The best 3DS games to grab before its eShop closes

It will shut down the Nintendo 3DS eShop on March 27, 2023. With it, legal access to games will become much harder. In the next week or so up until its closure, you may be scrambling to figure out how to add funds to your account and which games you should lock in before they’re gone. We’ve got your back.

Initial plans were to add Wii U games to this list as the Wii U EShop would also be closing at the same time. After looking through Wii U’s list, however, we discovered this: All Many of these iconic characters have been port to Nintendo Switch. (Though we’re still waiting on ports for The Legend of Zelda – Wind Waker HDAnd Twilight Princess HD. Ahem.)

While you can haggle on third-party marketplaces for physical copies of some 3DS game, you’ll no longer be able to wait two hours for your 3DS to struggle to download a new game from the comfort of your own home.

We have listed below some 3DS classics that we enjoyed playing, many of which are not available in physical form. This list is not definitive. No! It’s just a collation of our opinions (and what we could remember within the time we had to write this). Thanks for understanding.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Image: Nintendo

Before Animal Crossing – New HorizonsWhen I was a child, it was Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Although technically there were three additional titles before this one, …) was the only valid title. New HorizonsWe were dropped on an empty, beautiful island and given free reign to choose the location of each building, bridge and floor. New Leaf The blueprint was it.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf The game retained all of our favorite aspects from the other titles, while reducing the horrible parts such as grass wear. Nintendo really did say, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” and gave us this wonderful gem.

Even though you aren’t able to set furniture outside or on terraform, New Leaf Many Animal Crossing devotees consider this the most fun version, because it offers so much customization, dialogue with villagers, and many other great features. New Horizons lacked. —Julia Lee

Attack of the Friday Monsters

Image: Millennium Kitchen/Level 5

I didn’t appreciate what I had in 2013. In 2013, I didn’t appreciate what I had. Attack of the Friday Monsters: Tokyo TaleIt was too brief, too boring and thin in gameplay. Of course I was wrong.

The premise of the story is simpler than most. A kid named Sohta wanders around his new hometown, makes friends, plays a trading card game, watches TV, and overhears his parents’ squabbles. On Fridays, there are giant monsters that may or not be real fighting in the streets.

There’s very little game in the traditional sense of the word. But like most folks reading Polygon, my idea of what is and isn’t a game – what a game should and shouldn’t be – has exponentially expanded over the past decade. My appreciation and understanding of game designers and their work has increased exponentially. You have something precious.

In 2013, I hadn’t heard of Boku no Natsuyasumi, a vibe-forward series that shares the same designer as Friday Monsters, and one that I now covet. Nor did I appreciate publisher Level-5’s determination to create some of the most creative video games of that moment, and also to bring them to English-language markets. It was far from an assurance at that time.

I was a fan of violent action and gaudy graphics, as well as large maps with almost unlimited things to do. These days, I’m grateful for a game that respects my time, provides me a fresh perspective, and yeah, still manages to fit in some kaiju kicking each other’s ass — but with a message! Don’t just listen to me. Attack of the Friday Monsters has been getting the love it’s deserved as gaming podcasts like Insert Credit and Into the Aether bid adieu to the 3DS eShop.

Griffin McElroy (a Polygon cofounder and gaming podcaster) wrote the review in 2013. He saw what I couldn’t: “Attack of the Friday Monsters: Tokyo Tale is not nearly big enough to hold the amount of affection I harbor for it, which isn’t the worst problem for a game to have.” —Chris Plante

Fire Emblem Awakening

Image: Nintendo

When did Fire EmblemHow can you break into mainstream society? Some may credit Super Smash Bros.And they may be correct. But Fire Emblem AwakeningIt played an important role in, ahem… reviving the enthusiasm of long-time and new fans. This 2013 game was a turning point for me personally. Fire EmblemGames that will be released in the next decade.

It was a 3DS exclusive and delivered classic turn-based gameplay with memorable (yet still footless) characters. Perhaps, you have more precise playback control than necessary over battle animations. It was fun to hit pause during an attack animation or go into slow-motion right before I gave the death blow to a hardened character. If you enjoyed Fire Emblem is Engage’s more battle-focused package, this is a must-buy. —Cameron Faulkner

The Legend of Zelda: The Link Between Worlds

Image: Nintendo

As with most handheld Legend of Zelda titles, Link Between Worlds When talking about the greatest dungeons and bosses of the series, often the most important aspect is overlooked. But the reality is, the 3DS game has some of the best of all three: its dungeons nail that perfect balance between challenging and empowering; its bosses are as inventive as they are strange (I’m looking at you, Moldorm); and its overworld expertly builds on the light/dark world dichotomy first introduced in the momentous The Past Link. What’s more, Link Between Worlds This allows you to take on many dungeons as you wish, gradually building up your tools and weapons like a survival pack Link put together. Throw in Link’s ability to transform into a painting, and it sounds like a recipe for clashing ideas. But Link Between Worlds With verve, grace, and grace, he balances all of the plates. It’s not just the best 3DS game, but one of the best games in one of our most beloved series. –Mike Mahardy

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DAnd Majora’s Mask 3D

Image: Nintendo via Polygon

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask are two very fine video games, yet it’s unfortunate that their best versions are only available to view on the 3DS’ small-ass screens. Both feature enhanced graphics that smooth out some of the rougher parts of their N64 counterparts, which are available to play if you have the Switch’s Online + Expansion Pack service. Better graphics are nice, but that’s not what really makes each of these wildly different games a must-play. Nintendo added subtle, thoughtful changes to each of these games.

