Since its launch, one of the defining features of the Wii U has been Miiverse. It’s like a mini social network where players can post messages about the games they’re playing and have civilized discussions on just how funky a barn can be. Now Nintendo is finally bringing that experience to its handheld.

Nintendo announced this morning that Miiverse is finally on the 3DS thanks to a newly released system update. This update brings all the same functionality that you would expect from the Wii U version of Miiverse to the handheld. That means players can post their own unique drawings or screenshots from games to the service.

Interestingly enough, Nintendo says that Miiverse can be used even when the player is offline. You won’t be able to read any posts, but you can queue up to three new posts that can then be manually posted to Miiverse once the player gains access to the Internet again.

Alongside the Miiverse functionality, Nintendo is also bringing the Wii U’s Nintendo Network ID to its handheld. This will allow players to combine their Wii U and 3DS eShop accounts so that both devices share the same wallet. For example, you can now add $50 to your eShop wallet on the 3DS and then use that money across both the 3DS and Wii U.

If you don’t have a 3DS, you can still create a Nintendo Network ID on the 3DS. This is required if you want to download any free software from the eShop, like apps or demos. If you have no interest in free stuff, you’re not required to create an account as buying games and apps doesn’t require a Nintendo Network ID.

On a final note, Nintendo says this update allows players to transfer data from one 3DS to another an unlimited number of times. Previously, players could only transfer data between systems up to five times. While it’s unlikely that a person will buy more than five 3DS systems in their lifetime, it’s a nice option to have.

The Miiverse update for 3DS is available now. It will download automatically in the background and will prompt you to install the update next time you turn on your 3DS. If you can’t wait, you can manually download it from the System Settings page on the handheld.

[Image: Nintendo]