39 Best 3DS eShop Games You Should Get Before They're Gone Forever

Everything goes away someday... Except CFW, CFW is forever!

I would have included DSiWare games on the list too - as they also seem to be going away - in particular Starship Defense, Four Swords, Shantae, maybe Dark Void Zero (I've not finished it so I can't recommend yet).

I feel like all the 3D Classics are good picks because of them being unique versions of the games, but if you don't care about the 3D, probably not the best picks. I feel like the Ace Attorney games will be rereleased sooner or later. The Guild01 and Guild02 are good picks.

I still need to pick up the Pushmos. Too many good games to pick from.

They should have made these as NFT's as I've heard they never disappear.

So I guess my 3DS with these games on it will be worth lots of money soon then, woop!!

My list for the 3DS so far consists of
-Harmoknight
-Sakura Samurai
-Pushmo and Crashmo
-Pocket Card Jockey
-3D Classics Kirby's Adventure
-3D Classics Kid Icarus
-3D Gunstar Heroes
-Rusty's Real Deal Baseball
-The entire Picross e series
-Smash Bros. 4 DLC
-Some Virtual Console games like Earthbound, Super Mario World, Super Metroid
-Some DSiWare games I missed all these years like Starship Defense

A big maybe in Team Kirby Clash Deluxe's Definitive Gem Apple Pack. It's not DLC, it's a microtransaction, but if it's like the Switch game and is more or less like a one-time payment I'm game.

Man, a lot of games I'm missing. Thank goodness on the Wii U is mostly Virtual Console games I'm missing.

EDIT: Add to the 3DS list Picross 3D Round 2 and Rhythm Heaven Megamix. Why North America didn't get physical versions of those games?

EDIT 2: Somebody mentioned Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars. Is the offer of "buy it on one console, get a free code for the other" still available?

Thanks for the feature! I would love to see another one but for games of which the physical versions are 100+ euro or dollar and therefore the digital version is the one we should get. And maybe another one for the dlc we might be missing out on (like Fire Emblem).

Please?

Denpa men 2 and 3 are way, way better than the first. I prefer 2 myself. It's a fantastic little RPG (by the Pokémon Colosseum developers).

GOTTA PROTECTORS.
Everyone should 100% buy Gotta Protectors. It's a fast, fun, really addicting Warriors-style game in 8-Bits. Really easy to get into, lots of variety, lots of missions, and REALLY hard to put down. Buy it!

wow so many games i missed! i has a 2ds but all i really played on it was fire emblem awakening, mario kart 7, and pocket card jockey. time to get shoppin!

Chuck Hydroventure in too and make it an even 30!

Going to put this out there for a recommendation, Tank Troopers. The list missed this one, but this is an eShop only game. Best way I could describe it, a very Nintendo-y (for lack of a better word) take on a tank game. Similar to how Splatoon is a very Nintendo-y take on a shooter game.

It came out during that weird time between the Wii U and Switch, so I'm guessing it flew under the radar for many.

Very tempted to grab Pushmo now, or put it on my wishlist. I did enjoy Rusty's Real Deal Baseball despite not being into sports.

Edit: I got Pushmo confused with Stretchmo, so grabbed the latter being a F2P game, along with Steel Diver Sub Wars.

Some of the 3D Classics NES games are great on 3DS (Excitebike) but others are best played elsewhere.

It's extremely annoying that you cannot disable the new background on Kid Icaris. Obviously the game would look less 3D without the background but still.

As an aside, Nintendo during the 3DS era were great at giving away free games. It was a good time for that. I think Excitebike and Kid Icaris were completely free with some promotion.

And sometimes they would offer a big game for free if you owned a couple of other big releases - I think I got Animal Crossing for free because I owned Mario 3D Land and Donkey Kong Country Returns. Wii U was similar - they gave away Pikmin 3 in the same kind of promotion. And there were, of course, the Ambassador games. It was an amazing time for that kind of thing.

Yeah, another Ace Attorney collection needs to happen because of this. That is unless Capcom wants people to play those games on their phones.

For the North Americans in the thread.... Picross 3D Rd 2 and Rhythm Heaven Megamix. Sadly we did not get physicals like Europe. Same with Dillon's Dead Heat Breakers, though I haven't played it, and I'm not sure I can recommend a $50 game.

Also.. Mario vs. Donkey Kong Tipping Stars and Mario and Donkey Kong are on my must buy list before the shop closes.

Really hoping we see some publisher fire sales. I know Nintendo won't, so I'm pretty confdent I can buy those without any buyer's remorse if a sale happens.

