Monday, September 12, 2016

My Top 5 ''Exclusive'' 3DS Games

The Wii-U and 3DS both have some amazing games. There is lots of fun to be had with Nintendos consoles. But they also overlap a lot. Super Mario 3D World is just a bigger and more beautiful version of Super Mario 3D Land. And while I love both of those games, many gamers are happy with just one of them. In the light of my recent Thoughtpiece about this problem I want to share today my Top 5 Nintendo 3DS games, which don't have an equivalent on the Wii-U. So no Mario Kart, Smash Bros. or New Super Mario Bros. 2. Instead I want to talk about five games, which are truly exclusive to the 3DS.

First let's make some rules for this list. I will only feature one game per Franchise and Genre. Also I won't talk about Games that weren’t released outside of Japan. And lastly this is highly subjective, so please don't take it personal if my taste doesn't align with yours.

So let's jump right in.


5: Kid Icarus Uprising



Seeing this game for the first time was a real eye opener. I never thought the 3DS could provide such great graphics. Especially in Motion this game looks amazing for a 3DS title. And all that in 3D and with smooth FPS. Smash Bros. father Masahiro Sakurai proved that he can do more than just make amazing brawlers. He and his Team from Project Sora, which was only founded for this project, delivered a fresh, funny and entertaining action title for the small screen.

Of course the control scheme requires some time getting used to, but I honestly didn't think it was as bad as many called it. To me it feels intuitive and responsive and especially the ground battles are a blast if you get the hang of it.

Storywise it's also great with a much deeper plot than most other Nintendo games and a lot of humor. Palutena, Kid and Hades are a blast, with honorable mentions going to Viridi. The game is a little bit hard to come by, but if you haven't played it you should definitely give it a try. It's an experience you can't find on other consoles.


4: Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros.



The Mario & Luigi Series has long been a staple for great Nintendo RPGs, and with Paper Marios Shift towards an action adventure it's the sole representative of classic turn based strategy from them. And even though the last installment Paper Jam Bros. has been a little bit lackluster, this one isn't.

Starting with a cool premise of Luigis Dream World and an actually interesting story that makes Bowers look threatening, this game offers great RPG entertainment from start to finish. Especially the Dream World segment, where there are no logical boundaries, are a lot of fun to play. The game has it's weaknesses of course and in my opinion doesn't quite manage to reach the heights of Bowsers Inside Story, but it is nonetheless one of the best RPG on the 3DS.


3: Luigis Mansion: Dark Moon



Another game staring our favorite second fiddle. The original GameCube game is short, but entertaining classic. This sequel however improves on the original in nearly every sense. More varied and bigger locations to discover. Challenging and cool boss fights. Well the story is pretty much the same with Mario missing once more, but you can't really expect much.

Control wise they managed to solve the problem of a missing second circle pad quite well and I never had the feeling of being held back by the system of choice. The graphics of the game are colorful and charming and the artstyle is great fit for a smaller screen.

Ghost variety is the only thing that is a little bit lacking, but the great variety of rooms and puzzles make you forget that fact pretty fast. If you're looking for an entertaining and well crafted adventure game then you don't need to search any further. It's fun, it's entertaining and you won't find it on the Wii-U.


2: Fire Emblem: Awakening



I must admit that I haven't played Fates (and probably never will because of the translation fiasko) so I can't give you an answer which is the better title. What I can tell you however is that Fire Emblem Awakening is great. Not simply good but great. This title single handily save the franchise and revived it. And while some older fans don't like the Anime Waifu direction the series has taken since Awakening, I absolutely love it.

Awakening introduces some nice quality of life improvements to the Franchise, which opened it up to newer players. But no matter what you do, don't turn of the Permadeath feature. This is one of the defining traits of Fire Emblem and playing a game without it just isn't right.

Fire Emblem Awakening is turn based strategy at its best and shouldn't miss an any good 3DS Library.



1: Pokemon X&Y



No Surprises at the top spot. Pokemon is the defining handheld franchise from Nintendo. It was born on the Gameboy and it's core concept has been molded as a perfect fit for mobile gaming. Of course the rise of the Internet has made many of these concept obsolete, but still there is hardly anything more satisfying than seeing the face of your opponent after your Snorlax delivered the final blow.

Even after 20 years Pokemon still works. It still sells millions upon millions of copies. The two version system still creates the incentive to go out and trade with other people. The easy accessibility still ensures that newcomer can enjoy the game, while it also offers enough complexity for competitive play.

Pokemon is a brand that brings young and old together. And it's an experience that you only get on your Nintendo 3DS.


So what are unique 3DS games do you enjoy? Let me know in the comments.

And as always

thanks for reading

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