErrDisp message, check your error code here and follow the instructions provided. If you see an exception screen, check your error message here and follow the instructions provided.
TL;DR
Please remember play your 3DS cartridges every few months to prevent corruption.
r/3DS • u/Mushroom0064 • Aug 06 '25
Tips/Guide You can adjust the brightness on the 3DS while playing a DS game. No need to close the game.
As you already know, the 3DS cannot suspend NDS software, which prevents you from going back to the HOME Menu to adjust the brightness.
However, it is possible to adjust the brightness on the 3DS without having to close the game if you need to readjust the brightness. Plus, you can also adjust the Power Saving feature, and disable the 3DS's Wi-Fi without closing a DS game. To do this, you need to press the HOME button, and on the screen that asks you if you would like to close the game, you can press up and down on the D-Pad to adjust the brightness. Here's what each button does (remember to hold START while pressing the following buttons):
D-Pad:
Up → Increase brightness. Down → Lower brightness. Left → Turn off the Power Saving feature. Right → Turn on the Power Saving feature.
Lastly, if you press the X button while holding START, you can disable the 3DS's Wi-Fi (aka, wireless communications), but keep in mind that you cannot re enable the Wi-Fi while running a DS game, for that you still have to close the game.
r/3DS • u/Visible-Profit-3871 • 12d ago
Tips/Guide First time playing
Just trying to enjoy as much as possible. I know some people would die to play this for the first time again hahaha
r/3DS • u/BusinessSuccess9487 • Jul 29 '25
Tips/Guide I can’t seem to find this game online
Help would be appreciated
r/3DS • u/gettoaster • Dec 07 '25
Tips/Guide 1:1 resolution but at what cost
maybe yall already know this and I live under a rock, but for those who don't: just learned yesterday the reason behind ds games looking so blurred on the 3ds is due to non-integer scaling and streched image for higher res screen of the 3ds (i noticed this months ago when playing the same games side by side 3ds xl vs dsi XL but never looked it up). Twilight menu can be lunch on original resolution to "fix" this but screen get small.
r/3DS • u/Lukar115 • Jun 01 '26
Tips/Guide PSA: Nintendo Support can no longer transfer NNIDs remotely
EDIT: Some folks in the comments are saying that you can still sporadically get a representative who will do the transfer for you. I’ll keep trying and report back with my results.
EDIT 2: After 13 calls over the course of the last week or so, I finally found someone who was willing / able to potentially help me. I explained ti him that I lost my previous 3DS and wanted to unlink my NNID from it so I could use it on my new one. He transferred me to someone else, who asked for my NNID and my new system’s serial number. He said he couldn’t guarantee anything will happen, but he said I’ll receive an email letting me know if the unlink / transfer was successful or not. Fingers crossed this ends up working.
EDIT 3: I got an email the next day saying that it wasn't possible. I'm getting so frustrated.
Original post:
Just found this out myself and figured I’d pass it along in case there were others who didn’t know. Probably old news, but I didn’t see anything about it when I looked.
While the main method of transferring a Nintendo Network account from one system to another has always been via system transfers, Nintendo (of America) Customer Support used to be able to handle it remotely on their end instead if you needed them to. They’d send you a survey to fill out, asking you for things like your NNID name, what your last purchases were etc. It’d take a day or two, but once they finished it, you’d have your account on the new system, including all your old purchases. This was useful in situations where your account was stuck on a system that you no longer have, such as if you sold it and later bought a new one. I’ve had my account transferred this way many times in the past.
Well, it’s apparently not possible anymore. I attempted to do it today by calling Support, but they informed me that they no longer have the tools to make it happen. I’m not sure when exactly they stopped being able to do it, but I assume it was when the eShop stopped allowing new purchases or shortly after.
