25 Nintendo 3DS Games That Are Essential to Any Collection Written by Philip Bates
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! Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! 25 Nintendo 3DS Games That Are Essential to Any Collection Written by Philip Bates Published May 2017. Read the original article here: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/nintendo-3ds-games- essential-collection/ This ebook is the intellectual property of MakeUseOf. It must only be published in its original form. Using parts or republishing altered parts of this ebook is prohibited without permission from MakeUseOf.com. Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Table of contents Action/Adventure 4 1. LEGO Jurassic World (2015) [UK] 4 2. Kid Icarus: Uprising (2012) [UK] 4 3. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon (2013) [UK] 5 4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (2013) [UK] 5 5. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (2011) [UK] 5 Fighting 6 6. Super Smash Bros. for 3DS (2014) [UK] 6 Platformer 6 7. Kirby: Triple Deluxe (2014) [UK] 6 8. New Super Mario Bros. 2 (2012) [UK] 7 9. Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse (2014) [UK] 7 10. Shovel Knight (2014) [UK] 8 11. Sonic Generations (2011) [UK] 8 12. Super Mario 3D Land (2011) [UK] 8 Puzzle 9 13. Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask (2012) [UK] 9 14. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (2014) [UK] 9 Role-Playing 10 15. Bravely Default (2014) [UK] 10 16. Mario and Luigi: Dream Team (2013) [UK] 10 17. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (2015) [UK] 10 18. Pokйmon Alpha Sapphire / Omega Ruby (2014) [UK/UK] 11 19. Pokйmon Sun / Moon (2016) [UK/UK] 11 Simulation 12 20. Animal Crossing: New Leaf (2012) [UK] 12 21. Cooking Mama 5: Bon Appetit! (2014) [UK] 12 Sports 13 22. Mario Golf: World Tour (2014) [UK] 13 23. Mario Kart 7 (2011) [UK] 13 Strategy 13 24. Fire Emblem: Awakening (2013) [UK] 13 Visual Novel 14 25. Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward (2012) [UK] 14 Get Playing! 15 Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Whether you’ve just picked up a 3DS, or have owned one for a while, there’s never a bad time to expand your games library. But with the wealth of titles on offer, how do you choose? Allow us to show you the very best titles for your handheld console. There should be plenty in this list for everyone, but not every game will appeal to all. However, even if you’re not keen on racing games, for instance, you can still give those discussed a try because if anything will change your mind, it’ll be these! We’re excluding eShop titles because the scope is simply too great. Additionally, it’s not fair to include Virtual Console releases from previous systems such as the Game Boy. Thus, the following 25 games are retail releases for the 3DS family, so they all work on the New 3DS XL (our review) and 2DS (our review). Note that many of these titles are also on the 3DS eShop if you prefer digital downloads, or if physical prices are too expensive. Genres are listed alphabetically, as are the games within each section, so we’re not giving any particular preference. Action/Adventure 1. LEGO Jurassic World (2015) [UK] LEGO games don’t always command the best reviews, but they remain hugely popular with the buying public. This game perfectly encapsulates why LEGO is such a massive brand, more so than its fellow LEGO titles for the 3DS. Children will love exploring the environs of Jurassic World. For “big kids” who remember the original trilogy of films (or have read Michael Crichton’s brilliant novels), you also get the chance to play campaigns from Jurassic Park, and its two sequels. The later movies are available as unlockable content, so there’s plenty to do in this game. Watch the YouTube video here: LEGO JURASSIC WORLD Game Trailer (2015) It’s a divisive title, but if you embrace it for what it is, you’ll find it an enormous amount of fun. Plus, you get to build and play as a LEGO dinosaur. Beat that. Love this? You’ll also like — LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (2013) [UK] 2. Kid Icarus: Uprising (2012) [UK] You might recall Pit the angel from two incarnations of Super Smash Bros., but not realize his legacy stretches back to 1986. Before 2012, his most recent appearance in his own series was in Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters on Game Boy. That was in 1991. Watch the YouTube video here: Nintendo 3DS - Kid Icarus: Uprising Launch Trailer When Pit came back to a handheld console, he did so in style. Sporting a new look and complete with new abilities, this angelic archer proved himself the hero our gaming landscape needed. This is a third-person shooter, and you can fight missions in the air or on the ground. It looks fantastic, though the controls admittedly take some getting used to. As a neat addition, you can change the difficulty of levels, meaning this has great replay value. Plus, it’s a rare title that takes advantage of the 3DS’s cameras and augmented reality capabilities. If you want to test out your system and have great fun at the same time, Uprising is an essential purchase. Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Love this? You’ll also like — Star Fox 64 3D (2011) [UK] 3. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon (2013) [UK] If there’s something strange in the neighborhood, who you gonna call? Luigi! Watch the YouTube video here: Nintendo 3DS - Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon Launch Trailer Mario’s bubbly brother is back in one of his few outings as a game’s sole protagonist, Dark Moon. This is the long-awaited follow-up to the 2001 GameCube title Luigi’s Mansion, and sees Luigi return to vacuuming up ghosts. This time, he’s collecting pieces of the Dark Moon — an object that pacifies the spirits in the vicinity — after it’s shattered by King Boo. This release is full to the brim with ingenuity, whimsy, and most importantly, heart. It’s accordingly received overwhelmingly positive reviews, and has sold some 5.2 million units worldwide, as of the end of 2016. Love this? You’ll also like — Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam (2015) [UK] 4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (2013) [UK] How do you choose which Legend of Zelda game to pick up? The series has a considerable following who would happily recommend most of the titles featuring Link. Numerous 3DS installments makes narrowing it down even tougher. Watch the YouTube video here: Nintendo 3DS - The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds E3 Trailer But there’s something truly special about A Link Between Worlds. The 2013 game appropriately harks back to its SNES cousin, A Link to the Past. It’s not only set on the same world as its predecessor, but also manages to evoke the feel of classic gaming thanks to an open-ended design. It’s also perfect for those who enjoy exploration, and anyone fresh from Breath of the Wild! It’s smart, imaginative, and looks beautiful. The little knowing nods to source material will satisfy the long-term Zelda fans, but not to an extent that excludes complete newcomers. And because it’s a Nintendo Selects title — meaning it’s sold particularly well and showcases the best the system has to offer — you can pick it up cheaply. Love this? You’ll also like — The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (2015) [UK] 5. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (2011) [UK] We couldn’t leave it at just one Legend of Zelda game, especially considering the quality of content on offer. Watch the YouTube video here: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D - Nintendo 3DS - Trailer This title is, of course, a remake of the Nintendo 64 (N64) game of the same name, and what’s perhaps most startling is how great the gameplay remains. The 1998 original is generally considered as one of the greatest games of all time; this Ocarina of Time remaster can easily maintain that accolade. Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! After much press hype, a lot was riding on the remake. Thankfully, its updated graphics, quality of life tweaks, and unlockable Master Quest cemented the title’s reputation, garnering numerous 10/10 reviews. Love this? You’ll also like — The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D (2015) [UK] Fighting 6. Super Smash Bros. for 3DS (2014) [UK] There are few fighting games available for the 3DS, but at least we have Super Smash Bros., the first handheld version of the popular brawler. Watch the YouTube video here: Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS - Launch Trailer Of course, you might’ve picked up its Wii U brother already. That home console sadly hasn’t sold as well as it should’ve, so it’s more than likely you’ve got a 3DS instead. This version hasn’t got as many stages as the Wii U counterpart due to limited space, but you do get the superb Smash Run and the enjoyable Street Smash modes. And this is where the 2014 title comes into its own. Super Smash Bros. was always best when playing against other gamers, not the computer. The 3DS’ portability means you can easily challenge your family and friends wherever you go, and still enjoy the same roster (including the newly-added Bowser Jr., Greninja, and Mii characters). Our coverage of Smash 3DS concluded: [T]his version of Smash screams to be enjoyed in short bursts. You don’t have to wait for the system to boot up and tweak a bunch of settings.