10 Near-Perfect Nintendo 3DS Games Nobody Played
Overview & Key Takeaways
The 3DS came and went, leaving behind 10 near-perfect games most players overlooked, but shouldn't have.
With the 3DS eShop closed, the system’s software library has already begun to feel like a relic. That’s a sad fate, considering how many hours of enjoyment it provided before Switch became the only Nintendo platform anyone wanted to talk about. Fortunately, not all of those games have been lost to the march of progress. Many of them were released physically, so you can add them to your collection after a quick trip to your favorite used game store or auction site. And right now is the perfect time to build your library, before everyone else joins the race. Here are 10 near-perfect Nintendo 3DS games nobody played that would make great additions to your collection.
10 Shinobi 3D (2011)
Image: Griptonite Games/Sega
Publisher: Sega
Known simply as Shinobi in regions outside Japan, Shinobi 3D is a white-kunckle return to form for the popular series of action games about ninja. (It’s not to be confused with the 3D Shinobi 3, which was released as part of Sega’s lineup of 3D ports for the 3DS handheld.) The development team at Griptonite Games kept the franchise’s notorious difficulty, which means it’s not for everyone despite taking a generally accessible approach to the genre. If you enjoy the struggle to overcome overwhelming odds, though, it could be right up your alley.
9 The Alliance Alive (2017)
Image: Cattle Call/Atlus
Publisher: Atlus
Cattle Call, the developer of The Alliance Alive, has been making games for years. Mostly, it works as a support and co-development studio on RPGs. This game is a follow-up to Legend of Legacy, which made a splash two years prior. The goal this time around is to destroy Daemons, who have subjugated humanity. Yoshitaka Murayama, of Suikoden and Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes fame, wrote the scenario. Players participate in turn-based battles and develop new skills based on the actions they take most frequently. Considering the limited hardware, The Alliance Alive was an ambitious game that more people needed to play. Fortunately, it has been updated and released on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Windows PC, though it has yet to reach the wide audience it might easily entertain.
8 Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure (2012)
Image: Xoon/Sega
Publisher: Sega
Crammed full of music to get your foot tapping, Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure is a rhythm game from Xeen and Sega. It introduces Raphael, a young lad investigating his father’s disappearance. He solves puzzles and completes rhythm-based minigames around the city of Paris, while a twisting caper storyline provides players with ample reason to keep tackling challenges. Sega has a strong heritage when it comes to rhythm games, and this was one of its better ones.
7 Stella Glow (2015)
Image: ImageEpoch/Atlus
Publisher: Atlus
At one time, ImageEpoch (known for Luminous Arc and the 7th Dragon franchise) was a developer to watch. Today, it is no longer operational. Stella Glow is the final game it developed before going bankrupt. As swan songs go, it’s a good one. Players divide their time between turn-based battles and less demanding pursuits such as exploration and relationship building. Time management plays a significant role, as do relationships the main character forms with his allies. Those relationships impact which abilities the player can utilize, as well as the ending they receive upon completing the game. None of that reinvents the wheel, but it’s evidence of a team that knew its way around the genre.
6 Culdcept Revolt (2016)
Image: Omiya Soft/NIS America
Publisher: NIS America
Until this year, the Culdcept series hadn’t seen a lot of releases in North America. One of three games to make the trip from Japan was Culdcept Revolt for the 3DS. It’s a turn-based strategy title where players use cards to rise up against Count Kraniss, who opposes magic users known as Cepters. The hero of the game is Allen, who wakes with a bad case of amnesia and finds himself drafted by members of a resistance group. The gameplay can be surprisingly deep, and not always intuitive. But players who want something a unique riff on the tactical RPG formula will likely be enchanted by its charms. As an aside, the next installment in the series, Culdcept Begins, released earlier this year on Nintendo Switch systems.
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5 Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars (2011)
Image: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Julian Gollop, best known for creating the beloved X-COM franchise, led development on Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars during his time at Ubisoft Sofia. The game launched on 3DS before the hardware even arrived in North America, providing turn-based strategy gameplay similar to the Advance Wars series from Nintendo but with additional attention paid to the features of the battlefield, such as elevation. Despite the game’s pedigree and a warm response from critics, it has remained a hidden gem to this day (and one of the best games like XCOM to play).
4 Return to PoPoLoCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale (2015)
Image: Epics/Marvelous
Publisher: XSEED Games
The PoPoLoCrois series dates back to 1996 in Japan, where it was developed by G-Artists. It is based on the manga series by author Yosuke Tamori, who passed away earlier this year. The games are owned by Sony, which somehow didn’t prevent a 3DS installment from happening and remaining exclusive to Nintendo hardware. As the newest console release in the series, Return to PoPoLoCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale combines the PoPoLoCrois license with Story of Seasons, resulting in a farming simulation with role-playing elements. Expect charming visuals and whimsy, perfect for low-stress handheld gaming sessions.
3 Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. (2015)
Publisher: Nintendo
Intelligent Systems is known today for major releases like Fire Emblem Engage, but it has developed successful games in numerous other franchises, as well. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. was an attempt to try something new within the familiar strategy genre, which it achieved by combining third-person strategy with quirky characters and a steampunk aesthetic. Enemy turns lasted longer than they should have, but a post-launch update addressed that flaw. It was too late by then, however. The game sold poorly in spite of its strengths, and you won’t have to spend much to add it to your collection, if you’re so inclined.
2 Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth (2014)
Publisher: Atlus
Atlus had two main franchises going throughout the 3DS lifespan: Persona and Etrian Odyssey. Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, a first-person RPG, featured characters from Persona 3 and Persona 4, and this spinoff marked their first appearance on Nintendo hardware. Dungeon exploration resembled the Etrian Odyssey games, complete with powerful FOEs and the ability to map out dungeons. Players and critics enjoyed the mix of two favorite properties, though the expansive dungeons weren’t for everyone. With the exception of its sequel, released in Japan in 2018 before heading west the next year, there haven’t been a lot of games quite like it since.
1 Ever Oasis (2017)
Publisher: Nintendo
Ever Oasis came late in the 3DS life cycle, around four months after the Nintendo Switch launched. By then, a lot of people were saving up to buy the newer hardware, or they were purchasing launch titles. Most late 3DS games received relatively little attention, even when Nintendo published them. That was a real shame in this case, because director Koichi Ishii (the studio’s founder, and the creator of the Mana series) brought together dungeon crawling and city building in some exciting ways. Neither genre is presented in the best possible light, but the combination of the two makes for genuinely compelling play that fans of either one won’t want to miss. Perhaps someday, Nintendo will see fit to commission a remaster. But until that happens, the 3DS is your only option to play one of the best original JRPG experiences of the last decade.