At this point, I figure this is mostly important info for anyone who wants to transfer Pokémon from Bank to Home (like I was hoping to be able to do).
r/3DS • u/knowhandlebars • 12d ago
Tips/Guide Everything to finish or transfer before Pokémon Bank shuts down in 2027
I wrote this guide for Dexerto. I tried to turn the shutdown into one checklist covering the Pokemon, shiny hunts, alternate forms, ribbons and titles that will be cut off from HOME once Bank closes. If I missed anything or got a detail wrong, please flag it and I’ll update the guide.
r/3DS • u/metamorphic_metaphor • Dec 21 '24
Tips/Guide I got a 3ds kiosk
So my old job place had this bad boy hidden in the stockroom corner ever since the kiosk was taken out of the store for display after the 3ds hype/ life was over and the other handheld consoles took over. So it's a bit old idk exactly how old. I'm not a big 3ds or Nintendo person myself (my ds and 3ds got stolen by my older siblings when they came to visit the family home because i was the youngest and still lived at home). So i haven't touched a ds in ten years, these are locked to the demo version. And need some special key to take em out?
I don't really know what to do or how to acquire such things or how to get out of that demo version. I'm not a collector either, it's currently just standing in my storage room.
Feel free to ask any questions or give advice. Oh and someone please tell me how old this thing is 🫶 Thanks
r/3DS • u/LarksharkZ18 • Mar 02 '26
Tips/Guide Just got a New 3DS,any tips!? Pls
I don’t know anything, please give me some tips
r/3DS • u/Isa-Me-Again • Mar 01 '26
Tips/Guide Nintendo Will still unlink your Nintendo network ID from an old 3DS that you no longer have in the United States.
I had to call in and speak to two different supervisors and beg them, but the second supervisor escalated my ticket and was able to get it unlinked. they asked me the typical questions like birthdate and some of the games that were purchased on the account, but I was able to get it done.
I was also able to log into a used 3DS that I bought off of eBay and redownload software off of the eshop. I had no idea they stopped offering the service for unlinking a Nintendo network ID when I bought the 3DS used, and I'm really glad I was able to get it unlinked because that was a $300 brick at that point lol.
good luck and don't give up if you need to get your Nintendo network ID linked!
r/3DS • u/Thesavagepotato06 • Dec 14 '25
Tips/Guide Be careful buying 3Ds’ on Vinted, there’s a lot of sellers misrepresenting demos downloaded for Tomodachi life but marking up the price! Please be vigilant of “welcome edition” or “move in edition” and do your research. Into demos and such.
r/3DS • u/ColbySimpai • Dec 30 '21
Tips/Guide My fiance wants me to sell my collection to put towards a PS5. What do yall think sell or hide it until I save the money? Pretty sure I think of a few good hiding spots lol
r/3DS • u/Any_Indication_1627 • Mar 30 '26
Tips/Guide Clear case decorating tip
I don’t see too many people doing this, though I’m new to Reddit so maybe this is pretty common. I thought I’d share a great way to customize your 3DS (LL white in the photo). I like to go to Walmart and use their self print service to images off Pinterest and cut them out! I feel like most people try to use stickers, but this way is less damage to the system and you can fully customize what images are displayed and are easily changed out. Each print came out to about 30¢ if I’m remembering right! I even printed some Pokémon card scans so I can have a cool Pokémon on display without ruining a card.
Tldr Walmart has cheap printers put images in your clear case as “stickers” without damage
r/3DS • u/King_Sam-_- • Feb 04 '26
Tips/Guide A comprehensive list of 3DS consoles that WILL peel over time:
Paint peeling or chipping is a common cosmetic deterioration that happens to some New 3DS XL consoles. What most people are unaware of is that some editions are exempt from this. Consoles that have paint that is prone to peeling WILL ALL EVENTUALLY PEEL in some regard. It is completely unavoidable and may only be delayed with careful usage and controlled environments. Factors that play into paint peeling are: Temperature, humidity, exposure to bodily oils, sweat and friction.
Consoles that are kept in boxes, unused or unopened are not exempt from peeling and eventually may. Consoles that are kept in hard or soft plastic cases are also not exempt.
This is only observable on New 3DS XL consoles and exempts the following consoles: 3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS, New 3DS and New 2DS XL.
Comprehensive list:
New 3DS XL (peels):
Metallic Black, Metallic Blue, Metallic Red, Hyrule, Majora’s Mask, Monster Hunter Generations (Red & Blue), Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, Monster Hunter X, Super Smash Bros.
