3DS Games 2012

For a while there, it looked like 2011 would be a rough year for the Nintendo 3DS, but one big price drop later, the handheld has finally hit its stride, and the future has never looked brighter.

Sure, Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land will be a pretty hard act to top, but 2012 is already shaping up to be a phenomenal year for the handheld. In the last month alone, we've already gotten two fantastic titles in the form of Resident Evil Revelations and Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, and things don't look to be slowing down one bit between now and December.

Should these games be every bit as successful as their predecessors on the original Nintendo DS, we can certainly hope—if not expect—to see even better games in the years to come as more developers flock over to the 3DS in the same way they did for the older generation handheld. We're betting Nintendo is counting on these games to be successful, so expect some major polish.

To help you round out your 3DS wishlist, we've put together a list of the ten upcoming releases that have our thumbs twitching with anticipation. Here's the skinny on the games that will help the 3DS shine in 2012.