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

10 games I would replay this year if I let myself replay games

I used to replay games all the time; I rarely allow myself to do it today.

Why? The main reason is I'd rather spend my free time on games I've yet to play than those I've already experienced. Or at least that's how I've felt the last couple of years.

I'm not quite ready to change my tune here, but if I were, I'd start with one or more of the following games, each of which have been bouncing around in my brain, begging to be replayed, in recent weeks and months.

Chulip (PS2)

I've got a huge soft spot for games made by Love-de-Lic and its many offshoots. Of all the ones I've played so far, though, Chulip has proven the least compelling. I think that's because the Chulip is both quite dark and quite slow. Still, I appreciate and respect its odd and off-kilter aesthetic and story, so hopefully those aspects will carry me through my next Chulip playthrough--should one ever happen.

EarthBound (SNES)

It's been eight years since I last played this cult classic. In the meantime, I've finished both its predecessor, Mother, and its sequel, Mother 3. To be honest, a part of me would prefer to replay the first Mother rather than this follow-up, but I'm going to do my best in the next year or two to push those irrational feelings aside and return to EarthBound, aka Mother 2, instead.

Endless Ocean (Wii)

Considering how popular the Wii was during its peak, I never understood how this game failed to reach a wider audience. It certainly deserved one, in my opinion. Exploring Endless Ocean's watery world was equal parts soothing and awe-inspiring the last time I played the game, and I could use a little (OK, a lot) of both in these uncertain times. 

Fantasy Life (3DS)

After Pocket Card Jockey (below), Fantasy Life is the 3DS game that has stuck with me the most over the years. I've wanted to return to it ever since my first--and thus far only--playthrough ended. Although I usually prefer turn-based RPGs to real-time-action ones, Fantasy Life bucks that trend. Why? My guess is it's due to the game's wide and whimsical selection of jobs and weapons, which conspire to make it a joy to play despite its lack of random battles.

Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light (DS)

As much as I enjoyed playing Bravely Default and Bravely Default II, I'm not sure I enjoyed either title more than I enjoyed this 2010 precursor. Which isn't to suggest The 4 Heroes of Light is the best of this JRPG bunch. It's not. It may be the most charming, though, and that goes a long way with me. I also adore this game's soundtrack, which isn't as bombastic as that of the first Bravely Default but holds its own otherwise.

Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (DS)

In a perfect world, I'd play through Hotel Dusk once a year. It offers players such a cozy vibe and such a captivating cast of characters that it's like the video-game equivalent of comfort food for me. This world is far from perfect, though, and so annual replays of this CiNG-made treasure are not an option. But maybe I could get myself to return to it every other year?

Pocket Card Jockey (3DS)

Despite what I said earlier about rarely replaying games these days, me replaying this digital-only curiosity is nothing new. Should I find a way to boot it up again in 2022, it would be the fifth time I've done so, if memory serves. If you're wondering what makes Pocket Card Jockey, developed by Game Freak of Pokémon fame, so seductive, my answer would be that it's a rare example of "the complete package"--cute visuals, curiously captivating gameplay, and cool, jazzy OST.

Raging Loop (Switch)

Why would I choose to replay a visual novel I finished less than two years ago? For starters, I loved my first playthrough of Raging Loop so much I immediately wanted to experience it again. Also, it promises a seemingly aptly titled "Revelation Mode," which promises all kinds of additional content--including the ability to hear side characters' thoughts and witness scenes outside the protagonist's perspective.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy (3DS)

My recently realized desire to play through Theatrhythm Final Fantasy a second time comes as a bit of a shock to me. Although I adored the time I spent with this game back in 2013, I've rarely considered returning to it. Now that it's back in my mind, though, I can't stop thinking about it. Mark my words: should I actually boot up some of the games highlighted here in 2022, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy will be among them.

Void Terrarium (Switch)

I get the distinct impression that most folks don't even know Void Terrarium exists, and yet here I am, desperately wanting to give it a second go. Similarly to the above-mentioned Pocket Card Jockey, Void Terrarium successfully mashes up a pair of gaming genres--roguelike dungeon-crawler and digital pet--that really shouldn't work together. It also boasts a sweet and somber story that makes the experience even more worthwhile.

