10 overlooked Nintendo 3DS games you need to play as soon as possible

The Nintendo 3DS is about to celebrate its 11th birthday and its eShop is set to close in March 2023. Neither piece of news is likely to mean much to many gaming fans. After all, most folks who had even a passing interest in Nintendo's second dual-screened handheld moved on to other systems some time ago. 

As you might imagine based on what I write here and what I share on Twitter, I am not one of them. I still regularly boot up my trusty "flame red" 3DS, in fact.

Are you in the same boat and keen to check out one of more of this portable's overlooked offerings? Or maybe you're returning to the 3DS to buy some of its hidden gems before they become difficult or even impossible to find? Either way, I'd strongly recommend that you consider the 10 titles highlighted below.

The Alliance Alive

OK, so an HD remaster of this JRPG is now available for PC, PS4, Switch, and even mobile, but I'm the kind of nerd who prefers to play the original version of a game whenever possible. As for why you should give The Alliance Alive a try (any version, not just the 3DS one), the main reason I'll offer up is that its turn-based battles are deliciously SaGa-esque. Specifically, you regularly, thrillingly, and randomly "awaken" special moves during tussles with this title's enemies. Its at-first-confounding "guild" system ramps up the excitement even more, as towers that dot the surrounding landscape aid your efforts by doing things like stunning all baddies for a turn or weakening their defenses.

Attack of the Friday Monsters!

If you've ever wanted to play one of those Boku no Natsuyasumi games dorks like me have been blabbing about for ages but you don't own a PS1, PS2, PS3, or PSP, here's your chance. Admittedly, Attack of the Friday Monsters! isn't a "real" Boku no Natsuyasumi game, but it was made by the same company and has a similar vibe. One of this game's strengths, in my humble opinion, is how it makes you feel nostalgic for a time and place you likely never experienced. Another feather in its cap: the rock-paper-scissors-esque card battles it has you play on occasion. Not only do they imbue the game with a welcome sense of tension, but they're pretty fun, too. As for negatives, the only one that comes to mind is that Attack of the Friday Monsters! is woefully short. Just think of it as allowing you to replay the game as often as your heart desires.

The 'DENPA' Men: They Came By Wave

This game first made headlines for being developed by the folks at Genius Sonority, chiefly known for working on various Dragon Quest and Pokemon spin-offs. That pedigree is well reflected in The 'DENPA' Men, though this game is more of a dungeon-crawler than either of the aforementioned RPGs. The main draw here is that you "catch" all of your multi-colored party members (who look a bit like spacemen) by scanning your real-life environment using the 3DS' AR capabilities. Each one can use a single skill--from "heal" and "revive" to "ice missile" and "rising flames"--or they can simply bash foes with their shapely noggins. The cherry on top of this quirky role-player: it's a deliciously streamlined affair that keeps the focus squarely on having fun.

Crimson Shroud

I love role-playing games. Always have--or at least I have ever since I played my first (Dragon Warrior for the NES). Although I still enjoy RPGs that are sticklers for tradition, I prefer ones that try something new. Crimson Shroud sits squarely in the latter camp. Chiefly, it changes things up by adding elements of tabletop games, like rolling dice, to the tried-and-true JRPG genre. Crimson Shroud even looks the part, with party members and enemies alike resembling board-game pieces. Beyond that, Crimson Shroud offers players an intriguing story and an impressive soundtrack composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto of Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy Tactics fame. It needs to be noted that the game can be annoyingly obtuse at times, to the point where you'll probably need to consult Google or an FAQ, but those experiences shouldn't overshadow the rest of its positive moments.

Fantasy Life

Truth be told, I've never been the biggest fan of the action RPG genre of games. Role-players with turn-based battles are much more my cup of tea. Still, I gave Fantasy Life a chance upon its release because it looked too charming to pass up. Charming is the perfect word to describe it, too. In particular, filling the shoes of the game's 12 "lives" (jobs) is a blast. Some, like angler and woodcutter, are more delightful than others, of course, but even the relative duds are fun for a while. As you also might expect, Fantasy Life doesn't entirely follow through on its promises--playing as a cook won't mean running a restaurant a la Order Up! or the like--but that shouldn't keep you from enjoying the overall experience.

