Summary

• The Nintendo 3DS had a great library of games that utilized its unique features, making it a popular and comfortable handheld console.
• Many of the best games for the 3DS are still being played today, with some becoming classics and inspiring other titles.
• Games like Bravely Default, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, and Pokémon Sun and Moon were highly regarded for their innovative gameplay and recieved positive reviews from fans and critics.

The Nintendo 3DS family of handheld consoles are still used by many today due mainly to the incredible library of games released for them. Features such as dual screens, touchscreen, 3D capability, and the Street all helped set the little handheld apart from its predecessors and the competition. These mechanics were used to great effect for many of the titles that were designed for the system, but even games that did not use its unique technology were still good.

It is difficult to narrow down the best games for the Nintendo 3DS line, as so many of these games are still great, even if Nintendo no longer s the systems. Despite the 3DS having been introduced in 2011, they are still regularly played, and many of its games went on to become classic favorites or even inspire other titles over the coming decade. This list has been crafted based on review scores and focuses on games that originally debuted on Nintendo with the 3DS rather than the many that were ported over from the Nintendo 64.

15 Shin Megami Tensei 4 (2013)

Developed By Atlus

The related Persona series may have eclipsed Shin Megami Tensei in popularity in recent years, but the SMT series is still royalty in the RPG genre. There's no need to worry about jumping in with Shin Megami Tensei 4, which takes place in its own world and lacks any relevant connections to prior games in the franchise. A samurai protagonist has to protect a kingdom against a demon threat, but militancy isn't always the only option, with a negotiation system that can sometimes bring a different end to combat encounters.

Shin Megami Tensei 4 packs a lot of atmosphere into a handheld experience, and the length and complexity of the experience make no compromises compared to console counterparts. It's a challenging game that's still a bit more approachable for newcomers than older SMT titles. There's also Shin Megami Tensei 4: Apocalypse, an alternate timeline follow-up that refines the mechanics.

14 Mario Kart 7 (2011)

Developed By Nintendo & Retro Studios

Mario Kart is one of the most reliable franchises in the business, and Mario Kart 7 delivers on that consistent streak of fundamentally fun gameplay. It also follows a tradition of packing some innovation into the handheld entries, contributing the ability to glide through the skies and take the race underwater, features that returned in the iconic Mario Kart 8 and its Deluxe port on the Switch.

Mario Kart 7 still doesn't stand at the pinnacle of the series, with some limitations like a lack of interesting single-player options and awkwardly balanced item distribution. Even so, jumping into a quick Mario Kart 7 race or settling down for a Grand Prix remains a delight, especially when the excellent multiplayer comes into play.

13 Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (2012)

Developed By Chunsoft

One of the most interesting titles for the Nintendo DS was 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, and its 3DS successor, Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, is a fantastic follow-up. A branching, complex story mixes a story-heavy visual novel approach with a healthy dose of puzzles, providing a potentially engaging experience even for those who typically steer clear of visual novels.

A big part of Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward's appeal lies in its interesting characters, who feature memorable secrets that are revealed over the course of the game. Choices made throughout the story, some forcing the player to ally with characters or betray them, impact the path to 24 different endings. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward is a lot darker than the average Nintendo 3DS game, but for those who aren't looking for a family-friendly option, it's an excellent choice.

12 Shovel Knight (2014)

Developed By Yacht Club Games

Shovel Knight is one of the most iconic indie platformers of the modern age, and that cultural status was well-earned. As a precisely engineered homage and update to franchises like Mega Man and Castlevania, Shovel Knight nails all the basics while adding its own unique points of appeal.

Fantastic level design is built smartly around Shovel Knight's core mechanic of shovel bouncing, which resembles movement options in Ducktales and Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link. A consistent level of challenges asks players to master its mechanics without ever feeling unfair or needlessly frustrating, and vibrant art and fun enemy designs keep things engaging on a moment-to-moment basis. Shovel Knight doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it doesn't have to be a fantastic Nintendo 3DS game.

11 Kid Icarus: Uprising (2012)

Developed By Project Sora

Nintendo has let a lot of franchises fall by the wayside over the years, but long gaps in releases can occasionally be punctuated by surprising comebacks. One perfect example of this concept is Kid Icarus: Uprising, a 3DS follow-up to the NES title Kid Icarus and Game Boy sequel Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters.

Unlike the platformers that preceded it, Kid Icarus: Uprising takes a third-person shooter approach that flings the protagonist Pit through intense on-rails airborne segments mixed with more freeform sections on land. The innovative result impresses in almost every regard, with fantastic presentation, an engaging story, and gameplay that isn't quite like anything else on the 3DS. Kid Icarus: Uprising's control scheme can be difficult to work with, but it's well-worth pushing past any frustrations.

10 Bravely Default (2012)

Developed By Silicon Studio

Bravely Default is an innovative turn-based RPG featuring a party of four characters in a world known as Luxendarc. The battle and job systems in the game were innovative for the genre and went on to inspire other games in addition to its own sequel. This, combined with its large number of interesting character classes, fantastic soundtrack, deep narrative, and beginner-friendly formula, made it a popular title that many have compared to Final Fantasy.

9 Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (2014)

Developed By Capcom

The Monster Hunter series continues to release new games, but Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate for the Nintendo 3DS is heralded as one of the best games on those handhelds for its dynamic monster-hunting experience that involves being able to ride on top of monsters while attacking and the vertical freedom to scale walls. The inclusion of two new weapon classes provided a new experience for longtime fans, and yet the game is very beginner-friendly overall. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate also added online multiplayer to the series, letting friends together in hunting the 98 monsters in the game over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

8 Pokémon Sun And Moon (2016)

Developed By Game Freak

Pokémon Sun and Moon added 81 pocket monsters to the series, new Alolan forms of some of the prior Pokémon, and was the first to debut the extradimensional Ultra Beasts. Set in the beautifully tropical Alola region, these games presented the powerful Z-Moves that could be used once per battle and Poké Rides to call Pokémon not in the current team to help in a battle if necessary. Its switched-up battle interface formula helped to make the series more -friendly and led to the game receiving many very positive reviews from fans and critics alike.

7 Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (2013)

Developed By Next Level Games

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon was the sequel to the 2001 GameCube title Luigi's Mansion and included a new multiplayer mode for both local and online play with friends. In addition to its adventure game characteristics of putting Luigi in the leading role while looking for treasures and defeating ghosts, it also is responsible for introducing the adorable Polterpup ghostly canine who was a mischievous thief of items that Luigi needed to complete the game, but inevitably became Luigi's phantom pet. A remaster of Dark Moon is currently in development and scheduled to be released in the summer of 2024.

6 Pokémon X And Y (2013)

Developed By Game Freak

The Pokémon X and Y games earned themselves some of the highest Metacritic ratings for any game in the series due to their 3D graphics and gameplay innovations, such as being the first game to have Mega Evolutions. This was also the first game to allow players to customize their avatar, adding to the immersive quality of the game and making good use of its art style. Fairy-type Pokémon were revealed in these games as a balance to Dragon-type attacks, and the new battle format of Sky Battles that featured duels between flying Pokémon were also introduced.