See also: 12 old and new games I want to play in 2022

12 new and old games I want to play in 2022

I did a pretty good job of spreading the love around last year in terms of playing a variety of games on a variety of systems. Sure, the majority of the games I played were played on my Switch, but four were played on my Vita, one was played on my 3DS, and three were played on my DS.

I'm going to try my best to keep that up this year, as the following list of old and new games I want to play in 2022 should make clear.

7th Dragon (DS)

I've wanted to play this Imageepoch-made DS RPG since it was first announced due, mostly, to its adorable character designs and Yuzo Koshiro-composed soundtrack. Hopefully they'll be enough to overcome 7th Dragon's annoying components, of which I've heard there are a few. I'm no stranger to old, frustrating RPGs, of course, so fingers crossed that experience helps me out a bit, too.

Bravely Second (3DS)

I've started this Bravely Default sequel twice since I got my hands on a copy in early 2016. On both occasions, I walked away after just a few hours of play, feeling decidedly disinterested. Will this third attempt be the charm? I have my doubts, but after thoroughly enjoying Bravely Default II (and having a similarly positive experience with the original release), I'm willing to give it a try. If things don't click this time, though...

For the Frog the Bell Tolls (GameBoy)

Oh, look, another game I've tried a couple of times. I don't remember ditching For the Frog the Bell Tolls, or Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru, because a lack of interest, though; rather, I think my previous attempts simply began at the wrong time. That said, I do recall finding this GameBoy title's battles a bit curious, so here's hoping they--as well as the rest of this retro adventure--strike me as appealingly curious during my next go-round.

Fuga: Melodies of Steel (Switch)

I've yet to play the other two games in the Little Tail Bronx series, so why am I champing at the bit to play this one? For starters, I'm intrigued by its tank-centric gameplay. I also rather like how it looks. That's it, really. Now I just need the game to (finally) go on sale, as its $40 asking price is a little too steep for me.

Katamari Damacy no-Vita (Vita)

Truth be told, I'd rather We Love Katamari be ported to the Switch so I can play that game portably. With that being an impossibility (for the moment, at least), I'll settle for giving this Vita entry in the series a go. Don't worry, I'm well aware it pales in comparison to earlier releases. It's still Katamari Damacy, though, right?

NEO: The World Ends with You (Switch)

Being the serious TWEWY fan that I am (though I only finished it for the first time last year), I was beyond excited when this sequel was announced in late 2020. NEO: TWEWY released at a weird time for me, though, and so instead of playing it right away, as planned, it was unceremoniously ushered into a closet to be played at some future date. That future date is going to be sometime in 2022, if I have anything to say about it.

Okaeri! Chibi-Robo! Happy Richie Oosouji (DS)

Chibi-Robo! totally is a "me" kind of series--and yet I've only ever played a bit of its very first entry, released for the GameCube. I'm going to attempt to rectify matters by diving into this direct follow-up (I think?) in 2022 thanks the English fan translation that's been available for the last five or so years.

SaGa 2 (DS)

I was enamored with this game, known as Final Fantasy Legend II in my neck of the woods, as a kid. Mind you, I was enamored with reading about it, not playing it. Oh, I bought and played it, and of course enjoyed it, but I never quite got into it like I did its predecessor, which I played for hours on end. Hopefully a second attempt in 2022, via this DS remake from 2009, will prove more compelling.

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi (Switch)

Here's another game that I eagerly anticipated playing last year as soon as I got my hands on a copy, only to drop the ball when that happened due to the timing of the release. I continue to think this dungeon-crawler looks masterful, especially its intriguing, near-modern-day setting, so don't expect me to ignore it for much longer. 

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars (Switch)

I can't muster much interest in Square Enix's major productions these days, but the company's smaller efforts? I nearly always adore them. I suspect that trend will continue with this card-themed RPG, especially since its demo impressed me to a surprising degree. In particular, I appreciated its slow pace and mysterious vibe. I can't wait to find out if I feel the same way about the full, final product.

Weapon Shop de Omasse (3DS)

I adored what I played of Level-5's inventive Guild series games back when they released here in 2012 and 2013. Attack of the Friday Monsters! and Crimson Shroud were my favorites, but I also enjoyed The Starship Damrey and Aero Porter. One Guild release I've yet to experience is this "rhythm fantasy RPG" that has players forge weapons for would-be heroes to rent for upcoming quests. 

