Highlights

• The DS and 3DS are home to some impressive open-world games, like Fantasy Life and Monster Hunter Stories.
• Retro City Rampage DX offers a fun exploration of a retro open world full of chaos and mayhem.
• Ocarina of Time 3D on the 3DS remains an iconic classic, showcasing a vast world full of zones to explore.

When players try to think of their favorite open-world games, chances are they will choose something from the Xbox 360 era and beyond. The HD generation, including the Xbox 360 and PS3, is when this genre truly opened up on a whole new level. However, what most people may discount here are the Nintendo DS and 3DS, two consoles that boasted an impressive library of games despite their limited hardware capabilities.

Grand Theft Auto and The Elder Scrolls were two series that were bigger than they had ever been in the past. That was only the beginning too, as this current generation is mind-blowing. What about the handhelds during and after the first HD generation? Do the DS and 3DS have any memorable open-world games that are worth playing today? The easy answer is yes, although some of these picks do have some asterisks attached.

Updated on March 11, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: It's impossible to talk about the greatest video games ever made without mentioning the Nintendo DS and 3DS, two of the greatest handheld gaming consoles ever made. These systems have let many kids enjoy some amazing video games that demonstrate why Nintendo is such a master of developing and publishing great video games that show why the medium holds such a soft spot in the hearts of many fans. While gaming has transformed to become bigger and more engaging than ever before, some people felt like Nintendo's handheld offerings failed to keep up. So, it's impressive to see that these consoles house some great open-world games despite their handheld status, letting players explore a sandbox and interact with a wealth of engaging gameplay loops on the go.

13 Fantasy Life

Metascore: 73

Fantasy Life is an action RPG for the 3DS that was made by Level-5. They worked on Dragon Quest 8 as well, but this was an original concept. Players could choose a class from a knight to a tailor and live out their fantastical life in an ever-growing kingdom.

There were plenty of monsters to fight, but half the fun of this RPG was doing menial tasks. It was more like a sim game than a straight RPG, but there is one thing that is for sure; the world is small at first, but it gets bigger as the game progresses, with plenty of locations to explore and things to do.

12 Shakedown: Hawaii

Metascore: 75

• Platform(s): PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, PC, masOS, Linux
• Release Date: May 7, 2019
• Developer: Vblank Entertainment

Fans of Retro City Rampage will love the sheer insanity and chaos players can enjoy in Shakedown: Hawaii's open world. The game is a natural evolution of the formula established in Vblank Entertainment's previous retro open-world game.

The sheer number of things players can accomplish in the game is immense, and people will love how jam-packed with content Shakedown: Hawaii really is. It's one of the more underrated open-world titles around that players can check out on a wealth of consoles, including the Nintendo 3DS.

11 Monster Hunter Stories

Metascore: 79

Monster Hunter Stories was the first big spinoff to this giant franchise that began on PS2. This spinoff was a take on Pokemon wherein hunters could choose to befriend monsters, or Monsties as they are referred to in this game, to join their party. It was a turn-based RPG with an open-world setting on the 3DS.

The idea was good even though the execution was a bit clunky in some areas, such as the slow combat speed and AI. The sequel on Switch is better, but there is still fun to be had exploring the various open biomes of Monster Hunter Stories. It made the most of the 3DS hardware and let players enjoy a riveting turn-based take on Monster Hunter's engaging world.

10 Retro City Rampage DX

Metascore: 83

Retro City Rampage is a lovable ode to retro gaming of the past, especially when it comes to the old iteration of the GTA series. As a result, the game actually has a pretty competent open world of its own that is a blast to explore... quite literally at times! Roaming around the city of Theftropolis and causing extreme levels of destruction and mayhem makes for a great time that doesn't ever get tiring.

Retro City Rampage DX is the best way to experience this amazing title, with this updated release featuring great action gameplay along with several references to the lovable facets of 80s and 90s pop culture. Fans of retro gaming should definitely give Retro City Rampage DX a shot, especially with the many callbacks in this title that most fans of retro media will recognize. It's like if a retro game gave players a full open-world to explore.

9 Dragon Quest 8

Metascore: 85

The 3DS is home to many Dragon Quest games that are worth mentioning. Dragon Quest 7 might be the biggest deal since it remade the PS1 classic into something more accessible compared to the original release. However, overall, Dragon Quest 8 is the better game, and might be the best in the series. It may look identical to its PS2 counterpart, but that is a plus.

The world in this RPG is huge, perhaps one of the biggest in the series on both the PS2 and 3DS. Dragon Quest games are notoriously long, and it would be an achievement if players were able to finish this with less than eighty hours invested. This epic adventure is a blast to get through and makes it clear why the strong foundations of Dragon Quest games helped Dragon Quest 11 blow up as one of the best games in the franchise, attracting many new fans to an iconic series that deserved way more love in the West than it had enjoyed till then.