Hey! Pikmin

Nintendo disappointed a lot of people when it revealed this game and showed it to be a side-scroller rather than the proper sequel they were expecting. Most of those folks probably passed on Hey! Pikmin as a result, and that's a shame. They're right that it's not the Pikmin 4 they wanted, but it's still a lot of fun--and quite intriguing, too. Hey! Pikmin feels like a mash-up of a Kirby, Yoshi, and Pikmin game, if that makes any sense. It's slower and more methodical or thoughtful than your typical Yoshi or Kirby title, though, and all the better for it, in my opinion.

Pocket Card Jockey

I've exalted the virtues of this Game Freak-made eShop title since day one, and for good reason. For starters, Pocket Card Jockey is thrillingly unique, combining horse racing (and breeding, to an extent) and quick rounds of golf solitaire in an adorably addictive package. It also features a Go Ichinose-composed soundtrack that's catchier than it has any right to be. Finally, it includes a colorful cast of characters, each of whom reveal surprisingly and increasingly intriguing backstories the deeper you delve into the game.

Rhythm Heaven Megamix

The best Rhythm Heaven game is the first, a Japan-only GameBoy Advance title called Rhythm Tengoku. This 3DS offering is a solid second choice, however. A few reasons for this: 1) it combines most of the series' best mini-games with a few all-new ones, and 2) it eschews the control gimmicks of the previous two releases and lets players use buttons. Rhythm Heaven Megamix also is among the most accessible options for folks who want to give this rhythm game a try.

Rusty's Real Deal Baseball

Although I think this eShop-only 3DS game was destined to fail, I'm glad Nintendo made and released it. Not only is Rusty's Real Deal Baseball a secret Rhythm Tengoku/Heaven game, but it also offers up one of the oddest--and maybe darkest--stories in a Nintendo-published release. I don't want to completely spoil the "fun," but expect to read about divorce, single-parenting struggles, small-business woes, and more.

Sushi Striker

Sushi Striker would deserve a look even if all it offered players was a puzzle game focused on furiously slinging plates of sushi at an onslaught of oddball opponents. Although these food-themed tussles are the centerpiece of this indieszero-made game, and for good reason, there's far more to the experience. Sushi Striker also features tons of quirky side characters, a silly story that will regularly bring a smile to your face, and a soundtrack that gets and keeps you in the mood for the hours upon hours of sushi-tossing needed to finish it. (Seriously, I put more than 50 hours into Sushi Striker in 2018.)

Honorable mentions: Ever Oasis, HarmoKnight, Kirby: Planet Robobot, Miitopia, The Starship Damrey, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, Woah Dave!, and Yoshi's New Island

See also: 10 overlooked Nintendo DS games you need to play as soon as possible

One sentence about each of the 24 games I finished in 2020

I began 2020 intending to review every one of the games I finished during the year. Although I did that—to a point, via this post and this post—until the end of June, I completely dropped the ball after that.

I'm going to try to make up for things here—although, again, only to a point. Instead of writing multi-paragraph reviews of each of the 24 games I finished in 2020, I'm going to devote just a sentence to them.

Here are the blurbs in question, which I've organized according to when I completed them. (Alice in Wonderland was the first game I beat in 2020, while Paper Mario: The Origami King was the last.) 

Should you want additional details on any of these games, let me know in the comments section of this post. Or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter.

Alice in Wonderland (DS)

A unique, touch-controlled Metroidvania that's far more challenging than its awesome, adorable art style implies.

Detective Pikachu (3DS)

This Pokémon-themed adventure game may be aimed at kids but adults can enjoy it, too—as long as they don't have a deep-seated hatred of Pikachu, of course.