Yomawari: Midnight Shadows (Vita)

Although it occasionally irritated me, the original Yomawari impressed me overall when I played through it last year. I especially liked its compact setting and its cute-but-also-plenty-unsettling aesthetic. I've been meaning to take a stab at this follow-up ever since, but the timing's never been right. I'm going to force the issue soon, though, due to the fact that a third Yomawari game is releasing in Japan this April.

See also: my favorite games of 2021 and my favorite games of 2021 that weren't actually released in 2021

How I spent my time with video games in 2021

Although I played and finished a lot of games in 2021, I didn't spend as much time with those games as I did with the games I played and finished in 2020.

Last year, for example, I put more than 80 hours into three different games. This year, my most-played game topped out at just over 75 hours.

Despite that, I'm plenty happy with how I spent my time with games in 2021. In particular, I'm happy that four Vita games made the cut this year, as did three DS games and one 3DS game. I failed to finish the 3DS game (Etrian Mystery Dungeon), admittedly, but that's how it goes sometimes.

I'm much more bummed about the fact that I only managed to put three-ish hours into Shin Megami Tensei V between its release and the end of 2021. I didn't dislike the time I spent with this Switch RPG, so my current indifference to returning to it has me stumped.

Who knows, maybe I'll finish it in the new year and it'll appear in my eventual "how I spent my time with games in 2022" post.

• Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk (Switch) — 75 hours, 30 minutes
• Bravely Default II (Switch) — 72 hours, 20 minutes
• Dungeon Encounters (Switch) — 43 hours, 25 minutes
• SaGa Frontier Remastered (Switch) — 32 hours, 40 minutes
• Airship Q (Vita) — 28 hours, 35 minutes
• Gnosia (Switch) — 24 hours, 45 minutes
• Shiren the Wanderer 5+ (Switch) — 24 hours, 30 minutes
• Spelunky (Switch + Vita) — 24 hours, 25 minutes

• Ripened Tingle’s Balloon Trip of Love (DS) — 23 hours, 40 minutes
• Poison Control (Switch) — 16 hours, 50 minutes
• Gravity Rush (Vita) -- 14 hours, 40 minutes
• Pikmin 3 Deluxe (Switch) — 14 hours, 15 minutes
• Pac-Man 99 (Switch) — 11 hours, 50 minutes
• A Kappa’s Trail (DS) — 10 hours, 40 minutes
• Captain Toad (Switch) — 10 hours, 30 minutes
• Deltarune Chapter 1&2 (Switch) — 8 hours, 40 minutes
• Mon Amour (Switch) — 8 hours, 05 minutes
• Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir (Switch) — 8 hours, 00 minutes

• Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind (Switch) — 6 hours, 55 minutes
• Tearaway (Vita) -- 6 hours, 50 minutes
• Etrian Mystery Dungeon (3DS) — 6 hours, 00 minutes
• Umurangi Generation Special Edition (Switch) — 6 hours, 00 minutes
• Princess Debut (DS) — 5 hours, 20 minutes
• Liquid Kids (Switch) — 3 hours, 45 minutes
• Shin Megami Tensei V (Switch) — 3 hours, 45 minutes
• Overboard! (Switch) — 3 hours, 25 minutes

How did you spend your time with games in 2021? Feel free to share your own play-time stats, or simply list your most-played titles, in the comments section below.

See also: how I spent my time with games in 2020

One sentence about each of the 21 games I finished in 2021

I somehow managed to finish 21 games this year. I say "somehow" here because for all of 2021 it felt like I played fewer games than I did in 2020.

Actually, it's possible I did play fewer games in 2021 than I played in 2020. And I surely spent less time with the games I played in 2021 than I did with the games I played in 2020, as my next post will make clear.

As for this post, it features—as the header above hopefully suggests—one-sentence "reviews" of each of the 21 games I completed this year.

Also, they're organized according to when I completed them. So, Shiren the Wanderer 5+ was the first game I "beat" in 2021, while Umrangi Generation Special Edition was the last.

Shiren the Wanderer 5+ (Switch)

I didn’t realize just how much I’ve always wanted to pillage towers at extreme threat of violence and even death until I dug my teeth into this beautifully complex roguelike.

Captain Toad (Switch)

Captain Toad is a cute and (mostly) chill puzzle-action game that I can honestly say I enjoyed more than I've enjoyed any of the proper Mario titles that have been released over the last few years.

