Top Nintendo 3DS & 2DS Games 2023

Like the gaming equivalent of binge-watching a playlist of the funniest Vine videos, WarioWare Gold provides some enjoyable short attention span shenanigans, particularly for newcomers. But in the absence any substantial new additions and a paucity of worthwhile extras, WarioWare Gold is more like a runner-up silver for long term fans of the series.

Though comparable to time wasters on smartphones with its emphasis on quick bursts of play, Ultimate NES Remix is a good way to travel down memory lane and maybe even discover some 8-bit classics you never experienced.

It's mostly more of the same, but when 'the same' is more Pokemon, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Despite the system's limitations, Super Smash Bros. for 3DS successfully brings the frenzied fighting series to a portable platform.

It’s impressive that Namco-Bandai has managed to port a full-sized, voice-acted Japanese RPG to the 3DS without sacrificing any of the content from the PlayStation 2 version. But it’s also a six-year-old game that hasn’t aged well in all respects, and if you’re a North American Tales fan, it’s likely to be one you’ve played before. Like all the Tales games, this is a charmer, but it probably won’t be long before it’s outdone by a game that’s actually been made for the platform.

Hey! Pikmin has its moments. The stages have some neat but simple puzzles, the visuals and music are solid, the inherent cute charm of Pikmin’s weird alien worlds is on full display, and discovering treasures based on common household items – and seeing Olimar’s confused interpretations of them – is always good for a smile. However, the lax difficulty, slow pace, and repetitive structure drag it down quite a bit. There’s not a lot of meat to Hey! Pikmin, which is disappointing when compared to the required skill and replayability of the console Pikmin games. It’s good for a playthrough, but this is a voyage I can’t see myself taking again.

Despite its many shortcomings, Splinter Cell 3D is still fun to play. And that's what matters most. It's not even close to being as good as Chaos Theory on Xbox, but then again, I couldn't play that on a plane. If the AI were even passable and not laughable, this would be an easier recommendation.

It might seem unfair to directly measure the 3DS version of LEGO City Undercover against its Wii U counterpart. Yet by directly tying stories and gameplay, Traveller’s Tales has invited this comparison. Though not entirely unexpected, the 3DS simply can’t execute the same style of game on a technical level, which results in something that isn’t nearly as compelling or satisfying. Gameplay and characterization (and therefore humor) are compromised, leaving something that is just decent. However, even with those considerable sacrifices, there is a tolerable game here, one that will reasonably occupy your time for about 10 hours, and certainly could be a great stepping stone for younger gamers. Just be prepared for a lot of fog, a lot of loading, no voice acting and a jarring framerate.

The side-scrolling portable sequel to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow tries to combine classic side-scrolling Castlevania gameplay with the God of War-like action of Lords of Shadow, but it just doesn't come together.