10 Jaw-dropping 3DS Games selling like crazy
Updated: Feb 16
Can you play Nintendo 3DS game on Switch? Are 3DS coming back? The end of the 3DS is no surprise — the Nintendo Switch had replaced the 3DS as the company's state-of-the-art handheld, practically since its launch in early 2017. One of the most sold Nintendo 3DS games in 2022 was Animal Crossing New Leaf. See what Reddit & Influenster had to say about Nintendo 3DS. Thank you for stopping by gameProXL. You are a valued reader. Don't forget to rate this post at the end.
In this post we'll give you some exclusive insight on popular 3DS games you should consider. So let's dive right in.
The following post contains affiliate links from Amazon.com that allows gameProXL to earn a commission if you make a purchase.
No. 1 Pokemon Omega Ruby -- World Edition
Review Posted 6/17/22 on Amazon
While originally I believed this game may be bad due to having seen the recent attempts at remaking titles by Nintendo. I was astonished to see how faithful and well made this game was from the original sapphire and ruby titles. Being an emerald player myself it is a little different, but a great game nonetheless.
No. 2 Pokémon Y
Review Posted 9/22/22 on Amazon
The product photo shows the US version box, but you will almost certainly get the "world" (UAE / Singapore / Malaysia) version instead as of 2022. However, the cartridge sticker and the game on the cartridge are entirely identical to the US version, and work on North American 3DS/2DS consoles. It even says "USA" in the product code on the cartridge. The only differences are the paper insert in the case and the pamphlet inside the case. If you're collecting cases, you'll want to look elsewhere. But if you're collecting cartridges or just want to play the game, the listings here are great.
If you've played Pokemon X, you know what you're in for. If you're coming from the older DS games, this one's similar though perhaps easier. I found X/Y definitely lower difficulty, but that's partly because I did the petting, feeding and minigames in the "Amie" feature. Do this and your Pokemon will gain boosted exp the same as if they were holding a Lucky Egg, they'll get more crits, and they'll randomly hang on with 1 HP when they would otherwise faint, sometimes for multiple turns in a row. If you want more difficulty, don't pet your Pokemon.
No. 3 The LEGO Movie Videogame
Review Posted 4/12/15 on Amazon
This game at 10$ is a buy for sure. I played 4 Lego game on the DS and this is my second best one. Batman 2 is my favorite, followed by this one, pretty close. Far behind Batman 3 and very far behind LOR.
This one is great because it easy to understand what you need to do. It is also easy to understand what to do with Red Brick -- this is not the case with Batman 3 which I never found a way to buy those Red Brick.
The story follow to movie, this is great. This game is funny, lot of stuff to do. More than 30 levels and each of them are different. They have also 10 challenges each so you can replay few times each of them. I am right now at 78% after about 12 hours of play. I think after 15 hours I will be completely done so my acceptance ratio is 1$ per hour and this game is above that!
No. 4 Pokémon Sun (World Edition)
Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon will launch in the US November 18th, 2016 exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. Embark on a new adventure as a Pokemon Trainer and catch, battle, and trade all-new Pokemon on the tropical islands of a new Region and become a Pokemon Champion!
No. 5 Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth Standard Edition
Review Posted 6/17/19 on Amazon
Ivey gotten to the 3rd dungeon when writing this. A lot of great things to say, but the most important things are that the combat is pretty fun, as well as how all of the characters have wonderful interactions between each other.
There are "special screenings" which are events, usually dedicated to a few characters and something they have in common or something similar to that.
It's less of the characters interacting with the protagonist and more between each other.
I don't mind the Japanese voice acting, but it's worth mentioning that there are no english voices, although the game is fully translated otherwise.
No. 6 LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Review Posted 8/18/16 on Amazon
I love this game! The animations are smooth and pleasing to look at. The story line was clear and easy to follow. I felt like it was a short game at first, but then I realized that was because I decided it was a brilliant idea to play it non-stop till I finished it (which took WAY longer than I realized). The characters each end up with some goofy characteristic all the Lego characters usually have in all their other games. I have absolutely no complaints for this game. All in all, I would highly recommend this game to anyone who has enjoyed the Lego games!
