I know, I know. You've already got a huge backlog of games to get through.
And sure, the games you already have are important. But the Nintendo 3DS? This thing has GAMES, man.
So whether you're new to the system or just want something different, there's always more things to try.
1. A Link Between Worlds is a perfectly playable twist on a classic Super Nintendo game.
At first look, you might think of this game as a straight remake of A Link To The Past, but it really isn't. It amps up the things that were great about the original game — the quick pace, the sweet array of items, and the art style — and adds a bunch of new elements that truly perfect the 2D Zelda experience. You can finish dungeons and obtain items basically in whatever order you want, which really prevents the game from dragging. It's the best Zelda game I've played since Ocarina.
If you prefer 3D Zeldas, there are excellent remakes of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask available on the 3DS as well.
2. Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire is everything you love about the series, adapted perfectly to the modern era.
3. The best recent Final Fantasy game isn't a Final Fantasy at all: It's Bravely Default.
If you grew up on '90s Final Fantasy games like myself, your interest in the series may have tapered off as it transformed itself into an action RPG series and wandered off into ever newer territory. Bravely Default, which is developed by the same company as Final Fantasy, takes the turn-based combat from an earlier era and adapts it to modern sensibilities. And unlike FF, the game has a direct sequel, called Bravely Second, if you want to follow the story.
4. Download Earthbound from the eShop and experience one of the quirkiest RPGs ever.
After nearly two decades of not re-releasing the game, Earthbound is now available for download on the 3DS. The timing couldn't be more perfect; one of the most popular RPGs out right now, Undertale, is inspired by the Nintendo classic. Most RPGs have you play in medieval-ish settings, perhaps as royalty, and somehow, Earthbound's twist on the genre still feels fresh. You play a bunch of suburban kids with psychic powers trying to save the world from aliens. The journey is metaphysical, philosophical, and frankly, totally ridiculous. You have to play it.
5. Check out the remake of the modern indie classic, Cave Story 3D.
6. Try Gunman Clive for a dose of classic arcade action.
7. Explore the underground in the surprisingly deep SteamWorld Dig.
8. Brawl with your friends in Super Smash Bros. For 3DS.
There's not a ton of fighting games on Nintendo consoles, but that's OK because Smash is more than enough. While most people who take the game seriously play on the Wii U, Smash 4 is still pretty great on the 3DS. The release of a bunch of DLC characters, like Cloud, Ryu, and Bayonetta, keeps me coming back to the game nearly a full year and a half after it was released.
9. Fire Emblem Fates has you fall in love with your ragtag army.... and then asks you to consider sacrificing them forever.
Fire Emblem is a pretty traditional strategy RPG, with one wicked twist: dead means dead. You can restart the whole level over, but if you play it traditionally, you have to live with your terrible strategic consequences. The game combines this captivating strategy of risk/reward with a slightly ridiculous anime-inspired romance system. Like, yes, you can marry a royal, but the game also gives you the opportunity to romance a dragon! If you're trying to save money, you can also pick up the earlier 3DS title, Awakening. Both are good entries in the series, although Fates is probably overall the better designed game.
10. Box Boy! and its sequel are affordable eShop options that'll tickle your brain.
11. All of the Monster Hunter games are tough, but they reward playing with friends.
12. Animal Crossing: New Leaf lets you chill out in a perfectly designed town of your own creation.
Animal Crossing isn't even really a game; it's a culture. It's a frickin' lifestyle. You play as the mayor (and only human) in a town full of animals with peculiar desires. There isn't really a goal beyond doing mundane life stuff — you pay off your debt, you buy furniture and nice clothes, you do favors for friends that annoy you, and visit the ones you like. But once you get into the flow, it's addicting AND relaxing. It gets even better when you start visiting the towns of other AC players!
13. Super Mario 3D Land is a whole new genre of Mario games.
14. Curl up with the Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright games. They're like super engaging, hilariously offbeat books.
