Hey guys, I posted this in a comment section on Polygon last night but have not gotten any replies there yet.
I need help. I just bought myself a new 3ds, and I haven’t owned a Nintendo handheld since my GBA SP. The best handheld of all time, imho. In any event, I picked up a Black New Nintendo 3DS and as I stood there looking at games, I realized I didn't go into this properly prepared. 4 Pokemon games. Turns out I bought the new one, which is a remake, and I thought I was buying the one that was so lauded a couple years ago. No sweat, have not opened it, gonna trade it in for X or Y. Will probably play this one in the future but not what I was looking for now. I also picked up Monster Hunter 4. I am sure to love that one.
From this point, I was wondering if you guys could help me out.
I was hoping to talk about my likes and maybe someone could suggest a soft order at which I need to pick up some recommended games.
Zelda, love it. Which one first? Are the 3DS/DS exclusives good enough to go first or should I start with one of the tried and true remakes? I played Majora and Ocarina back when they originally released btw.
My favorite games are usually rpg’s, and I am really big on jrpgs too. Don’t mind grinding either. In fact, I love to grind. Call me crazy.
Some of my favorite games on handhelds tend to be side scrollers as well. My favorite Castlevania of all time is Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow on GBA and one of my favorite Metroid games is Metroid: Fusion also on GBA. So side scrollers with back tracking and boss fights like those are TOPS on my list.
When it comes to Mario I prefer side scrollers. Best Mario of all time is a toss up between Super Mario World and Super Mario 3 IMHO.
I am trying to think of other things to give you guys an idea about my gaming preferences but I am drawing blanks atm.
Please keep in mind I have not owned a DS let alone the 3DS, so there is a massive library of games awaiting my attention.
I could simply look at metacritic and start at the top and work my way down, but I can do that with the GBA and would skip a lot of stuff that is higher up because they are not for me and some of the best stuff would be lower on the list, so I figure the best thing to do is ask some other gamers what their thoughts are based on my preferences.
Also, some silly questions. Does the shop carry full games? Are all games available digitally? Are they usually still full price when the physical copies have already hit the bargain bin?
I have not opened my 3DS yet. Gonna do that when I decide which game I am playing first.
Welcome to the World of the Nintendo 3DS (and DS, in your case)!
Here are some games worth playing
New Super Mario Bros. (DS) or New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS) : Pick your poison, they are both very similar games.
Zelda: I am not experienced with Zelda but I have beaten The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS) and it is terrific!
Animal Crossing New Leaf (3DS): This game is beyond addicting and it is a blast.
Fire Emblem Awakening (3DS): Probably the best portable game I ever played, and I am a total Fire Emblem noob.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS: An absolute blast.
Mario Kart 7 (3DS): A really impressive Mario Kart experience.
Q: Does the shop carry full games?
A: Yes it does, but they take up a lot of space on your micro SD card!
Q: Are all games available digitally?
A: No. If the game is not available digitally, you will be told so
Q: Are they usually still full price when the physical copies have already hit the bargain bin?
A: Not usually, but they might be more than a physical copy in some rare instances.
What Would W. Do?
3DS Friend Code: 3609-1033-1732 | Nintendo Network ID: Wman1996
Try Super Mario 3D Land, it's a cross between 2D and 3D platforming. If you own a 3DS you MUST own it. Also, get Mario Kart DS. IMO it's better than Mario Kart 7. If you love Zelda, you're better off building a foundation on the DS/3DS from there. Get OOT 3D, MM 3D, and ALBW and after you know the Zeldas a bit, you'll warm up to the rest of the library. IMO the DS library is better than the 3DS's, so please do get Mario Kart DS, New Super Mario Bros, and Nintendogs for good measure. They can be comforting in this strange new world. Remember that the 3DS is backwards compatible with the DS. Good luck! (P.S. the guy above me said pretty much everything exept for Mario Kart DS. GET MK DS, YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!)
3DS is an awesome system, ESPECIALLY if you like JRPGs. Even more so if you never owned a DS.
Some recommendations:
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse for Nintendo 3DS - This is the third game in the series. The first two are available for download on 3DS as well (they were GBC and DSi releases, respectively), but this is, far and away, the most polished one. As to how to describe it... imagine Aria of Sorrow-style backtracking and open environments, but with a colorful and funny world full of genies and pirates instead of dark, gothic backgrounds. It's legitimately the best Metroidvania-style game on the 3DS. It's available on the eshop for $20.
Shin Megami Tensei IV for Nintendo 3DS - This game is a creepy and utterly gorgeous JRPG. If you've never played an SMT title before, you negotiate with and win over demons to fight other demons. Imagine Pokemon if it were dark, brutally difficult, philosophical, and involved catching demons. This game is probably my favorite RPG on the platform.
