Top 15 Best Nintendo 3DS Hidden Gems of All Time

The topic of the day is Nintendo 3DS hidden gems. The system itself was released at a time when most developers were pouring endless resources into the growing mobile market. Smaller developers, the kind that would normally make hidden gems, were putting all of their creativity into games for iOS and Android. The 3DS wasn’t left in the dark though. There were just less smaller titles released for the platform. At least it seems to me. I have never struggled so much as to make a hidden gem list as much as I did with the 3DS. The platform’s loyal fanbase seemed to latch on to each and every release. Very few of them feel even remotely hidden. Regardless, we did it, and now let’s get to the list. These are the top 15 best Nintendo 3DS hidden gems!

Okay, so we should probably go over some ground rules for just how we came to these conclusions. Here is our criteria:

• Import games simply don’t make the list. Otherwise it would be just releases that only came out in Japan. That would be no fun. That’s why this list focuses only on North American releases.
• Some of these games are going to be more well known than others. Many of them, like Fantasy Life for example, had huge cult followings. They never really made it big with the type of gamers that would be discussing hidden gems in the first place though. So just please keep in mind that what might not be an obscure title to someone who follows gaming news closely could be to the average gamer.
• You won’t find any licensed games on this list. At least, I think not. That’s by design. Licensed games generally have built in fan bases. Even if the game didn’t sell very well it pretty much had a built in ad campaign. So that’s why those are excluded here.

Alright enough with that. Rather than list games by how much we liked them they’re instead in alphabetical order. Let’s get into it.

7th Dragon III: Code VFD

Sega basically sent this one out to die. They made no less than three 7th Dragon games across both the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. All of these were left in Japan. By the time they decided to localize any of them it was on the 3DS, and unfortunately, the final one. At least as of now. 7th Dragon III: Code VFD is a really well designed dungeon crawler. Oh and it’s futuristic with a heavy anime aesthetic. Sounds neat, right? Unfortunately no one played it. Who can blame them after Sega’s handling of the series?

The high point here is the job system. It’s unique from just about anything else on the market. Not only are the classes themselves original in idea, but also functionality. For example there’s a summoner class with unique mechanics involving elemental cards drawn each turn. This only pertains to them. It makes for some surprisingly deep battles. 7th Dragon III: Code VFD may also has some decently designed dungeons. It better, because you’re going to be spending the majority of the game in them.

Attack of the Friday Monsters!: A Tokyo Tale

Yeah, this one has a really weird name. It was also only released digitally. These two factors doomed it into obscurity. This was a part of the Guild02 initiative where big name developers tried their hand at smaller games where they were given total freedom over what to make. The end result is a story driven look at what it must have been like to be an anime characters in the 1970s. I’m not one so I wouldn’t know. The game is cozy, endearing, and has stuck with me ever since I first played it.

The game itself is structured to take place over twenty six chapters. You play as a child named Sohta who has recently moved to a new town in Japan. The game is based on interacting with NPCs, and basically living life. It’s very charming. Oh and did I mention that every Friday giant monsters attack the city, and superheroes save the day? Oh but don’t worry. You won’t be taking part in any of that. It’s just a part of the story. A cool part, might I add. There’s nothing quite like Attack of the Friday Monsters. It’s disappointing that the game itself is so hard to obtain with the closure of the eshop.

Cave Story 3D

For a while Cave Story on the PC was a pretty big deal. It was one of the first really big indie titles ever released. Since then it gained a fairly big following among hardcore gamers. Since then it has been ported to a multitude of different systems. Cave Story 3D is something special though. This was a 2.5D remake of the original release. The 3DS is also the only system that this version was released on. It’s the most beautiful version of Cave Story that has ever been released. The difficulty was also toned down. Those who wasnt the original experience can select classic mode though. That makes Cave Story 3D the definitive version.

Cave Story 3D is a Metroidvania at heart. Before that concept had really hit the mainstream. It’s a two dimensional platformer (now with updated 3D graphics) wherein you can jump, fire weapons, and interact with NPCs. What’s unique is the fact that firing your weapon downward gives thrust to your character allowing him to remain in the air longer. That adds a whole new dimension to gameplay when compared to other platformers. While the game was originally free on PC this 3D version wasn’t. The upgrades however are worth the price.