@RubyCarbuncle That's my issue. I don't really want to buy a new SD card for my 3DS, but I want to pick up a bunch of these. Maybe I'll cut back on the Dillion.

I’d like to also add to the list Shantae: Pirate’s Curse… yeah it’s already ported to many devices and has a physical copy as well (although kinda expensive nowadays), but its true charm relies on those character sprites with some “depth”, like, literally you can see a couple “attributes” pop-up with the 3D effect on!

@CharlieGirl I remember seeing the trailer for this game and being interested, but I don't think it ever came out in Europe sadly. =(

I'm currently playing The Denpa Man, and can't recomend it enough.

Also, you guys should definitively check out Cursed Castilla, Johnny Kung Fu, Sakura Samurai, Azure Striker Gunvolt series and Ikachan.

I binged Chibi-Robo Photo Finder recently, and I only recommend it to Chibi-Robo enthusiasts. Ironically the picture-taking was my least favorite part thanks to the grainy low quality 3DS camera (and LOUD shutter noise), but I had fun with most of the game's other content.

In North America Rhythm Heaven never got a physical release so go get that game if you live there !

There's literally too many good digital only 3DS games. This makes this probably even bigger than the Wii Shop closing down

@Duboiss seriously this is such a big oversight!

Good list. Add Sakura Samurai, The Mysterious Murasame Castle, Rhythm Heaven Megamix, and Donkey Kong Land 1-3.

i liked Ketzal's Corridors and EscapeVektor a lot as a kid, basically anything they plugged on nintendo video was sure to be at least "alright" (including Tokyo Crash Mobs), i'll have to take a peek at my 3DS later for more EDIT Kersploosh!/Splash and Crash for sure as well!

For anyone going on a buying spree, keep in mind some of these (such as the Phoenix Wright games), have in-game DLC shops, as well. So be sure to check for those as well, if you want to ensure you have the complete game.

So sad, people couldn't buy those games for years. 🥺

Picross 3D 2 was a digital-only release in the US and is AMAZING if you enjoy Picross!

Moon Chronicles is a ground-up remake of the niche DS-exclusive first-person shooter originally made by Renegade Kid. the 3DS remake is digital only and the superior version of the game.

There is also a digital-only remaster of the DS-exclusive horror game Dementium: The Ward on the 3DS eshop, also by Renegade Kid.

Ironfall Invasion was a 3DS-exclusive third-person shooter inspired by gears of war with a full campaign and multiplayer. Not an amazing game, but definitely serviceable and one-of-a-kind for the 3DS.

Technically the 3DS Shin Megami Tensei games are also available physically, but copies of those games are getting expensive, so digital purchases might be a wise investment.

aw man, this means the excellent DLCs for smtiv and apocalypse are going too, huh

@MS7000
the region locking makes a really good case for installing CFW after the eShop closes down.

Gonna pick up Denpa-men and Attack of the Friday Monsters. The others I already have but seeing Dillon on the list made me smile too.

I's also give a shout to Potzol's Puzzle and Sakura Sakurai (I think both have different names in the US) but I thoroughly enjoyed them too. I do miss Nintendo's weird little experiments.

If this is truly the “must haves” before Nintendo shuts down the 3DS eshop, then not much will be lost.

Wait, are the Badge Arcade servers still running? I remember I tried to log in a couple times a while ago, and they appeared to have closed up shop...

Streetpass games

I have 60+ hours in streetpass games, they were one of my favorite things about the 3DS.
StreetPass Mansion / Monster Manor is brilliant.
StreetPass Fishing / Ultimate Angler is plenty of fun

StreetPass games can be played with just steps - which is important b/c I rarely ever get a StreetPass notification anymore...which is too bad, b/c that was an experience in fun not found anywhere else.

A little sad seeing all these games I enjoyed and some I still play being lost. The 3DS was a really unique system.

...if this is really the best of what we're losing with the closure of the 3DS eshop, seems like it's not a great loss.

Sakura Samurai is another digital exclusive. It's basically Punch-Out with samurai. Very cool.

Senran Kagura Burst is also a NA digital exclusive.

A lot of these games are available on other platforms like the Ace Attorney games, Kirby’s Adventure, Kid Icarus, the 3D SEGA games, etc.

I am more interested in stuff like Pocket Card Jockey and Crimson Shroud that are true 3DS digital exclusives.

No love for Freakyforms it seems. Invested so many mindless hours creating some rather quirky 'formees', before having them wander about doing quests and pooping out gold as one would. Not sure if the original is digital-only, but its sequel Freakyforms Deluxe has a physical version.

