The 3DS had a rough launch in 2011 between the Japanese and North American launches. The price swayed some players away, but there was also a lack of games. It was so bad that Nintendo dropped the price less than a year later because they needed to drum up sales.
2012 was a better year for the 3DS with great games like Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance and Kid Icarus: Uprising. However, 2013 may be the best year this handheld ever had. These are just some of the best games celebrating their ten-year anniversaries in 2023 in the West. Maybe some of them can get remastered on the Switch this year.
8 Fire Emblem Awakening
Fire Emblem Awakening broke new ground for the Fire Emblem series when it premiered in 2013 in North America, 2012 in Japan. The biggest reason was the more accessible approach to the difficulty system. There was a mode added that turned off permadeath, meaning that the stakes were not as high. This might have been the best decision made for the franchise as it went from a niche RPG series to a global phenomenon. It’s now one of Nintendo’s biggest franchises and the success can be traced back to Fire Emblem Awakening.
7 Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team was released during the Year of Luigi project at Nintendo to help celebrate Mario’s often ridiculed brother. This game was another entry in the RPG spinoff series. Mario and Luigi found themselves on an island where dreams could become reality if one slept on the right pillow. To fight off an unbending evil force, Mario would jump into Luigi’s dreams and is assisted by Luigi’s inner self. It was the first entry on the 3DS in this series and it might have been the best one on the system.
6 Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon
Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon was another release to celebrate the underappreciated green plumber during the Year of Luigi. It had been over a decade since the first game was released on GameCube. That game was planned to have 3D support, but the peripheral that was going to be designed for the GameCube was scrapped.
It’s great to see Nintendo finally realize some of those 3D plans with this sequel. The biggest improvement, besides the 3D effects, was that Luigi got to explore multiple mansions and each one had a theme.
5 Project X Zone
Project X Zone was an odd tactical RPG in 2013 and it remains just as obscure now despite the big names attached. The wild concept had Sega, Capcom, and Bandai Namco characters teaming up in a massive crossover RPG to save the world. Some franchises from those giant publishers included Tekken, Mega Man, and Sakura Wars. It was a 2012 release in Japan and it’s a miracle it was ever released in the West due to its niche appeal. It miraculously got a sequel as well, which also came to the West, but after that this 3DS franchise died.
4 Pokemon X And Pokemon Y
Pokemon X and Pokemon Y were the first two main entries in the Pokemon franchise for the 3DS. The series didn’t quite go full 3D but it was less strictly top-down than all previous mainline entries. It introduced a lot of new mechanics including Mega Evolutions and Fairy-type Pokemon. It was a big leap as far as mechanics went at this time, but it remained a classic entry at heart. Leave home at a young age, collect Pokemon, and battle other Pokemon Trainers to become the very best.
3 Shin Megami Tensei 4
Shin Megami Tensei 4 had been a long time coming just like Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon. The wait between Shin Megami Tensei 3 and this game was nine years based on the Western release of 2004. This series had earned a name for itself by being difficult. However, like Fire Emblem Awakening, this game included easier options.
It still wasn’t a cakewalk as it required grinding but it was more accessible than any previous entry. Since then the series, including Persona, has become easier to recommend even to RPG beginners.
2 SteamWorld Dig
SteamWorld Dig was a simple game where the concept was in the name. Players controlled a robot that had to dig below a local town to uncover its mysteries. Collect materials, return to the surface, upgrade the character, and then head back down into the mines for more. It was a repetitive but addictive loop that had some light Metroidvania mechanics to it. These mechanics would be expanded upon in the sequel years later.
1 The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds has Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon and Shin Megami Tensei 3 beat for long-awaited sequels. A Link to the Past was a 1992 release in North America on the SNES, making the release between these two games over two decades. The wait was well worth it as this game both acted as a sequel on 3DS and a remake of the original. It was great to be back in this SNES version of Hyrule but with new features, characters, and locations. The coolest addition of all was the 3D effects, especially when used with the 2D wall-clinging ability.