Code Name S.T.E.A.M.

I’m genuinely baffled as to why this game didn’t take off. It was developed by Intelligent Systems, and published by Nintendo themselves. This one is a turn based strategy game with some very unique twists. It seems like a recipe for success, right? Unfortunately no one was cared. That’s a shame because there’s nothing out there quite like Code Name S.T.E.A.M. The game takes place in an alternate version of America, wherein characters like Tom Sawyer and even Abraham Lincoln join your forces. It also has a heavy steam punk and comic book style. The cel shaded graphics do a lot of heavy lifting with this art style.

Code Name STEAM isn’t a traditional tactics style game. Instead it uses a combat system more similar to Valkyria Chronicles. The action is turn based, and during a character’s turn you guide them from an over the shoulder perspective through 3D environments. Every action you make uses steam energy, and this can be replenished by destroying certain items in each area. Combat is fun, and I was instantly hooked. Plus, how many other games feature a steam punk version of Abraham Lincoln battling aliens inside a mecha robot? It’s really that crazy.

Code of Princess

If there’s one thing the 3DS needed more of it’s beat ’em up games. Code of Princess fills the slot nicely. It also adds some heavy RPG elements into the mix. Your life bar is measured numerically, and damage splashes out of enemies when hit. There’s also levels to be gained, and equipment to throw on your character. You get the picture. It’s basically Guardian Heroes, but not quite as good. It’s a surprise that this one didn’t sell better. Not only does it have a colorful anime aesthetic, but also, it was published by Atlus. Normally even their smaller releases do well in the West.

Code of Princess a is two dimensional beat ’em up, but with 3D environments. This is likely done to support the 3D screen. You can move your character on three different planes. This allows you to avoid, or even chase down enemies. There are also three different characters to play as. Generally you don’t get much choice in this (it’s dependent on story). It’s a fun game but combat can be a little clunky with some stiff animations and slow movement. The best part is you can link two systems together for multiplayer. There’s no wrong way to play Code of Princess, but it’s much better with a buddy.

Corpse Party

It’s fair to expect that no one played Corpse Party on the Nintendo 3DS. The game came out on the PSP years earlier, and since then has launched on a multitude of different platforms. It’s available almost everywhere now. The few people who wanted to play it probably already did so on those systems. I imagine the 2D graphics probably didn’t help it either. The game kind of looks like something that was made in an RPG maker program. That’s a little off-putting. This 3DS version released on the eshop, and also had a very limited physical run with the ‘back to school’ edition.

As I’ve already mentioned, Corpse Party is best considered to be a visual novel. It looks like an RPG, but it has only a select few mechanics from the genre. From an overhead perspective you guide characters around a haunted school at night. Mostly this is to progress the story, but in some instances you’ll have to solve some light puzzles. Your characters have hit points, and this is where the RPG elements come in to play. There are no battles, or even enemies to fight. Instead you’re damaged by elements of the environment during exploration sequences. The game has a fairly interesting story, and is surprisingly atmospheric. You’re in for a good spooky time with Corpse Party.

Ever Oasis

Ever Oasis was a huge surprise. This charming Zelda-like action RPG has you managing an oasis turned town, and venturing into dungeons to solve puzzles and beat down baddies. These two mechanics are masterfully intertwined with one another. Completing dungeons helps out the people living in the oasis. It even leads to more people moving in and they might open shops, give you items, hints, etc. You can even take some of them with you into the dungeons. Each has an innate set of abilities. Some will help out with combat while others can remove obstacles in your path. They’re good like that. Much of the time these obstacles just hide treasure, but hey, you won’t see me complaining about extra items.

Let’s get into the combat. That’s pretty important, right? Ever Oasis is fully 3D, and you battle foes in real-time. You have both a quick attack, and a strong attack. Combinations unlock as you level up which makes combat more fluid. There’s also a variety of different weapons, and they each have separate attributes. The combat system is pretty fun. I really liked bringing different mixes of characters into my party to be controlled by the CPU. The real highlight is the town building mechanic. Whenever I began to grow tired of fighting enemies I could simply retreat to the Oasis, and see what had changed. It’s a fantastic mix of life-sim and action RPG.

