The 25 Best 3DS Games

The Nintendo 3DS began as a vision of the future: A device that allowed games to be played in stereoscopic 3D without the need for glasses. But the future is always more interesting in theory than in practice; when it arrives, it becomes the dreary and pedestrian present. Six years later, Nintendo’s follow-up to their world-beating DS has quietly thrived, beating back the critics who thought a dedicated handheld device couldn’t last in our smartphone age. One day this machine may well be an anachronism. But for now, it’s a bastion of amazing videogames you can’t play anywhere else.

This list could have been four times as long. Here are our favorites.

1 of 25 25. Picross 3D: Round 2: Picross is a compelling, even compulsive game of grids and numbers, like if Sudoku wasn't terrible and boring. Bringing it into the third dimension shouldn't have worked, but through some mad science it was made to, and the result is a kind of puzzle box that seduces you into staying up into the wee hours of the morning, tapping with your stylus, figuring numbers and logistical leaps, trying to suss out if the shape you're uncovering is… Is it a teddy bear? It is a penguin? Is it… Waluigi? Maybe you can sneak in one more before the sun comes up…—NEK

2 of 25 24. Attack of the Friday Monsters: Some of you might be familiar with that other "Monster" game series on 3DS. And it has its merits. But let this tiny eShop download title stand in for the dozens, nay, hundreds of lesser-known gems that populate Nintendo's digital store by teams smaller than Capcom. Friday Monsters was part of the "Guild" series, a collection of idea-driven experiments by notable creators including Keiji Inafune (of Mega Man fame) and Yoot Saito (of Seaman...fame?). Friday Monsters was the pet project of Kaz Ayabe, whose My Summer Vacation games on PlayStation never came out in the west. Get a taste of his nostalgia-driven slice-of-life whimsy with this classic story of boy-meets-Kaiju.—JI

3 of 25 23. Kid Icarus: Uprising: The original Kid Icarus was an early NES release that never built up the same fandom as contemporaries Metroid and Legend of Zelda. With only a Game Boy sequel to its name, we feared Pit and his Medusa-hunting tactics would never be heard from again… until Masahiro Sakurai, between Smash Bros. projects, brought the flying cherub back to life. And this time he was quite chatty. Though many focus on the stylus-driven controls, once mastered they become second-nature, allowing you to take in the Saturday morning cartoon-esque dialogue taking place on the bottom screen throughout the action. Like black licorice, Uprising is an acquired taste that's objectively delicious.—JI

4 of 25 22. Bravely Default: There are several 3DS games that carry forward the traditions of classic JRPG franchises—Dragon Quest VIII and Shin Megami Tensei IV deserve recognition here—but Bravely Default is special for the way it attempts to resurrect the spirit of '90s Final Fantasy and craft it into a new and distinct identity. It also features lovely art direction, a charming cast and a stellar soundtrack, including some truly exceptional battle themes. Despite being a bit of a slog in its back half, Bravely Default finishes strongly and is easily recommended.—NEK

5 of 25 21. Fantasy Life: If you've ever wanted to role-play not as a knight or mage but, say, a fishing expert, or a cook, or a seamster, this is the RPG for you. Level-5 is known for their puzzling adventures in the Professor Layton series and the Yokai Watch games, but Fantasy Life may be their most compelling take on an established genre yet, providing a huge world and a cast of characters to engage with however you like. Sure, you can play as a fighter and strike down monsters with a blade… but why not become a blacksmith and fashion your own swords? Or become a woodsman and cut down not enemies but trees? Don't skip the dialogue, either; those NPCs have never been quippier.—JI

6 of 25 20. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call: Final Fantasy has persisted for so long as a series that it's gone through several complete reinventions and exists as wholly different entities to different players, but the one thing that's been consistent for 30 years is the quality of its music. Curtain Call has some 200 songs from across almost two dozen games, and it's astonishing that almost all of them are excellent. The music is so good at making you invested, in fact, that it'll make you say things like "I should replay Final Fantasy Tactics!" (You should!) or "Maybe I should check out Final Fantasy Type-0!" (You really shouldn't.)—NEK

7 of 25 19. Pushmo: The great paradox of Pushmo is that it somehow turned block-pushing puzzles, among the most reviled obstacles the medium of games has concocted, into something wonderful and compelling. Each level is a new piece of malleable art meant to be ascended, complex enough to require some thought but never so large as to be unapproachable. Pushmo is a colorful confection that begs to be savored.—NEK

8 of 25 18. Mario Kart 7: When the 3DS stumbled out of the gate way back in March 2011, it was the prospect of a new Mario Kart game that made many non-believers take notice and give the system a second-chance. The behind-the-back perspective of the series was the perfect showcase for the system's touted autostereoscopic visuals. But even after the graphic novelty wore off, there was a solid racing game underneath the pizzazz, featuring some of the best original tracks of any Kart (Rainbow Road on the moon!) and cherry-picking past favorites (Waluigi Pinball needs its own game). Its online community remains vibrant five-plus years on.—JI

9 of 25 17. Tomodachi Life: The Nintendo DS hosted a strange, intriguing game called Tomodachi Collection that was never released outside of Japan. "Tomodachi" translates to "Friend"—the game was, in effect, a form of friend collection using Miis who would live out their own little lives on your tiny screen. That the sequel came out in the west is a small miracle, especially since it hinges on a vocaloid-inspired design where each Mii speaks. This Mii-filled digital apartment transfixes if you let it; the experience is more aquarium-gazing than resource management. A perfect slice of oddball innocence for the voyeur in us all.—JI

10 of 25 16. Pokémon Sun / Pokémon Moon: The Pokémon games have been an international sensation for decades, earning the loyalty of children and adults-who-were-once-children alike. The desire to collect, to encounter strange new beasts and best them in battle, is evidently a fundamental one. There haven't been bad Pokémon games, just better and worse ones, and Pokémon Sun and Moon are among the best the series has yet offered, with an inviting setting, charming cast, and the cutest catchable critters yet. Even if you don't have a desire to "catch 'em all," you'll probably enjoy an Alolan vacation.—NEK