No. 7 Pokémon Ultra Moon (World Edition)
Review Posted 6/16/21 on Amazon
Before there was Sword and Shield, and before there was a Nintendo Switch, there was Alola (Ultra Sun/Moon). It follows the same formula since the first generation: you recently moved into a new town, you get attacked in the first grassy area where you are saved by and meet the starter pokemon you soon after choose as your partner, you fight your rival, you go on errands, you go to Pokémon gyms, you fight against the story villains along the way, and it all culminates in a final battle for becoming the new champion of the region.
There have been changes made which improve the game play and make it enjoyable to play. For example, you no longer have to grind as much as in previous games and you no longer have to worry about only being able to teach moves once (TMs) or moves that are permanent (HMs); more specifically, moves needed to explore the world such as Surf or Fly are used by Poké Rides and not by Pokémon in your party. The cut scenes are drawn out at times, but the story pays off and it is highly replayable. It has a new feature, Ultra Wormholes (only in Ultra Sun/Moon not in the 'regular' Sun/Moon), which allows you to travel to other dimensions and catch some Pokémon from other generations, as well as legendaries such as: Mewtwo, Articuno, Raikou, Palkia, and Kyogre (depending on your game version).
Pokémon Sun and Moon, while enjoyable, felt incomplete story-wise. It introduced Ultra Beasts at the end of the game and some areas where empty, "under construction" according to game dialogue. These areas are no longer empty in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon and it does feel like a different game, as the storyline is also expanded; the post game is also substantial and is worth playing to the end. There are a couple of features that are not great, Battle Tree and Battle Royal, but they are not worth mentioning as they don't affect the overall experience of the game.
In summary, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon are great games, the version you pick depends on the version exclusives that you can look up online. The world and story have been expanded and it really captures the magic from the first generations with the added benefits of improved gameplay, for example less need to grind for levels for all your party and access to better Pokémon early on in the game (I didn't mention it but you can encounter good Pokémon, in the first island you can catch a pikachu, snorlax, hawlucha, or even a bagon). It is a great game for anyone who enjoys the Pokémon franchise.
No. 8 LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
The best-selling LEGO Batman videogame franchise returns in an out-of-this-world, action-packed adventure! In LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, the Caped Crusader joins forces with the super heroes of the DC Comics universe and blasts off to outer space to stop the evil Brainiac from destroying Earth. Using the power of the Lantern Rings, Brainiac shrinks worlds to add to his twisted collection of miniature cities from across the universe. Now the greatest super heroes and the most cunning villains must unite and journey to different Lantern Worlds to collect the Lantern Rings and stop Brainiac before it's too late.
No. 8 Metroid: Samus Returns
Review Posted 2/13/18 on Amazon
Metroid II: The Return of Samus is mostly fondly remembered for it's fantastic ending that leads right into Super Metroid. There was more to the game at first. Being a Gameboy game it was actually quite an impressive feat and managed to evoke some real classic Metroid tropes such as a great atmosphere and a sense of being lost. Unfortunately, the original Gameboy game hasn't aged well and it's also rather difficult to find. This is where the remake Samus Returns comes into play. It's a remake and an updated one. It takes the best of the classic 2D Metroid games and combines it with some of the finest qualities of Metroid Prime. The end result is perhaps the best Metroid game we've seen in a decade.