Whilst I never invested much time into Colours 3D, my younger sister loved it greatly. I used to frequently check out its online gallery, and dang there were some really impressive artworks being featured on there.

@cyrus_zuo I second Streetpass Mansion. Also Streetpass Garden (unless I'm the only one who really liked it lol. Always felt satisfying to bloom those certain 'rare' plants in particular).

Maybe you can do a list for games with notable DLC too? Fire Emblem sure, but there are others like Mario Golf as well.

This is a good list, thanks! Time to make some decisions before these are gone.

Still sad that Pocket Football Club never came out in the US :/

I have no idea how I'm going to get 1000 platinum points. Most of the rest of this I have.

Some other notables from my own collection:

• The entire AiRace series
• Legend of Kusakari
• Kersploosh
• Fractured Soul
• Tetris Axis
• Night Sky
• 99 series
• Bomberman Blitz
• Electroplankton
• Pinball Pulse
• Flip the Core
• Kokuga
• Summer Carnival '92 RECCA
• Mighty Switch Force series
• Nano Assault EX
• Metal Torrent
• 3D Fantasy Zone II W
• 3D Afterburner
• 3D Thunder Blade
• Dementium I Remastered
• Chicken Wiggle (Hatch Tales (the remaster) is set to release before closure)
• ATV Wild Ride 3D
• Moon Chronicles
• Bomb Monkey
• Mutant Mudds (plus Super Challenge)
• Xeodrifter
• the Mii Plaza games
• Demon's Crest (might be the only permanent way to purchase it)

No love for Bug Vs Tanks!
Fair really it was the weak game in the Guild series.

@Splodge all the shantae's are on switch now though.

@DJDM it's not, this is just one person's opinion. Honestly I'm not a fan of most of these either. Still think we're gonna lose a lot when the store closes though!

I wouldn't worry about the Ace Attorney games unless you really want them in 3D. Capcom tends to re-release their catalogue to death on virtually every new platform.

@Ryu_Niiyama that's easy, just get all of nintendo's phone games!

I’m surprised that none of the Kunio games made the list.

it would be really cool if they had one last huge sale before they shut it down for good.

there are a few games I could pick up - and that would be ez money on the ground

@BanjoPickles I'm surprised they went with 29. Very odd number especially considering how big the quality side of the eShop is.

This makes me sad it's going! I have downloaded all the games I want which include the majority of these

This list is exactly why I just don't feel guilty about emulating dead consoles on my PC.

@Kilroy because I couldn't spend all my time writing it 😭 I have other responsibilities, y'know!

Also, this is a living list so we can keep adding to it

My only hope is that, with the 3DS shop closing, a handful of these may make the jump to Switch. It's happened before, though rarely (still waiting for the WiiWare ReBirth Series...). Attack of the Friday Monsters is absolutely lovely. I even managed to track down the soundtrack, which is gorgeous and composed by Hideki Sakamoto, who composed Lifelight for SSBU.

Really makes me want a 3DS. But I have too much already.

Not exclusive to the 3DS by any means, but Steamworld Dig and Heist work really well on the 3DS with the extra screen.

I give Rhythm Thief my highest recommendation! (Good luck ever finding/affording the physical version). It's a bit rough technically, but it's got more passion and charm poured into it than almost any game I've ever played. The music and art direction are unmatched. Also has a demo.

Do not sleep on NIGHT SKY, and FLUIDITY SPIN CYCLE either. Both are great little gems!

@KateGray That's fair.

I have Twlight Princess Picross, Dual Destinies, Spirit of Justice, Nintendo Badge Arcade, and its not listed but also Rhythm Heaven Megamix. Couldn't recommend all of them enough (except the badge arcade, could do without that one).

How are you going to talk about Kirby's Adventure on the 3DS and not bring up how it essentially eliminates the problem with the NES original, being all the slowdown? It's practically non-existent on the 3DS version, and I am a Kirby's Adventure purist, so the fact that I think of this as the definitive way to play the game says a lot! Get out of here with that GBA remake unless you brought three extra GBAs and link cables!

Ace Attorney Dual Destines actually has a release on at least one other platform - mobile. I know everyone's going to groan at me for bringing that up, but I daresay that the Ace Attorney ports on mobile are really good and the basic control scheme for the games fits mobile perfectly. I played the vast majority of the series on mobile. It allowed me to play them at work and other places out without having to bring a device I don't always have with me to begin with.

(I just looked it up and Spirit of Justice also has a mobile port, so both of these games are available elsewhere and will likely come to other platforms later)

I forgot about the Denpa Men!! I played all three games in that trilogy growing up and it makes me so, so sad that people won't be able to experience how fun and off-kilter they are.

