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What are the best pick up and play games for the Nintendo DS/2DS/3DS?

11

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Considered

12

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Recs.

Apr 25, 2020

Last
Updated

11 Games Considered

Best pick up and play games for the Nintendo DS/2DS/3DS	Price	Genre	Platforms
-- Super Mario 3D Land	-	-	-
-- LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens	$29.99	Action-Adventure	Windows, PS4, PS3, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS
-- Animal Crossing: New Leaf	$29.99	Simulation	Nintendo 3DS
-- Pokemon X & Y	-	-	-
-- Pushmo	-	-	-

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Top Pro

Solid voice work from cast of the movie

The voice acting in Lego Star Wars: Force Awakens is really good, especially if you're familiar with the film. The game features both voice clips from the actual film as well as new voice lines recorded by many of the actors from the film reprising their roles. It's great to hear the actual voices from characters like Rey and Han Solo, giving you the feeling of actually playing through the movie itself with the real actors. The new voice work is generally well done and adds authenticity to the experience. See More

Top Con

Doesn't change up the LEGO game formula

As the LEGO games are meant for younger audiences, it's great that they're easy to pick up and learn, but LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens doesn't offer anything new to the franchise. It's the same setup of adapting the original material with the same type of humor, and the same type of combat. If you've played other LEGO games, you'll pretty much find a similar experience here. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mostly Positive

Genre:Action-Adventure

Co-Op:2 Player Local (except on Nintendo 3DS)

Top Pro

Side levels provide backstory for characters and events from the movie

You can unlock additional bonus levels that delve into extra events not shown in the movie, showing what some characters were doing before the movie takes place. These levels are "canon", though with the typical LEGO humor added on top, making them fun to experience if you're a big Star Wars fan. See More

Top Con

Simple and repetitive gameplay

The combat is basically a mindless button-mashing experience that requires no skill and offers no forms of character progression. There isn't anything with depth or intricacy here, as it's meant for a younger audience. The most you'll see to change things up are puzzles that you have to figure out from time to time. If you're looking for something more involved and complex, you're probably better off looking elsewhere. See More

Top Pro

Light-hearted story

With well-written characters who quip and deliver memorable lines, the story in LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens is wonderful for anyone interested in a lighter, kid-friendly interpretation of the Star Wars universe. The villains are competent without needing to be overtly evil, and the main protagonists are charming in their heroism and banter with other characters. There are some genuinely funny moments that even adults will probably get some laughs out of, making this an ideal game for Star Wars fans of all ages to enjoy. See More

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Top Pro

Addictive town simulation and management

Animal Crossing: New Leaf puts you in the shoes of a mayor of a village of talking animals, where you get to manage the village's events and generally make decisions to make your neighbors happy. While you can make plenty of bureaucratic decisions like when and where to host village get-togethers and events, you also get to manage your own home, your character, and your finances. It gets more in-depth than what you may expect, providing some pretty addictive fun in getting everything just right. Finding the best ways to decorate your house with furniture you bought or received as gifts from your friendly neighbors, collecting new clothes to customize your character, and somehow earning enough money to pay off your home mortgage loan are all part of your daily life in Animal Crossing. You can easily get hooked from all the ways you can pick and choose from so many different activities. See More

Top Con

Can turn into a huge time sink

Because there's so much to do in the game, you can get caught up in wanting to do everything, all the time. Whenever you can finally afford that latest upgrade for your house, there's always something else to do, like staying on track with your mayoral duties, and then another thing and another thing. It's possible to become too addicted to Animal Crossing to the point where you prioritize a scheduled meeting with a villager at your house, for example, over real-life obligations. See More

Specs

Genre:Simulation

Top Pro

You have unlimited freedom to do whatever you want

There are next to no restrictions on when you can do things. You can go fishing, collect clams, dig up fossils, go shopping for clothes and furniture, chat with your neighbors and write them letters, participate in town events, and tons more whenever you feel like it. The only major thing is that the game runs according to the real world clock, so for example, there are some villagers that only show up at night, and you won't be able to interact with them during the day. But this is natural enough that it's not too much of a bother; you can always go off and do other activities until the right time comes up for your target goals. See More

Top Pro

Fun multiplayer options with StreetPass friends

The game opens up a lot with the multiplayer activities with your StreetPass friends through the Nintendo 3DS. You and a group can all join up in one of your friends' towns to hang out together at town events, play mini-games, or just generally get up to all kinds of trouble by terrorizing the villagers if you really wanted to. Anything you do here doesn't affect the host's actual town, so you can make the neighbors angry, cut down all the trees, or whatever else without worrying about your friend losing out on their own progress in single-player. See More

Pokemon X & Y

Top Pro

Easy to get started

Previous games in the series featured slow starts to the game that would take the player hours in order to get to the meat of the title. Changed in X & Y the player can now have access to the majority of gameplay elements withing the first hour, which is considerably faster that prior games. See More

Top Con

Story feels the same as always

Not much has been done to upgrade or change the story found in the game and is basically a rehash of previous titles where a young boy is tasked with cataloging all the Pokemon in the world while also taking to task bad guys bent on ruling the world. See More

