The Nintendo 3DS had a rough start. Initially, Nintendo’s innovative handheld console struggled to catch on like its Nintendo DS predecessor or the Wii, famously causing Nintendo to initiate a massive price cut mere months after launch. But as the years went by,3DSsales increased, and its library grew to be rather impressive. The Nintendo 3DS eventually became yet another hit handheld for the company, with support lasting nine years.
Sadly, Nintendo has recently announced that the3DS has been discontinued. With no major new games in development for the handheld, it’s time to look back at the titles that stand out as the absolute best the system has to offer.
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Here are the best Nintendo 3DS games. Please note that we stuck to one game per franchise, and also focused on original releases as opposed to remakes or remasters.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
TheAnimal Crossingfranchise really blew up withWild Worldon the DS, which sold over 11 million units over the course of its lifespan. Because of this, there was a considerable amount of hype forAnimal Crossing: New Leafon the Nintendo 3DS, and it’s safe to say that it exceeded expectations for many.New Leafdidn’t just replicate theWild Worldexperience with better graphics; it made major strides forward for the series, greatly enhancing the customization options, adding the ability to swim, and giving player a more active role in their town’s development by making them the mayor.
Bravely Default
Square Enix likes to experiment with itsFinal Fantasyseries, constantly switching up the characters, gameplay mechanics, and setting. However, there are those who wantFinal Fantasyto return to its roots, and for those fans, Square Enix releasedBravely Defaultfor the Nintendo 3DS.Bravely Defaultboasts many features associated with classicFinal Fantasygames, like a job system and turn-based battles, but it also established an identity of its own, spawning a high-quality RPG series in its own right.
Fire Emblem: Awakening
For decades, Nintendo kept theFire Emblemfranchise exclusive to Japan, believing that the games wouldn’t appeal to western audiences. But thenFire Emblemcharacters appeared inSuper Smash Bros. Melee, sparking newfound interest in the tactical RPG series. Nintendo finally started bringingFire Emblemgames to the west with varying degrees of success, but the franchise really broke out into the mainstream withFire Emblem: Awakeningon the 3DS. Appealing to newcomers and fans alike,Fire Emblem: Awakeningmade the franchise more accessible than it ever had been before.
Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon
The Nintendo GameCube launched withLuigi’s Mansion, a kid-friendly take on the survival-horror genre starring Mario’s brother Luigi. DespiteLuigi’s Mansionbeing a sales success, the series remained dormant for 12 years until Next Level Games and Nintendo finally releasedLuigi’s Mansion: Dark Moonon the 3DS.Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moonsuccessfully translated the originalLuigi’s Mansiongameplay to handheld form, while also adding a slew of new gameplay features, like a cooperative multiplayer mode.Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moonsold over 5 million units and successfully reinvigorated the series, withLuigi’s Mansion 3launching for the Nintendo Switch just last year.
Mario Kart 7
A Nintendo system just isn’t complete without its obligatorynewMario Kartgame, and Nintendo was quick to release a newMario Kartfor the 3DS. Nintendo wasn’t content to just rest on its laurels withMario Kart 7on the 3DS, though.Mario Kart 7features a number of major innovations for the franchise, including expanded vehicle customization, hang-gliders, first-person gameplay, and underwater driving.
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Pokemon X & Y
ThePokemonfranchise has long been one of Nintendo’s most popular franchises, especially when it comes to handhelds. NumerousPokemongames were released for the 3DS over the course of the handheld’s lifespan, but none had quite the same impact asPokemon X & Y.Pokemon X & Yhad a ton of new Pokemon for players to collect, plus it introducedMega Evolutionsto the franchise, giving classic fan favorite Pokemon brand new, more powerful forms.Pokemon X & Yalso represented a significant leap forward for the franchise’s visuals, as they were the first main seriesPokemongames released for the 3DS.
Pushmo
With its expanded online capabilities, the 3DS also featured a robust offering of digital-only titles through itseShop. One of the best games available on the eShop is undoubtedlyPushmofromFire Emblemstudio Intelligent Systems, along with its sequelsCrashmoandStretchmo.Pushmo’s unique puzzle-solving gameplay took advantage of the system’s 3D capabilities to create a genuinely unique experience that hasn’t really been properly replicated in any other games since.
Super Mario 3D Land
Similarly toPushmo,Super Mario 3D Landtakes advantage of the 3DS' unique glasses-free 3D capabilities to actually enhance the gameplay experience. While it’s totally possible to play through the game in 2D mode, there are definitely some things that get lost in translation. Regardless,Super Mario 3D Landis a high qualitySuper Marioplatforming experience that plays like a bite-sizedSuper Mario Galaxyin many ways.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo’sSuper Smash Bros.franchise has consistently been one of its top-sellers since it debuted on the Nintendo 64. It finally made its handheld debut on the 3DS withSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. Virtually the same game as the Wii U version,Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DSsuccessfully translated theSuper Smash Bros.fighting game experience to handheld form, with an impressive, expansive roster of characters to choose from.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
The 3DS was a great system forZeldafans. Besides the remakes ofOcarina of TimeandMajora’s Mask, the 3DS also featuredThe Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. The critically-acclaimed sequel toA Link to the Paston the SNES,A Link Between Worldsfeatured a number of major changes to theZeldaformula, with many of its gambles paying off.
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