The 3DS library remains one of the best in Nintendo's history, but so many of those games have yet to be ported to a modern Nintendo platform. While most of the world is looking forward, with speculation about the Switch's successor, we're looking back at what 3DS games we wish Nintendo would port to the Switch.
Question: What 3DS game do you want to see ported to the Switch?
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds - Ozzie Mejia is a man! He's 40!
I remember the first time that Reggie Fils-Aime came out and touted The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds as the sequel to A Link to the Past that lived up to that billing.
In the end... it didn't, because how do you improve on a masterpiece like that? That's like saying someone made a sequel to Gone With the Wind. Is it good? Maybe, but it's not going to be the ultimate sequel that a movie of that magnitude deserves.
Anyway, having said all of that, A Link Between Worlds is still very, very good. It beautifully built a new adventure set in that Link to the Past world, added some new ideas, created a series of challenges worthy of the Zelda name, and was honestly the best game I played in 2013. Yes, I certainly would like to see this come to Switch. Add it to the pile of strong Zelda titles (Link's Awakening, Skyward Sword HD, and two Breath of the Wilds) already on the system.
Kid Icarus: Uprising - TJ Denzer, Medusa slayer
Source: Nintendo
Of all the games that ever came to the 3DS, I think Kid Icarus: Uprising has to be the one that stayed with me the most. That game was crazy good, a masterpiece of weird design from Masahiro Sakurai. It was such a good blend of on-rails shooter and 3D action-platformer featuring amazing character designs, really good voice work, and a fun and compelling story, not to mention one of the best soundtracks a 3DS game ever had. It also introduced the Fiend’s Cauldron where players could heighten the difficulty for greater rewards at the risk of using more resources and losing them if the player got a game over. This would go on to be utilized in Super Smash Bros. 4, as well as Ultimate Super Smash Bros.
The trouble with Kid Icarus: Uprising is that it had a very inconvenient control system. They literally shipped a stand with the game because it was uncomfortable to hold the 3DS in one hand and operate the buttons while using the stylus to target enemies on the touch screen. Those controls would definitely have to be reworked. They’d also have to figure out how to have the dialogue going with character portrait emotions without a dedicated second screen on which to have that play out.
All of this considered, I imagine it would be tough to port Kid Icarus: Uprising to any platform. Nonetheless, I hold out hope that one of the best games the 3DS ever had will make its way to another Nintendo console someday.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Asif Khan, Shacknews CEO/EIC/EIEIO
Source: Nintendo
After much internal debate, I have decided that Nintendo should port Animal Crossing: New Leaf to Switch. I have over 400 hours played in the game, and many fans of the series still have warm and fuzzy memories of their time in New Leaf. While New Horizons may be the best-selling entry in franchise history, real ones know that New Leaf was a blast. A New Leaf port with a new coat of paint on Nintendo Switch would be a welcome addition to the software library.
Monster Hunter 4 - Sam Chandler, Insect Glaive Main
The first Monster Hunter game I played was World, and I immediately fell in love with the New World, the hunts, and the overwhelming systems. While I have dabbled in the entries that came after, none were as incredible as what I experienced in Monster Hunter World. And while I hope for a sequel, what I’d love to do in the meantime is experience Monster Hunter 4, a release that many would herald as one of the standouts in the franchise.
Pokemon X and Y - Donovan Erskine, Kalos Champion
Source: The Pokemon Company
Did you know that Pokemon X and Y are the second best-selling 3DS games of all time? Porting these games to Switch is a no-brainer. They were a massive turning point for the franchise, ushering it into the digital age. Full 3D models, Mega Evolutions, and Fairy-Types, all ensured that Pokemon X and Y were a damn moment in time. Drop these bad boys on the Switch and you would literally print money. It’s baffling to me that The Pokemon Company and Nintendo aren’t just porting all the old Pokemon games to whatever the newest console is, just like we see with the Mario games.
Fire Emblem Awakening - Dennis White Jr., Community Manager
Source: Nintendo
When I think of the time spent on my 3DS, I instantly think of Fire Emblem Awakening. The way this game changed things up with the presentation on the battlefield really impressed me back then. I really found a lot of the characters to be memorable and the writing and localization were great. It got me wanting to try the other titles like Fates and Echoes. I’d be down to see a Fire Emblem 3DS collection ported with a few things to polish the titles up a bit. There’s been new games on Switch with better visuals and such, but I would still like to go back and enjoy the nostalgia trip. I was really close to choosing Animal Crossing New Leaf which was the 2nd game on 3DS I poured tons of hours into.
Super Mario 3D Land - Steve Tyminski, Stevetendo Show host, It’s always Mario!
Source: Nintendo
It would be interesting to see Pokémon X and Y brought over to the Switch. Those games are probably quite a few years away from getting remade. I would much rather see the GameBoy Color Pokemon games get added to the Switch Online first. My answer to this question is Super Mario 3D Land. For years, Super Mario 3D Land was the best game on the 3DS and it will always mean a little more for me. It was one of the first games I received a copy to review for the site I wrote for at the time. It was also one of the first events in New York City that I attended. Super Mario 3D Land brought back the Mario handheld genre as well as the raccoon tail power-up. There are quite a few games that I would love to see come to the Switch from the 3DS but Super Mario 3D Land gets the nod for me.
Those are the 3DS games we would like to see come to the Switch library. There are really no wrong answers here, so tell us what game's you'd bring over if it was up to you!