We got dungeon-crawling RPGs, indie eShop adventures, and more.
20. Persona Q
Publisher: Atlus
Developer: Atlus
Release Date:: November 25, 2014
Review Score:: 8.5/10
The first Persona game ever to grace a Nintendo system, Persona Q fused the dungeon crawling of Etrian Odyssey with the story and world of Persona. While some common complaints lament that it doesn't go fully into the Persona style of play, the consensus among those who played it is that Persona Q is an excellent RPG that, while a weird mash-up, is fun and challenging throughout its 40+ hours of playtime.
19. Fantasy Life
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Level-5
Release Date:: October 24, 2014
Review Score:: 9/10, 8/10
It took quite a while for Fantasy Life to make it out of Japan, but the wait was well worth it. Fantasy Life lets you take on a variety of different jobs, ranging from fighting Paladin to cooking Cook and level them up. The way every job builds on each other is amazing, as is the story's odd fascination with avoiding any kind of serious combat. The pace might be too slow for some, but Fantasy Life is a magical experience.
18. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Monster Games
Release Date:: May 24, 2013
Review Score:: 8.5/10
While Donkey Kong Country Returns might not be the definitive version of the Wii classic, this 3DS port is still mighty fine, bringing Retro Studios' masterful 2D platformer to the small screen with aplomb. All of the new content is sadly locked behind 100%-ing the game, but it helps that the old content is so damn good.
17. Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse
Publisher: WayForward
Developer: WayForward
Release Date:: October 23, 2014
Review Score:: 9/10
Long delayed, Shantae and the Pirate's Curse finally came to 3DS in the fall of 2014. The wait was worth it, because Pirate's Curse is arguably the first masterful entry in the WayForward series. The adventure, bolstered by Jake Kaufman's fantastic soundtrack, is split into islands, each with their own dungeon and secrets. This is a must-play for fans of Metroid-like design.
16. New Super Mario Bros. 2
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date:: August 19, 2012
Review Score:: 8.5/10, 7.5/10
While New Super Mario Bros. 2 still is the second-best New Super Mario Bros. game released in 2012, the 3DS game is still beloved around these parts. That's because, even if it's more of the same, 2D Mario is still really fun. Throw in an interesting and sometimes ridiculous focus on collecting coins and you have a New Super Mario Bros. game that might stand up to the test of time better than some expected.