Summary
Creating a console like the3DSis a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it opens up so many unique ways to play and make games. There are games on the 3DS that could never exist elsewhere, purely by merit of its design. However, that also makes the console next to impossible to emulate in a fashion that in any way resembles the actual console.
Of course, for those who managed to grab plenty of games before the eShop’s demise and still hold the original hardware, then you have some incredible experiences that can’t be found anywhere else. So let’s take a look at some of the best 3DS games there are that haven’t found a way off the console just yet.
The Pokemon games have had such a complicated history, in recent years especially. Being one of the biggest, most lucrative media franchises in the world, you would think the mainline games would be held to a higher standard, though deadlines are deadlines. That said, all of the games still have something special, and the 3DS entries had some heart.
Sun and Moon, despite initially feeling somewhat unfinished until the Ultra versions, had a great sense of art design, and some of the best Pokemon in the series. Add on a series of genuinely lovable characters and a truly heartfelt story, you have one of the prettiest games on the platform, and the last one that contained every single Pokemon.
In the West, Fire Emblem was a touch-and-go series for quite a while, and in the years since its initial Japanese debut, the popularity of the series had begun to dwindle. Fire Emblem Awakening was a last-ditch effort to raise its fame again, and what a resounding success that was. Fire Emblem Awakening is not just one of the best 3DS games, but one of the best Fire Emblem games.
Introducing fan-favourites Chrom and Lucina, Awakening followed a more linear plot than its later successor, but was all the stronger for it. The characters you recruited determined your available options, and each mission had more than just routing the enemy. It was tactically diverse, and had a strong story to back it up.
For a time, it seemed likeMetroid was consigned to history. Metroid Fusion on the Game Boy Advance was the last side-scrolling entry, and Metroid Prime had gone on hiatus. And then, seemingly out of nowhere, Metroid: Samus Returns appeared, ushering in a grand revival of the series.
Samus Returns was a 3D remake of Metroid 2: The Return of Samus from the original Game Boy. It added lots of quality of life and a world of colour, all the while introducing a bevy of new gameplay mechanics. This included the parry mechanic, a foundational element of the later Metroid Dread.
7Shin Megami Tensei 4
While it may have gotten dwarfed for a time by its more popular spin-off series, Shin Megami Tensei came back strong with its fifth numbered entry, which also revived interest in earlier entries. While Shin Megami Tensei 3 remains readily available, Shin Megami Tensei 4 and its sequel, Apocalypse, remain confined to the 3DS.
The game has a fascinating style, with the world explored in 3D, while battles take place against sprites. It is a beautiful presentation, if one that might not be to everyone’s tastes. You could even trade demons using the StreetPass system, a mechanic that would undeniably have to be reworked or removed entirely in a hopeful port.
There has rarely ever been a Mario Kart game that hasn’t been a runaway success, and that’s what Mario Kart 7 was for the 3DS. Like Mario Kart 8 and Deluxe for the Wii U and Switch, it is the console’s best-selling game by a significant margin. Mario Kart introduced plenty of series staples, like car customisation, and plenty of other unique features.
It also introduced the hang glider for more diverse tracks. Taking advantage of the 3DS, you could also play in first-person and use the 3DS like a steering wheel, tilting the whole system to drive. Bringing the SpotPass system into play, you could even collect the ghosts of other players so you could race against whenever you wanted.
While it may have been Monster Hunter World that gave the series its massive international presence, the series was always a massive success in Japan. The series started on Sony consoles before quickly transitioning to Nintendo’s consoles, the 3DS most of all. Following the successfulk port of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate came Monster Hunter 4, and its later Ultimate version.
This gameintroduced the now-beloved Charge Blade and Insect Glaive, as well as much of the movement mechanics that are now standard. The game put more emphasis on exploration, really making you take the time to admire the world you were moving through. And of course, it is the origin of everyone’s favourite demonic monster, Gore Magala.
Tomodachi Life falls somewhere between The Sims and Animal Crossing. It is a social simulation game, filled with Mii all with unique personality traits determined by the stat they were given at creation. The game is all about, well, living your life, and interacting with the other Miis all around you. This can be making friends, enemies, or even a lifelong partner.
Like Animal Crossing, the game takes place in real-time, encouraging you to check in on your Miis throughout the day rather than single-extended sessions. And like many 3DS games, it used the StreetPass system, allowing you to send certain Miis off as explorers to the islands of other players.
The success of Kid Icarus: Uprising is hard to overstate. Despite being a series with only three games total, Uprising has made the series seem so much bigger, and its designs have become the default for what the series is seen as. And on top of that incredible revival, it’s also an amazing game in its own right.
Uprising’s gameplay is split into two segments - aerial rail-shooter sections, and ground exploration. The aerial sections have more of a classic arcade feeling, while the ground exploration gives you more freedom in 3D environments. It was such a fun blend, especially for how it managed to make both styles mix together so seamlessly.
The Animal Crossing series has only ever gone from strength to strength and has never quite had the fame like it does now. That said, however, many would argue that the series peaked back on the 3DS with Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Who knew that being able to fit an entire island in your pocket would be such a good idea?
New Leaf excelled because it has constantly supported, and evengot an updated version to support amiibo. There was a massive diversity of activities you could do, and a gigantic cast of characters to meet, as well as lots of communal activities. It was a cosy game of a breed that is likely be never quite be matched.
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom ushered in a brand-new style for The Legend of Zelda, one that promotes extreme freedom and non-linearity over all else. This is great, but Nintendo had years prior already found the perfect blend of freedom and curation, and that was in A Link Between Worlds.
On top of an immaculate art direction that had Link turning into a painting, the sense of depth to the game felt so interesting on the 3DS' form factor. It was also a game abundant in content, and really carved out a niche of its own. It wouldn’t be impossible to port, but there would undeniably be something lost on a larger screen.