Bravely Default for Nintendo 3DS - Imagine classic Final Fantasy, but with modern twists on the traditional turn-based battle system and utterly epic music by Revo and you get Bravely Default. It has some pacing issues later in the game, but the gameplay and production values make this a worthwhile experience.
Ocarina of Time 3D and Majora's Mask 3D are almost full-blown remakes. The controls have been vastly improved and the visuals are quite gorgeous. MM3D actually has some notable tweaks to make the gameplay smoother as well.
A Link Between Worlds is more than a simple remake of LttP. It's a full-blown reimagining with a new plot and a FASCINATING new mechanic where you turn into a painting. It's also the most open Zelda game to date, with the player being able to tackle the dungeons in any order.
Fire Emblem: Awakening is wonderful, too. And Smash. And Mario Kart 7. I could go on and on.
Oh, and if you've never played Donkey Kong Country Returns, this is the system to play it on. It has deep 3D and AWESOME platforming gameplay.
Also, all the DS Castlevania releases, but ESPECIALLY Order of Ecclesia. OoE is my favorite CV game since SotN.
Most retail games are available digitally. You can buy a 32GB card for not too much at the store and have room for a dozen or more retail games, depending on how large they are.
All the games the people before me mentioned. Also, if you like fighting games, you should check Street Fighter IV out.
You can't go wrong with Zelda games: the DS games, the remakes and ALBW are all perfect.
Take a look at the Virtual Console, too, you should enjoy Metroid II and Super Mario Land 2.
And don't forget Metal Gear Solid 3, unless you own a PS2-3-X360.
And don't forget to play both the Layton trilogies!
And Ace Attorney, at least the first three games.
The DS was/is an absolute treasure trove for RPG fans that can be fully enjoyed thanks to the backwards compatibility. I would particularly recommend the Dragon Quest games (4-6 are remakes, 9 was new). All are pretty old-school and grindy in places.
If you loved Aria of Sorrow, then its DS sequel Dawn of Sorrow is a must-buy. It's brilliant. As Ralizah mentioned, Order of Ecclesia is also wonderful.
I'm going to jump straight onto the DS games and say if you like JRPG's, then the Dragon Quest games are great choices.
I'd recommend picking up DQ6 (more retro SNES style graphics, menu's etc.), DQ9 (The newest Western release in the main series), or DQ Joker 2 (Pokémon, but better) because they all can go for $10 used, and the new prices aren't bad either. If price isn't an issue, then DQ5 is the best of the series imo (might be harder to find though).
For the Zelda games, skip Phantom Hourglass and buy Spirit Tracks if you're looking at the DS releases.
If you had to pick only one DS game to play, I'd have a hard time recommending anything other than The World Ends With You.
Every single gimmick the DS had, from the touch screen, to the microphone: TWEWY used it, and used it well. It's classified as an RPG, but gameplay-wise it's the most original RPG I've ever played. Ever. Action-based combat with both characters doing completely different things at the same time on both screens, being able to choose to "level down" and increase your rewards, and stat growth through eating food. The soundtrack is also unreal, bro. Everything from Rock to Hip-hop. The entire game just oozes style.
Before this thread is locked and you get directed to the 3DS Recommendations Thread, I'll recommend a DS game: Kirby Mass Attack. It's a 2D action/platform game that uses some of the best touchscreen controls of the genre. The 3DS was already out by the time this game was released, so it shouldn't be too hard to find compared to others.
OMG, I had no idea there was a sequel to Aria of Sorrow. No idea. I totally missed it. I will absolutely be picking that up. I am stunned and so happy at the same time.
To everyone else, I am writing down all the recommended titles and am going to look into each one seriously.
Thanks a lot. I didn't know there was another thread for this.
Thank you truly everyone.
EDIT: Would you guys say that the game lists on Nintendo.com are complete? Seems I can order them by date and check physical releases and have pages to go through. Are they complete and accurate? If so that would be a nice way to familiarize myself with both libraries.
Again, thanks guys. Wow, I have a lot of great stuff to get through.
Congrats on the upgrade! I have to say my favorite thing about upgrading to the 3DS is the eshop. It has quite a collection of marvelous gems.
A few recommendations:
Siesta Fiesta- Easily one of the best eshop purchases I've made. I've never had more fun going up against a game's difficulty curve. Beautiful, colorful, tight and interesting gameplay. I'd describe it best as a mix of pinball and Marble Madness.
Rhythm Thief and the Emperor's Treasure - A flawed but amazing rhythm game. Everything about this title was so fresh I swear I could taste mint. The music is terrific, the story is quite interesting, solid animated cut scenes and Rhythm Thief is just one cool dude. The gameplay is quite varied and good fun but there were a couple of games I found more frustrating than they should have been but only had to pass them once so it wasn't a deterrent to the overall experience. I had never played a rhythm game before this and couldn't have asked for a better introduction to the genre.