Top Pro

Deep breeding mechanics

While not always a focus in the game for casual players the breeding aspect allows for one to breed Pokemon with certain stats. This is done through random number generation but makes for a way for hardcore players to breed the ultimate Pokemon by using two compatible Pokemon with particular stats to breed a new Pokemon who inherits those stats. This is basically a meta game that allows those that compete competitively to make the perfect team. See More

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Mario Kart 7

Top Pro

Download Play lets you play with 8 players on one cartridge

You can play any multiplayer mode and level with only one cartridge, with the only limitation being character selection is limited to Shy Guy and you can only choose one cart. See More

Hyrule Warriors: Legends

Top Pro

Satisfying hack-and-slash combat against dense packs of enemies

Taking out huge packs of enemies in Hyrule Warriors is incredibly satisfying. Even though your foes outnumber you, you have powerful, flashy attacks to lift them in the air and take them down, dozens at a time. Slashing through everyone with spinning attacks with gigantic swords, for example, never gets old, especially while playing as one of your favorite characters from The Legend of Zelda games. Clearing out maps of all the enemies makes you feel powerful and gives you a great sense of accomplishment. See More

Top Con

No co-op

As Hyrule Warriors: Legends is a port of Hyrule Warriors for the Wii U, this version is somewhat downscaled, as you'd expect for a handheld game, mainly with the lack of co-op and multiplayer options. The rest of the same features are here except those, which is a shame, since some players may mostly have their eye on this game to play with friends. Unfortunately, if you want to play with others, you are better off going with the Wii U version instead or even the Nintendo Switch game, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, both of which have good splitscreen co-op features. See More

Specs

Genre:Hack-and-Slash, Fighting

Top Pro

You get to play as several characters from The Legend of Zelda series

Hyrule Warriors has a good roster of characters to play as, each of them from The Legend of Zelda games. Aside from the most well-known characters like Zelda and Link, fans of the series get to enjoy plenty of other familiar faces. You can play as Ganondorf, the main antagonist from the series, as well as other characters like Sheik, Princess Ruto, Yuga, Volga, and many more. Even if you're not a diehard fan of the series, you can still enjoy the sheer variety of characters and all their different fighting styles. See More

Crashmo

Specs

Co-Op:Single Player

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy

Top Pro

Incredible amount of nostalgia for Final Fantasy fans

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is a good callback to the games in the series, specifically geared toward longtime fans. The cast of characters and songs ranges from the first Final Fantasy back in the 1980s all the way to Final Fantasy XIII that released in 2009. Having the recognizable characters together like Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VIII, Yuna from Final Fantasy X, Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII, and Terra from Final Fantasy VI, as well as a fantastic collection of iconic music from the franchise, helps this feel like a great celebration of the series. Most of all, getting to see familiar cutscenes in the background of the rhythm gameplay is a nice touch that Final Fantasy fans can appreciate. See More

Top Con

There isn't much of a story mode

Other than some quick exposition at the start to set things up, you won't find a story mode here at all. Since the Final Fantasy games are well-known as RPGs with good stories, it's weird that Theatrhythm includes RPG elements but all but ignores the story entirely. The story isn't exactly essential, though, since the gameplay carries everything quite well. But for fans who are on the fence about getting a rhythm game, you unfortunately won't find a noteworthy story mode here to pull you in. See More

Specs

Genre:Rhythm, Role-Playing

Top Pro

Engaging rhythm gameplay

The way the rhythm controls work is great for keeping you engaged and on your toes. While the basics are simple enough, with certain prompts signalling for you to press or tap your buttons or to instead use your 3DS stylus to trace a long note with the touchpad, things pick up pretty quickly. Once you get to the more upbeat battle themes that are faster and have a mix of different button inputs flying from left to right across your screen, it's a fun and satisfying challenge to pull off all of the notes correctly. For Final Fantasy fans especially, following along with the gameplay to the songs you know and love by heart is really special. See More

Top Con

The role-playing elements don't matter that much

While it's nice that the game has role-playing aspects like stats and skills to upgrade, there's really no point in bothering with them. They're supposed to help you with the rhythm gameplay, but they don't actually make a difference in the end, since you still have to do most of the work with your own reactions and button presses. The role-playing part is just there for the sake of being there, and as a wink and nod to the RPG identity of the franchise. See More

Top Pro

Comprehensive collection of tracks that span the Final Fantasy franchise

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy has 78 music tracks in the base game from Final Fantasy I to Final Fantasy XIII, with a handful of the most memorable songs from each title. Battle themes from the earlier Final Fantasy games are the ones that hold up best, with fast-paced melodies and a distinct sound that carries through the first six games. Fans are sure to recognize the bigger, more iconic final boss themes like the opera-orchestral "Dancing Mad" from Final Fantasy VI and "One-Winged Angel" from Final Fantasy VII. The wonderfully emotional vocal themes, "Melodies of Life" from Final Fantasy IX" and "Suteki Da Ne" from Final Fantasy X are also here as well. And if you want even more songs, there are over 50 DLC songs to purchase through the Nintendo eShop. See More