The story in Samus Returns is pretty simple: Samus has destroyed Mother Brain and has now gone to the Metroid home world of SR388 to get rid of the Metroid menance once and for all. She will go to their homeworld and beging eradicating the Metroid's one by one. But the deeper she gets the more dangerous it becomes. And in this remake she'll run into some harrowing new dangers. The story is simple, but the fun of Metroid storytelling is seeing what unfolds in the story by what you discover as you explore. And there is plenty of that to do in Metroid Samus Returns. Metroid has never been that story centric, though. The most story focused game in the series (Metroid Fusion) ended up telling a GREAT story on its own, but the more story heavy a game is the more likely it is to be linear. As Metroid is more about exploration than that, Metroid Returns relies on the environment and the players deductions about what's going on. In spite of that, though, to call Metroid: Samus Returns a nonlinear experience would also be misleading. Certain portions of the game open up at a time. Your goal is to go roaming through areas and defeat enough Metroids to get a pool of acid to lower even further so that you can explore deeper. The game doesn't really open up until the end of the game.
This doesn't mean there's no exploring to do. There's plenty of it. It just means the exploration is more controlled than it lets on. Most of the time your goal with exploring is to find a Metroid to destroy. And often this will take you around the majority of the areas that you're exploring as is. This isn't all there is to exploration, though. As with previous Metroid titles, you'll find power ups that will eventually give Samus better abilities. The original Gameboy game had a surprisingly large number of power ups for such a simple game, but Samus Returns expands on them to provide power ups that would make appearances in other Metroid games such as the gravity suit, power bombs and the grapple beam. All of these additions are weaved in rather well and the game makes sure you'll have to utilize them. The exploration becomes great when you realize you'll have to go back to previous areas to find everything.
So yes, it's a more controlled and linear exploration but the fun in exploring is still there. Mostly. In making Metroid Samus Returns more accessible it introduces Aeion abilities. One of them is a scanner that unveils the majority of the map and points out any hidden power ups or strange blocks that can be destroyed with weapons. This is an optional thing, but more die-hard Metroid fans probably want to have their exploration be a bit more exciting than that. That being said, however, what I find the most fascinating about finding powerups (whether they be more missiles or energy tanks) is that getting a lot of them is like solving a puzzle. They're usually not difficult but if finding them feels too easy, you'll be rest assured that the game will make sure you understand its mechanics to get them.
Other Aeion abilities allow Samus to do such things as slow down time, utilize a rapid fire effect or put up an additional shield to soak up some damage. Samus can also stop and utilize precision aiming if the player holds down a button. This allows for more accurate shots and you'll know if you'll hit something because the lock on sight line will change colors. While all of these seem like they'd make Samus Returns an easy game, you'll be surprised at just how challenging it can actually be. In particular, the main boss fights require excellent pattern recognition and master of one of the best new additions to Samus Returns: The melee counter. At some points enemies will flash and come in for an attack. When timed correctly Samus can execute a melee counter that will temporarily leave an enemy stunned and allow Samus to shoot them with ease. This isn't just used on standard enemies, bosses and Metroids will have this happen as well. In the case of fighting a lot of the Metroids (and you will fight a lot of them) mastering this technique is required and you'll likely learn it just because you'll fight so many of them.
The game's difficulty, however, is definitely more top heavy. By that I mean, the beginning and middle stages of the game are fairly challenging but not so much the last third or so of the game. The difficulty, however, feels rather fair. This isn't the kind of game where you'll find yourself dying thanks to cheap tricks from your enemies. All of the attacks the enemies launch into are telegraphed and can be avoided or countered, it's just a matter of learning them. This is especially true of the game's bosses and the Metroids. You'll find it isn't really that difficult as you fail and begin to learn the attacks of your enemies. Likewise, unlike other Metroid games you not only have a plentiful amount of save rooms and warp rooms, but there's also a checkpoint system outside of boss battles and Metroid battles so that you don't have to constantly start from your last save point.