Princess Debut (DS)

A fluffy and rather childish otome game that features a barebones rhythm component—via simple ballroom dance sequences—and attractive, manga-inspired art.

A Kappa’s Trail (DS)

An instant-classic, hidden-gem, touch-controlled, puzzle-action game from some of the same devs who gave the world Mother 3, Magical Starsign, and Fantasy Life.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe (Switch)

Exploring the game’s beautifully realized environments while capturing towering "enemies" and corralling similarly giant pieces of fruit is great fun; doing all of those things while watching a clock tick toward zero is not.

Bravely Default II (Switch)

Yes, it’s yet another RPG about those damned “four heroes of light,” but this one tweaks the formula, gameplay (the battles, especially), and aesthetics just enough to make it all seem fresh and exhilarating.

Gnosia (Switch)

I started this game expecting it to be little more than Raging Loop set in space, but what I got was an addictive Werewolf simulator with a thrilling drip-feed story—the opposite of RL’s, basically—and a swoon-worthy OST.

Poison Control (Switch)

Poison Control is a curious and snappy mashup of a dungeon-crawler, a third-person shooter, and Taito's classic quartermucher Qix, all set to a surprisingly dark assortment of stories and a subtly brilliant soundtrack.

Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk (Switch)

Come to this dungeon RPG for the 40-member parties (kind of, but kind of not), stay for the in-the-end-touching story and the interesting traversal elements.

Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir (Switch)

An attractive and captivating whodunit that occasionally frustrates due in large part to a clunky interface that sticks a little too close to its late-1980s roots.

Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind (Switch)

Another modern remake of an old adventure game that originally graced the Famicom Disk System, though this one is more suspenseful and has a slightly more appealing setting and story.

Ripened Tingle’s Balloon Trip of Love (DS)

A point-and-click game starring everyone's favorite emotionally stunted oddball, Tingle, and sporting a story that's a silly riff on The Wizard of Oz; believe me, it's every bit as great as it sounds.

Gravity Rush (Vita)

Although its increasingly nonsensical story and always-aggravating combat regularly attempted to take my attention away from it, I don't think I've ever felt more like I'd stepped into the shoes—or spandex jumpsuit—of a superhero than I did while playing this gorgeous "gravity action" game.

Tearaway (Vita)

Tearaway is a breezy, Kirby-esque platformer that makes impressive and creative use of the Vita hardware and, as such, feels more like an amusement-park ride than a video game.

Airship Q (Vita)

Take Terraria, make the protagonist a cat, add a save-your-catnapped-sister story, and toss in a few honest-to-goodness, pull-your-hair-out-by-the-roots moments of jank-prompted frustration, and you have Airship Q.

Deltarune Chapter 1&2 (Switch)

This Undertale follow-up may or may not be a better game than its predecessor, but either way, it's a joy to play thanks to its wall-to-wall witty and silly text and its decision to fully lean into bullet-hell gameplay.

Mon Amour (Switch)

If you've ever wondered what Flappy Bird would look, sound, and play like if the creative geniuses at Onion Games (Black Bird, Dandy Dungeon) had made it, here's your answer.

Dungeon Encounters (Switch)

It's best to ignore how Dungeon Encounters looks, especially before you actually play it; instead, think of it as a minimalistic, top-down Etrian Odyssey that has you solve riddles to find new abilities, party members, treasures—even the final boss.

SaGa Frontier Remastered (Switch)

Although the stories that hold SaGa Frontier together are on the simple side, every other element of this Japanese role-player is out of this world: the eye-popping array of party members, the exotic enemy designs, the extraterrestrial locales, the electrifying battles, and—last, but certainly not least—the extraordinary soundtrack.

Liquid Kids (Switch)

This side-scrolling Bubble Bobble—basically, though the protagonist is a roly-poly platypus rather than lime-green dinosaur—is an arcade game through and through, with cheap deaths around every other corner, but it's also a blast to play thanks to how fun it is to throw "water bombs" everywhere and at everything.

Umurangi Generation Special Edition (Switch)

If Gnosia is a Werewolf simulator, Umurangi Generation is a document-the-end-of-the-world-using-a-DSLR-camera simulator—and a damn good one, at that.

See also: one sentence about each of the 24 games I finished in 2020