They are more intuitive and have better user interfaces. To view the full article, click here Ocarina of Time 3DNintendo added a few hints to the notoriously confusing Water Temple, making it easier for you to follow without needing to walk through. For Majora’s Mask 3D, there’s an added Bomber’s notebook mechanic that makes it easier to keep tabs on daily occurrences that you might want to investigate on the next run. Note: These are just a few examples of the changes that can occur.

Porting these unique, two-screened reimaginings to the Switch doesn’t sound easy, but it’d be great to see them live on outside of the 3DS someday. —CF

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team (and other Mario & Luigi titles)

Image: AlphaDream/Nintendo

If you love AlphaDream’s Mario & Luigi games, you should grab them before the eShop goes. Almost the entire series is available via the 3DS eShop (either as an initial release or as a remaster), and they’re all so delightful.

Dream Team is my favorite among them, though that doesn’t mean the other titles are bad. It just means that I think seeing inside Luigi’s noggin is charming and cute. These games give beloved characters so much character that they are a must-play on my Mario list.

Not to be confused with the GameBoy Advance original version Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is available to play if you have Nintendo Switch Online’s Expansion Pass, so the remake of that one should be the lowest priority on your shopping list unless you really, really want the remastered version. Or if you don’t have NSO. —JL

Metroid: Samus Returns

Image: Nintendo

Nintendo entrusted developer Mercury Steam to recreate Metroid II, Return of SamusFor the 3DS, the results were fantastic (and still remain so). In 2017’s Metroid: Samus Returns, the flow of the game is nearly identical to the original Game Boy game from 1991, but with surprisingly lush graphics, fast gameplay, and some of the same quality-of-life tweaks, like melee counters, that made their way into 2021’s Metroid It is a terrible place. Surprise, surprise: Dread This was partly made in the same studio.

Samus returnsThis game belongs on Switch. It even arrived months after Switch launched. Nintendo may be able to make it happen, but who knows? Maybe it won’t. But, as of the 3DS’ eShop going offline, the 3DS is the only place to play this awesome remake. —CF

Pokémon Picross

Image: Nintendo

It’s free, guys. It’s free. Simply download it.

Picross is the perfect “I’m sitting in the airport while sipping a coffeeAnd now I’m playing a cute little puzzle game” type of game, and this Pokémon version is quite good! While it does have a stamina system (like modern mobile games) that doesn’t let you play too many puzzles in one day, it’s a nice daily exercise that can eat up a couple minutes of your time when you’re bored. —JL

Pokémon X & Y (and any other Pokémon titles, honestly)

Image: Game Freak/The Pokémon Company, Nintendo

Listen, I’m a Mega Evolution apologist and I think the Pokémon X and YLegendaries can be cool. This is the generation that introduced character customization and 3D graphics, so for some Pokémon cynics, this was the beginning of the end. For me, however, it was the beginning for something more exciting and higher-level.

Personaly, that is what I believe. Pokémon XAnd YThe best 3DS title titles, which includes Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Sun, Moon, Ultra SunAnd Ultra Moon), but given how expensive physical copies of Pokémon games are, I can’t help but to maybe warn you to just grab one game from each generation.

If you ever want to backtrack or replay old games in the future, you’ll want to make sure you have them on lock. —JL

The Miracle Mask and Professor Layton

Image: Level-5/Nintendo

My Professor Layton games never fail me. This is a game I enjoy to use my huge brain, give it a workout and get out of bed. Miracle MaskIt is no exception.

Although the puzzles can be quite simple, there are plenty of challenging ones that will make you scratch your head. The music is beautiful and soothing. And the overall aesthetic is just…calming. It’s a joy to open up a Professor Layton puzzle game in a chaotic world and get down to solving the simple puzzles with my friend, Layton, or Luke, his apprentice. Yes, these mystery games typically have a little bit of chaos happening in there, too, but a masked villain using dark magic isn’t as bad as what we got going on IRL now.

You can also play another type of game. The Azran Legacy and Professor Layton, for the 3DS, but I’ve never played it, so I can’t confidently promote it. I will get it though before the eShop closes. —JL

Rhythm Heaven Megamix

This one’s for you, folks. The game was not released in physical form and can only be purchased via the eShop.

Two games are on my wish list for every Nintendo Direct: a sequel or port, and Rhythm Heaven Megamix One of these is Rhythm Heaven. This is the final Rhythm Heaven. It includes nearly all minigames from previous titles.

You should grab this Rhythm Heaven game if you’ve never tried it. The rhythm game has it all: the fun tunes, colorful characters, and bright colors.

This game was shadow-dropped by Nintendo at E3 2016. It caused me to immediately rip my debit card. Nintendo, please help me. This game needs to be portable or made sequel-able. —JL

Tomodachi Life

You can read this entire list in the order I listed it. This game is my second favorite that I continue to beg Nintendo for a sequel or port. If you don’t read it in the order listed, please refer to the Rhythm Heaven Megamix blurbThen, come back to this page. Thanks!

“Unhinged” is the only accurate word I can use to really describe Tomodachi LifeYou can make Miis in a sim life, then place them into an apartment and watch them as if they were gods. Sure, you feed and clothe them, but you can’t really control what the Miis ultimately decide to do. You might have to see your friend-turned Mii admit to you. Genshin ImpactCharacter-turned-Mii up the roof. Or maybe you’ll see your parent-turned-Mii get into a brawl with your Final Fantasy character-turned-Mii.

Sometimes chaos is what we long for. Sometimes we just want to make a Mii of ourselves and then make them marry a Mii of Y’shtola from Final Fantasy 14. It’s what it is, and we are thankful to Nintendo each day for this opportunity in the past. —JL