The 3DS remains a player in the modern console landscape, but its active lifespan is nearly at an end. There's still one more big 3DS release by way of Persona Q2 (meaning this list might get a new entry), but for now, these are the 25 best 3DS games of all time.

The 25 Best Nintendo 3DS Games

Click on the name of a game below to jump to its description and find out what makes these games the best 3DS games.

25: Zero Time Dilemma

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Release Date: June 28, 2016 ● Developer: Chime ● Check out our Zero Time Dilemma Wiki

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24: Fantasy Life

Release Date: October 24, 2014 ● Developers: Level-5, Brownie Brown, h.a.n.d. ● Check out our Fantasy Life Wiki

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23: Kirby Planet Robobot

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Release Date: June 10, 2016 ● Developer: HAL Laboratory ● Check out our Kirby Planet Robobot Wiki

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22: Shin Megami Tensei IV

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Release Date: July 16, 2013 ● Developer: Atlus ● Check out our Shin Megami Tensei IV Wiki

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21: Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon

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Release Date: March 24, 2013 ● Developers: Next Level Games, Nintendo SPD ● Check out our Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon Wiki

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20: BoxBoy!

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Release Date: April 2, 2015 ● Developer: HAL Laboratory ● Check out our BoxBoy! Wiki

19: SteamWorld Dig

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Release Date: August 8, 2013 ● Developer: Image & Form ● Check out our SteamWorld Dig Wiki

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18: Pushmo

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Release Date: December 8, 2011 ● Developer: Intelligent Systems ● Check out our Pushmo Wiki

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17: Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

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Release Date: February 13, 2015 ● Developer: Capcom ● Check out our Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Wiki

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16: Bravely Default

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Release Date: February 7, 2014 ● Developer: Silicon Studio ● Check out our Bravely Default Wiki

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15: Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire

Release Date: November 21, 2014 ● Developer: Game Freak ● Check out our Game Name Wiki

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14: New Super Mario Bros. 2

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Release Date: August 19, 2012 ● Developer: Nintendo EAD Group No. 4 ● Check out our New Super Mario Bros. 2 Wiki

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13: Mario Golf World Tour

Release Date: May 2, 2014 ● Developer: Camelot Software Planning ● Check out our Mario Golf World Tour Wiki

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12: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D

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Release Date: February 13, 2015 ● Developer: Grezzo, Nintendo EAD Tokyo ● Check out our The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D Wiki

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11: Fire Emblem Fates

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Release Date: February 19, 2016, March 10, 2016 ● Developers: Intelligent Systems ● Check out our Fire Emblem Fates Wiki

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10: Mario Kart 7

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Release Date: December 4, 2011 ● Developers: Nintendo EAD, Retro Studios ● Check out our Mario Kart 7 Wiki

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9: Shovel Knight

Release Date: June 26, 2014 ● Developer: Yacht Club Games ● Check out our Shovel Knight Wiki

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8: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

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Release Date: ● Developer: Grezzo, Nintendo EAD Tokyo ● Check out our The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D Wiki

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7: Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Release Date: ● Developers: Bandai Namco Studios, Sora Ltd. ● Check out our Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Wiki

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6: Pokemon X & Y

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Release Date: October 12, 2013 ● Developer: Game Freak ● Check out our Pokemon X & Y Wiki

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5: Pokemon Sun & Moon

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Release Date: November 18, 2016 ● Developer: Game Freak ● Check out our Pokemon Sun & Moon Wiki

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4: Animal Crossing New Leaf

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Release Date: June 9, 2013 ● Developer: Nintendo EAD ● Check out our Animal Crossing New Leaf Wiki

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3: Super Mario 3D Land

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Release Date: November 13, 2011 ● Developer: Nintendo EAD Tokyo ● Check out our Game Name Wiki

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2: Fire Emblem Awakening

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Release Date: ● Developers: Intelligent Systems, Nintendo SPD ● Check out our Fire Emblem Awakening Wiki

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1: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

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Release Date: November 22, 2013 ● Developer: Nintendo EAD ● Check out our The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Wiki