Top Con

Text in the background cutscenes is in Japanese

For whatever reason, we didn't get the localized versions of the cutscenes. The devs instead left the Japanese text in the English version of the game instead of including the same shots of the localized scenes. While fans may be able to recognize when and where the scenes play by memory alone, new players will probably be lost and unable to follow the emotions that help carry the songs. See More

Top Pro

Cute visual style

The chibi character sprites are quite cute as another throwback to older Final Fantasy games. The rounded, colorful designs make even more serious characters like Squall Leonhart from Final Fantasy VIII look adorable, helping them fit in with this unusual but fun mash-up of genres. Younger players who aren't as familiar with Final Fantasy may find the style appealing as a way to get into the series through this game, while older fans can appreciate the differences and novelty. See More

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call

Top Pro

Incredible amount of nostalgia for Final Fantasy fans

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call is a good callback to the games in the series, specifically geared toward longtime fans. The cast of characters and songs ranges from the first Final Fantasy back in the 1980s all the way to Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn that released in 2013. Curtain Call includes many of the spin-offs in between the mainline games, such as Final Fantasy Tactics and the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children film. Having the recognizable characters together like Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VIII, Yuna from Final Fantasy X, Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII, and Terra from Final Fantasy VI, as well as a fantastic collection of iconic music from the franchise, helps this feel like a great celebration of the series. Most of all, getting to see familiar cutscenes in the background of the rhythm gameplay is a nice touch that Final Fantasy fans can appreciate. See More

Top Con

Like the first game, there still isn't much of a story mode

While there is something of a "story mode" where you play through a map of increasingly challenging songs, it's barebones. As you play through the songs, you simulate battles against Final Fantasy bosses by successfully hitting notes at the right time to deplete their HP. You do this for every song, but there's really no point, since your goal is to rack up points by staying on-rhythm, not attacking the boss. There's no real narrative to speak of, either, so if that's a deal-breaker for you, then you may have to pass on this one. See More

Specs

Genre:Rhythm, Role-Playing

Top Pro

Engaging rhythm gameplay with improvements over the first game

The way the rhythm controls work is great for keeping you engaged and on your toes. While the basics are simple enough, with certain prompts signalling for you to press or tap your buttons or to instead use your 3DS stylus to trace a long note with the touchpad, things pick up pretty quickly. Once you get to the more upbeat battle themes that are faster and have a mix of different button inputs flying from left to right across your screen, it's a fun and satisfying challenge to pull off all of the notes correctly. For Final Fantasy fans especially, following along with the gameplay to the songs you know and love by heart is really special. One major difference between Curtain Call and the original Theatrhythm is that you don't have to use the stylus if you don't want to: there's an option to just use the face buttons if you prefer. This is really helpful for the harder difficulties where drawing with the stylus with high precision may be unfeasible. See More

Top Con

Also like the first game, the role-playing elements are pointless

Again, while it's nice that the game has role-playing aspects like stats and skills to upgrade, there's really no point in bothering with them. They're supposed to help you with the rhythm gameplay, but they don't actually make a difference in the end, since you still have to do most of the work with your own reactions and button presses. The role-playing part is just there for the sake of being there, and as a wink and nod to the RPG identity of the franchise. See More

Top Pro

Comprehensive collection of tracks that span the Final Fantasy franchise

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call has over 200 music tracks in the base game from Final Fantasy I to Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, with an even better selection of the most memorable songs from each title. Battle themes from the earlier Final Fantasy games are the ones that hold up best, with fast-paced melodies and a distinct sound that carries through the first six games. Fans are sure to recognize the bigger, more iconic final boss themes like the opera-orchestral "Dancing Mad" from Final Fantasy VI and "One-Winged Angel" from Final Fantasy VII and Advent Children. The wonderfully emotional vocal themes, "Melodies of Life" from Final Fantasy IX" and "Suteki Da Ne" from Final Fantasy X are also here as well. And if you want even more songs, there are over DLC songs to purchase through the Nintendo eShop, some of which are from other Square games such as the SaGa series, Chrono Trigger, NieR, and Bravely Default. See More

Top Pro

New online versus mode where you can play against a friend

As another addition that wasn't in the first game, Curtain Call has a multiplayer mode where you and a friend can face off in a rhythm battle against one another. You both play on your own screens while getting to see your health bars at the top. Aside from scoring high with the rhythm gameplay, you can sabotage your opponent's game here and there to throw their timing off and reduce their HP. It's not the most in-depth mode, but it's a nice change of pace from playing alone. See More

Top Pro

Cute visual style

The chibi character sprites are quite cute as another throwback to older Final Fantasy games. The rounded, colorful designs make even more serious characters like Judge Gabranth from Final Fantasy XII look adorable, helping them fit in with this unusual but fun mash-up of genres. Younger players who aren't as familiar with Final Fantasy may find the style appealing as a way to get into the series through this game, while older fans can appreciate the differences and novelty. See More

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