@Kilroy

That IS an odd number. The 3DS and Wii U eshops were such a quantum leap over what was offered on DSI and Wiiware (though both had quality titles). 3DS and Wii U, though, paved the way for what we have now, which I love!

I have the Ace Attorny 3DS games already. But the question is why hasn’t capcom updated them for switch? :/ as for the other games… Pushmo and co is a must.

Rusty’s Baseball was awesome! So we’re the Streetpass DLC….

VVVVVV is no longer available on 3DS (I'm in the UK), but it's available for Wii U (coincidentally, I only just bought a Wii U this week).

Not on the list, I recommend:

Nano Assault EX - a very good shoot 'em up with stunning graphics (Nintendo Life rated 9/10)

The Art of Balance TOUCH (there's a version on Switch, but I like it on 3DS better, Nintendo Life rated 8/10)

Looksley's Line Up / Tales in a Box: Hidden shapes in perspective! - I haven't played it much, but it's use of the camera is interesting (Nintendo Life rated 6/10 due to a few issues with camera usage)

3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (and its predecessor) is "obsoleted" by the Sega Ages version on Switch, especially since the latter has Knuckles mode and Drop Dash, so...no need to buy the 3DS version unless if you have no plans to buying a Switch at all.

I'll definitely miss Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure, the two Mario & Luigi titles (Dream Team and Paper Jam), Paper Mario: Sticker Star, New Super Mario Bros 2, Mario Party: Star Rush, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions.

The Legend of Dark Witch 2 needs to find its way onto the Switch, especially in "Renovation" form like its predecessor.

...man, the more I look back on the 3DS, the more I missed how much fun those games I bought were.

No 3D Galaxy Force II? Makes excellent use of 3D and doesn’t have a Sega Ages Switch version.

@HammerGalladeBro They still advertise the cross buy, so I imagine it still works.

@KateGray As a living list, you have to add Rhythm Heaven Megamix and Picross 3D rd 2 with the disclaimer that these are for North American gamers.

Aw the Denpa Men. Do yourself a favour and go buy all three of them while you still can. But if you don’t want to break the bank, just buy the second one. It’s a full fledged rpg.

I guess I should buy Pocket Jockey, a game Ive been meaning to play for years haha.

@Nontendo_4DS No surprise you loved Rusty given your name. It was a great game... can't say as much the same for Harmoknight though. I beat it, but I wasn't over the moon in it. It's fine, but there are better games to be playing IMO.

But since you're asking to be convinced, that means you'll probably regret not getting it when the eshop goes down so you may as well get it.

Already bought all of those I'm interested in, thankfully.

@HolyGeez03 i like everything that supported 3d better on 3ds. I would have loved steamworld quest on 3ds, myself.

@HammerGalladeBro One of the few who also list Sakura Samurai, I had a blast with that one. Also Pocket Card Jockey is freaking great. I'm a fan of the Rolling Western Series

Don't forget to show Style Savvy: Styling Star some love while you still can.

@Splodge all of the Shantae games have been ported to the Switch and Steam at the very least.

@Rich_Uncle_Skeleton I thought so too 🤔

One weird suggestion I have is to download the dkc trilogy. These are the only downloadable versions I've seen that don't stretch out or distort the image at all, so they look just like how I remember them on the SNES

@Tyranexx Re. Harmo Knight, I played the demo and almost immediately thought it was a must-have, but having played some, but no means all, of the full game, I did get the impression that they'd stuck the best music in the demo and much of the main game felt a little underwhelming, and a bit samey.

If you're interested in Dragon Quest I'd go for the downloads while you still can instead of shelling out for the expensive carts

Just a correction, the Phoenix Wright games were rereleased on iOS and Android.

You should remake this list with only games that never got any kind of port, not even for iOS/Android.

This is not the time to run to the 3DS and Wii U eShops and buy everything before it closes.

It's the time to never buy anything on a Nintendo digital store again, not even the Nintendo Switch eShop, if you keep buying, Nintendo won't have anything to learn, they can get away with this.

Unfortunately, I will have to buy DLC for some games, but aside from that, no game purchases, not even for games that are digital-only.

Now this is a good list. Some I have, some I'm less interested in (like the retro titles also available on NSO or in SMD Collection - I'm not much for 3D, after all), but the stuff like Level-5 games or Liberation Maiden is already going to my own notes. HarmoKnight, too - I never picked it up with multiple My Nintendo discounts, so I guess I'll have to go for the full price now.😄

Am I correct in thinking rusty's real deal is us only? (and since it's regionally locked I suppose the trick of using my us switch account won't work?

