One of a few handheld systems in our library, the 3DS boasts an impressive catalogue of first-party titles and a wide range of affordable games.
Though handheld gaming in today’s landscape is often limited to playing a Switch or Switch 2 in portable mode, handheld consoles were ubiquitous in the gaming world for over two decades – proving to be particularly popular with children.
While I was certainly a console gamer through and through as a young kid, I dabbled in handheld gaming as well – although perhaps not as much as I should have, as I was kept from getting my own Nintendo DS as I “didn’t play those games at all.”
Though my distinct preference for console games over handheld games was known throughout my childhood, that was far from a universal preference. Five of the 13 best-selling consoles of all-time are handheld systems, with the Nintendo DS topping other handhelds by ranking third all-time, only behind the Switch and Sony’s PlayStation 2.
Handheld gaming reached its peak during the 2000s, when Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance and DS competed head-to-head against Sony’s PlayStation Portable, the latter of which was also known for being able to support select movies on its proprietary UMD format.
What appeared to be a stable, separate echelon of the gaming world began to wind down in the 2010’s with the release of the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita.
While the former console served as the last true handheld to achieve commercial success, its sales were significantly muted compared to the original DS – with the 3DS ultimately selling just under 76 million units while the DS sold over 154 million systems.
As for the Vita, steady popularity in Japan was not nearly enough to propel the console to anywhere near the same status the PSP had, with the Vita selling between 10 and 15 million units before its worldwide discontinuation in March 2019.
Though console games always come first on the totem pole for my wife and I, there are a handful of games I’d love to play on the 3DS – a system I’ve only had positive experiences with, as many of the console’s marquee first-party games such as Super Mario 3D Land, Animal Crossing: New Leaf and New Super Mario Bros. 2 stand out as some of the more recognizable games of the era.
With just nine games in our current 3DS library, here’s a look at three games I’d love to add to the collection:
1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Long hailed as one of the greatest video games ever made, the original Ocarina of Time was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998, and has inspired multiple remasters of the game since.
Perhaps the most notable of these came with the 2011 release of Ocarina of Time 3D, a reimagination of the game that utilized the 3DS’ 3D video display features.
While I always found 3D play to be a bit dizzying when playing other games, I’ve also seen how it can aid players in depth perception in games such as Super Mario 3D Land, a feature that bodes well for players attempting to solve convoluted puzzles in Ocarina of Time 3D.
In addition to being what was a modern remaster of the classic game (yes, I know more time has passed between now and 2011 than between 1998 and 2011, I don’t need to be reminded), Ocarina of Time 3D also featured quality-of-life improvements to make the game’s tougher moments a bit more simple for new players.
This is particularly notable for the game’s infamous Water Temple, with the 3DS version making the puzzle easier to understand while adding directions for navigation.
While Kathleen and I are currently working our way through the original game on the Nintendo 64, it’d be excellent to experience it all again on a handheld.
2. Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire
Anyone who collects video games is well aware of the exorbitant value Pokemon games hold – especially those that were released in the Game Boy Advance era in the early 2000’s.
While I was certainly a Pokemon kid who collected cards and watched the TV show when I could, I wasn’t quite as drawn into the games as many of my peers were. While I had Pokemon Gold/Silver for the Game Boy Color long ago, I simply didn’t put the hours into it that many others my age did.
Although I had a Game Boy Advance, I totally missed out on the Ruby/Sapphire and FireRed/LeafGreen era – leaving me out of Pokemon until I finally got myself a DS (that I would later lose) during my freshman year of high school for the release of Pokemon Black/White.
While I do have Pokemon X for the 3DS, it would be even better to get a dose of old Pokemon nostalgia with Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire, games that do not carry quite as high of a price tag as some of the series’ older titles.
Though I’m a long ways away from having all of the physical Pokemon games, a good start would certainly be with some of the more recent titles that aren’t as hard to find.
3. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions
In another instance of missing out on the original for the Game Boy Advance, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga initially served as the introduction of the Mario & Luigi RPG series – games I was always deeply interested in but never got to play.
After a whopping five installments of the series, Superstar Saga was remastered and released with additional content for the 3DS in 2017, 14 years after its original 2003 launch for the GBA in major markets.
As someone whose favorite game ever is a JRPG, I haven’t done the necessary deep dive into Mario RPG games – which have been around for as long as I have, beginning with the May 1996 release of Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars for the SNES.
While we own that game’s Switch remaster along with the original Paper Mario for Nintendo 64, it would be amazing to get a glimpse of where another beloved Mario RPG series got its roots – especially as I currently lack a Game Boy Advance with a backlit screen, making play on a 3DS much more desirable.
Additionally, with six mainline releases as part of the Mario & Luigi series, it’s hard to not feel like there’s some potential to get fully hooked on these games – for better or for worse.
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