Heroland (Switch)

Made by folks who previously worked on Fantasy Life and Mother 3, Heroland is a theme-park-based, board-game-esque RPG with a superb soundtrack that intrigues until it overstays its welcome.

Hey! Pikmin (3DS)

A beautiful, blissfully short side-scroller that does a surprisingly brilliant job of combining the Pikmin series' characters and controls with thoughtful platforming action.

Pokémon Shield (Switch)

I loved Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! when I played through it in 2018, and I loved Pokémon Shield even more when I played through it last year—thanks mainly to its charming, Pokéfied British setting, slew of appealing new 'mons, and thrilling "Wild Area."

Raging Loop (Switch)

A terrifyingly engrossing visual novel that features "Werewolf"-inspired gameplay and a Groundhog Day-ish looping story.

Deadly Premonition Origins (Switch)

One of those "greater than the sum of its parts" games, with the positive parts of Deadly Premonition Origins being its quirky, compelling characters, WTF story, and weird soundtrack, and the negative parts being its "please don't make me do that again" combat and QTE segments.

Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories (Switch)

I've never had to live through a natural disaster myself, but I kind of (only kind of!) feel like I have thanks to this adventure game, which is harrowing not just because of drama and trauma it puts you through, but because of its iffy graphics and even iffier frame rate.

SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions (Switch)

Another RPG that's shockingly similar to a board game, SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions offers players a wide-open world, a minimum of direction, a ton of potential party members, and a predictably sublime OST.

The World Ends With You (DS)

A dual-screened action RPG that makes full use of all that acreage during its thrillingly chaotic battles, supported by some of the most stylish visuals around and fabulous, pop-tastic soundtrack.

Void Terrarium (Switch)

One part post-apocalyptic roguelike, one part human Tamagotchi—all set to an appropriately (and enjoyably) industrial OST.

Mr. Driller Encore (Switch)

Mr. Driller goes to a theme park and adds some much needed depth and variety to his eponymous series' previously straightforward race-to-the-bottom-of-the-screen gameplay.

Moon (Switch)

A melancholy "anti-RPG" that sends you into a game world to clean up the mess of an unhinged hero by saving the souls of slain creatures and helping its human inhabitants in various ways.

A Short Hike (Switch)

If you've ever dreamt of exploring—by land or sky—a mountainside getaway as an anthropomorphized bird and at your leisure, this is the game for you.

Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers (Switch)

A touching, vaguely EarthBound-esque RPG that lets you time travel and tackle mechanical foes with the assistance of a robot that can transform into a boxer, cowboy, and more.

Kirby Mass Attack (DS)

Using your DS' touch screen to control up to 10 Kirbies through a series of side-scrolling and puzzle-filled stages is cool; if only it were more fun.

Part Time UFO (Switch)

Leave it to the masters at HAL Laboratory to create an instant classic that combines a claw crane, a balance-puzzler, and the most sickeningly sweet soundtrack you've ever heard.

Yomawari: Night Alone (Switch)

Yomawari proves that survival-horror games don't need to be remotely realistic to be fully and properly unnerving.

Super Princess Peach (DS)

Forget what you've read about this vivacious platformer; in my humble opinion, Super Princess Peach is every bit as good as your average Kirby, Yoshi, or even Mario side-scroller.

Bubble Bobble 4 Friends (Switch)

Take the Bubble Bobble that started it all in 1986, replace the simple-yet-snazzy backdrops with ones that are simply boring, remove all the character from its kooky cast, and make the overall experience more awkward as well as less enjoyable, and you've got 4 Friends.

Mad Rat Dead (Switch)

Come for the move-to-the-beat platforming action (and the amazing OST that coordinates it), stay for the surprisingly touching tale of a dead lab rat who just wants to relive his final day—OK, and exact revenge on the scientist who killed him.

Time Hollow (DS)

Anyone who had a blast playing through Hotel Dusk: Room 215, Ghost Trick, or any of the Ace Attorney games should give this similar offering from Konami a go ASAP.