Longtime Lurker here, made an account just for this!
Here are some games I'm snapping up:

Yokai Watch Series (Physical copies are pricey)
Detective Pikachu
Dementium Remastered
Attack of the Friday Monsters
Denpa Men Series
Prof. Layton vs Pheonix Wright (+ full series, this one is particularly pricey)
Moon Chronicles
HarmoKnight
Rhythm Thief
Little Battlers Experience (I don't think I've seen anyone talk about this one, I haven't played it but the premise seems interesting at least)
Picross 3d round 2
Of course all of the Pokemon Virtual Console Games

I bought a big SD card expansion a long time ago and never got around to filling it up. Gonna fill it to the brim! The DS/3DS was my favorite game console growing up. There were so many great titles to play, and a lot i've been sleeping on apparently! Definitely reading the comments section and taking notes!

PSA:
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D's physical edition can not be reset. Get the digital edition if you plan to replay it from scratch.
The save in the physical edition is tied to the card, so if you buy it used you risk that all is already unlocked, which really defeats the purpose of the game IMO.

I can't recommend Attack of the Friday Monsters enough. Level-5's world design team is next level (ha) and that game firmly cemented them as one of my favorite developers. I would absolutely love to see an HD release of this someday just to be able to play it on a bigger screen with surround sound, although I'm sure that's pretty far fetched.

Since when does NintendoLife sell Nintendo points? I had no idea. I'll probably pick a couple games up that I'm missing if they go on sale. I'm hoping for Ace Attorney 4+5+6 collection for Switch in the near future. Already played them a couple times on DS/3DS, but they would look amazing with the GAA treatment.

@Ufoagogo Agreed, I really enjoyed that game. I think it was my first 3DS eShop purchase. Highly recommended.

Im so happy ive still got all of my ambassador games too, lol!

@AlexHarford Actually VVVVVV is still available - I'm in the UK too, by the way and just checked - but you have to buy it directly from the 3DS eShop, it's unpurchaseable - and appears delisted - on the game's webpage for some strange reason.

@victordamazio A couple points. 1) I actively avoid buying things on Android (don't use iOS) because the platform is far more volatile than any console has ever been. Not only are both platforms updated just about yearly, but devs on mobile have a bad habit of not updating their games to be compatible with the new system updates. It's very easy for games to leave a mobile storefront for various reasons, much moreso than on a console.

2) Nintendo is not the only company to do this. Sony is as well. Boycotting is hardly the answer, that's just going to confuse them and discourage them from putting more things on the store, not the other way around. I'm not sure what the answer is, but it's not to stop supporting the storefronts you want them to keep open...

@kategray Did you consider stuff that was “digital only” in selected regions, like SMT4 (I think)?

Another thing to consider, maybe it was already published, but a list of DSiWare games worthy of playing before the 3DS eShop closure.

If I had to recommend sone, they would be Link 'n' Launch, X-Scape and Trajectile

I was surprised that Kid Icarus: Uprising didn't make the list, as it's a game I might be interested in. I assume it has a physical release, then? Does it have DLC?

@Nickinator Yep, Kid Icarus Uprising had a physical release, it even included some AR cards and an official 3DS stand. But nope, it doesn't have DLC.

Get Mega Man V for the Game Boy Virtual Console.

Why, you ask?

Check the going rate for carts on Ebay. You may want to be sitting down.

Forever? Really?

@FuriousGeorge Yes. This is why emulation and game preservation are becoming more and more important as an increasing number of digital storefronts are closing. Technically illegal, but there is a (very) slow movement in the industry to create an avenue that is legal for everyone. Microsoft being a big proponent in this.

I'd add Sadame to the list. Kind of like a 2D Nioh.

Anyone think they'll do some last minutes sales? I put some in my wishlist to get before may but wondering if I should check back over the next few months or just get asap. Mostly looking for rpgs like yokai, mario and Luigi, fantasy life, etc. Any of these tend to go on sale or should I just take the plunge?

@Cooliofunk https://en.psprices.com/region-us/index?platform=3DS This seems to be a good site that rounds together what's on sale. It also shows the history of sales for each game and you can set reminders for when it goes on sale.

@FuriousGeorge Good luck having garbage emulation and bootleg copies then, lol.

Why don't my Nintendo Life login credentials work on the Nintendo Life code shop website?

I’m guessing the 10% Off code has expired on buying the Nintendo eShop credit from you?

@SnackPop yeah I’ve just noticed that too. And the 10% Off code seems to have vanished and stopped working.

Rip. Guess I'm buying physical cards from the local shops then.