Fantasy Life

The title of this one fits the game far better than you could ever imagine. This is an action RPG from Level-5 wherein you start out by creating a character and then selecting a ‘life’ for them. Think of this like a job in other more traditional RPGs. Except it’s more significant here. This determines start to finish how this game will be played. Some are not combat centric at all. Fantasy Life’s greatest strength is the sheer amount of diversity it offers. You can change the life you’re living at any point, and should you get bored with one the others are sure to draw you back in.

While the mercenary and Paladin will consistently do battle with foes in an action RPG battle system, the angler and tailor might never see combat. Instead these two earn experience points by doing their job. What’s really neat is the fact that you can start over in the same game save as a different life. These all take place in the same world, but certain lives will see things that the others will never experience. It’s a neat concept that really lets you see all aspects of the game world. Fantasy Life is a truly unique game with a lot of care put into it.

Hometown Story

Here’s one that got a lot of hate when it came out. Hometown Story comes from the same pedigree as Harvest Moon. This time you won’t be farming. Instead you’re tasked with restoring your grandmother’s decrepit shop. You run this by collecting items to sale, placing them on the various tables in said store, and waiting. Yes, there’s a lot of standby time. You gotta have customers after all, right? NPCs will occasionally wander in and buy your goods, and some will even sell you more wares to entice customers with. If it’s not readily apparent this is a laid back and relaxing game to play.

Admittedly this game isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s severely lacking in variety, and there isn’t a lot of content. Sure, you can customize your character but only their appearance. This has zero effect on gameplay though. Hometown Story is geared toward casual gamers, and so even fans of Harvest Moon aren’t going to have a lot of fun with it. Most of the time you’ll either be exploring the empty 3D environments or trapped inside the shop waiting for customers. Still, I found the game has some addictive qualities. Maybe it’s just me. I enjoyed setting up the shop, watching what was selling, and adjusting my stock based on that. It’s not for most people, but if you’re like me you might enjoy it. In my opinion it’s a hidden gem.

Monster Hunter Stories

A Monster Hunter game a hidden gem? Well, this one is. Monster Hunter Stories was a spin-off released on the Nintendo 3DS. Rather than being an action RPG like the mainline titles this one instead is a more traditional turn based role playing game. It’s quite a change for sure, but one that works really well. Despite taking a completely different approach to gameplay it still feels like Monster Hunter. It also has a more in depth and charming story than the series is known for. It’s very kid friendly however. Monster Hunter Stories was obviously meant to attract a younger audience, but I’m not too proud to play it.

A major change is that you don’t play as a hunter in this game. Yes, the name of it lies to you. Instead your character is a monster tamer. This means that you’re not killing everything that moves. Well, you’re still fighting plenty, but one of your major goals is to hatch, and raise monsters. You can use one as a partner in combat, and they basically function as your secondary party member. They can grow, and change as the game goes on. Hatching monsters and fighting alongside them is a highly rewarding mechanic. Oh, and you can ride them outside of battle. How cool is that?

Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology

Chrono Trigger showed us how interesting dynamic time travel could be in a role playing game. Radiant Historia does it even better. Yes, I said it. While it’s not a better game overall the way it manages time travel is truly immersive and interesting. Basically, in different times you must make decisions that often have huge effects on the story. You can later choose to play through the scenario as if the other decision had been made. There are a ton of different branches in the time periods and it’s a real joy to go back and explore them. That’s why Radiant Historia is so amazing.

Besides that major factor Radiant Historia is a pretty basic RPG. It has turn based combat, multiple characters in your party, and plays quite well. The soundtrack and graphics are also pretty good. While Radiant Historia was first released on the Nintendo DS the developers released an enhanced version on the 3D portable. It looks and plays largely the same, but is a little prettier. What’s new is that there are new timelines to explore. This means additional content to you and me. This new stuff is really well designed and I highly recommend this version for it. Those who want just the base game can opt to play the original story here as well. It’s up to you, and the option makes this the ultimate version of a fantastic game.