Again (DS)

This CiNG-made point-and-click adventure game isn't quite as great as the company's other DS efforts—Hotel Dusk, Last Window, and Trace Memory—but it's close enough to be well worth your while if you dug those titles.

Paper Mario: The Origami King (Switch)

The Origami King gives me hope there's still some life left in Nintendo's depressingly inconsistent Paper Mario series, though I wouldn't mind at all if the next sequel's turn-based battles were more traditional than tactical as they are here.

See also: mini-reviews of the 19 games I finished in 2019

My favorite games of 2020 that weren't actually released in 2020

Although I recently declared Moon, Paper Mario: The Origami King, and Void Terrarium to be my favorite games of 2020, the truth of the matter is I had an even better time with the trio of pre-2020 titles highlighted here.

Combined, I devoted nearly 170 hours to Raging Loop, SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions, and The World Ends With You. That alone should make it clear just how much I adored them. But why did I adore them? Keep reading to find out.

Raging Loop (PC, PS4, Switch)

Visual novels, VNs to those in the know, can be hard sells for folks who aren't fans of the genre. I know that all too well. It took me a long time to come around to these interactive books myself—and even now my experiences with them tend to be hit or miss.

What made the difference for me and Raging Loop? I'd say its horror-tinged story and rural-Japanese setting played key roles. So did its distinct and well-developed characters. Most important of all, though, was the tension this Kemco-made game introduced at the outset and then steadily built upon over time as its Werewolf-inspired mystery progressed toward its thrilling conclusion.

Will you enjoy Raging Loop if you tend to dislike VNs or scary stuff? I doubt it, to be brutally honest. That said, if it intrigues you at all, I'd highly recommend giving it a try—especially if you come across it during a sale. 

SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions (Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch)

Akitoshi Kawazu's SaGa games are known for taking the RPG genre to all sorts of weird and wonderful places, but Scarlet Grace: Ambitions takes the cake in that regard. For starters, although you and your intrepid party explore a world map just like you would if you were playing a standard RPG, that's all you explore in SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions. There are towns and dungeons here, but you don't enter them; instead, you peruse their "contents" (for lack of a better word) via a menu. In the former, that can mean chatting up a local or checking out a shop's wares, while in the latter, it typically means engaging in one or more battles.

Speaking of battles, they're both the focus and the highlight of SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions. As well they should. They're brilliantly strategic, not to mention addictive. The main hook is that your actions can alter a fight's timeline, and if you manage to defeat a baddie positioned between two (groups of) party members, you're compensated with what can be a tide-turning "United Attack." Your opponents play by the same rules, though, so there's a risk-reward element to this SaGa's turn-based fights that keeps you on your toes.

Beyond these tussles, SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions offers those who tackle it a magnificent OST (composed by Kenji Ito), a multitude of recruitable characters, and the kind of impressively—and sometimes befuddlingly—open-ended adventure that has been this series' calling card since day one.

The World Ends With You (DS)

The World Ends With You is the kind of game that makes you wonder what the Dragon Quest and, especially, Final Fantasy series could become if the suits at Square Enix let loose a bit. Almost everything about this action RPG makes you raise your eyebrows in appreciation: the stylized visuals, the modern setting, and the impressively eclectic soundtrack, especially. 

The frantic, dual-screened battles bedazzle, too—though they just as often bewilder. As exhilarating as controlling and otherwise keeping track of two characters can be, it can be exasperating as well. Still, once the fights in The World Ends With You click with you, they almost feel transcendent. When's the last time you said that about Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy—or any other JRPG, really?

Honorable mentions:

• Again (DS)
• Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers (PS4, Switch)
• Hey! Pikmin (3DS)
• Pokemon Shield (Switch)
• Yomawari: Night Alone (PC, Switch, Vita)

See also: my favorite games of 2019 that weren't released in 2019