@CharlieGirl Hey thanks! Been stocking up on titles I need before the Eshop goes, probably would have missed this gem! ^.^ Just watched the trailer and immediately bought. Very surprised I missed this for so long!

@HXLXIII Oh, you're so welcome! I really hope you like it. It was definitely one of the most addictive and fun 3DS experiences I ever had.
There's also a neat little DLC add-on (available in-game) which adds a new soundtrack, more levels, and gameplay options. Have fun!

You guys missed only one game. The Legend of Dark Witch 3.

I gotta say, the Level-5 recommendations were worth it. I started with just a couple and ended up buying the whole guild series haha. I think this article summed it up best by saying they’re worth owning for the novelty of them. Each one is made by a pretty major developer and they’re all so unique, and fairly cheap, it’s worth it. I’m glad I ended up getting them before the eshop closed.

Denpa Men is a great recommendation. For those who like pokemon/dragon quest games they are like heaven.

You really ought to include Shin Megami Tensei 4 for the europeans in this list as well.

Senran Kagura Burst was eshop only in US and a really great game

50 pinch Barrage is an awesome eShop game. It's a pity that it was delisted from the NA eShop a few years ago. I know because when my brother finally got a 3DS I told him to get it but it's not there anymore.

"You absolutely need to get BoxBoy and all of its sequels on 3DS..." You gave it a 6/10, because it had gAmE boY gRapHiCs

I am a huge fan of the Legend of Dark Witch series of games. I have the remakes of Legend of Dark Witch 1 and Brave Dungeon on my Switch Lite. Legend of Dark Witch 2 and 3 are 3DS only (at least for now). I seriously doubt Dark Witch 2 and 3 will come to the Switch anytime soon, so I strongly advise you get those games before it's too late.

We need Pullblox and Card Jockey sequels on Switch.

There really isn't any 3ds games that I want before the shutdown. It is mostly dlc I am look at for now.

On the reverse, there's like, several Atlus games that were released physically in North America but only digitally in Europe.
As I recall, Atlus didn't/doesn't have a European branch, and any of their games that get released there are through other publishers?

I played all of them bar about 5. A couple of those I want to investigate. Cheers guys

Nintendo Life should post a Top 50 3DS games (not just eShop exclusive) ranked by the User Review Score before the eShop closes, because I think the only one that’s here is ranked by the people who work at NL.

EDIT: Oops, I just realized they posted that two weeks ago and I missed it.

Happy to say I own most of these. The remaining ones I'm not that interested in, with the exception of Dillon which I plan to get (along with the sequels most likely).

@alexolney) should take another Silver Falls: Three Down Stars, now that it has had MAJOR improvements.

I've typed this a lot. But if you even slightly like puzzles, (especially the ones you just do with pen and paper, ) pick up Picross 3d!

It's so polished, it's so relaxing and fun. Even the music is nice! It's got depth, but it's got great difficulty settings and is easy to learn..
My favorite puzzle game ever!

@Bl4ckb100d It's probably because the game is on everyone's recommendation list and NL needs to pad out their own list.

‘Attack of the Friday Monsters’ is one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever played. . .

@cheetahman91 Galaxy Force 2 is on the Sega 3D Classics collection that was released physically in the US, that's probably why they didn't include it.

Go! Go! Kokopolo 3D needs more love, it's a fantastic top down platform game that is unlike any other game ever made, other than the original for DSiware which is no longer available for purchase. Tokyo Crash Mobs should've gotten a shout out as well, it's a solid Zuma-style puzzle game at its core but with a graphical style and cutscenes that can only be described as LITERALLY INSANE.

Overall the 3DS eShop has surprisingly few exclusive games that are being lost... probably 80% of my 3DS eShop collection consists of games that are either available physically or on other systems. There are a few that I'd still recommend getting on 3DS for the 3D effect though, especially Mutant Mudds and 80s Overdrive. (Though I guess the former is available physically on the Atooi collection, but that collection is probably going to be difficult to find soon.) Oh yeah, the 3DS remakes of Dementium and Moon shouldn't be missed either - not only do they benefit greatly from 3D, but their original versions for DS are hella pricey as well.

might wanna get Demon's crest on virtual console
Love that game

@Mise That game is so elegant, nostalgia evoking. It is a lovely coming of age story.

I thought I was done buying games, but you put Gotta Protectors on my radar haha. I’m glad you did, though, it’s great so far.

Edit to add this game has my kind of humor and it’s a fun celebration of retro games. I knew buying this was the right decision when the start screen had you “blow” on the cartridge to make it work lol. Little touches like that are what I love.