Rodea the Sky Soldier

Yeah, this one got a lot of hate at release too. It has since managed a cult following. I for one liked it. The game definitely isn’t perfect, but its flaws don’t undo how charming and fun the experience is. Unfortunately this one has a storied history. It was originally in development for the Wii, and then the 3DS, and finally the Wii U. Developed by former Sonic Team Yuji Naka’s new (at the time) company Prope, it saw major delays and it’s future constantly seemed unclear. Eventually it came out, and everyone hated it. Except for me. The Nintendo 3DS version is similar to the Wii U release. It’s just uglier. Oh, and portable too.

Gameplay feels slightly similar to Sonic the Hedgehog, but in the sky. You’re going to spend a lot of time airborne in this game. You do so by pointing the reticule in the direction you want to go, and press the A button. Then you’re off. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Almost all combat is aerial, and there are a lot of enemies. Changing directions while attacking can be extremely counter intuitive. Rodea is also limited in flight time by his fuel gauge. If it runs out you’re going to drop like a rock until you can replenish this resource. It’s more than a little clunky, and certainly an acquired taste. I’m all for weird games, and this one fits the mold. I liked Rodea, but I completely understand why the hate is there.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

Persona aside, Shin Megami Tensei simply isn’t very big in the West. With Nintendo’s help the franchise has grown, but by and large most RPG fans have never even played one of the mainline titles. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey isn’t even a numbered release. That means even less gamers played it. One thing working against this one is that it’s a hardcore dungeon crawler. You wander through each area from a first person perspective working your way through various labyrinths, doing battle with demons, and growing ever stronger. There’s a hub, yes, but the game is lacking in town areas to explore. You have to really like RPG battles to get into this one.

Despite being poised as a spin-off this game plays just like the classic Shin Megami Tensei games. Before part IV came out I considered it to be just that. It’s that true to the series. You do battle against demons, and are often given the option to try and recruit them. It’s kind of like Pokemon, but with significantly more options. The battle system has been refined with a lot of bonuses granted for paying attention to elemental alignments, and more. Strange Journey was originally released on the Nintendo DS, and Redux is an enhanced port. There aren’t a ton of changes, but content was added, and some quality of life fixes put in place. The 3DS version is the definitive way to play it.

Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir

Okay hold on. Hear me out. This one was panned pretty hard at release. It makes use of the Nintendo 3DS camera for an augmented reality experience. Remember that? Mostly it was left to small mini-games or distractions in other titles. Here we have an entire game based around that feature. It’s a little touchy and kind of clunky. I think it works pretty well in spite of the limitations though. It was 2010’s technology. What else can I say?

Spirit Camera is actually a spin-off of the Fatal Frame series. It makes sense, right? I mean Fatal Frame was all about taking photos of ghosts to fight them, and this one has largely the same premise. In order to play Spirit Camera you must use the included AR booklet. That’s going to cause problems on the second hand market considering many probably lost it. The premise is that you, the gamer, have had your soul trapped within the book. Now you have to use the Nintendo 3DS camera on various pictures in the included booklet. This causes ghosts to enter the room via AR. You fight them off much in the same way you did in Fatal Frame. By keeping the camera focused on them, only this time you have an actual piece of hardware to aim with. The game is unique for sure.

Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward

Remember 999 on the original DS? No? Well you’re not alone. That probably means you have no idea what Zero Escape is either. This is the sequel to 999, and it came out on both the Nintendo 3DS and the PS Vita. For obvious reasons we’re talking about the 3DS version today. This is one of those visual novel type games that are so popular in Japan. The topic isn’t romance. Instead it’s murder and mystery. Ooh spooky. Not really. The plot isn’t particularly scary, but I did find it extremely intriguing. That was surprising because I’m generally not a fan of visual novel type games. Score one for Zero Escape.

As I said this is a visual novel type experience, but that’s only a half truth. A good portion of the game is spent interacting with other characters and reacting to prompts from them. Your answers to their questions changes the plot in some pretty major ways. There are many different paths for it to follow and it’s interesting to see your choices reflected. The other part of the game plays like an escape room of sorts. These are full of puzzles, and clues on where to look next. I didn’t expect to like this part of the game either, but Zero Escape won me over quickly. If you’re looking for something different than this is an excellent choice. As long as you can look past the anime aesthetic, that is.