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There is no single, objective ranking of the best Nintendo 3DS games: Nintendo Life puts Ocarina of Time 3D first, while GamesRadar+ ranks A Link Between Worlds first. Together, the lists point to a strong group of adventures, role-playing games, racers, platformers and puzzles. The right choice depends on what you want to play—and whether you prefer a new 3DS design or a remake of an older game.
How to choose a 3DS game
Start with genre and pace. A focused adventure or platformer gives you a defined campaign; Animal Crossing: New Leaf is more open-ended, while Mario Kart 7 is built around races. Then consider how you want to play: solo, locally with others, or using online features. Historical descriptions of online play do not establish that a service is available now, so check current status before buying for that purpose.
![Animal Crossing New Leaf -Nintendo 3DS (World Edition) [video game]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ae7NTwpoL._SL160_.jpg)
Hardware use and design lineage also help narrow the list. Some games make particular use of the 3DS screen, touch controls or motion aiming; others stand out for adapting a familiar series to portable play. The picks below are editorial recommendations grounded in published lists, awards and game descriptions—not a claim that one ranking settles the question.
The best Nintendo 3DS games by what you want to play
Best for a new-style top-down adventure: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
This is the strongest pick if you want a top-down Zelda adventure with a distinctive central mechanic: Link can merge into walls and move along them. GamesRadar+ ranks it first in its 25-game selection, and Nintendo Life named it its 3DS Game of the Year in 2013. That makes it a compelling starting point for newcomers as well as a standout for players who want a fresh entry rather than a remake. GamesRadar+’s best 3DS games list and Nintendo Life’s 2013 staff awards reflect different editorial judgments, not a universal consensus.
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Best for a classic adventure in a portable remake: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Ocarina of Time 3D brings the Nintendo 64 adventure to 3DS with updated visuals and features that use the handheld’s controls: glasses-free 3D, touch-based inventory management and gyro-assisted first-person aiming. Nintendo Life places it first on its broad 50-game list; GamesRadar+ places it seventh. Choose it if you want a remake of a landmark older adventure, rather than the more distinctly 3DS-designed, wall-merging play of A Link Between Worlds. Nintendo’s product page describes the remake’s visual and control features; see also Nintendo Life’s 50-game list and GamesRadar+’s list.
Best for open-ended town life: Animal Crossing: New Leaf
If you would rather settle into a routine than follow a tightly structured campaign, New Leaf is the life-simulation choice. Its town-running premise, collecting and social interaction give it a different rhythm from the action and stage-based games here. GameSpot highlights the town and multiplayer aspects, and Nintendo Life placed it second in its 2013 staff awards. GameSpot’s 3DS game coverage and Nintendo Life’s award results offer further context.
Best for tactical role-playing: Fire Emblem: Awakening
Awakening is the pick for players who enjoy planning moves and developing a party of characters. It is a tactical role-playing game rather than an action adventure: expect turn-based positioning and decisions about how to grow your team. Nintendo Life placed it third in its 2013 awards, and it also appears in GamesRadar+’s selection. Nintendo Life’s awards and GamesRadar+’s list both recognize it.
Best for racing: Mario Kart 7
For quick races and multiplayer-focused play, Mario Kart 7 is the straightforward recommendation. Nintendo’s 2017 catalog article describes 32 courses, airborne and underwater sections, and online multiplayer. The course and gameplay details are useful when weighing the game as a racer; the online description is historical, not confirmation of present-day service availability. Nintendo’s 2017 catalog article is the source for those features.
Rank #3
- This renewed game will not come with the original case or manual; cartridge only. It has been cleaned, tested, and is in nice condition.
Best for portable platforming: Super Mario 3D Land
Super Mario 3D Land adapts 3D Mario platforming to the handheld with courses suited to shorter play sessions. It is a natural choice if you want a focused platformer instead of a sprawling adventure or a game built around ongoing routines. Nintendo Life discusses its portable approach in its 3DS games list.
Best for a darker, time-loop Zelda: The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D
Choose Majora’s Mask 3D if you prefer a darker story and a time-loop structure. The 3DS version is a remake with gameplay adjustments, so it offers a different design and tone from Ocarina of Time 3D rather than simply another version of the same adventure. GameSpot and Nintendo’s catalog both cover the remake. GameSpot’s coverage and Nintendo’s catalog article are relevant references.
Rank #4
- This is the world edition. It has different packaging but is fully authentic and works on US region 3DS systems.
- The Legend of Zelda veterans can look forward to the Master Quest - a second quest with revamped puzzles and redesigned dungeons.
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is a masterful improvement on one of the landmark releases in video game history.
- “E10+”, w/Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes
Best for a traditional JRPG: Bravely Default
Bravely Default suits players looking for turn-based battles and character growth. GameSpot highlights its risk-and-reward battle system and character development, making it a genre-specific recommendation for someone seeking a longer role-playing game rather than a quick-session racer or puzzle. GameSpot’s 3DS coverage discusses those elements.
Best for a slower logic challenge: Picross 3D Round 2
For a quieter, puzzle-first experience, Picross 3D Round 2 is the list’s standout. It is the best fit here for players who want to solve logic problems at their own pace rather than focus on combat, racing or platforming. GamesRadar+ includes it in its best 3DS games selection.
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Best Value
- This renewed game will not come with the original case or manual; cartridge only. It has been cleaned, tested, and is in nice condition.
What the rankings and sales figures do—and do not—show
Published rankings disagree because their editors use different criteria. Nintendo Life’s broad list puts Ocarina of Time 3D at number one, while GamesRadar+ ranks A Link Between Worlds first and Ocarina of Time 3D seventh. GamesRadar+ places Fire Emblem: Awakening second and Animal Crossing: New Leaf fourth; Nintendo Life’s 2013 staff awards instead put A Link Between Worlds first, New Leaf second and Awakening third. These are useful signals of editorial recognition, not a single blended or definitive score. Nintendo Life’s ranking, GamesRadar+’s ranking and Nintendo Life’s 2013 awards each provide their own ordering.
Nintendo’s FY3/2014 investor-relations table records life-to-date sales of 9.62 million units for Mario Kart 7 and 7.66 million for Animal Crossing: New Leaf as reported by Nintendo Co., Ltd. for FY3/2014. The table reports quantities in ten-thousand units and says 3DS software totals include downloadable versions and bundled software. These are historical figures for that reporting period, not current lifetime totals; they should not be compared as if they were present-day totals or used to infer the sales rank of every game on this list. Nintendo’s FY3/2014 software sales table is the source.
Where to find 3DS games now
Nintendo states that purchases in the Nintendo 3DS family eShop ended on 27 March 2023. For legacy games, physical cartridges are a relevant route, but availability varies and should be checked at the time of purchase. Verify the exact title and edition, region compatibility, cartridge and case condition, and seller reliability before committing. Nintendo’s 3DS game page carries the eShop notice alongside the product information.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