There isn't really a lot that keeps Metroid down to be honest. If there was anything it would be that the fights with the Metroid's often become repetitive. New variants are introduced throughout but most of the time you'll fight the standard alphas more than anything and the layout of the arenas don't often change much. Eventually other types are introduced and they do things like run to other rooms, but after a while you wish that there had been more thrown in there to break up this monotony. For instance, the game has three specific boss fights, but there was definitely room for a couple more. Some Metroid's add in new gimmicks and the like but after you've fought your tenth alpha Metroid the experience feels more like a bump in the road rather than a mission. On the other hand, what bosses you do fight are actually quite enjoyable because the battles go in phases that require you to recognize patterns and really test you on how we'll you've learned the gameplay mechanics. They're fun, exhilirating and lengthy boss fights that really test your mettle. Though they're challenging, I was never frustrated at losing. In part because punishment was usually just putting me one room away and because I could rest assured that I screwed up, not that something unfair happened. Metroid: Samus Returns is a learning experience, and it's actually a fun one at that.
The graphics and sound have also been updated. The new look and feel of Metroid Samus Returns is great. It's in 2.5D and has some neat looking backgrounds and environments. The soundtrack is also good, with a lot of themes being remixed from other Metroid titles. There are times when I wanted more Metroid II: The Return of Samus tracks to be updated but I'll have to deal without them. The only real problem with the soundtrack is that it isn't always done well enough evoke exploration but rather action. And sure enough the last third or so of the game is really action heavy with enemies basically being all over the place. Which strangely feels out of place when the original game was so much about isolation the further into this planet you got... only to surprise you with the Metroid Queen. It was a subtle bit of narrative that (whether intended or not) made the trek through the final moments of the game rather haunting. That sense isn't here. Your mileage may vary on that one, but one thing that the original game certainly didn't do was allow it's last moments to be too drowned out in enemies. In particular the original's finale was nice and subtle. The 3DS remake doesn't do that. And while it may be more exciting and it's fun as hell to play, it certainly doesn't make its connection to Super Metroid stronger.
Don't take the criticisms to heart, they are merely nitpicks from a fan who rather liked the original. But keep in mind part of the reason the atmosphere of the original game was what it was is because of the limitations of the Gameboy. The 3DS remake has no such limitations. They make great use of the hardware here and a great use of the environment. What's most important, though is that this is simply a solid Metroid game overall.
Samus Returns feels like a fitting title for the 3DS remake as it truly is the return of Samus this time around. After Metroid: Other M it seemed like the series would be in disarray after some of the most mixed reception a game in the series ever received. This was not helped when just a few years later the follow up would be Metroid Federation Force, a game that didn't even feel like Metroid. Now we have this gem of a game on the 3DS and it really does feel like a return to form. Small problems and nitpicks aside, Metroid Samus Returns is worth the time to play and worth the time to invest in.
No. 9 Bravely Default
Review Posted 11/01/20 on Amazon
I admit I have not played many JRPGs, but of the 3 I have played this one was by far my favorite. It's very new player friendly, so if you haven't played a JRPG before this is a great start. The sequel is pretty good as well, with another series entry coming soon to the switch. Never been a better time to give the game a shot.
No. 10 The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Review Posted 11/27/13 on Amazon
A Link Between Worlds manages to combine the grand feeling of exploration from the older Zelda titles with some welcome innovations that allow the game to feel fresh and exciting throughout. After beating this game, finding all the Maimais, getting all the weapon upgrades, and almost all the heart pieces I can easily say that ALBW is my favorite handheld Zelda and one of my favorite titles in the series.
Music:
The music in this Zelda entry is very impressive. The tracks are beautiful and diverse they really help to give the different locations and dungeons a distinct feel. The new versions of old Zelda tracks and the new tracks are all great and they really add atmosphere to the game.
Graphics:
The graphics really look great on the 3DS and I like the art style Nintendo choose for the game. It is pretty awesome to see A Link to the Past's Hyrule redone with modern graphics. That said I'm used to playing older video games so any graphics that have a good artistic style and are not bland look good to me.
