Serials

This page talks about the CTR procucts' serial strucutre. (The console, Its manual, its accessories, its games, etc...)

Serial structure

[Product][Retail/Demo]-CTR-[Type][Identifier][Region]

Product: Length=2, LN - Product type (Cartridges are LN, Game boxes are TS, Instruction manuals are MA, leaflets are FA, Quick-Start guides are MK)

Retail/Demo: Length=1, [A/Z] - Retail / Demo

CTR - 3DS' Codename Rumored to be Horizon

Type: Length=1, [A/C/H/J/S/P/T] - Retail / C is part of the default Serial 'CTAP' / H is used for built in applications like Mii Maker / J is for a normal eShop Title / S is 3D Classics eShop title / P is used with GBA e-shop titles / T is used with NES e-shop titles.

Identifier: Length=2, Game's name (made from letters and digits)

Region: Length=1, [E/P/J] - English (US) / Pal (Europe/Australia) / Japanese (Japan)

The longer version of the serial number adds a geographical region (usually because of extra languages)

Those are 3 letters codes at the end of the serial (can be found mostly on demos).

i.e. The code of the Canadian version of Mario Kart 7 is CAN [1]

Product Code

This is similar in structure to the serial, this is like the Title ID in the sense that it is a per title Identifier, but it is not checked by the 3DS Applications (It's like an internally used name). And follows this structure:

CTR-[P/N/T]-[Type][Identifier][Region]-[Region]-[Digit]

• P/N/T - P Generally used for games (note: for retail and dev games this is the same) / N Used for built in applications like Mii Maker and some eShop titles / T is used in some e-Shop demos
• [Type][Identifier][Region] - Same as in serial structure
• [Region] - A three character representation of the title region, i.e. 'EUR' (Not always present)
• [Digit] - A single digit usually '1' or '0' (Not always present)

So for example a Japanese copy of Ridge Racer 3D would have a Product Code of "CTR-P-ARRJ" and a Serial of "LNA-CTR-ARRJ"

Some eShop titles have Product Codes which differ from the above format:

CTR-[Type][Identifier][Region]-[Region]-[Digit]

• [Type][Identifier][Region] - Same as in serial structure
• [Region] - Same as in normal Product Code structure
• [Digit] - Same as in normal Product Code structure

Note: the additional [Region] and [Digit] identifiers aren't present in the actual Product Code, as found in the game's CXI. They are only found in the game's Home Menu Manual, and on the game's packaging/external labeling.

The Product Code "CTR-P-CTAP" is the default Product Code for developers.

You can check the product code at the end of the 'Health & Safety' section of the 'Manual' of your application in the Home menu.