A lot of people, myself included, assumed that the Nintendo 3DS was going to be dead in the water the minute the Switch was released. Nintendo even came out and publicly stated they would be supporting the 3DS in Japan through at least the end of 2018. I sure didn’t believe them though.

I’m glad I didn’t make any bets though, because things are looking pretty good when you consider the upcoming lineup of Nintendo 3DS games. Take a look! You’ll see what I mean.

Miitopia

Miitopia was released last year in Japan. This is a quirky RPG that lets you take the Miis on your 3DS for a wild adventure. In between quests your characters sleep in the inn and you have to help them build friendships so that they will fight more cohesively on the battlefield.

This might be the only way anyone will ever be able to have Shaq and I in the same RPG, so you don’t want to miss it.

Hey! PIKMIN

PIKMIN is a long running franchise that has typically been a 3D experience. Hey! PIKMIN changes perspectives. Instead it is a 2D platforming game that is less of a strategy game and more of a puzzle game. The light and cartoony visuals make this one look, at least on the surface, like the game is being made to appeal to younger gamers. But, we’ll have to see how complicated the puzzles are.

Metroid Samus Returns

Metroid Samus Returns is a complete remake/reimagining of Metroid 2 for the GameBoy. It was announced at E3 this year and excited a lot of fans with its beautiful art and fast paced action.

The original game was a direct sequel to Metroid for the NES and followed Samus as she hunts down a series of specific Metroid (The titular jellyfish like aliens that have appeared throughout the series). It was made for the GameBoy though so it suffered from some serious technical limitations. This had a chance, though, of helping to reignite the love for the series that many fans may have lost over the years (assuming the game ends up being good).

Mario & Luigi Super Star Saga + Bowser’s Minions

The Mario and Luigi RPGs have been around for a very long time. Some would say that they originated as an offshoot of the Paper Mario series, but the first true game in the series was Mario and Luigi Super Star Saga. It was released for the Game Boy Advance back in 2003. The series has continued on since then with several games (many of which were quite good). Nintendo is rereleasing the original along with “Bowser’s Minions,” a game that tells the games story through the perspective of… you guessed it… Bowser’s Minions.

Pokemon Ultra Sun and Pokemon Ultra Moon

I know that many fans were looking for a bigger Pokemon announcement this year. But, upgraded versions of the smash hit Pokemon Sun and Moon will be a very big deal this holiday season. We don’t know all the details yet, but I know our family is already on the hook for four copies of the game.

Monster Hunter Stories

The Monster Hunter series is HUGE in Japan. It hasn’t fully caught on over in the states, but that doesn’t stop Capcom from making valiant attempts to make it happen. The upcoming Monster Hunter Stories has the potential to do just that. The game eschews its standard high fantasy style in exchange for a chibi anime art style. The game looks adorable. The jury is still out on whether or not the game will include the same level of challenge as the main game though.


As you can see, the Nintendo 3DS still has a bit of life left in it. What do you think? Sound off in the comments if you are going to pick up any of these games for your family!

By Stephen Duetzmann

Editor in Chief Founder/EiC EngagedFamilyGaming.com Blogger, Podcaster, Video Host RE: games that families can play together. Editor@engagedfamilygaming.com

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