Summary
TheNintendo 3DSalmost went the way of the Virtual Boy, as its launch was not received well. The $250 price tag was hard to swallow, as was the3DS’s launch lineup. Thankfully, Nintendo listened and dropped the price to $170 soon after, and the rest is history. Like the DS, the 3DS went on to be a phenomenal success for Nintendo.
It had a diverse library of genres, but best of all were theRPGs.From 2011 to 2019, let’s look at the best RPGs from every year of the 3DS’s life. To note, Nintendo didn’t officially discontinue the 3DS until 2020, but no RPGs or big games in general were released that year, which is why 2019 is considered to be the handheld’s last-ditch effort in the wake of the Switch, which launched in 2017.
The launch year for any console is not going to be stellar, and that’s true for the 3DS’s RPG lineup as well.Samurai Warriors: Chronicleswas ready at the console’s launch in North America though, and it is the year’s best RPG almost by default.
The game itself is solid, as it took a bold step by allowing players to swap between four characters a map, a feature never seen before ina Musou game.Japan got a better RPG, admittedly, withTales of the Abyss, which wouldn’t make it to North America until 2012.
2012 was a much better year for the 3DS, as Nintendo recovered thanks to the price drop in late 2011, and there was just a more impressive lineup of games.Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distanceis by far the best 3DS RPG of that year, though, featuring a splitcampaign between Soraand Riku.
This time, the duo gathers Pokemon-like critters to aid them in dream worlds based on familiar Disney movies such asTron LegacyandThe Hunchback of Notre Dame. Some honorable mentions for 2012 includeCrimson Shroud, Heroes of Ruin,andTheatrhythm Final Fantasy.
Japan gotFire Emblem: Awakeningin 2012, which ultimately gave them the edge in RPGs that year, but North America lived it up in 2013.This was thefirstFire Emblemgame to feature difficulty modes in the West, which helped broadenthe series' appeal to a broader audience of fans.
The world map was also a cool feature, as players could finally grind for XP, and the romance options helped deepen the gameplay. Some other great RPGs from 2013 includeEtrian Odyssey 4: Legends of the Titan, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, andPokemon X& Y,but the year overall was stuffed.
6Bravely Default (2014)
Final Fantasy Reboot
Compared to 2013, 2014 was a relatively light year for RPGs, and two of the best were previously released in Japan in 2012. First, the winner:Bravely Default,the North American release ofBravely Default: Flying Fairy,which was essentiallya reboot ofFinal Fantasyin all but name, and can now be enjoyed on the Switch 2 via the HD remaster.
It wasa turn-based RPG with a Job systemand crystals, which is exactly what some fans had been aching for sinceFinal Fantasy 9launched in 2000. The other previous 2012 3DS RPG wasFantasy Life. Other nods go toPokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha SapphireandPersona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth.
2015 was another light year for RPGs, but there were definitely some standouts.The Legend of Legacywas totheSaGAseriesasBravely Defaultwas toFinal Fantasy.
The Legend of Legacyhad a weird turn-based battle system akin toSaGagames, as players could learn skills and level up not through EXP, but through interactions in battle. Using a spear a lot would increase its power, for example, which made for a unique 3DS experience.Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.was sort of an RPG, but the bigger shout-outs from 2015 go toEtrian Mystery DungeonandPuzzle & Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition.
2016 was a big step up from the previous two years, starting withDragon Quest 7: Fragments of the Forgotten Past,which took a long time to get to North America after it launched in 2013 in Japan.It practically rendered the PS1 original obsolete with numerous quality-of-life improvements, including the Vocation system and time-traveling mechanic.
It’s thebestDragon Questgameon the 3DS for sure, and a great entry in the franchise overall. Other great 2016 RPGs includeFinal Fantasy Explorers, Fire Emblem Fates,andProject X Zone 2.
2017 was the last truly remarkable year for the 3DS, which makes sense given that the Switch launched in March of that year. Of the many RPGs released in 2017,Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentiastands at the top of the pile. It was a remake ofFire Emblem Gaidenon the NES, but unlike most entries, this game allowed for dungeon exploration between the classic grid-based battles.
It felt more akin to a traditional RPG in this sense, but was made even better on the 3DS, thanks to the storytelling and 3DS online connectivity. Other highlights from 2017 includeEver Oasis, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions,andMonster Hunter Stories.
There really weren’t a lot of truly new RPGs in 2018, as the year’s best game,Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology, was a barely-enhanced DS port. Still, that core DS game is easily one of the greatest RPGs on the system, made slightly better on the 3DS just like withShin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux’s3DS port.
Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronologyfeatures turn-based gameplay with a few strategy twists and time-traveling puzzles. It may not have changed much from its original release, but sometimes, that’s okay if the main game didn’t need tweaks to begin with.
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinthwas the last major RPG release for the 3DS, concluding the handheld’s lifecycle in 2019. It gathered characters fromPersona 3throughPersona 5in one massive crossover, and was full of fan service, dungeons, and classic turn-based battles.
It made for a fitting end for the 3DS, but fans in 2019also enjoyedEtrian Odyssey NexusandMario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey.
