33. Super Mario Advance (GBA)

The first of the GBA's Super Mario platformer ports (and the one that kicked off the most convoluted naming convention in gaming history), Super Mario Advance brought Super Mario Bros. 2 to the GBA in the 16-bit style of Super Mario All-Stars.

With the ability to choose between four characters carrying over from the original, it gained a point system in addition to its facelift, as well as several collectibles to find throughout each stage.

Overall, it's still one of the best ways to revisit the game, and you also get the remake of original Mario Bros. bundled in — that little multiplayer bonus would feature on multiple other entries in this GBA port series going forward.

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32. Super Mario 64 DS (DS)

If you've never played Super Mario 64, you'll probably want to begin as nature intended with the home console version due to its vastly superior control system. This remake controls too awkwardly on original DS hardware to compare favourably to the N64 launch title.

Still, Super Mario 64 DS takes a stone-cold classic and augments it with new characters, minigames, and small tweaks that make a playthrough worthwhile, especially if you've played the original to death. Those DS controls might be suboptimal, but we'd argue that the 3DS' analogue nub transforms the way this game plays, placing it much closer to the feel of the N64 classic.

So, if you're going to play Super Mario 64 DS (and how else are you going to play as Luigi, Yoshi, and Wario in an official release of Mario 64?), we'd highly recommend playing on the biggest 3DS or 2DS you can find. It's an intriguing twist on a genre-defining classic.

31. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX (Switch)

A beautiful game with potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay, there's still no getting away from the fact that this is an ageing GBA title at its core. The dungeon-crawling genre has evolved over the years to try and make things feel less repetitive, and while Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX does add some features to modernise the process a bit, they tend to fall flat. It's still fun in bursts, it just gets samey after a while.

30. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (DS)

The next game to release after Wii's Radiant Dawn, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is a DS remake of the original Famicom Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light that launched the franchise in Japan but never saw release on the NES or in the West — until surfacing for a limited-time on Switch, that is. Did you get it?

Featuring series favourite (and Smash Bros.) veteran Marth, this remake was the first time people outside Japan could experience the original game, and the DS provided the perfect platform for it. It'll cost you a pretty penny to pick up a copy nowadays and it's clearly far less complex than recent offerings, but this is still a great example of the series' core gameplay.

29. Luigi's Mansion (3DS)

Luigi’s Mansion proved that there was still life in the 3DS, even as the Switch swooped in and barged it out of the spotlight. With this version, we got to play a lost piece of Nintendo’s history: a game that was originally envisioned as a stereoscopic 3D GameCube experience which never came to fruition in that form. You could finally play Luigi's Mansion as the designers did before the idea was scrapped.

If you’ve never played this charming GC launch title before, you should seek this out. If you already have, the 3DS port's added functionality provides reason enough to pick up the Poltergust one more time. If you found the 2001 original disappointingly lightweight, though (yes, such people exist), this update won't change your mind.

28. Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (Switch)

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is a delightful reimagining of two classic GBA strategy titles. The gameplay here remains as endlessly addictive, finely balanced, and challenging as ever, and the addition of a handful of modern conveniences and the ability to play against friends online makes for a slick overall package.

With a crisp, clean new art style that adds lots of new animations and cutscenes, a remastered soundtrack, and voice-acting in the mix, this is a polished return to Advance Wars action that's got us fully addicted to the series all over again. This is the sort of game you'll reserve a permanent space for on your console, a timeless experience you'll keep tucked away on your Switch for the foreseeable future.

27. Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (Switch)

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a fantastic remaster of one of our favourite Kirby adventures. With slick new visuals, some meaningful gameplay tweaks, and two excellent new modes to dig into, this is a big, loud, colourful celebration of all things Kirby that should delight new and returning players alike.

Magalor's Epilogue is a surprisingly chunky addition to the core action that gives the campaign a nice boost, whilst Merry Magoland ensures that you and your pals are kept busy with plenty of minigames, missions, and online challenges to best once you're done with the main story mode.

26. Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (GBA)

Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land is a worthy remake of the pink puffball's first home console adventure. While what it offers is a tad basic compared to more modern Kirby titles, it's still very playable, and there are little creative moments where the game shines.

As with practically every other game featuring the Kirbster, its delightful, colourful visuals make it a supremely charming experience, and one which will be most appreciated by players looking for only a very light challenge.

25. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey (3DS)

This spruce-up of the DS original, along with Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn, gave the 3DS a truly great swansong, even if most Nintendo fans had moved on to Switch by January 2019.

With updated visuals, a brand-new side story involving Bowser Jr., and the ability to speed up gameplay, Bowser's Inside Story on 3DS is the best version of arguably the best of the Mario & Luigi RPG series. Plus, you get to root around in the intestines of a giant fire-breathing lizard. What’s not to like?

24. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions (3DS)

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is a classic, and this version is arguably the definitive one. Bowser's Minions is a harmless but shallow add-on, but the Superstars are the real attraction. This series has a distinct and special place within Nintendo gaming, and after experimentation and not-always-popular approaches in the 3DS era, this took us back to its roots.

What a treat it is, too - funny, smartly designed, and pure unpretentious joy. This is a great starting point for those who missed the original on Game Boy Advance (though you can play that now via Nintendo Switch Online).

23. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia (3DS)

A remake of Fire Emblem Gaiden, the second game in the series, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia stepped back from the triple-route complexities of its immediate predecessor, Fire Emblem Fates.

Returning to the purity of an earlier time didn't mean a simpler game, though, as the original Japan-only Gaiden incorporated dungeon crawling and free-roaming RPG elements that were ideal fodder for a remake using systems developed for the previous 3DS entries.

Indeed, it served as a sterling farewell for the series on the 3DS — a platform which kicked the series into the big-time success it so deserved in the West — although we can't help wishing more people had got to experience it through a Switch release. Still, this is a fine game; yet another to benefit from the localisation talents of 8-4.

22. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD (Switch)

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD introduced a raft of technical improvements and quality-of-life updates that revitalised the Wii game.

The alternate button control scheme totally worked if you still couldn't get on with the motion controls, the graphics got a sensitively handled HD overhaul, and a once-bothersome sidekick was streamlined into something altogether more useful.

Yes, the locking off of instant travel behind the official amiibo was a misstep, but beyond that issue, this was a great remaster of Zelda game that splits opinion.