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Best Games on Nintendo 2DS|3DS

The Nintendo 3DS was the follow up to the Nintendo DS. It offers two screens in a hinged form factor. The visuals are higher resolution and the top screen offers lenticular 3D effect that you don't need glasses to see. There are a number of versions of the handheld: 3DS XL was a larger version, 2DS was a hinge-less version for younger players, New 3DS offered enhanced visuals and controls and the New 2DS offers a robust hinged version.

There are a huge range of games available on the 3DS. You can purchase cartridges or buy them via the electronic store that is on the system. You can also play all of the DS game library on any of the 3DS/2DS systems.

Platform Details

Genres: Action, Adventure, Battle, Brain Game, Collecting, Communication, Creative, Fighting, Narrative, Physically Active, Platform, Point-and-Click, Puzzle, Race, Rhythm, Role-Play, Sequencing, Shooting, Simulation, Sports, Stealth, Strategy, Traversal and World Building
Era: 1981 - 2024
Total Games: 79
Total Likes: 1,621

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Release Date: 27/08/1992, updated in 2018

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, DS, GameCube, Switch and iOS

Skill Rating: 5+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person and Cartoon

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a go-kart racing game where you race against Nintendo characters around different circuits, picking up power-ups, attacks and speed boosts. It is frantic and chaotic but still requires skills to do well.

Terraria

Release Date: 25/11/2013, updated in 2019

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Amazon Fire, Android, Mac, PC, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, Stadia, Switch, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One and iOS

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On, Blocks, Day and Night, Pixels and Weather

Terraria looks like a 2D, lesser, version of Minecraft. However, this is a game every bit as complex and creative as the better-known block-building game. To the world-crafting and survival, it adds hundreds of items to collect, characters to defeat and...

Pokémon

PEGI 7 Video Game Age Rating for Pokmon in UK and Europe

Pokémon (Series)

Release Date: 27/02/1996, updated in 2019

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, DS, GBA, Game Boy and Switch

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person and Cartoon

Pokémon Sword and Shield are role-playing games where you explore a fictional world and collect different creatures called Pokémon. You progress through the game by exploring the world, talking to characters and winning turn-based battles with the...

Kirby's Epic Yarn

Release Date: 17/10/2010, updated in 2019

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Wii and Wii U

Skill Rating: 3+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Hand-Made

Kirby's Epic Yarn is a running and jumping game starring Nintendo's Kirby character who can absorb enemies to gain their abilities and powers. It's set in Patch Land, a world made completely out of fabric. You use your platforming skills to collect...

Lego City: Undercover

Release Date: 04/04/2017

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person, Blocks, Cartoon and Open World

Lego City: Undercover offers an open world to explore. While most Lego games have an open-world element in at least some areas, this one keeps play open throughout so that children can enjoy exploring at their own pace.

Style Boutique / Savvy Style

Style Boutique / Savvy Style (Series)

Release Date: 23/10/2008, updated in 2017

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS and DS

Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Cartoon

Style Boutique / Savvy Style is a role-playing game where you play a fashion shop owner. You work on the style of your fashion collection as well as your own clothes, makeup and so on.

Luigi's Mansion

Release Date: 14/09/2001, updated in 2018

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS and GameCube

Skill Rating: 7+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On

Luigi's Mansion is an adventure game where you investigate a haunted mansion to capture the ghosts. As long-standing Nintendo character Luigi, you play a ghostbuster to capture various mischievous ghouls and rescue Mario. It stands out for the unusual...

Skylanders

Skylanders (Series)

Release Date: 14/10/2016

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One and iOS

Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person

Skylanders uses toy figures to unlock characters and save progress. It is no longer manufactured but can be found second-hand quite cheaply and is a lot of fun for young players, particularly when played in cooperative two-player mode.

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney (Series)

Release Date: 12/12/2014, updated in 2019

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Android, GBA, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One and iOS

Skill Rating: 11+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Cartoon

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney is a courtroom murder mystery series where you piece together clues to challenge testimonies and uncover the truth. It’s like a visual novel, although you must interact with characters and evidence to progress.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Release Date: 22/11/2013

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 2D Overhead, Hand-Made and Open World

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is an action-adventure game in the Zelda series. It's the seventeenth game and spiritual successor to the 1991 game The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. A more open adventure with a novel world-jumping...

Steamworld Heist

Release Date: 16/11/2015, updated in 2016

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, PS Vita, PS4, Stadia, Switch and Wii U

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On, Hand-Made and Pixels

Steamworld Heist is a platform shooting game where steam-powered robots fight for space supremacy. It sounds like the script for a 1950s B-movie but as in those matinee hits, the point here isn’t realism but interesting characters. Like the related...

