Growing up almost everything I got was 2nd hand and as a grown ass adult, I still rarely if ever get anything “brand new” things these days.
That said Christmas is coming soon and with Pokemon Sun and Moon being released on tomorrow on November 18th, I know there are going to be a few people who may end getting themselves a 3DS or asking for one in the near future.
For those who are in a similar boat as I was and still am and pretty much perpetually stuck buying second hand gear, if you end up getting a 3DS with a parental lock and don’t have access to e-mail address that’s associated with the parental lock, you can still reset it.
This works for the 3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS, New 3DS, New 3DS XL and I’m pretty sure it works for the Japanese LL versions(which are the same as the XL versions but for the Japanese Domestic Market or JDM).
Technically speaking, this is really only for folks living in the US but will work outside as well. Since I’m in Canada, I’m technically supposed to call Nintendo of Canada but I got this to work as well.
If you’re looking for a Master Code generator, you’re wasting your time here. Unless you have an older 3DS that hasn’t been updated in a loooooong time, the Master Code generators you find on the net for the most part don’t work anymore since an update Nintendo put out over a year ago. This is the proper method Nintendo wants you to use. It’ll cost you a whopping $0.50 USD.
You’ll need the units serial number (located on the back), the Inquiry number (more on this after) and an e-mail address for Nintendo’s automated system to e-mail you the master code.
To get the inquiry number goto SYSTEM->PARENTAL CONTROLS->FORGOT PIN->I FORGOT->When prompted to send an e-mail, hit CANCEL. You will see a screen with your Inquiry number. (it should be 8-10 digits long).
As mentioned earlier, this online automated system only works for those in the US. If you’re elsewhere they want you to call your countries distributor or something, but thankfully, you can still lie and say you’re in the US. For tax verification they’ll ask what state. I just use NY and found a random zip code on Google.
They’ll need some sort of credit card to prove you’re an adult and charge the card $0.50USD. I’m not too sure if VISA debit also works but I don’t see why not.
Once you get all that info entered, you’re pretty much done.
The Master Key is only valid for a couple of days and should be 5 digits. The 3DS does not “call home” for any activation and doesn’t have to be online at all. If you enter the Master Key and it says something about it being invalid, the most common error I found is the date being wrong. if that’s the case, you can change it in your system settings.
I hope that helps some folks who ended up getting a second hand 3DS and wanted to get rid of the parental lock.
Cheers,
Budd