Nightsky - Gorgeous title where you control a sphere going through various night scenes and obstacles. It's more fun (and trickier) than it sounds and happens to be very calming and atmospheric.
Mighty Switch Force - Snazzy puzzle platformer with some awesome music.
Shovel Knight - A platformer with a quirky mechanic done in classic NES style. Comes highly recommended by... basically everyone that's played it. It's probably worth getting for the soundtrack alone.
And if you find it on sale, I'd also recommend Attack of the Friday Monsters. Short but charming title driven by narrative but it does have in-game card combat.
1) Zeldas: The 3 Zeldas on the 3DS are probably the top 3 in the series in my opinion. So doesn't matter which you start with, just play them all. A Link Between Worlds is a great place to start if you haven't played the series for a while because it's so light on story and you're just thrown straight into gameplay.
2) RPGs: Bravely Default is quaint, attractive and has an awesome battle system but lacks in story and characters.
Tale of The Abyss is one of the best in the Tales series. Fun characters, well paced story, and quite light but nice experience. It's also nice to play a JRPG with real-time combat.
Fire Emblem Awakening is one of the best games you'll ever play. It's the pinnacle of the strategy RPG genre. Even if you've hated every stragety RPG you've ever played (like I had), this will win you over.
After those you're better looking at the DS for RPGs.
3) Sidescrollers: You've got a lot to choose from here. The eshop has some absolute gems. VVVVVV, Might Switch Force, Cave Story, Steamworld Dig, Shovel Knight are 6 of the best sidescrollers I've ever played (steamworld dig might not belong in that category). They're all better than the 2D Mario game as well.
I'll start off by going off of what you listed, then give a few personal recommendations:
Zelda games: I honestly haven't played any of the 3DS ones yet (I plan on picking up MM3D and ALBW at some point soon, but haven't been able to), but I can recommend both Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks on the original DS. I'd suggest getting Phantom Hourglass before Spirit Tracks, but both are great games. They're top-down games in the traditional 2D Zelda style, although Link is controlled with the stylus. This helped add in a lot of different sword techniques, and a lot of fun puzzles used the touchscreen.
Sidescrollers: Again, I haven't played a whole lot on the 3DS, but Kirby Triple Deluxe is a fantastic platformer if you're a fan of Kirby, or want to get an easier sidescroller. The main game itself is short, but between hunting for collectibles, completing the keychain collection, and the various minigames you can unlock and play, the game has a lot of content. Kirby Super Star Ultra, a DS remake of Kirby Super Star, possibly has even more content than Triple Deluxe does. I'd personally say Super Star Ultra is the best Kirby game made so far.
RPGS:
I saved this for last, because most of my games are RPGs, and I have a lot I could recommend.
First off, as someone else recommended, I highly recommend looking into The World Ends With You. It's possibly one of the most original concepts for an RPG so far, with incredibly addicting and fast paced combat, a well written story, and one of the best soundtracks the DS has.
I also recommend the Dragon Quest games as many have suggested, which are great if you enjoy traditional turn-based RPGs.
If you're interested in Pokemon, the DS games are also worth looking into. One particular Pokemon DS game that's often overlooked is Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, which is a side-game with no relation to the main series. If you played Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team on the GBA, Explorers of Sky is essentially its sequel. I'd put it right up with TWEWY for the best RPG on the DS.
Pokemon Conquest (DS) and Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS) are great strategy RPGs, as well. Finally, if you never played the Wii version, Xenoblade Chronicles is being ported to the New 3DS in a couple months, and is definitely worth looking into.
Other recommendations: First of all, in terms of DS games, I suggest looking into Elite Beat Agents. It's a rhythm game with a really fun gameplay style and a humorous story, and it deserves a lot more attention. The Ouendan games are also worth looking into if you're willing to import (EBA is the western version of Ouendan). As others above mentioned, Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS) and Super Smash Bros for 3DS are also great games to have.
Sorry that this post was a little long, but there are a lot of games I could recommend. This isn't even going into the eShop's games! Regardless of what games you buy, I hope you enjoy your new system!
"Little by little. Each day as it comes. That's how we should live."
Again, thanks a ton guys. There is so much out there I want now. I think a lot of what is suggested here is stuff I will like.
I am on the fence with the Fire Emblem though. Seems even people that don't like the genre like it though. For me, I love the heck out of some Final Fantasy, but I could never ever get myself into Final Fantasy Tactics. Its just something I don't enjoy. Still considering it though.
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Topic: My first Nintendo Handheld since my GBA SP.
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