The3DSlaunched in 2011, and despite its rocky start, it has since become one of the most beloved consoles of all time. Its portability, wide array of game genres, multiplayer and social aspects, and charming clamshell design all contributed to the console’s massive popularity.
Despite the 3DS and Wii U eShops shutting down in 2023, the 3DS still remains one of the strongest handheld consoles ever, with dozens of amazing games released throughout its lifetime. Below, we’ll take a look at the best game for each year of the 3DS’s supported life, from 2011 to 2019.
The 3DS’s launch year was filled with several games that have since become staples of the console, including Super Mario 3D Land, Ocarina of Time 3D, and Star Fox 64 3D. But undoubtedly the best game to come out in the same year as the 3DS was Mario Kart 7.
Mario Kart 7 remains the best-selling 3DS game of all time, and it’s easy to see why. Mario Kart has an everlasting universal appeal; it’s easy to grasp, easy to pick up, and tons of fun with friends.
2012 was a relatively light year as far as 3DS releases go, but it did see two major games that shaped the future of the console, those being New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Kid Icarus: Uprising. We’ve given this spot to Kid Icarus due to its ingenuity, making full use of the 3DS’s capabilities with its 3D effect and touchscreen shooting.
While Kid Icarus still sadly remains a forgotten series, it was at least able to go out with a bang with this game.
The 3DS’s titanic rise continued into 2013, when we saw the release of Fire Emblem Awakening. While Fire Emblem was definitely popular in its own right, it wasn’t until Awakening that the franchise found widespread appeal.
Fire Emblem Awakening bridged the gap between hardcore and casual players, offering a tactical RPG that all kinds of players can enjoy. From there, the series has only gotten more popular, but its popularity is largely due to 2013’s Fire Emblem Awakening, making this a must-play 3DS game.
Fantasy Life is an action RPG and life simulation game where you play as one of 12 different jobs, with the option to freely change your job at any time to better suit your current goals. Despite releasing in the same year as the remakes of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, there’s nothing else quite like Fantasy Life on the 3DS, earning this spot for uniqueness.
Fantasy Life remains a cult classic, and its charming world and characters are still a joy to revisit, even now.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is the expanded and upgraded version of the original game, and remains one of the best games in the Monster Hunter series. The cast of monsters available to hunt is nothing short of massive, and you can find yourself immersed in its world for hundreds of hours.
Overall, 2015 was a great year for 3DS games, making this a difficult choice. We wouldn’t blame you if you preferred Majora’s Mask 3D, Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, Yo-kai Watch, or any of the dozens of amazing games that came out in 2015, but Monster Hunter’s lasting impact and improvements over time have earned itself this spot.
2016 was a great year not just for 3DS games, but for RPG fans in particular, with the releases of Pokemon Sun and Moon, Dragon Quest 7, Yo-kai Watch 2, Bravely Second, and Fire Emblem Fates, just to name a few. While the 3DS has always been one of the best consoles for RPGs, this year in particular stands out.
Shin Megami Tensei 4: Apocalypse is a sequel to Shin Megami Tensei 4, making quality-of-life improvements and tweaks to the gameplay for an overall better experience. Shin Megami Tensei 4: Apocalypse is one of the most atmospheric and immersive entries in this massive series, solidifying its place as one of the best games on the 3DS.
Despite the 3DS winding down from 2017 on, largely due to the release of the Switch, there are still several notable games that came out in the console’s later years, including Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. These two entries are expanded versions of the seventh generation of Pokemon games, bringing players back to the Alola region.
Ultra Sun and Moon made several improvements to the base games, with more catchable Pokemon, an expanded story, quality-of-life improvements, more mini-games, post-game content, and much more. The 3DS had several amazing Pokemon games during its life, and Ultra Sun and Moon were a great send-off.
Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology is an updated and expanded version of the original DS game. Despite releasing near the end of the 3DS’s officially supported years, Radiant Historia is an outstanding experience that shouldn’t be missed.
You play as Stocke, a soldier who wields the White Chronicle to travel between past, present, and future, searching for a way to prevent the end of the world. Radiant Historia is a rare example of time-traveling mechanics that still give the player agency to explore where they want, searching for answers in different timelines.
With the 3DS finally in its twilight years, releases definitely started to slow down, and by 2019 only a few new games were launched for the console. Throughout the 3DS’s life, no series saw consistent success like the Etrian Odyssey series.
Etrian Odyssey Nexus is a capstone adventure to this dungeon-crawling RPG series, featuring dungeons, characters, and classes from all previous games in the series. Etrian Odyssey thrived on the 3DS platform due to the touch screen, which is integral for drawing your own maps while exploring, and Nexus was the perfect send-off for this series on the 3DS.
