Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
Don't miss these
Screenshot from Ratcheteer DX, showing a GBC-style cave with four pixelated characters finding warmth around a fire.
The Legend of Zelda The Legend of Zelda-esque game mimics the GameBoy to GameBoy Color transition, goes from retro handheld to PC and Switch
Hand holding Anbernic RG Cube with gameplay from Zelda: Oracle of Seasons intro on screen.
Retro Best retro handheld 2026: my portable picks for playing the classics
Best PSP games: A screenshot of someone playing GTA on a PSP.
Games The 25 best PSP games of all time
Evercade Alpha closeup with Ryu from Street Fighter on screen
Retro Best retro consoles 2026: my favorite ways to play classic capers
DS
Games The 25 best DS games of all time
Analogue Pocket lying on orange Vans beanie with Pokemon Blue battle on screen featuring Blastoise vs Poliwag.
Retro The Analogue Pocket and its portable peers are all creeping up in price
Official art of Pikachu from Pokemon Yellow in front of a blurred background
Pokemon Coming back to Pokemon Yellow 30 years later is like coming home – and playing it in 2026 is even better than when I was a kid
Four pictures of games from our selection of the best Switch 2 games list, showing Donkey Kong, Cloud from Final Fantasy, Mario and Luigi, and three starter Pokemon.
Games The 20 best Switch 2 games to play in 2026
A picture of a Nintendo 3DS console next to several of the best 3DS games and Nintendo cards.
Games The 25 best Nintendo 3DS games of all time
Photo of hand holding Game Boy Jukebox next to sad Ditto plush.
Retro I'd probably enjoy the Game Boy Jukebox more if Nintendo released a proper retro handheld remake first
Hand holding Super Pocket Data East Edition with Super Burger Time on screen.
Retro The Super Pocket is down to a no-brainer price, but I'd hang fire if you prefer N64 platformers like Banjo-Kazooie
best GBA games: A screenshot of someone playing Pokémon on a Game Boy Advanced.
Games The 25 best Game Boy Advance games of all time
Pokemon Red and Blue key art
Pokemon "We had no idea this would be such a phenomenon": As Pokemon Red and Blue turn 30, here's how Game Freak created one of the most important RPGs of all time
The best Nintendo Switch Games with the Nintendo Switch console overlaid.
Nintendo The 25 best Nintendo Switch games to play right now
Sky: Children of the Light screenshot of three figures playing different instruments
Games The best free Switch games available right now in 2026
  1. Hardware
  2. Retro
  3. Super Mario 3D Land

3DS Ambassador program concludes on Friday - look at this amazing list of free games!

News
By Justin Towell published 14 December 2011

Well, not strictly free given the price drop, but it's made us glad we got ours early

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Look at this little lot:

  • F-Zero Maximum Velocity
  • Super Mario Advance 3
  • Zelda: The Minish Cap
  • Fire Emblem Seima no Kouseki
  • Kirby & the Amazing Mirror
  • Mario Kart Advance
  • Mario vs Donkey Kong
  • Metroid Fusion
  • Wario Land Advance
  • Made in Wario

Super Mario Advance 3 is Yoshi's Island - one of the best 2D platform games ever made. Mario Kart Advance is one of the best handheld racers ever made. Mario vs Donkey Kong is one of the best puzzle-platformers ever made (and arguably superior to the newer versions).

Metroid Fusion? Brilliant. Zelda: Minish Cap? Capcom's superb take on the Zelda franchise. And as for F-Zero... well, that game was enough to convince some people we knew to buy the GBA alone.

You may like
  • A picture of a Nintendo 3DS console next to several of the best 3DS games and Nintendo cards. The 25 best Nintendo 3DS games of all time
  • best GBA games: A screenshot of someone playing Pokémon on a Game Boy Advanced. The 25 best Game Boy Advance games of all time
  • DS The 25 best DS games of all time

So suffice to say we're very pleased. Was it really worth the £100 extra dropped on the console? Well... we were having fun on Super Street Fighter IV and the criminally underrated Pilotwings Resort anyway so it doesn't bother us too much. And at least the freebies are actually worth having.

Above: Shiny, shiny new 3DS. It's looking at you. Can you begrudge it the price drop really?

Incidentally, Nintendo seems to have relaxed the rules on joining the program a little. There was a deadline of August 12 for registering your console in the online eShop, but a statement on the company's website says Nintendo 3DS owners who purchased their systems before August 12th are still eligible to join the programme and receive 20 free games from September onwards.

