Nintendo’s New 3DS and New 3DS XL represent the pinnacle of handheld gaming greatness. Sure, the PlayStation Vita has some excellent games on it too, but with Nintendo’s strong third-party support and excellent first-party titles, nothing compares to what the New 3DS and New 3DS XL can offer.
Annoyingly, Nintendo has only released a handful of exclusive titles for the New 3DS – pretty much every new 3DS game will work on the 3DS and 3DS XL too. Being able to play any 3DS game on any version of your 3DS is great, but when there are more than 480 games to pick from, the real question is which titles are worth your time?
If you’re looking for the best 3DS games for your 3DS, New 3DS, 3DS XL or New 3DS XL, we’ve put together a list of the absolute must-have 3DS games around.
Best New 3DS and 3DS XL games:
1. Best New 3DS games in 2017: Super Mario 3D Land
You can’t have a Nintendo console without a Super Mario title at the heart of it. It may not have been the launch title the 3DS sorely needed but now it’s finally arrived – a couple of years after the 3DS’s release – Super Mario 3D Land is unequivocally the best 3DS platformer around.
Making excellent use of the 3DS’s stereoscopic tech to play with perspective, Nintendo has crafted one of the finest entries in the Super Mario series yet. Not only is it quite a challenge to find all three Star Coins hidden in each level, but once you reach the end of World 8, that’s really only the start of where Super Mario 3D Land takes off.
2. Best New 3DS games in 2017: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies
Been itching to try a Phoenix Wright game? Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies is the place to start. It gets right into the action from the word go, succinctly introducing the characters of the Ace Attorney series without confusing newcomers to who they are. The superb and absurd storylines that made past entries so fantastic remain, and the addition of new cross-examination techniques means that trials rarely become a bore. If you’re waiting to start your court career, sink your teeth into this.
3. Best New 3DS games in 2017: Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Looking for a meaty RPG experience for your New 3DS? Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King is for you. A lovingly revamped version of the PS2 original, Journey of the Cursed King is both an excellent introduction into the long-running Dragon Quest series of JRPGs and meaty enough to keep you busy for hours on end.
Strangely, Square Enix didn’t really bother with the 3DS’s 3D capabilities, which does diminish the experience somewhat. But almost 13 years after its initial release, Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King still stands the test of time.
4. Best New 3DS games in 2017: BoxBoxBoy
BoxBoxBoy’s premise is simple: solve puzzles by generating boxes and using them to push switches, block lasers, climb ledges and more. Sequel to the equally fantastic 3DS title BoxBoy, BoxBoxBoy steadily teaches you the skills you’ll need to overcome puzzles before cleverly and subtly weaving them together into later levels. Not only is this one of the best puzzle titles on the 3DS, it’s excellent for those who can’t devote enough time to playing the likes of Professor Layton.
5. Best New 3DS games in 2017: Monster Hunter Generations
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate was the best entry in the series in terms of accessibility, fun and scope, but now Generations has come along to knock it off its perch. As with every iteration of the Monster Hunter franchise, Capcom has squeezed out even more enjoyment from what many could see as a tired formula.
Featuring new special attacks, combat styles and the ability to play as Felynes, this is the most comprehensive handheld Monster Hunter yet. If you’ve been put off by the steep learning curves of past Monster Hunter titles, worry not: Generations eases you gently into the world of monster hunting. That’s not to say this entry is easygoing, though – veterans will still find all the tough challenges the series has become famous for.
6. Best New 3DS games in 2017: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Having started as a simple remake of the SNES game The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Nintendo’s efforts grew to become the gargantuan The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds– the best Zelda title in years. Unlike previous Zelda games, A Link Between Worlds gives you complete free reign over the land of Hyrule. Here you can venture into any dungeon, in any order, at any point in time, and all your weapons and tools are rented instead of found. It may sound extreme, but it’s an incredibly liberating experience and makes this entry shine far brighter than either Majora’s Mask and Ocarina of Time on 3DS.
7. Best New 3DS games in 2017: Fire Emblem Fates
With Fire Emblem Heroes now out on Android, you may already have a hankering for this fantastic and unrelenting fantasy strategy game. Fates is arguably the best entry in the Fire Emblem series yet – a tough-as-nails strategic tale of kingdoms, romances and crushing defeats. Available in three different versions – just to confuse you even more – Fates’ alternate versions aren’t just different storylines, they’re tailored to appeal to slightly different player skill levels. Fire Emblem or strategy newbies can sink their teeth into Birthright, while Conquest is there for veterans of the genre. Those who’d like a challenge, but can’t quite hack the toughness of Conquest can enjoy Revelation instead.
8. Best New 3DS games in 2017: Pokémon Sun and Moon
You can’t have a Nintendo handheld without a Pokémon game. While the 3DS already had one in the form of Pokémon X and Y, last year’s Sun and Moon represent a giant leap in what players expect of a Pokémon game. Having refined the Pokémon model over the past 20 years, Sun and Moon follow the similar template of playing a young Pokémon trainer as they amass gym badges, collect pokémon and become the best trainer in the world. This time around, however, Game Freak has shaken the series up with new “Z-moves”, expanded Mega Evolutions, “Ultra Beasts” and a new pet-like “Pokémon Refresh” feature.
Sun and Moon are also the first games in the series to eschew the more traditionally Japanese- and European-style settings in favour of a Hawaiian and Pacific Islander aesthetic. Not only does this lend Sun and Moon a different feel from past entries, but it opens up interesting opportunities in the game’s day/night cycle, including Moon’s game clock running 12 hours ahead than that of Sun– which runs on the 3DS’s internal clock.
9. Best New 3DS games in 2017: Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Moving into a new home can be an overwhelming experience. And that experience can be made worse when moving into a new town on your own – especially when you unexpectedly have to take on the role of Mayor! Thankfully the whole experience is softened by the return of familiar faces from across the Animal Crossing series and the relaxed pace at which events unfold.
Unlike a typical action-packed 3DS blockbuster, New Leaf only asks you to dip your toe in for a few minutes a day, as the world ticks by while you aren’t playing. Jump in and resolve some of the town’s issues, expand your home and help your residents – and then come back and do it all again tomorrow. It’s the perfect cure to the blues of adult life.
10. Best New 3DS games in 2017: Super Mario Maker 3DS
Super Mario Maker on the Wii U had two shortcomings: It didn’t really teach you how to build levels, and it wasn’t portable. Super Mario Maker 3DS solves both of those problems in a succinct package that just keeps on giving.
If you’re hungry for endless Mario action, Super Mario Maker 3DS has you covered. Not only can you play your way through a meaty 100-level Challenge Mode – which has 200 challenges to complete – but there are endless downloadable, player-created levels to play through too. There’s also a helpful level-creation tutorial to build your own fiendish courses for others to complete. It’s literally the perfect game for any Mario fan.
11. Best New 3DS games in 2017: Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward
Dark, sprawling and completely deranged, Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward is an expertly crafted visual-novel, escape-the-room game that just keeps on giving. As a pseudo-sequel to Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, in Virtue’s Last Reward you take on the role of a prisoner trapped in a warehouse with eight other prisoners, playing your part in the deadly Nonary Game hosted by your captor Zero.
To survive, you’ll have to escape various locked rooms via fiendish point-and-click puzzles, uncover who’s murdering other contestants and find out the truth behind Zero and the Nonary Game. It’s no ordinary adventure game, either, with multiple endings and time-jumping mechanics so you can go back and play out different story strands to solve the mystery. It’s not a game for those wanting something fast-paced and low on dialogue, but if you’re a lover of puzzles and a good story, Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward is for you.
