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With Wii U’s 2016 offerings all ready for your perusal, it’s now time to go through 3DS’s assemblage of top titles for holiday shoppers! No matter who the gamer is in your life, these titles should make any Nintendo fan happy with holiday season.
Note: All listed prices were accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
Price: $39.99
From our review:
“I really don’t understand the strongly negative response that some reviewers have been giving to Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Granted, it doesn’t reach the heights of some of the best entries in the series, like Bowser’s Inside Story and Superstar Saga. Yet, despite a so-so cast and generic environments, Paper Jam is still a highly enjoyable Mario RPG. The combat is easily the deepest and most satisfying yet seen from developer AlphaDream, and the dialogue is brilliant, as always. It’s imperfect, but Paper Jam is a worthwhile effort, nonetheless.”
Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale
Price: $19.99
From our review:
“Charming. That one word defined my entire experience of playing Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale. Xseed has triumphantly returned the PopoloCrois brand to the West with this mashup of the Story of Seasons (formerly Harvest Moon) series. Melding traditional JRPG gameplay with farming elements from Story of Seasons, Return to PopoloCrois is a heartwarming title, eschewing a brooding, moody cast and somber storyline in favor of something more wholesome and cheery than is often seen in most video games.”
Mega Man Legacy Collection
Price: $19.99 (Game Only) | $49.99 & Up (Amiibo Bundle)
Keep your eyes peeled for the special bundle of this game; it’s the only way to get hold of the Gold Mega Man amiibo at this point!
From our review:
“There are few 8-bit icons as memorable and beloved as Mega Man. Since the NES days, Capcom’s Blue Bomber has been a staple of the industry, appearing in dozens of games across nearly every platform imaginable. Mega Man Legacy Collection brings together the character’s first six 8-bit outings, in a package that’s a must-have for fans, as well as those new to the franchise.”
Sega 3D Classics Collection
Price: $19.99-29.99
From our review:
“Gamers looking to delve into Sega’s library of classic titles aren’t exactly wanting for choices; major titles have gotten numerous re-releases across various systems and many more have been amassed in collections available on discs or in plug-and-play consoles. That reality is what makes Sega 3D Classics Collection feel somewhat redundant as well as kind of special. It’s one thing to play an old-school game as originally presented, it’s another to see it with a new sheen that is fun despite feeling gimmicky.”
Kirby: Planet Robobot
Price: $39.99
From our review:
“When it comes to Kirby, Nintendo has never shied away from experimentation. Whether it’s a game where the titular hero is made of yarn, or one where he’s completely controlled by a stylus, Kirby’s adventures rarely feel the same from one game to the next. That said, the perfect mix between that experimental nature and the core gameplay of the series has sometimes eluded Nintendo. Thankfully, Kirby: Planet Robobot not only finds that sweet spot, it also delivers one of the very best Kirby experiences to date.”
7th Dragon III Code: VFD
Price: $29.99-39.99 (Collector’s edition available)
From our review:
“There’s a very good chance that few among you would be all that familiar with the 7th Dragon franchise; I certainly wasn’t. The series dates back to 2009 when the first entry premiered on DS, joining the handheld’s roster of well-received JRPGs. However, neither it nor its PSP followups made it outside of Japan, thus my, and likely your, lack of awareness. The impressively titled 7th Dragon III Code: VFD breaks this mold by coming to North America, and just in time for its developer Imageepoch to fold. This might be the only 7th Dragon title to reach our shores, which is sad, because it’s a pretty good game.”
Monster Hunter Generations
Price: $39.99
From our review:
“Monster Hunter as a franchise continues to make inroads into the West with each new release, topping the efforts of the previous games with tweaks to the series’ core gameplay that serve to please both new and longtime fans. As with Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, developer Capcom has delivered a wildly fun sequel in the form of Monster Hunter Generations that largely outdoes what came before. The introduction of customizable Hunter Styles and Arts is the biggest change to the otherwise familiar formula on display here, but there are plenty of other new goodies to toy around with that make Generations easily the best Monster Hunter yet.”
Metroid Prime: Federation Force
Price: $34.99-39.99
From our review:
“The love and care that Next Level Games put into Federation Force is evident throughout. It’s lush with detail, offering gameplay that is evocative of the Prime series while still establishing its own identity. The game makes no attempt to pretend it isn’t a spin-off of the Metroid series, and I think that if fans can look beyond their own desire for another Samus outing and embrace Federation Force for what it is, they’ll find a very respectful new take on a beloved formula. This is a portable Metroid that has been meticulously designed for the platform that it’s on.”
Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse
Price: $19.99-29.99
From our review:
“Few video game franchises have managed to build a fan base quite the way that Shantae has. Despite a very limited release for the first game in the series, and meager overall sales, the franchise has established a devoted following between fans and critics alike. The third entry, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, continues that trend, with an adventure that lives up to the standards expected from the series.”
Which 3DS games did you think we should have included? Share them in the comments!
