After a ten year run,Nintendois finally discontinuing the 3DS line. They made a lot so it’s not like they will disappear anytime soon. That is, unless people start buying them in fear of missing out. Discontinuations can often lead to sale spikes like that.
RELATED:The 10 Best 3DS Games That Never Left Japan
Anyway, since the system is now done and over with now is as good a time as any to discuss some of thebigger canceled titleson the handheld. It has one of Nintendo’s strongest lineup of games, but one can’t help but wonder how much better things could have gotten if these games also made it through. Unless otherwise noted, these games can be discovered onUnseen64.
10Mega Man Legends 3
Capcom had been makingMega Man Legends 2fans wait for over a decade on a cliffhanger. At long last a sequel was announced for the 3DS. A public demo was even released. Sadly thegame was cancelednot long after this as well as the demo being taken down. Looks like fans have to keep waiting until Capcom finally wisens up.
9Chocobo Racing 3D
This was announced right alongside the debut of the 3DS. There are some screenshots and quick snippets of gameplay, but not much altogether.
RELATED:Every Pokémon Game On The 3DS, Ranked (According To Metacritic)
It would have been a sequel to theMario Kartlike original on the PS1, but it also looked like there was a more traditional campaign with action. It was ambitious, but why it was let go is unknown. Maybe one day the Chocobos will return.
8DJ Hero 3D
There was going to be a port, or spinoff, ofDJ Herofor the 3DS. With the poor sales of the second game on consoles, it was presumably scrapped. This is all that is known. There are no gameplay videos or screenshots. However, a DeviantArt poster,1992zepeda, imagined what the controller would look like. It has a similar design to how the DSGuitar Herogames looked so this might be right on the money.
7BloodRayne: The Shroud
This was announced at E3 2010. Majesco Games had previously revived the franchise withBloodRayne: Betrayalon consoles. No screenshots or gameplay exist of this game but presumably it would have also been a 2D action game. Whythis was cancelednot long after its reveal is unknown although mediocre sales and reviews of the first game may have something to do with it.
6Kaio: King of Pirates
Kaio: King of Pirateswas announced for the 3DS in 2011. It was being developed by Keiji Inafune after he left Capcom. It would have actually been his studio’s, Comcept, first game. There was not only a game planned but toys, anime, and manga too. The idea for this action title was seemingly too lofty as it kept getting pushed back until itwas outright canceledin 2015. As a side note, him leaving was one of the bigger reasons whyMega Man Legends 3and many other titles in theseries were canceledwithout his guidance.
5Cult County
Renegade Kid may not be the biggest known developer out there, but fans of theMutant Muddseries should recognize the name. Anyway they were also developing something less kid friendly viaCult County, a survival horror game. It started as a Kickstarter project for the 3DS with goals to release it on other systems as well. Since they didn’t meet their funding goal itwas eventually canceled. It was interestingly described by the team as “The Walking DeadmeetsSilent Hill 2from a first-person perspective”.
4Obscure D
Obscure Dwas another survival horror game planned for the 3DS. This was a genre that didn’t get much love in general even after its almost decade on the market which is understandably why so many tried. Anyway, based on screenshots, it looks like a Metroidvania by design. It would have come to consoles too, but this sequel to the obscure,Obscureseries never saw the light of day. While this project failed, it sort of influencedFinal Exam, which is a spinoff.
3My Garden
There was a planned DS Pikmin game in the works but plans fell through. Eventually the 3DS would get a spinoff though,Hey Pikmin, which was more like a platformer than a garden RTS.
RELATED:Every Zelda Game On The 3DS, Ranked (According To Metacritic)
This all relates to EA similarly planning to make a garden simulator viaMy Gardenon the 3DS. There was no action in the game but the colorful gardens could make one think of Nintendo’s internal franchise. While gameplay was shown things just weren’t coming together so it was quietly let go.
2Bomberman 3DS
This was only the working title for the game as shown in the only clip available on Unseen64. It actually appears to be taken off of a larger 3DS sizzle reel. There exists five seconds of gameplay showing classic Bomberman mazes along with something that could have turned into a more action like platformer akin to some of Bomberman’s various spinoffs. Itwas eventually canceledprior to the system’s launch.
1Saints Row: Drive-By
Unlike another planned portable spinoff to theSaints Rowfranchise, which was for the PSP and released unofficially in an unfinished state,Saints Row: Drive-Byonly has a title to show for itself. What is known is that it started out as a smaller digital game for PS3 and Xbox 360. The team felt it was too similar to the main games so it was retooled for the 3DS. Danny Bilson, from THQ at the time, hadthis to say, “Now we’ve come up with a new design with a completely original game mechanic and we’re building out something that supportsSaint’s Rowwith that.”