Advance Wars

Advance Wars (Series)

Release Date: 10/09/2001, updated in 2023

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, DS, GBA, Switch, Wii and Wii U

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Components: 2D Overhead and Grid

Advance Wars is a classic turn-based strategy game re-released as Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp on Nintendo Switch. You take charge of an army in strategic, turn-based combat. With land, air, and naval units across the battlefield, you work to take...

Pocket Card Jockey

Release Date: 05/05/2016, updated in 2023

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Apple TV, Mac and iOS

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On, Cards and Grid

Pocket Card Jockey is a horse racing game you participate in by playing a series of Solitaire card games. You race, breed and nurture a stable of horses for a range of owners, trainers and other interesting individuals. It stands out as both a brilliant...

Luigi's Mansion 2

Release Date: 20/03/2013, updated in 2024

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS and Switch

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Cartoon

Luigi's Mansion 2, or Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon in the US, is an adventure game about investigating five haunted houses in a community overrun by ghosts. As Luigi, you use your flashlight and ghost trap in the mansions, capturing ghosts and collecting...

Super Mario Maker

Release Date: 10/09/2015

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Switch and Wii U

Skill Rating: 9+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On

Super Mario Maker is a game-making system. It’s simpler than tools like Dreams or Roblox, but still offers a huge array of ways to create running and jumping platform games that can then be shared online. You can play hundreds of games that other...

Minecraft

Release Date: 23/11/2017, updated in 2019

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Amazon Fire, Android, Mac, PC, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One and iOS

Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds

Components: 3D First-Person, 3D Third-Person, Blocks, Day and Night, Open World and Weather

Minecraft is an open-world adventure where you collect, craft and construct structures and items. Play involves exploring the world to find resources and good locations to build. Some of the best aspects of the game are less well known; along with the...

Lego

Lego (Series)

Release Date: 01/02/2005, updated in 2020

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Android, DS, GameCube, Mac, PC, PS Vita, PS2, PS3, PS4, PSP, Switch, Wii, Wii U, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One and iOS

Skill Rating: 7+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person, Blocks, Cartoon and Open World

Lego, a popular film franchise and a video game is a rich recipe for gaming fun. The series of Lego games has been developed since the first release on Nintendo DS. Not only do these games offer a chance to explore, destroy and fight in a world made of...

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog (Series)

Release Date: 23/06/1991, updated in 2017

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Android, DS, GameCube, Mac, Megadrive, PC, PS Vita, PS2, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One and iOS

Skill Rating: 7+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Pixels

Sonic the Hedgehog is a series of games starring an athletic blue hedgehog who runs, jumps and bounces his way around platform levels. Created as Sega's answer to Mario, Sonic is now on all modern video game platforms.

FIFA

FIFA (Series)

Release Date: 15/12/1993, updated in 2021

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Android, DS, Mac, Megadrive, PC, PS Vita, PS2, PS3, PS4, Stadia, Switch, Wii, Wii U, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and iOS

Skill Rating: 7+ year-olds

Components: 2D Overhead, 3D Third-Person and Cards

FIFA is one of the two main football video games (the other being Pro Evolution). Each year it's released with improved visuals, more realistic physics and enhanced competitive play. For those that follow the game closely and play it a lot, it offers a...

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Release Date: 14/08/2014, updated in 2020

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Switch and Wii U

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is part of a series of hack-and-slash action games set in the Legend of Zelda Universe and focused primarily on close combat against large groups of enemies. The latest in the series Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity,...

Paper Mario: The Origami King

Paper Mario: The Origami King (Series)

Release Date: 11/08/2000, updated in 2020

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, DS, GameCube, Switch, Wii and Wii U

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person and Hand-Made

Paper Mario: The Origami King is a role-play game featuring Mario and other Nintendo characters. Although cute and cartoon-like in appearance, these games are known for the quality of writing and the well-balanced and enjoyable turn-based combat.

Rayman Origins

Release Date: 15/11/2011, updated in 2013

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, PC, PS Vita, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360

Skill Rating: 7+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Hand-Made

Rayman Origins is a platform game where you run, jump, swing and attack your way through fantasy cartoon levels. It stands out because of the strong characters and variety of different enemies ranging in difficulty.

Sonic Racing

Sonic Racing (Series)

Release Date: 23/02/2010

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Android, Mac, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One and iPhone, iPad

Skill Rating: 5+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person

Sonic Racing is the latest kart racing game in a series featuring Sonic the Hedgehog and other Sega characters. Like Mario Kart, you control one of 15 characters in races using fantasy sports cars, while performing tricks,...

