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In 2011, we saw the debut of Nintendo 3DS on March 27th. 3DS didn’t exactly sell like the hotcakes that Nintendo was hoping for, mostly due to the rather steep price which it has since brought down (and apologizing to early adopters by giving them a bunch of free games) and the fact that there weren’t that many great games that were on the horizon for it. However, it has gone up quite a bit recently, so perhaps it will not seem like a complete failure as of yet. Anyways, that’s not the point here. The point here is to award the best 3DS game and its runners-up. So without further ado, let’s dig in.
BEST 3DS GAME
Mario Kart 7
Mario Kart 7 may be just following the same old formula for the Mario Kart series, but it doesn’t make it any less fun. The levels are crisp and clear (you can drive on a piano, a marimba, and a xylophone in one level!) and other than one famous glitch at the Maka Wuhu level, the game is pretty much bug-free. You can customize your kart in any way and the coin-earning system for bringing in new customizations is something that I really like to see– it gives more of a motive for actually collecting the coins. And the new items that they include are actually very nice too. I especially like the leaf where you can get a tanuki tail and use it to bat almost anything coming your way from shells (other than the dreaded blue shell), banana peels, and even your fellow racers.
And if that isn’t enough to keep you playing, then the multiplayer will. It’s quite amazing when you find yourself racing against people from not only the US, Japan and the UK but also places like the US Virgin Islands, France, Dominican Republic, Chile, and even Luxembourg (there are places where people I’ve raced against were from!). It’s definitely in the top three of the best Mario Kart games, bar none.
Super Mario 3D Land
One problem with 3DS that I’ve seemed to notice is that it didn’t quite come with a killer app. This game, however, solves that problem for sure. I mean, what’s a Nintendo system without a Mario game? Super Mario 3D Land is a more or less somewhat of a remake of Super Mario Bros. 3, which is considered to many as the best Mario game. And yes, this game is just as good. While we may have preferred Mario Kart 7 over here, it was a very close vote that has generated a little bit of controversy and confusion. This game has pretty much anything to ask for from a Mario game for the purists out there– Tanuki suit, Koopa Kids (only two, but still!), and you can play as Luigi after you beat the boss in the first special world! And those special worlds? Those are fantastic, and bring a lot more challenge and fun to the experience. For those who are obsessive about getting 100% on everything, this is a game that will keep you coming back for more.
For 3DS, Nintendo decided that it would be a great idea to remake its classic Ocarina of Time installment of the Zelda series and make it 3D. Some folks were not too fond of this idea, but it turned out to be excellent. It helped put some modifications on a lot of the gameplay mechanics on top of that. The touch screen, where you can switch out between tunics and boots, is a massive help for the water temple, where switching out between iron and regular boots happens about once every three seconds. The graphics look fantastic and even more stunning if you slide on the 3D. And, on top of that, it even packed on the Master Quest version with the regular game, as well as a Boss Rush mode, for those who want a good challenge after initially beating the game. Here’s a great game that is recommended for any gamer’s collection.
BEST 3DS GAME HONORABLE MENTIONS
Pilotwings Resort, StarFox 64 3D, Super Street Fighter 4 3D Edition
WHAT’S YOUR TAKE?
Tell us which of the above titles you’d pick as the winner, or if you think another game is more deserving, let us know in the comments!
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