Why I love the 3DS eShop

Online marketplaces are a really hard thing to nail down. They need to be simple, show off a lot of content, and have a sensical layout.

In this I believe the 3DS eShop does remarkably well, and it's probably one of the better but lesser-known/utilized features of the device. Frankly everyone should be on eShop buying up all of the amazing content available. 

First you'll need an actual 3DS (no duh..) and then connect it to the interwebs (o rly?) and one of the first icons/apps you'll find on the bottom screen is the eShop. Tap it and you're taken to one of the best examples of e-commerce.

To add money you need to pick up one of the prepaid points cards in stores or add money via credit card, pretty much how every other form of e-commerce is handled.

But the big winner here, the interface itself.

You don't see every single game that is available, or the top 25 bestseller games. Rather, it's broken down into easy to understand categories such as 'Mario games' where you will find, yep, all available Mario games in the eShop, whether they are classic games from the Gameboy days or newer digital releases.

You can also search for bestsellers, or 3D games to take advantage of the 3DS screen, or digital games that were on the DSi. There is a lot of content, and a lot of it is quite good, but it's always good to educate yourself and find out which games are fantastic and which ones are just a waste of time/money.

It's hard to explain why it's such an awesome experience, but basically I love how the games and apps are categorized, with unique and appealing images for each one. And it changes frequently depending on the available games. Sometimes I go on the eShop just to see the different sections there are.

The only issue I have with the store is that once you click download you need to wait until the game is finished downloading before you can go back and peruse some more, but it's not a huge deal as it normally doesn't take very long to download depending on your wi-fi network. Hopefully Nintendo will also address this in a future software update.

Some of the standout titles available on the eShop are Pushmo, VVVVVV, Let's Golf 3D, Mutant Mudds, Cave Story 3D, and more. The classic games will definitely bring that warm nostalgic feelings from yesteryear.

But if you have a 3DS or might pick one up (which I suggest you do, great little handheld) definitely check out the eShop, so much great content.