But when can we expect to receive these last ten retro delights? Friday, baby! Save the date - December 16, 2011: The day GBA shone once more.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
Nintendo Platforms
Justin Towell
Justin Towell
Social Links Navigation
Freelance Writer

Justin was a GamesRadar+ staffer for 10 years but is now a freelance writer, musician and videographer. He's big on retro, Sega and racing games (especially retro Sega racing games) and currently also writes for Play Magazine, Traxion.gg, PC Gamer and TopTenReviews, as well as running his own YouTube channel. Having learned to love all platforms equally after Sega left the hardware industry (sniff), his favourite games include Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams, Zelda BotW, Sea of Thieves, Sega Rally Championship and Treasure Island Dizzy.

Read more
A picture of a Nintendo 3DS console next to several of the best 3DS games and Nintendo cards.
The 25 best Nintendo 3DS games of all time
 
 
best GBA games: A screenshot of someone playing Pokémon on a Game Boy Advanced.
The 25 best Game Boy Advance games of all time
 
 
DS
The 25 best DS games of all time
 
 
Close up of Virtual Boy logo on accessory with red backdrop
After 30 years, 2 never-before-released Virtual Boy games escape Nintendo jail on Switch, including a canceled F-Zero racer and a unique platformer from the Fire Emblem studio
 
 
The best NES games: a screenshot of collection of NES games and a Nintendo console.
The 10 best NES games of all time
 
 
Hand holding Mario Game and Watch handheld with Super Mario 2 NES cartridge and Japanese Disc System game on woodgrain table.
The Mario Game and Watch isn't my favorite version, but it does at least have the real sequel for MAR10 day
 
 
Latest in Retro
Hand holding Mario Game and Watch handheld with Super Mario 2 NES cartridge and Japanese Disc System game on woodgrain table.
The Mario Game and Watch isn't my favorite version, but it does at least have the real sequel for MAR10 day
 
 
Close up of PS1 console on woodgrain TV bench next to OSSC with Sir Dan MediEvil figure on top.
If Sony thinks surge pricing won't prompt me to shun new-gen consoles and go back to the PS1, it should think again
 
 
Original NES console next to Sony CRT PVM with Mega Man 2 intro on screen.
After years of torturing myself over NES color accuracy, it turns out there is no consensus for how the retro console should look
 
 
Hand holding Super Pocket Data East Edition with Super Burger Time on screen.
The Super Pocket is down to a no-brainer price, but I'd hang fire if you prefer N64 platformers like Banjo-Kazooie
 
 
Split Image with top of Nintendo PlayStation developer prototype top on left and SNES (Super Famicom) with Super Wild Card attachment inserted on right.
The "oldest" Nintendo PlayStation add-on now lives at the National Videogame Museum, and it almost looks like one of my weird SNES accessories
 
 
Original PS2 console on right and Sony PVM CRT TV on right with Silent Hill 2 intro featuring Maria on screen.
26 years ago today, the PS2 arrived and changed console gaming as we know it, and I'm giving it modern gifts for its birthday
 
 
Latest in News
Yuta getting ready to attack in Jujutsu Kaisen season 3
Jujutsu Kaisen actor offers perfect response to why AI should stay out of anime
 
 
Pickmon
Pokemon fan artist alleges new Palworld clone Pickmon "stole one of my designs"
 
 
Life is Strange
Join Chloe and Max on a "fiery weekend" for a better glimpse into Life is Strange: Reunion at the Future Games Show this week
 
 
Mortal Kombat movie
Mortal Kombat 2 star joins in with Street Fighter movie beef after Game Awards dig because he "loves a good rivalry"
 
 
Mackenyu as Zoro in One Piece season 2
One Piece season 2 actor Mackenyu says he learned Roronoa Zoro's 15-minute 1 vs 100 fight in just 6 hours
 
 
Fujino and Kyomoto eating in Look Back
Live-action adaptation of Chainsaw Man creator's Look Back will escape Japanese cinemas and come to the west
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Virtual Boy for Switch 2 sitting on coffee table with TV in backdrop displaying Wario Land gameplay.
    1
    I respect the Virtual Boy as a collectable Switch 2 gadget, but it’s not exactly a retro console remake
  2. 2
    Bizarre Lineage codes (March 2026) for free Stat Point Essence, Rare Chests, and more
  3. 3
    The Thrustmaster T248R is making me question where a sim racing wheel with no direct drive and no modular wheelbase fits in the market in 2026
  4. 4
    These Mario Day-inspired Switch 2 accessories will power up your console more than a super star
  5. 5
    Pokemon fan artist alleges new Palworld clone Pickmon "stole one of my designs," saying "they didn't even try to change something and make it a bit less obvious"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...