Controls:
The controls in this game are very smooth and precise. They allow for precision that has been absent in many of the more recent Zelda titles.(The DS Zeldas, Skyward Sword)
Story:
Nintendo took a more minimalist approach to the story of A Link Between World, akin to the stories of the older Zeldas. There is not a long prologue nor long cutscenes throughout the game and the overall story is fairly straight forward. Many of the characters in the game are not even named, and there is little character development in general. That said the more central characters to the story have intriguing motivations and conflicts that really drew me into the story. One thing that I liked about the story is that it lacked the cheesiness that some recent Zeldas stories have had. I still prefer the stories of Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and Wind Waker but I thought the story fit the game well while motivating the player to reach the end. I also really liked the ending and how they tied everything together. To sum myself up I thought the game was not story heavy, but the story that was told was very good.
Gameplay:
Dungeons
The dungeons in A Link Between Worlds have some really inventive puzzles and are a lot of fun. The various dungeons are all unique and well-designed. The variety in puzzles and structure keep the dungeons interesting and never repetitive. While I did not really get stuck playing this game the puzzles posed enough of a challenge to be rewarding to solve. The only downside to the dungeons is that they are all fairly short. To be fair, this shorter length is probably better for a portable game and it also helped to keep the game feeling more fast-paced and concise.
Bosses
The bosses are fun and the strategies needed to defeat them vary immensely. While most of the bosses are basically new, there are a couple bosses from A Link to the Past, but the strategies needed to defeat them have changed slightly. The bosses in this game are substantially easier then bosses in earlier Zelda titles like A Link to The Past and LInk's Awakening and they really do not pose much of a challenge. When I played older titles like A Link to The Past and LInk's Awakening, I had to fight some bosses multiple times before I could defeat them. In contrast, I beat almost all the bosses in this game in one try.(Even though I did have to use fairies at some points) Overall the bosses were fairly easy but still a lot of fun.
Exploration
I think one of this game's greatest aspects is the sense of exploration and adventure. The game really encourages you to scour the entire game world in search of the dungeons and collectables. The ability to rent and buy the game's items allows the player to tackle Lorule's dungeons in whatever order they please. This makes exploration a central part of the game and as you transverse Hyrule and Lorule you are constantly finding new things such as dungeon entrances, collectables, mini-dungeons, etc. This variety of things to find and do makes this over world far more entertaining and vibrant then many of the over worlds of the 3-D Zeldas. I felt like I was discovering news things over the entire course of the adventure. As I played through this game I felt as though I stumbling upon dungeons while exploring the world, rather then simply seeking them out.
Overall:
I really liked A Link Between Worlds and I thought it did a good job of capturing the spirit of the classic Zeldas while incorporating some new innovative concepts such as Ravio's shop and the item meter. I would also like to add that the Merge ability is pretty cool and helped to bring a new dimension to the game, without becoming a gimmick. This game was really fun the entire play through and I do not think I ever came across a dull moment. The Legend of Zelda is my favorite video game series and I think A Link Between Worlds deserves a spot among the best games of the series.
Pros:
-Grand Sense of Exploration
-Great Music
-Great Dungeon and Boss Design
-Vibrant and Interesting Over worlds
-Good Story
-Interesting Characters
-Cool Merge ability
-Cool Upgrades
-Lots of Collectables and Mini-games
Cons:
-Fairly easy (In Zelda terms, I need to play hero mode next to see the differences)
Do they still sell 3DS?
Nintendo has announced it's going to stop selling 3DS and Wii U games through the eShop before the end of March 2023
Should I buy a 3DS in 2023?
If you've never had a 3DS before, you may be wondering if it's worth getting one. I say it absolutely is worth it. With a large range of games (made even larger by its backward compatibility with the DS system's titles), there is no better time to grab one than right now.
Is 2DS discontinued?
The Nintendo 2DS is an entry-level version of the Nintendo 3DS which maintains otherwise identical hardware, similar functionality, and compatibility with software designed for the Nintendo DS and 3DS.
Related Nintendo 3DS Articles.
3DS Reviews on GameStop
Rate our 3DS list
- 0%Excellent
- 0%Good
- 0%Poor