Yoshi's Woolly World

Release Date: 25/06/2015, updated in 2017

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS and Wii U

Skill Rating: 4+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Hand-Made

Yoshi's Woolly World is a running and jumping game where you play a character in a world made of wool and other craft materials. You explore, jump and run your way around, solving puzzles and collecting items to complete each stage. It stands out for...

Professor Layton

Professor Layton (Series)

Release Date: 07/11/2008

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Android, DS, Switch and iOS

Skill Rating: 9+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Cartoon

Professor Layton is a puzzle-game series. In different locations, you must solve brainteasers with maths, logic, maze-solving and lateral-thinking skills to move the story on.

Super Monkey Ball

Super Monkey Ball (Series)

Release Date: 23/06/2001, updated in 2021

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Android, DS, PS Vita, PS4, PS5, Switch, Wii, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and iOS

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person

Super Monkey Ball is a rolling and balancing game where you tilt platforms to control the path of a hamster ball containing a monkey. The peculiar premise is matched with accurate challenging gameplay and some great multiplayer modes (like Monkey...

Monster Hunter

Release Date: 26/03/2021

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, PS2, PS4, PSP, Switch, Wii, Wii U and Xbox One

Skill Rating: 12+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person, Day and Night and Open World

Monster Hunter is a series of action role-playing games where you hunt, kill and trap large monsters through wide-ranging landscapes. Each successful hunt rewards you with materials that accrue to slowly upgrade equipment that in turn enables you to...

Bomberman

Bomberman (Series)

Release Date: 15/03/2018

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Android, DS, Mac, PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, Stadia, Switch, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One and iOS

Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds

Components: 2D Overhead and Grid

Bomberman is the spiritual ancestor to last-player-standing battles like Fortnite and Apex Legends, but here you all play on the same screen and have the same bomb weapon. There are lots of versions, but in all of them you battle with up to eight...

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Release Date: 13/11/2014, updated in 2018

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Switch and Wii U

Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a running, exploring, puzzle game where you guide the Toad character to save Toadette from the villain Wingo and retrieve the Power Stars on each level. You navigate puzzles and obstacles, fighting enemies to reach the...

Kirby Fighters

Kirby Fighters (Series)

Release Date: 24/09/2020

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS and Switch

Components: 2D Side-On and Cartoon

Kirby Fighters is a light-hearted fighting game where you play as the round Nintendo character, Kirby. You can choose from various abilities that your character "copies" from opponents. You fight other characters from the Kirby games in fights against...

Myst

Release Date: 01/01/1983

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Android, DS, Mac, PC, PSP, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and iOS

Components: 3D First-Person

Myst is a classic video game graphic adventure. Published in 1983, and selling over six million copies, it pre-dates many modern adventure games and created a new genre for gaming. Exploring by clicking in the world to move, you use a special book to...

Another World

Release Date: 30/11/2019

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Android, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox One and iOS

Components: 2D Side-On and Pixels

Another World (Out of This World in North America) is a retro cinematic running, jumping and shooting game about a young scientist who, as a result of a failed experiment finds himself on a dangerous alien world where he is forced to fight for his...

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Series)

Release Date: 06/11/2007, updated in 2019

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, DS, Switch, Wii and Wii U

Components: 3D Third-Person

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is a series of simple competitive sports games featuring characters from Nintendo and Sega. Each game in the series is themed around a different Olympic year and location.

Persona

Persona (Series)

Release Date: 20/09/1996, updated in 2022

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, DS, PC, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S

Skill Rating: 14+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person and Cartoon

Persona 5 (also known as Shin Megami Tensei: Persona) is the latest game in a series of role-playing games that focus on a group of students. You explore the world and take on enemies like other role play games. Here though, you manage relationships...

Xenoblade Chronicles

Xenoblade Chronicles (Series)

Release Date: 01/01/2010

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Switch and Wii

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person, Cartoon, Day and Night and Open World

Xenoblade Chronicles is a series of open-world role-play games. They take place on the frozen bodies of two warring titans, the Bionis and the Mechonis. In the first game, during an attack on his colony, protagonist Shulk discovers his ability to wield...

Hey! Pikmin

Release Date: 28/07/2017

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS

Components: 2D Side-On

Hey! Pikmin is a spinoff game from the Pikmin series. In this game Captain Olimar crash lands on a planet and needs to find fuel to escape, leading a group of Pikmin through 2D side-scrolling levels collecting the Sparklium. Players enter a level and...

Pac-Man Vs.

Release Date: 27/11/2003, updated in 2017

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, DS, GameCube, Switch and Wii

Skill Rating: 5+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On

Pac-Man Vs. is a version of Pac-Man adapted for multiple players. One player controls Pac-Man and tries to eat the pellets, while the others control the ghosts to try to catch him. Each team scores points in different ways, and the first team to hit the...

