For yesterday’s gift idea, we detailed several accessories that are great for Nintendo 3DS owners, both for the regular and the XL model. Despite its rocky start, the Nintendo 3DS is one of the best handheld consoles Nintendo has ever made. In fact, there’s a handful of games that we consider “must play” for Nintendo fans, simply because of how good they are. If you’re shopping for a Nintendo 3DS gamer this holiday season and you know they don’t have a game on this list, it won’t be a bad buy. So let’s dig in.
10. Kid Icarus: Uprising
This was a launch title for the Nintendo 3DS in order to help display its 3D capabilities. It’s also a fun romp that revisits the world of Pit, a Nintendo character that previously hadn’t been utilized outside of Super Smash Bros. in nearly 20 years. It utilizes unique controls for Pit on ground and on air and if your gamer loves platforming games, this is a perfect gift. The only caveat here is because it came out with the launch of the Nintendo 3DS, physical copies are hard to find.
The game was released on the Nintendo 3DS eShop last year however, so if you truly want to give the gift of Pit, you can buy a Nintendo eShop gift card if you’re unable to find any physical copies of the game.
9. Tomodachi Life
Tomodachi Life is a wacky Japanese-style Sims game in which you can import your friends and family and go on crazy adventures together. It’s a little hard to explain the appeal of the game in a simple short paragraph, but if the person you’re purchasing for loves simulation games like The Sims, Animal Crossing, or anything of that nature, chances are they’ll have tons of fun in Tomodachi Life. Just prepare yourself for the inevitable, “You’ll never guess what your Mii did today in Tomodachi Life..” stories.
8. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon
Luigi is returning to clean out the Haunted Mansion, this time on the Nintendo 3DS. This game is a direct sequel to the original Luigi’s Mansion, which was a game that appeared on GameCube. The original game used a point-and-click interface, but the 3DS game’s much improved controls mean you can fine tune how you suck up and deal with those pesky ghosts. Plus the game supports multiplayer, so you can jam with your friend if you both get the game.
7. Pushmo & Crashmo
Okay we cheated, because these are two separate games. But they should both be experienced together. They’re puzzle games with cutesy characters, but don’t let that fool you. If your friend is hardcore puzzle addict you’ll drive them crazy with some of the later puzzles in both games. The downside to the games is that they’re only available on the Nintendo eShop. The plus side is once your friend has these games and gets addicted to solving the 3D puzzles, they’ll be busy for a while.
6. Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Animal Crossing: New Leaf lets the player become the mayor of their very own town. Don’t worry! Tortimer is still around, but you’ll be able to set the direction of your town with ordinances, as well as approving new buildings for the shopping district. Long time fans of the series will find a lot to like, as it combines the city aspect of City Folk with the more traditional village management sim seen in previous games. There’s still tons of fish, fossils, and KK Slider songs to listen to as well.
5. Paper Mario: Sticker Star
While not the best in the Paper Mario RPG series of games, Sticker Star brings the unique aspects of the Nintendo 3DS to life. Mario sets off on a journey to liberate the Mushroom Kingdom using stickers with different abilities. The combat is similar to the original games, but stickers really give you an edge here.
4. Rune Factory IV
If you’re unfamiliar with the series, Rune Factory is a sort of medieval Harvest Moon that includes taking care of a village by farming food and cooking various recipes, but also venturing out into the world to gather ingredients and deal with threats as they arise in the story. You’ll establish relationships with villagers as you play the game and if you play your cards right, you might even get married. This iteration of Rune Factory is the best yet and arguably, is better than Harvest Moon at this point.
3. Fire Emblem: Awakening
Japan has popularized the simulation game, but there’s still room for classic strategy RPGs. Fire Emblem: Awakening is a little bit of both. You’ll assemble a team as you move through the game’s story line, and interactions you have on the battlefield affect the relationships your characters will build as you progress through the game. Fans of classic tactics games will love this one, while simulation fans will enjoy forming their team into pairs and wrecking each new challenge.
The game also has a wealth of DLC that’s competently priced and the street pass feature of being able to battle any teams you pass in order to select a new weapon or commander is pretty novel.
2. Bravely Default
Bravely Default is what the Final Fantasy series should have become. The battle system features several improvements that make grinding much less of a chore, while the story is actually pretty neat and worthy of experiencing. The real highlight to the game is the job system, which features unique positions such as Merchant, Valkyrie, and Thief. You can employ any job of your choice on any character, with many working in conjunction with one another to create powerful combos.
This game also has novel StreetPass features, with the ability to level up your town according to how many people you StreetPass. You’ll also get unique battle threats that you can overcome to win resources. The sequel called Bravely Second is expected to release in the United States sometime next year, so there’s never been a better time to introduce your friends to this amazing RPG.
1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
This game is a must for any long-time fans of the Legend of Zelda series. It revists the world in A Link to the Past, but with a new twist to the story. This game also features dynamic dungeons, meaning you can go and attempt any of the dungeons at any point in the game, you’re not directed to one specific place by an NPC. The shop system is also unique, allowing the rental of weapons you’d normally find at the end of a dungeon.
The experience is one of a kind and to date, is the best way to experience the 3D built-in to the Nintendo 3DS (sorry 2DS owners). A Link Between Worlds has a fantastic story and numerous gameplay improvements that just make us more excited about the upcoming Wii U Zelda game.
Honorable Mentions: Yoshi’s New Island, Kirby Triple Deluxe, Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Mario Golf: World Tour
Wii U Daily Gift-A-Day Giveaway
This post is part of our Gift-A-Day giveaway that we announced earlier this month. Each day until December 21 we’ll be posting one unique gift idea for any gamers in your life, including yourself! We know how hard it can be to get something for the gamer who has everything, so we’re hoping to make that a little easier this holiday season. Prizes include Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, GameCube controllers, amiibo, and even some special surprises we’ll reveal in our live hangout when we announce winners.
Enter below for your chance to win. Winners will be announced on December 22 in a live hangout, where winners will be matched with their prizes. For a look at some of the things we’ll be giving away that day, check out the original announcement post.