Poll of the Day > what are the best 3ds games but not like by 3ds standards

(+) Yeah! (+)

I mean a 3ds game that can stand on its own timelessly against any other game today.

Also bonus best games on the 3ds that make the best use of dual screen and/or stylus.

A Link Between Worlds is a high tier Zelda game and is unquestionably the best original 3DS game. Ocarina of Time 3D is also outstanding of course, but it hardly was more than an enhanced port of the original. Majora's Mask 3D made several incredibly bad and unnecessary choices that make it absolutely worse than the N64 version.

Apart from that, there weren't really any 3DS games that have remained solid for me. Animal Crossing New Leaf was excellent but New Horizons on Switch is thoroughly better. Smash 4 on 3DS was better than the Wii U version for me (I think the accessibility of the online is what made the difference) but SSBU on Switch also absolutely mops the floor with it (although its online is pretty bad).

The Pokemon main series games were mediocre and began the start of the downfall of that series, but they are what they are. There's a ton of JRPGs on that system which really aren't my thing, but somebody that likes those kinds of games would probably have a lot to suggest.

Shin Megami Tensei IV and IV:Apocalypse are both great games, though they lean hard on sidequests and getting the Neutral path in IV is legit really hard. IV:Apocalypse lets you roast God. It's hilarious, it even makes sense in-universe why telling God what a pathetic loser He is makes him vulnerable. They both have rough edges, of course- all SMT games do, but they're considerably less annoying than something like Strange Journey. And the soundtrack and atmosphere are great. Story is decent.

I would definitely play IV first, Apocalypse is like...a sidequel, if that makes sense. It's branching off IV's neutral path.

radiant historia got an updated version on the 3ds that was better

rune factory 4 did get a rerelease on the switch and steam that was better, but it's essentially the same exact game on the 3ds, and one of the best games ever

The Legend of Dark Witch is a great indie series that combines platforming, shmup, and bullet hell. They eventually were ported to other platforms but they started on 3DS.

Also Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is considered to be the best in the series; fantastic metroidvania.

Gurumin

agesboy posted...

rune factory 4 did get a rerelease on the switch and steam that was better, but it's essentially the same exact game on the 3ds, and one of the best games ever

This.

Pokmon ORAS imo

ya, Rune Factory 4

And you can't get these any more, but the Jupiter Picross games

In no particular order:

A Link Between Worlds
Kid Icarus: Uprising (really the only one on this list that did anything noteworthy with the touch screen, not recommended for lefties)
Fire Emblem 13
Rune Factory 4 (no longer exclusive)
Fantasy Life
Pushmo (digital-only, no longer available legitimately)

There are others that were well worth playing at the time, but have since been mostly obviated by newer games (like Animal Crossing, Smash, or Mario Kart).

New Leaf

We're never getting that much Animal Crossing content for that price ever again

agesboy posted...

rune factory 4 did get a rerelease on the switch and steam that was better, but it's essentially the same exact game on the 3ds, and one of the best games ever

all platforms

and yes, it is still the best rune factory title

The games that probably got the most playtime and enjoyment from me were Fire Emblem Awakening and Animal Crossing New Leaf. I know those are 1st party, but I feel like I know what you mean - sometimes I looked at my 3DS library and thought 'meh' even though I had a bunch of games. Awakening is the last amazing Fire Emblem for me - everyone tells me the school shit is skippable in Three Houses, but even its presence just turned me off. I disagree with folks that feel Horizons is better than New Leaf, although both have their unique strengths.

I think I'd also put Shovel Knight up there - the 3D effect was perfect for 2D games with parallax scrolling and multi-layer backgrounds, and it felt more at home there than on Wii U or PC.

I have my 3DS loaded with hundreds of games now but I haven't touched it in quite a while. There are still quite a few games I didn't really try.

ConfusedTorchic posted...

and yes, it is still the best rune factory title

Heck, I'd say it's straight up the best of the genre, though that does come with the caveat that it's a distinct experience from farming sims that don't tack an action RPG on top.

https://youtu.be/V1EHtX7ykEY?si=atAKZ8FWwvX0sTrg