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon

PEGI 7 Video Game Age Rating for Pokmon Mystery Dungeon in UK and Europe

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon (Series)

Release Date: 17/11/2005, updated in 2020

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, DS, Switch and Wii

Skill Rating: 7+ year-olds

Components: 2D Overhead and Pixels

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon is a series of fighting games where you control different cartoon creatures as they make their way through randomly-generated dungeons, defeating enemies and adding them to your team. It's a simple roguelike game where you take...

WarioWare: Get It Together

WarioWare: Get It Together (Series)

Release Date: 27/07/2018, updated in 2021

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, DS, GBA, Switch, Wii and Wii U

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On

WarioWare: Get It Together is the latest in the mini-game series. Games don’t get any sillier than the WarioWare series. Each of its mini-games presents a basic yet peculiar challenge for the player. A simple scene appears on the screen with a...

Scribblenauts

Scribblenauts (Series)

Release Date: 15/09/2009

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Amazon Fire, Android, DS, PC, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox One and iOS

Components: 2D Side-On, Cartoon and Hand-Made

Scribblenauts is a series of puzzle games which you solve by typing the names of everyday objects so they appear in the game and let you progress. What's surprising is the sheer number of items included in the game. This means you can solve problems in...

Curated lists:
Game genre:
Style of Play:
Components:

How long to play:
User-generated content:	No
Accessibility features:	Yes

Controls
Gamepad:
Mouse And Keyboard:
Touchscreen:
Motion:	Motion Aiming Motion Pointing Motion Tilting Motion Gesture Motion Camera
Remap Controls:
Button Combinations:	Holding Down Buttons Optional Rapid Repeated Pressing Optional No Simultaneous Buttons
Controller Vibration:
Sensitivity:

Getting Started
Onboarding Before Play:
Assistance Getting Starting:	Tutorials Practice Area View Control Mapping Assistance With Controls Reaction-Time Not Critical Low Pressure Adjust Speed No Jump Scares
Assistance For Progressing:	Guaranteed Progress With God Mode Bank Progress With Frequent Checkpoints Assisted Progress With Boosts Assisted Progress With Hints Assisted Recall for Characters Assisted Recall for Narrative and Dialogue Save Progress Anytime

Reading
Reading Level:
Text Visibility:	Large Clear Text High Contrast Text
Subtitles:
Captions:
Voice Acted:

Navigation
Clarity:
Head-Up Display:
Menu Navigation:

Visual
Contrast:
Interactive Elements:
Visual Distractions:
Audio Cues for Visual Events:
Narration for Visual Elements:
	Motion Sickness Friendly
Colour Options:
Play Without Sight:
Violence:

Audio
	Balance Audio Levels
Audio Events:
	Play Without Hearing

Communication
Player-to-Player Online Communication:
Online Communication Assistance:

Difficulty
Difficulty Options:	Simple and Full Version No Memorisation Advantage No Hidden Information No Deceit Advantage No Colour Advantage No Mathematics Advantage No Weighing Decisions

Getting Started
Assistance Getting Started:	Clear Manual Electronic Version of Manual Electronic Version of Manual for Screen Readers Getting Started Video Digital Version Reference Aid
Assistance Progressing:	Play Order Tokens (Or play order doesn’t change) Reaction-Time Not Critical Low Pressure Low Impact Catch Up Rule

Reading
Reading Level:
Necessary Text Visibility:	Large Clear Text on Board (Or no text required) Large Clear Text on Cards (Or no text required) High Contrast Text (Or no text required) QR Code For Text (Or no text required) Primary and Secondary Text Distinguishable (Or no text required) Information Orientation Clear Icons

Physical
Pieces:	Components are Distinguishable by Touch Components are Replaceable No Non-Standard Dice (Or No Dice) No Tiny Pieces No Paper Money No Sprawl
Cards:	Large Card Size Standard Card Shape Limited Hand Management No Excessive Card Shuffling No Right-Handed Advantage
Placement:	No Unbound Placement Player Components Not Shared No Fiddly Placement Easily Verbalised Actions

Visual
Printed Visibility:	Colour Blind Friendly Design Double-Coding Colour High Contrast Colours
Component Identifiability:	Outline Key Elements No Busy Backgrounds Easily Verbalised Game State No Close Inspection Disadvantage Playable Without Sight

Audio
Communication:	Audio Cues Mirrored Visually (Or no critical audio signals) No Pressured Reveals No Pressured Communication Playable Without Hearing

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Best Games on Nintendo 2DS|3DS

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