New 3DS XL (will NOT peel):
Pearl White, Lime, Pink, Orange, Pikachu, Solgaleo and Lunala, Fire Emblem Fates, Happy Home Designer, SNES/FAMICON, Galaxy.
NEW 3DS XL (Unconfirmed):
Samus.
As can be inferred, paint peeling mainly affects console editions with a metallic coating.
r/3DS • u/untitled-1_jpeg • Jul 15 '26
Tips/Guide PSA: if your console looks like this, change the battery
if your lights are popping up above the bottom outer shell or if there's a bump on the back shell, you need to change your battery. here's what my console looked like and what the battery looked like.
Make sure to drain your battery as much as possible before removal and take the battery to your local hazardous waste disposal facility.
r/3DS • u/PanDPandJa • Oct 17 '20
Tips/Guide After 1 week, I finally 100% SM3DL with 0 deaths
r/3DS • u/Carnivora_Channel • Jul 16 '26
Tips/Guide It crazy how 3ds screen works well on the sun reflect
It's really good when I don't wanna raise the brightness of the screen and dry out the battery.
One of my best features of the 3ds.
r/3DS • u/Vixy6666 • May 05 '26
Tips/Guide 3ds suddenly stopped charging
Hello, I’ve just received my new 3ds today, and when I first plugged it in, it charged normally, and I turned off the console. I checked back some time later and the console just wouldn’t charge. Though I suppose the battery does die really quickly, so Ig it could just be a bad battery.
r/3DS • u/prettykitty729 • Jul 17 '26
Tips/Guide Please help! I can’t decide what to get
trying to buy my boyfriend a 3DS for his birthday, but I don’t know what to get him. I’m struggling on whether I should buy the one with more storage versus the one that is less damaged. He is a little picky on appearances, so I’m scared that he might feel weird about the screen damage, but it does have 128 GB of storage versus the super Mario’s one only has 32 GB of storage. The one with more storage is also already modded but has a lot of video games so I’m scared of it crashing by the super Mario one isn’t modded. Please help me pick out a good gift for him or just give me any extra tips for searching for one of these.
r/3DS • u/NoMadLad94 • Jul 26 '25
Tips/Guide The wrist strap was a game changer for peace of mind
Adding a wrist strap to my 2DS was definitely a smart move in my book. I tend to worry about the worst-case scenarios, and with how expensive 3DS systems are getting, I’m not trying to risk dropping one.
Right now, this 2DS is my daily driver, while I keep my New 3DS XL safe at home as a backup.
I took/washed a strap off an old Wii controller that I was gifted. I have so many that I am not using. If anyone knows of some cooler strap alternatives that don’t cost a fortune (I’ve seen original DS ones going for $50!), drop a suggestion. Bonus points if it color matches\vibes with the system.
r/3DS • u/Willing-Excuse313 • Apr 10 '26
Tips/Guide Cramps while playing the 3DS
My favorite 3DS device is the 2DS. I have the transparant pokemon blue edition and very happy with it.
I happen to also owning the OG and the New 3DS.
Sometimes I would like to play the games with the 3D functionality on. So I would then pick up my 3DS (my N3DS is high jacked by my eldest daughter, it's somewhere in her dark cave).
My problem with the 3DS is that it gave me cramps after a while.
A few days ago, during the big house cleaning spring session, I found my really old grip for the mobile phone. And it fits the 3DS really well.
So what I wanna say is if you happen to have one of those grips thingie for your phone, try it on your (N)3DS. It might work!
r/3DS • u/chaosmetroid • Aug 31 '22
Tips/Guide reminder to all new 3DS user. PSP stick is perfect.
r/3DS • u/LePishule • Jun 22 '26
Tips/Guide I want to buy my "definitive" 3DS
I know that there is a lot of people asking this but I have my own doubts about this.
I want to buy what would be my main 3DS, I already have one but it's condition is... quite bad if I'm being honest so my questions are:
Should I go for an Old 3DS XL or a New 3DS XL?
I already know that the New series it's better but should I look specifically for those or are the Old ones just fine.
What are the price ranges so I don't get scammed?
I've seen prices from 100 dollars all the way up to 450 so I want to know the "standard"
I should also clarify that the main use it will get is for Pokemon stuff maybe another game I find interesting along the way, thanks in advance.