I wanted Football club, but apparently I’m in the wrong side of the pond.

Does the 3DS/Switch have a similar game that has a lower bar to entry?

Kirby went crazy on 3DS! Weird you mentioned 3D Classics but not Fighters Deluxe, Blowout Blast, Drum Dash Deluxe. They're not anything amazing but theyre cute little games and pretty cheap if I recall.
Also, Photo Dojo is a pretty cute little app.

The year is 2222 and Nintendo fans are complaining that Nintendo has decided to finally cut off all servers to the 3DS and Wii U, despite both consoles being over 200 years old.

@burgerkingsauce you know, you’re right. I’m shocked the Kirby games weren’t mentioned, especially Drum Dash Deluxe. It’s short, but it’s a fun little rhythm game that would fit well on this list. And it stars King Dedede, what’s not to love?

@Waluigi451 That's the only one I haven't got! I need to pikc it up soon, just didn't interest me. Now that I love Kirby music so much I'll probably enjoy it

I have to give a shout-out to "Unchained Blades," a really good $20 dungeon-crawling JRPG.

It's like "Etrian Odyssey" done right, since it has a real story (one that's pretty amusing as long as you don't take it too seriously) and doesn't force you to waste your time drawing the maps yourself, plus it has a few interesting combat mechanics of its own.

Anybody else having trouble finding 50 Pinch Barrage on the NA eShop? I can find a trailer for the game, but not the game.

@Splodge Four Swords Anniversary Edition hasn't been available for a long while, but for the rest of these I definitely agree.

@accc „Zuma-like“?
I hope you know that Zuma is but a blatant copy of Puzz Loop, which was made by Mitchell - I.e. the same guys as behind Tokyo Crash Mob.

I enjoyed the Parascientific trilogy alot more than I was expecting. Served their purpose well as cheap escape room fixes after finishing the zero escape games. Nice character designs and interactions (especially the gear detective crew) and satisfying escapes helped hide the frankly rubbish story.

Really are spoilt by the number and variety of games on switch these days.

@abdias these lists are for people that actually like games enough to buy them, not for comically pathetic anti-developer, anti-game-loving "people" like you who think bragging about their ability to break the law makes them cool

literally you and everyone else who thumbs up'd the post are like 10 year olds looking for attention and validation, LOL. don't even have the tact or self-awareness to pirate stuff quietly

I'd recommend looking at the Game Gear titles in the Virtual Console section too. They have some good titles there that are difficult to find/play elsewhere. Particularly good if you're a Sonic fan (although they're not the best Sonic games, but for fans it's a nice break from the Mega Drive titles!)

There's a few decent 3DS titles that should be explored too - although they're all £35 still! (Still cheaper than physical though).

Kirby Planet Robobot
Yoshi and Poochy
Mario & Luigi - Bowser remake
Mario & Luigi - Suoerstar remake
Dragon Quest VIII

There's also a few decent titles in the Selects range which are priced much more reasonably around £15.

Mario 3D Land
Zelda Ocarina 3D

@Rich_Uncle_Skeleton they still work even now, but so slow to start... wonder if the game itself works after next month...

(and it seems to bit a bit more generous these days)

@Angelic_Lapras_King good point, might download a final course, really loved Mario golf then I first got my 3ds xl...

@romanista Hmm…in that case, looks like I’ve got a pretty common bug, that requires me to delete the extra data and reinstall the game…Not sure I wanna risk that, so maybe I’ll just be content with the ol’ badge stash…

The games that are no longer on the eShop should really be removed to save people's time who go looking for them. For example:

SpeedThru: Potzol's Puzzle
50 Pinch Barrage

just picked up Weapon shop de Omasse, Attack of the Friday Monsters, and Sakura Samurai.

As for absolute must haves, my picks are Pocket Card Jockey and Gotta Protectors (both already on the list)

Only a small number I don't have and never played. Great memories

There are a few games out of this list that are definitely worth trying:

Cursed Castilla
Weapon Shop de Omasse
Retro City Rampage
Ikachan
Mighty Switch Force
Steamworld Series
Severed
Bit Trip Saga
Blaster Master Zero
Azure Striker Gunvolt
Shantae
Mutant Mudds (3D effects are amazing)

It's sad to see the end of a cycle of a platform I played so much. It is what it is, but I'll continue playing my 3DS for years to come - most likely because good games don't have expiration date.

Aaaa there is no time and I have no money!

Some things actually seem really hard to come by physical copies but are in the eShop. I'm looking really hard at Yo-kai Watch 2 Psychic Spectres and 3 because I couldn't even find physical copies of them when they came out, plus 4 isn't happening. But they're retail price ;_;

Adventure Bar Story is a good small rpg.

