Summary
- Nintendo 3DS and New 3DS were surprisingly solid handheld gaming systems with great features and versatility in their games.
- Ports of console titles like Kirby's Epic Yarn, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater introduced new features and gameplay to the 3DS.
Nintendo is known for its sometimes gimmick-laden gaming products that don't always quite hit the mark in terms of user enjoyment. At first blush, the 3DS seemed like one of these duds, with its titular 3D feature being controlled by a simple slider slapped on the side of the top screen.
Nintendo 3DS: Games That Look The Best In 3D
These great Nintendo 3DS games used clever mechanics and camera angles to really emphasize the power of the 3D slider.
To the surprise of many, though, the 3DS and its mid-generation upgrade, the New 3DS, were solid handheld gaming systems. Both were equipped with a wealth of great features like gyroscopic controls and a circle pad, allowing for versatility in their games. In this guide, we'll take a look at some of the excellent Nintendo 3DS ports that started out as a console title.
10 Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn
Metascore: 79
Kirby's Epic Yarn
Go behind the seams with Kirby in his latest adventure!
Kirby's first console platform game since the Nintendo 64 days introduces an amazing new look based on animated yarn and a world of cloth and textiles. The creative approach is woven directly into the game play and allows the ever-morphing Kirby to take on a variety of new forms. A simultaneous two player* mode will have players of all skill levels enjoying this one-of-a-kind experience.
The look of the world is stunning, but it's also interactive. Pulling on stray threads might reveal hidden areas. When Kirby literally goes behind the scenes, the virtual fabric warps and bends to show his location. Thanks to his versatile yarn composition, Kirby can take on a variety of forms both in his common actions and when he transforms into powerful vehicles. When Kirby dashes, he zips around as a car. In water, he turns into a submarine. At times he can even transform into a massive robotic tank, a UFO and other vehicles.
Two players can play through the entire game together.
Beads and collectible items are scattered throughout the environments for players to find.
- Released
- October 17, 2010
- Developer(s)
- HAL Laboratory, Good-Feel
- Platform(s)
- Wii
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Each game in Kirby's catalog gives gamers a great new way to inhabit the world, while still holding on to the childish charm they're known for. Kirby's Epic Yarn is no different, seeing the pink ball of fun getting sucked into a world made of crafting supplies.
A port was released for the 3DS titled Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn nearly a decade later. It lacked the co-op feature that Epic Yarn was built around, but made up for it with new power-ups, new modes, and playable characters.
9 Xenoblade Chronicles
Metascore: 86
Xenoblade Chronicles 3D
Explore vast landscapes and beat down foes in battles that blend real time action with RPG strategy. Exclusive features make the Xenoblade Chronicles™ 3D game the ultimate way to learn the truth behind the mythical sword, the Monado.
Due to the processing power and additional buttons of the New Nintendo 3DS family systems, you can experience this epic RPG portably. Command your party or quickly jump between locations by pressing the new ZL & ZR buttons and look all around the game’s beautiful environments using the C-Stick. These features perfectly round out an already outstanding adventure comprised of intense combat and intriguing storytelling. British voice actors and gorgeous art direction lend the story an authentic fantasy feel, while the customisable moves of your characters and chainable combos keep you on the edge of your seat.
- Developer(s)
- Monolith
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Platform(s)
- New Nintendo 3DS
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Xenoblade Chronicles is an expansive and detailed JRPG that began an extremely popular franchise. And somehow, Monolith Soft, with the help of Monster Games, were able to squeeze its 50-hour story onto a handheld device.
Exclusive to the New 3DS, the system's extra buttons and C-stick gave players the full Xenoblade gameplay experience. But when it's time to take a break from the battles, a quick jaunt to the Jukebox menu allowed players to enjoy the game's sweeping soundtrack on demand.
8 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 3D
Metascore: 78
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004)
- Released
- November 17, 2004
- Developer(s)
- Konami
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2
Full of super-powered soldiers to keep Naked Snake from destroying the Shagohod, Metal Gear Solid 3 is considered one of the greatest stealth games ever made. Eight years after the initial release, Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D was ported to the 3DS, allowing a wider audience to appreciate the gripping story.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – All Boss Battles, Ranked
Naked Snake's rise to become Big Boss is understandable in Metal Gear Solid 3, thanks to the bout of boss fights that require skill and smarts.
Snake's journey through Soviet soil is present in all of its glory. One of the most notable features in the game is the ability to turn pictures taken with the 3DS' camera into camouflage for Snake to utilize in his espionage.
7 Super Street Fighter 4: 3D Edition
Metascore: 85
- Platform: Nintendo 3DS
- Released: 2011-02-26
- Developer: Capcom
- Genre: Fighting
Street Fighter 4 successfully brought the historical fighting game series to the modern age, utilizing 3D models and environments for the first time in a mainline entry. What's more, EX special moves were introduced that, when used correctly, could change the direction of a battle.
Super Street Fighter 4: 3D Edition was later ported to the 3DS, losing nothing from the console version's gameplay. However, additions were plentiful, including the ability to shift perspectives, which placed the camera behind the player character so that the handheld's 3D mechanics were more effective.
6 Starfox 64 3D
Metascore: 81
- Platform: Nintendo 3DS
- Released: 2011-07-14
- Developer: Q-Games & Nintendo EAD
- Genre: 3D Rail Shooter
Starfox seems to be one of Nintendo's most underutilized mascots, but his adventure on the Nintendo 64 proves that he deserves more attention. The story that sees Fox working to save the Lylatt system from the evil Andross was one for the books back on the N64, and it holds up incredibly well in Starfox 64 3D.
The mission stays the same, as do the means of completing it. That means the on-rails ship-bound shooter gameplay remains, but with overhauled models, textures, and optional gyroscope controls, allowing players to steer their ship with a simple tilt of the system.