8 Bravely Default

Metascore: 85

Bravely Default was like a reboot of the Final Fantasy series that dialed things back to the classic settings on the 3DS. The story was a more grounded fantasy tale involving princesses, evil knights, monsters, crystals, and so on. There was a job system as well as a simple-to-understand turn-based battle system.

It also saw the return of an open-world map that was dotted with places to see and side quests to do. It became more open with the third sequel on Switch, Bravely Default 2 (after Bravely Second), but this original game still counts as an epic open-world RPG. Players who want to check out a JRPG that does justice to past JRPGs while refining the gameplay to a fine point will love what Bravely Default brings to the table.

7 Xenoblade Chronicles 3D

Metascore: 86

Xenoblade Chronicles 3D is an achievement beyond all reason. This game was first released on the Wii, and it pushed the system to its limits. It’s easily the biggest open-world game on both the Wii and 3DS; in fact, it’s so huge that it was exclusive to the New 3DS line of consoles.

There weren’t many exclusives for the New 3DS, but this was one of them and even that handheld barely kept things together while running it. It’s not the best way to experience this RPG classic, but again, it is like a miracle it can run on the New 3DS at all. All this is a testament to how massive and detailed the game's open world truly is. Games like this demonstrate how Nintendo was able to get the Switch to play some incredible-looking games that should've never run on a portable console.

6 The Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Metascore: 87

Any Legend of Zelda game is bound to be a riveting experience, and Spirit Tracks is no exception to this golden rule. The game makes the most of the DS's hardware to let players enjoy a charming action-adventure game othat is absolutely brimming with style and passion.

It's considered by many to be one of the best handheld Legend of Zelda games, which is no small feat. This game really shows why the DS is such a special console, making the most of this handheld to let players enjoy an incredible game.

5 Pokemon X/Y

Metascore: 87 (Pokemon X), 88 (Pokemon Y)

Between the DS and 3DS, there are too many games in this series to choose from. The duality of Pokemon X/Y did make huge waves in the series, though. They weren’t quite 3D yet, but the top-down perspective of the series was adjusted to look more 3D.

Of the many sequels and remakes on 3DS, these two games still stand out as the best ones on the system. For DS fans, Pokemon Black/White is where it is at. Hopefully, those two games get remakes on the Switch sooner rather than later.

4 The Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Metascore: 90

• Platform(s): Nintendo DS
• Release Date: October 1, 2007
• Developer: Nintendo EAD

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is considered by many to be one of the greatest video games ever made, so it's a given that players loved the idea of a direct sequel to this amazing title. However, some fans were worried about the fact that said sequel would be a title on the Nintendo DS, meaning that some corners would have to be cut while developing this title.

So, it was a pleasant surprise for many that Phantom Hourglass not only felt like a worthy sequel to Wind Waker but was a pretty great Zelda title in its own right. The game features an open and diverse world that players can traverse to their heart's content, making it quite impressive that this game ran on the DS of all consoles!

3 The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Metascore: 91

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds was truly a surprise. A Link to the Past is regarded as one of the best top-down games in the series, if not one of the best overall. Getting a sequel decades later was a treat beyond belief, and it changed the series for the better.

Dungeons no longer had to be done in order, as there was an item rental shop. players could visit to get the tools they needed at any time It’s not as big of a world as, say, the remake of Ocarina of Time on, 3DS or even the open waters of Phantom Hourglass on DS. However, as far as quality goes, A Link Between Worlds is hands down the best original portable Zelda game in the series.

2 Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Metascore: 93

Nintendo has had a weird history with this series, but Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars was a DS exclusive at first. It later got ported to other systems like the PSP, but the DS remains the best platform to play it on to this day. That’s because there are a lot of clever mini-games that utilize the DS’ stylus and touch screen, such as sorting through contraband.

It’s not the best game in the series by any means, but it has a fairly big open world citynfor players to cruise around in and create chaos. The graphics should also be praised, as it resembles the style used for most of the series' box art displays.

1 The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 3D

Metascore: 94

Ocarina of Time is one of the best video games of all time, marking a massive revolution for the series (and the gaming medium) that became a template of sorts. The game incorporated everything from a great story to amazing combat into the mix, becoming a genre-defining title that is still immensely enjoyable to this day. The series also incorporated a vast world full of open zones, almost feeling like an open world... albeit not quite one in a traditional sense.

Regardless, Ocarina of Time's world still feels vast and amazing to explore despite not being an open-world game as per modern standards. The time-traveling mechanic of the game is handled impeccably, with the many twists and turns offered by the plot being quite iconic in their own right. The best way to experience this masterpiece is by checking out the fantastic re-release on the Nintendo 3DS, which is a ton of fun to play through and adds a fresh coat of paint to a brilliant game that is showing its age from a graphical standpoint.