Like the newer Nintendo 3DS XL, the Nintendo 3DS is region-locked. This means that the geographic region in which you purchase your Nintendo 3DS is also the region in which you should purchase your games.

There are three versions of the 3DS hardware, according to Nintendo: Japanese, American, and European/Australian. The Japanese and European versions of the Nintendo 3DS are also region-locked.

To understand the difference between a region-free device and a region-controlled device, it is best to use an example.

Let's say you bought a Nintendo 3DS in North America. Because the 3DS is locked to the region it was purchased in, it will not work with games downloaded from the Japanese or European markets.