5 Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker
Metascore: 84
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker
Summon demons to save the world from destruction in Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker, a strategy RPG for Nintendo 3DS family systems.
When aliens start laying waste to Tokyo, a group of demon tamers must take a stand against these monstrous invaders’ daily attacks. Supernatural creatures, secret government agencies and viral websites emerge amid the chaos, but it’s your actions and choices that have the power to change the outcome.
By forging contracts with demons, players can summon them to fight in strategic turn-based battles. Learn your objectives, set your skills wisely, and position your team within range of the enemy to battle – attack an enemy’s weakness to gain an extra turn! Fight strategically to defeat those who threaten not only your survival, but the survival of all humanity.
Strengthen your devilish army in battle and fuse them with other monsters to create even more powerful monsters. Check other players’ progress, and exchange power-ups via StreetPass to help them improve their demons’ powers.
The choices you make can change the world around you. Seek out fellow demon tamers and forge meaningful friendships. Spend time with your allies, learn about their character, and save them from deadly fates. As your bonds deepen, you’ll unlock more of their abilities and new spirits will emerge to fight alongside you.
Expanding on the original game, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker features a new scenario ‘Triangulum’ set after the events of the main story, as well as additional difficulty options, improved controls, a new character and voice acting.
As yet another spin off of the renowned Shin Megami Tensei series, like the Devil Summoner series before it, Devil Survivor 2 garnered its own subset of fans for its interesting story about a demon invasion, and its tactical 3-on-3 RPG combat.
The Hardest Shin Megami Tensei Games, Ranked
Shin Megami Tensei games are a cornerstone of the JRPG genre, and some of them are far more difficult and complex than others.
The 3DS port, Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker gave newcomers the original JRPG, plus an extremely long epilogue that itself could be considered a whole extra game. More demons are also available to gather and summon, as well as an easy mode to combat Atlus' insatiable need to make unforgiving games.
4 Poochy and Yoshi's Woolly World
Metascore: 77
- Platform: Nintendo 3DS
- Released: 2017-01-19
- Developer: Good-Feel
- Genre: Adventure
Yoshi games, focusing on the Mushroom Kingdom's favorite green dinosaur, have always been presented in a cuter way than any of the Mario games they spin off from. In turn, developer Good-Feel presented Yoshi's Woolly World in a similarly fluffy light to Kirby's Epic Yarn some years before.
Woolly World's gameplay and presentation were just asking for a handheld port. And so, Poochy and Yoshi's Woolly World for the 3DS was born, providing the exact same game as its console big brother, with the inclusion of a hint system in the companion pup, Poochy.
3 Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King
Metascore: 85
Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King
A twisted jester has cast an evil spell over the kingdom of Trodain, turning the king into a troll, the princess into a horse and sealing Castle Trodain within enchanted vines! As the Hero, you’ll embark on a journey, recruiting allies along the way, to put a stop to this mischievous maniac and restore the kingdom to normal.
Put up a fight!Lead a party of heroes across a massive world and through dingy dungeons, clashing with hundreds of monsters along the way in classic turn-based battles. Use cunning strategies to outwit your enemies at your own pace, or use the “Speed Up” feature to cut through foes with greater haste!
As your warriors grow stronger, assign Skill Points to teach them new spells, abilities and more. Equip your heroes with the latest gear that they can carry into battle, and combine old unwanted items in alchemy pot to instantly craft brand ones.
Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King for the PS2 found great popularity in the west but, after some time, the renowned JRPG was given new life on the Nintendo 3DS. Players could now bring the fight against Dhoulmagus on the go, while also enjoying some new additions.
In the 3DS version, there are two new party members that players can team up with, more dungeons, and more monsters to collect and use in battle. Interestingly, a new romance option is also available for players to pursue when all is said and done.
2 Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
Metascore: 83
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
Donkey Kong's smash hit return to platforming is being rebuilt from the ground up and optimized for portable play on the Nintendo 3DS system. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D will launch in summer of 2013 with all of the ground pounding, barrel rolling, platforming action of the original brought to life with stunning 3D visuals. Over 70 levels of banana hoarding fun featuring Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong.
Run, jump, climb, and defeat enemies through diverse environments until you retrieve Donkey Kong's stolen banana hoard. Lush, layered side-scrolling levels come to life in stunning 3D. Rebuilt and optimized for portable play on the Nintendo 3DS system.
- Released
- May 24, 2013
- Developer(s)
- Monster Games
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 3DS
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Nintendo's most iconic foe-turned-friend was brought back in a big way with Donkey Kong Country Returns. Players were treated to another amazingly full and, at times, mysterious soundtrack that played over some of the best platforming the series has seen yet.
Every Playable Donkey Kong Country Character, Ranked
The Donkey Kong Country series has witnessed several playable characters over the years. Here's how they stack up.
It was then brought to the 3DS in Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, receiving a new world, complete with 8 exclusive stages. To make the game a bit more palatable on a handheld, an easier mode was included, supplying players with new power-ups and more hearts.
1 Super Mario Maker
Metascore: 73
Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
- Released
- December 2, 2016
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EAD
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 3DS
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Celebrating a franchise synonymous with gaming like Mario is no easy task. And yet, Super Mario Maker did it, giving players the tools to create their own wild level designs while also providing a wealth of ready-made levels to test even the most seasoned of Mario fans.
Some abilities are missing from the console version, making a good number of stages unplayable. To make up for it, 100 levels were made by developer specifically for the 3DS version, letting players hone their skills before delving into some truly menacing user-made courses.
Interesting 3DS Games That Never Left Japan
Most Nintendo consoles feature a ton of games that never leave Japan, and such was the fate of these Japan-exclusive 3DS games.