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The Nintendo 3DS–depending on your visual preferences–is one of the more fascinating devices released by the gaming giant over the years. A direct successor to the wildly popular Nintendo DS, it didn’t look like much had changed on the surface. The new handheld device still featured dual screens and a clamshell design, but beneath the surface, there was a big increase in hardware horsepower, a brilliantly executed glasses-free 3D feature on the top screen, and even camera support.
The best 3DS games made ample use of these new technological features to deliver novel gameplay experiences, and we’ve rounded up these all-time classics below–a list of what we feel are the 20 best 3DS games, assembled in alphabetical order. This includes numerous Nintendo 3DS exclusives like Pokemon X and Y, Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. Even better, the 3DS was backwards compatible with its predecessor, so if you’d amassed a collection of great Nintendo DS games, you could plug them into your 3DS and keep playing.
The 3DS would evolve over time with updated models like the “New” Nintendo 3DS that added some useful new tech features and 2DS handheld consoles that removed the 3D screen from the system. While it didn’t reach the same sales peak that the Nintendo DS family of handhelds did during its run, the 3DS did manage to clock an impressive 75.94 million lifetime sales overall. Its successor, the Nintendo Switch, sadly didn’t offer any form of backward compatibility with its library, and no such function has been mentioned for the Switch 2.
You can still pick a 3DS up for relatively cheap on the reseller market these days–and there’s no shortage of mint-in-box versions to choose from–so if you’re looking to do so, you can browse our list below of the must-have games for this charming handheld.