You go around fighting monsters and exploring new areas to find ingredients to make food to sell in your restaurant so you can buy more food which you can eat to get stronger enabling you to fight stronger monsters and explore even further.

Don’t forget Kid Icarus Uprising. Honestly it’s easier to find it digitally now.

Well...one of those looked good..

The Sega 3D Classic games are honestly one of the best Sega ports on a system. One of the last games I bought on the Eshop was 3D Gunstar Heroes. And that game looks gorgeous on the system. Other Sega 3D Classic Games that are worth checking out include.

3D Out Run
3D Galaxy Force 2
3D After Burner 2
3D Super Hang On
3D Sonic 1 & 2
3D Streets of Rage 1 & 2
3D Thunder Blade

I'm glad I was able to pick some of these up before the 3DS Eshop closed because M2 did a great job with these ports.

I would recommend Elminage Original on the 3DS. I looked that up on Ebay and my jaw dropped. Apparently it only got 300 copies for psp world wide for the PAL version, and it never got an NA release I think?

Edit: Oh it is on Steam as well.

Sadly, I must have hit some sort of limit on how many times I can add funds to my Nintendo Account, even though I have not hit my credit limit yet. I am beginning to get errors when trying add funds, and even got a text message from my credit card company asking if the transaction was legit. I had no problems all week until now.

As least I got the games and DLC I really wanted on both the 3DS and Wii U, plus a few extra ones here and there. So if I can't add any more funds within the next couple days, I guess that will be it for me, and I will just wait for the final countdown until the eShops close forever. Any more games for either system, I'll have to buy physical on Amazon, if I can.

@AstroTheGamosian Can you buy eshop cards off Amazon?

It IS a bloody nightmare!! 🤣 I heartily agree!!

So I still have a lot of 3DS games sealed. Will Any patches be available after closure? Be a nightmare to have to open them all today and check each one lol

@Jeff2sayshi I do plan on going to the grocery store today to get my provisions for the week. If I can't get my credit card working again, I'll just buy up a bunch of eShop gift cards while I'm at the store. They do sell them there with a bunch of other gift cards. I'll just have to do the math and figure out how many I'll need to buy.

Phoenix Wright games are on sale for $3 for the next couple days.

Spirit of Justice is available in physical edition, so don't feel a rush to snag it. Dual destinies is not, so get it asap, until the inevitable Trilogy 2

@FantasiaWHT Are they? They're full price for me.

@Desihra 3DS eshop? Dual Destinies, Trilogy, Spirit of Justice are all showing as $19.99 marked down to $2.99 right now for me.

I've been doing a research for weeks and ended up buying 30 games for ~€150. (FOMO is real.)

The list includes games from this... list, quirky Nintendo exclusives, the Louvre Guide, Denpa Men 3, the Parascientific games, I am an air traffic controller games, Japanese Rail Sim games, Ironfall Invasion, a Gameboy game (The Sword of Hope II), Quell Reflect and quite a few games that exist physically but were deeply discounted for the occasion (SMT games, Etrian Odyssey games, Stella Glow etc.).

I know that this is a sad day but interestingly, for me, the research these last few weeks completely brought back the love for this unique machine.
I started playing on it again and I enjoy playing on it again.

I've already had lots of digital games for the 3DS (boxed ones, too), so I'm fairly satisfied with what I got during its eShop era.

Let's just hope Nintendo will be more patient with the Switch eShop.

@FantasiaWHT Oh, different regions! Yeah they're discounted in the US. So I guess no way for me to get them for that price.

I wonder how much the New 3DS XL costs if I consider selling mine, along with Wii U (Still have the box for both, but only lost the stylus for each) although the coating on my N3DS XL has been coming off due to just wear and tear

I already got most of the 3DS games I wanted out of the eShop. There are only like three or four games that I sadly will have to live without.

Luckily I’d been snagging games over the course of the year whenever they were on sale so already had a good portion off my list. I was considering getting Devils Third on Wii U or FE: Awakening on 3DS…still mulling that one over, gonna come down to the last second! Nintendo needs to post the past years Eshop sales and revenue from 3DS/Wii U , likely staggering numbers

It's sad that many here may well be gone forever for many gamers. Such good games.

It's a bit late but I finally got 3ds console again (new nintendo 2ds xl), thanks for the games recommendation 😃

I really hope nintendo switch 2 (or 4DS) is a 2 screen handheld system like 3ds so nintendo & 3rd party devs can sells their ds/3ds era games again.