The Nintendo 3DS Gang

I lovingly refer to these guys as "The 3DS Gang", partially because they for the most part sadly don't have real names. This little group perfectly encapsulates Nintendo at their peak of "giving mascots to absolutely everything", something painfully lost on them these days. Most of these guys serve little to no purpose outside of dialogue or something to appear on the Home Screen banner, and yet they still somehow are crammed full of charming design. There are probably a lot more hidden around the system that I just didn't manage to get around to, but these were my 4 favourites and I'd argue the 4 most prevalent ones that everybody saw at least once.

Mr. AR

A bizarre little box creature, used as the somewhat in the background mascot of one of the 3DS' premiere features, the ability to display AR content. Using a selection of cards packaged free alongisde every early-era system, players were able to hold them to their 3DS camera and see detailed 3D models of everything from Mario, their own Mii, and even a dragon covered in weird targets. This little yellow box would often cameo between the transitions of the games available in the software, as well as appearing on the software's home-screen banner. Unfortunately AR on the 3DS saw very scarce use outside of this game (except for its excellent use in Tomodachi Life), leading to later 3DS models abandoning the pack-in cards entirely. Nevertheless, since 'AR Games' came preinstalled on every system regardless, it's very likely that almost every 3DS user has seen this little yellow box at some point during their time with the system.

Home Menu — Mr. AR as he appears on the home menu

3D Gameplay — Mr. AR alongside other Nintendo characters in the software's photo mode

Internet Settings Helper

Possibly the most obscure of the 3DS' already obscure mascots, and yet also quite possibly one of the most helpful. The Internet Settings Helper (referred to in the instruction manual as 'Helper Icon', and supposedly in the audio files as 'InetKun') Was a small rectangular robot(?) that could be tapped on to display helpful advice or troubleshoot users attempting to connect their 3DS systems to the Internet. Tapping on him would make him begin speaking with an adorable sequence of chirps and beeps. He seems to have become one of the better known mascots of the system thanks to his association with the Internet Settings, which has become very notorious since its inception for how much of an absolute vibe its music was.. Regardless, while ultimately quite hidden off, and sadly very unnecessary now that online services for the 3DS have been discontinued, it's nice to know that InetKun will always live on, if for nothing but that absolute banger that accompanied him.

The 3DS eShop Bag

Maybe the most infamous of the four characters, if only because he may serve as a lasting beacon of the endlessly charming personality 2010s Nintendo was full of. Premiering alongside the launch of the 3DS in 2012 (NA), the Nintendo eShop served as Nintendo's successor to the legendary DSi and Wii Shop channels. A bright landscape of exclusives, free software, endless trailers and video content, all bathed in that glossy orange and set to one of many incredible original pieces of music made for the software. The eShop would eventually see its way over to the Wii U in 2012, and continues to this day (in a much more neutered state) with the Nintendo Switch family of systems, but all of those continuations despite their similarities were missing one unique feature only present in the original 3DS client: this guy. Occasionally popping up while you charmingly watched your download represented as bubbles filling up a giftbox, and always being there to greet you as the eShop was loading, this little bag exemplifies the charm of the 3DS arguably more than any other of these mascots. It calls back to a time when Nintendo WANTED to add character and identity to their systems, not because they felt like they had to, but because they wanted to. This little bag is wholly unnecessary in the grander scope of the eShop, and yet with the totally soulless graveyard Nintendo's online storefronts have become under the Switch, and him being all but laid to rest with the closure of the 3DS eShop in March 2023, I find myself missing him more and more.

Game Library — The eShop Bag on the download screen

Alternate Screenshot — The bottom loading screen of the eShop as it loads.

The StreetPass Bunny (SalesBunny)

Nintendo were once such a sociable company, creating products and experiences continuously designed around bringing people together. Nothing they've ever done has encouraged nerds to get up and meet people more than Streetpass, a once-in-a-lifetime service premiering with the launch of the 3DS. Simply take your 3DS outside, walk around for a bit, go to a convention, and wait for that little light on the corner of the system to turn green. That's a feeling better than waking up on Christmas morning, knowing that you've encountered another 3DS user in the wild, and get to add them to your mini community of Miis all situated in another piece of packaged-in 3DS Software, The StreetPass Mii Plaza, run by this guy, the StreetPass Bunny, also known as SalesBunny. Occasionally popping up to let you know about brand new features of the system, helping you edit your settings, and showing you around the numerous games that would eventually be added to the service. He'd notably take a more prominent role in introducing the software's premium service brought about at a later date, named 'Streetpass Premium', which allowed users to, for a small fee, unlock a myriad of brand new minigames that all took advantage of the 3DS' social features. I'm still not quite sure why Nintendo has such a thing for bunny mascots, but nevertheless I'll always be grateful to this little guy for serving as the mascot of what I'd consider the 3DS' crowning feature. If you ever see me in person, you better make damn sure you've got your 3DS on you, cus if I don't see that green light blinking within a few minutes of our conversation, you're no true friend of mine.