The Video Game Critic

More than enough time has passed for us to rank the top 5 games on the 3DS, my personal favorite handheld since the Game Boy Advance. Choosing my favorite 5 games on the 3DS is not an easy task, as there are so many quality titles, so this list could be interchangeable.

5. Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon: Even better than the first game, I love the level design, the 3D effects, and the numerous amount of treasure and secrets to collect. Puzzles are great too.

4. Resident Evil Revelations: Scary yet adrenaline pumping at the same time, Revelations is pure fun. Collecting new weapons is a lot of fun, as is finding secret items. The 3D effect and atmosphere are incredible, and the controls are terrific, important for a game like this.

3. Kid Icarus Uprising: Put auto fire on in the options menu, and you'll see zero control problems period. This fast paced game reminds me of Star Fox 64, and is very quotable. Best of all, the shooting/melee action is addicting as hell, and (of course) there are secrets everywhere. The music and graphics are fantastic, and this might be the only 3DS game that tells you how much battery it has left.

2. Super Mario 3D Land: A clever mix of 2D and 3D Mario, 3D Land's platforming is excellent. Although it's on the easy side, it is nevertheless highly enjoyable thanks to the design, hidden star coins, and the Raccoon power up. Awesome 3D effects too.

1. Fire Emblem Awakening: My all time favorite 3DS game, Awakening will appeal to any gamer, even those who don't play strategy games. The wide variety of characters, attacks drawn out on the screen, and gradually challenging levels won me over, and it's a lot of fun doing alternate levels, unlocking new characters, and changing the storyline. Great graphics, great music, great 3D effect, great scenery (which changes on the battle screen depending on where you are in a level), great design, and great gameplay. Might be in my top 5 all time.

Thoughts?

After reading your post it made me think that maybe there are people who use and enjoy the 3D effects of the system. I have a few to contribute, in no particular order.

Attack of the Friday Monsters! from Level 5 is one of those rare games that has a very Japanese feel without the heavy dose of anime, which I'm not so much into. The atmosphere alone is worth the cost of entry and the card-trading game adds a lot of fun. But the interactions with the various other residents of the town, the 1950s setting and the openness about the magic of childhood imagination are the things that tie it all together. A true gem for players of all ages.

Mario Golf: World Tour is a tough one. As much as I love Toadstool Tour from the GameCube there's little denying the physics here make it difficult to go back. How much would I love to see a port of TT but with improved textures, additional characters, Mii integration (with the ability to customize or disable the voice) and of course the physics of World Tour. Still, you can't beat the convenience of playing on a handheld and of course competing with players all over the world. The Streetpass integration is a fun little bonus.

Pilotwings Resort - How I just love Wahu Island. As casual games go this one is up there with the best. Earning badges, unlocking new challenges and the appearance of a mysterious giant robot... oh and playing at different times of day/night is a great aspect to the overall experience.

Puzzle & Dragons probably isn't one of the best games on the system but it's unique enough to mention. I would have stuck with it longer if there weren't already so many other games drawing my attention.

Steamworld Dig by Image & Form - Probably also falls into the "casual" category, although it can get pretty challenging in the later levels. The sounds, the atmosphere and the excellent power-ups give this game a top-notch presentation. Great price for the value.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf - What can I say, I love the quirky world of Animal Crossing. I can't think of a more relaxing video game that also has so much personality and charm, not to mention endless things to do and so many great NPCs to interact with. My only regret with this one is that it didn't have quite the same snappy dialog as my all time favorite in the series Wild World (for the DS).

1 - Shovel Knight
2 - Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
3 - Resident Evil Revelations
4 - Gunman Clive 1 & 2
5 - Gardenscapes (very addictive hidden object game!)

But there are so many other great games... even for non-RPG fans like me. I like to mention Shinobi 3D, Luigi's Mansion 2, Kid Icarus Uprising, Super Mario 3D Land, Ultimate NES Remix, Rayman Origins, Yoshi's New Island, Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Kirby: Planet Robobot... and all those other games I forgot.