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This final chapter brings the beloved Zero Escape trilogy to a gratifying end, with beautiful character moments, elaborate puzzles, and a mind-bending plot. This visual novel starts out as a simple puzzle games but soon turns into a complex story featuring mind-boggling concepts like alternate realities and telepathic communication. Despite minor technical issues, Zero Time Dilemma is the dark, enthralling conclusion the this series deserves.From our review: "Fantasy Life is a fun blend of life simulation and RPG that offers a cornucopia of activities to do and fun ways in which to do them. Though the pacing is sluggish and some of the quests a little too redundant, the kooky characters, silly humor, and incredibly addictive gameplay kept me fishing and forging well after the final credits rolled."Kirby: Planet Robobot may not be the most challenging platformer around, but its clever use of robotic destruction combined with gorgeous environmental puzzles and unique bosses make for an entertaining ride.Shin Megami Tensei IV is an epic dungeon crawler by Atlus that features monster collecting, high-tech equipment and a group of teenage samurai forced to navigate a dark, brooding world. It's a darker, more mature game that is definitely worth a try.Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon is a fully-fledged sequel that reunites everyone’s favorite green-clad hero with Professor E. Gadd and the Poltergust. Dark Moon has the same hilarious tone as the first game and gives players a solid portable game.BoxBoy builds a smart puzzle platformer out of a simple premise. Like any good puzzle game, it tosses lots of variety on top of an easy-to-learn idea, in this case revolving around a plain-looking living box that turns into more boxes. But what makes it a great game is how well the collection of puzzles comes together for over 100 stages and beyond.In SteamWorld Dig you power up a robot hero by finding and collecting hidden items, opening up a sprawling game map as you progress. The genius twist is that you explore the environment by mining into the earth itself, building your own unique in-game map filled with tunnels, mine shafts, teleporters and more.Don’t be fooled by Pushmo’s cute and colorful visuals. Intelligent System’s eShop puzzler starts off friendly enough, but as you progress through the 250+ stages you’ll find a surprisingly deep collection of genuinely brain-breaking puzzles. By sharing user-created puzzles via QR codes, community members can help make it the puzzle game that almost never ends.Just when you think the fight is over in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, the next challenger steps in and ups the level of competition. It’s a satisfying action RPG that adds enough new creatures, weapons, locations, and fighting moves to pull you in for hours at a time.Showcasing exceptional new ideas along with refined concepts from Square’s golden age of RPGs, Bravely Default is a reminder that Japanese RPGs have unique flair and vision. If you’ve never experienced the Job System from Final Fantasy fame, get ready for one of the best character customization systems in the genre.Though a few of its flaws are even more glaring in 3D, Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby do a fantastic job of bringing the nearly 15-year-old Hoenn region to life. There are even a few added post-game surprises to encourage you to keep training well beyond the 25-hour main story.New Super Mario Bros. 2 is the first genuine shake-up for this nostalgic platforming series, with a Get-Rich-or-Die trying approach that's surprisingly fresh but still delivers the same reliable fun.The beauty of Mario Golf is that anyone can pick it and learn how to play. World Tour builds up skill through simplicity and packs in excellent challenges and multiplayer modes to keep you playing on the links for hours.The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D proves that interesting game design and strong world building never get old. 15 years later, it still delivers charming characters, tense moments, and a world rife with personality.All three versions of Fire Emblem: Fates feature an excellent story, likable characters, and a fantastic balance of tactical challenge and accessibility that had us returning to the battlefield again and again. Birthright is an amazing introduction, Conquest is great for veterans, and Revelation is an excellent final act to the Fates storyline.Mario Kart 7 marks yet another great entry for Nintendo’s kart-racing franchise. It still offers enough innovation to keep this formula fresh, with memorable new tracks, well implemented gyro controls, the triumphant return of coins, and a handful of new modes.Shovel Knight doesn't only understand what retro gamers want; it also understands exactly what it is, copping plentiful inspiration from the past while forming it all into its own game. It lasts longer than your typical throwback, and all of that time is well-spent.The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D molded the 1998 Nintendo 64 original to fit a more modern standard. Sporting an updated visual style and a handful of gameplay tweaks split across two screens, Nintendo and co-developer Grezzo added a fresh layer of dimension to a game many already considered a masterpiece.Nearly every aspect of Super Smash Bros for 3DS seems fine-tuned not only to appeal to the nostalgia of long-time Nintendo fans, but also to be accessible to new players. Once they’re hooked, it draws them in deeper with a set of great modes and tempting rewards.People will look back at Pokemon X & Y as the start of a possible renaissance period for Nintendo’s popular franchise. It shook up the competitive meta game with the new Fairy type and streamlined Pokemon’s core systems to make battling, breeding, and training more accessible than ever.Pokemon Sun and Moon honors the legacy of the Pokemon series and improves upon it in a number of ways. The engrossing and rich new region makes the main adventure enjoyable, and we fell in love with some of the Alolan forms of our favorite first generation Pokemon. The streamlined battle interface is also a major improvement that will make the few of things that stayed the same feel better than ever before.Animal Crossing: New Leaf turned half of IGN's editors into incoherent weirdos obsessed with collecting fruit, fish and furniture. This is a game about collecting, arranging, and showing off to friends and frienemies alike.Super Mario 3D Land isn’t just another solid platformer for a Nintendo handheld, it's the first game on 3DS that successfully implements 3D as a meaningful part of gameplay. The result is a great game that best utilizes the platform it’s built on, and one that toys with lots of variety and playful ideas.Fire Emblems came and went before, but Awakening is a special chapter in the series. On one hand, it offered a top-notch strategy RPG with fun characters, witty dialogue, and a deep battle system. On the other, it offered up dealing with difficult choices and the stress of permadeath. The end result is a stunning combination.The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds takes us back in time to one of the most influential games from the Super Nintendo era. It’s a nostalgic trip, but one that finds new ways to captivate players with fresh ideas and inventions.