Retirement of Louvre's Nintendo 3DS guides marks the end of one of the most wholesome collaborations in gaming

Before the Nintendo Switch (and now the Switch 2) there was the Nintendo 3DS. The initially tepid reception to the 2011 handheld console and its stereoscopic 3D feature, may have contributed to the Japanese gaming giant's decision to merge home console and handheld into a single device with the Switch, but the 3DS had some high-profile fans – including one of the world's most renowned museums.

The Louvre in Paris was an early adopter of the 3DS, and it held on to foldable dual-screen handhelds, offering them as digital guides for visitors to the museum for nearly 13 years. Alas, the Louvre's Nintendo guides have finally been retired, to be replaced by a new system in October (they could check out our pick of the best retro handheld game consoles for alternatives).

Fans held a fitting sendoff to bid farewell to the device, perplexing visitors with what they may have taken to be a piece of performance art.

To pay respects to the late console, May Naidoo AKA 'The Animal Crossing Artworks Guy' gathered other 3DS fans outside the Louvre and held a 'funeral' for the console, complete with candles, flowers and a white Nintendo 3DS.

It was a touching send off for one of the most unusual and wholesome partnerships in gaming, one that married art and tech. The Nintendo game designer and director Shigeru Miyamoto himself was involved in creating the Louvre guide for the 3DS, developing a program that provided touchscreen maps of the museum, 3D reconstructions, plus hours of audio commentary on 700 artworks.

Fans of the guides say they the digital guides made the Louvre more appealing and accessible, particularly for younger visitors. It was also possible to download the Nintendo 3DS Louvre guide from the Nintendo online strore to allow the museum to be visited virtually.

You can see Shigeru talking enthusiastically about the program in the Nintendo Direct launch video below.

Nintendo Direct - Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre - YouTube

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It was only a matter of time until the Louvre decided to replace the 3DS. Nintendo discontinued the product five years ago back in 2020, and the museum says it had started to have problems maintaining the consoles. I just hope they go to a good home.

Nevertheless, it's never guaranteed to be the end of the story with Nintendo. I wouldn't rule out the possibility of it coming out with a true 3DS successor one day. After all, this is a company that just announced the revival of its biggest-ever flop with the Virtual Boy for Nintendo Switch.

Meanwhile, the gaming giant has been causing controversy with new Nintendo patents over whole game mechanics.