The Best RPGs on the Nintendo 3DS – Worlds of Adventure Conveniently On-the-Go

Nintendo's dominance in the handheld gaming market was practically the main pillar supporting the company's business in the 2010s until the arrival of the Nintendo Switch. Both the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo 3DS rank as two of the most successful consoles of all time, handheld or otherwise, and a large part of their success boils down to the impressive library of software available for each. Considering the impressive array of RPGs available for the Nintendo DS, the number of RPGs that would arrive on the 3DS should have come as no surprise. But, as it turns out, the 3DS would outdo its predecessor in that department, ultimately being host to a staggering number of role-playing games, many of which are some of the best available ports of some of the genre's more timeless classics.

One of the main advantages that the 3DS and DS have over other consoles is their dual-screen setup, which many developers put to great use in both consoles' best titles. The RPGs on the 3DS are no exception, with many games displaying vital combat information or menu UI on the bottom screen, freeing up the top screen for gameplay without any semblance of visual clutter. More than an improved presentation, though, some of the best RPGs on the Nintendo 3DS fully integrated the system's more unique features into their gameplay, whether that be the real-time cartography of the Etrian Odyssey games or quickly hopping between parallel timelines in Radiant Historia.

• Release Date — February 14, 2012
• Developer — Namco Tales Studio
• Publisher — Bandai Namco Games
• Review Aggregate Score — 75% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 83% (Generally Favorable)

Both a fan-favorite Tales of... game and the one title in the series to make its way to the Nintendo 3DS, Tales of the Abyss is an easy recommendation for any RPG fan. Like most Tales games, Tales of the Abyss' story and characters may be a little too formulaic and familiar for their own good, but that's not to say that they're without charm, as many of the protagonists in Abyss rank as some of the best in the series — something that becomes increasingly important as you spend more and more time getting to know them and flesh out the interpersonal dynamics of the team during Skits. Aside from its narrative, though, Tales of the Abyss features one of the better iterations of the LMBS combat model, and having that 3DS top screen free of clutter to display the action is a major bonus.

• Release Date — November 25, 2014
• Developer — P-Studio
• Publisher — Atlus
• Review Aggregate Score — 83% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 77% (Generally Favorable)

Both the Shin Megami Tensei series and Etrian Odyssey were majorly popular on the DS and 3DS, enough for Nintendo's handhelds to become their de facto home ahead of Persona's mainstream breakthrough in 2017, courtesy of Persona 5. So what happens when you combine both series into one unique entry that mixes the best elements of both? You get Persona Q. Essentially an Etrian Odyssey-style dungeon crawler in a Persona/Shin Megami Tensei skin, Persona Q (and its equally as excellent sequel) are absolutely bursting with style and visual flair befitting their namesake, but their gameplay is decidedly old-school in its approach to being a turn-based dungeon crawler. But the kicker, and what has helped make Persona Q a cult classic, is that the game bridges Persona 3 and Persona 4 to feature some of the most beloved characters in the series.

• Release Date — February 26, 2013
• Developer — Atlus
• Publisher — Atlus
• Review Aggregate Score — 84% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 83% (Generally Favorable)

Speaking of Etrian Odyssey, the series' initial trilogy of titles would naturally give way to the next game in the franchise, making its debut on the 3DS, with Etrian Odyssey IV being the first of a whopping 6 games to arrive on the console. If there's one criticism that can be lobbed at Etrian Odyssey IV, it's that the game mostly plays it safe when it comes to how closely it sticks to the established gameplay formula of the first three Etrian Odyssey games.

There is, however, one unique wrinkle introduced in Etrian Odyssey IV that makes it arguably the best of the first 4 entries in the series, and that's its inclusion of an overworld map and enhanced cartography features while in dungeons. Ultimately, it's still the same first-person dungeon crawler that the older Etrian Odyssey games are, but it also happens to be the best and most refined of them.

• Release Date — July 16, 2013
• Developer — Atlus
• Publisher — Atlus
• Review Aggregate Score — 83% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 86% (Generally Favorable)

The first and only game in the series to release as an exclusive for the Nintendo 3DS, Shin Megami Tensei IV is a unique entry. In addition to its 3DS exclusivity, the game also stands apart from other entries thanks to its narrative not sharing any connection with the other games in the franchise, allowing the developers to get creative with the game's plot and characters in a way that was intended to please longtime fans of the series. In terms of its gameplay, though, Shin Megami Tensei IV is an SMT game through and through, including featuring the iconic "Press Turn" battle system and an impressive number of Demons to recruit and fuse with one another, creating ever more powerful Demon allies in the process. Considering its medieval setting, it's also hard not to see a little bit of SMT IV influence in Metaphor: ReFantazio, too.

• Release Date — May 19, 2017
• Developer — Intelligent Systems
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Review Aggregate Score — 81% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 86% (Generally Favorable)

At this point, it seems like the Fire Emblem series has a bit of a predictable pattern. After one or two major entries that push the series forward and evolve the mechanics, the Fire Emblem series likes to return to its roots with a game that focuses squarely on the main reason people play these games in the first place: the rock-solid tactical combat. So, after the excellent Fire Emblem Awakening and its spiritual successors in the Fire Emblem Fates games, Fire Emblem turned back the clock to a simpler time, remaking one of the series' most classic and beloved entries for the 3DS with Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia.

A 3DS remake of Fire Emblem Gaiden, Shadows of Valentia might not have all the bells and whistles that Awakening and Fates players had come to expect, but it absolutely has some of the all-time greatest combat and encounter design of the series, enough to stand as the most underrated Fire Emblem on the 3DS.

• Release Date — June 23, 2017
• Developer — Grezzo
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Review Aggregate Score — 76% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 81% (Generally Favorable)

The mix between an action RPG and a city builder has been attempted before, with ActRaiser on the SNES standing out as an exemplar of how it can and should be done. But what other games that have attempted to replicate ActRaiser's success, but failed at, is managing to perfectly balance those disparate halves into something cohesive, is what makes Ever Oasis so special.

Clearly indebted to both ActRaiser and The Legend of Zelda, Ever Oasis is a breezy ARPG with just enough meta-progression facilitated by its city-building elements to make it feel like its combat and exploration almost take a backseat to helping to rebuild a struggling oasis and cleanse the surrounding area of monsters. It's not overly difficult, and the gameplay can err on the side of almost being too simple, but that's sometimes just what you want from a solid ARPG, and it's what Ever Oasis delivers.

• Release Date — May 5, 2015
• Developer — Atlus
• Publisher — Atlus
• Review Aggregate Score — 84% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 89% (Generally Favorable)

As someone who loves both turn-based tactics games and the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series, the Devil Survivor titles are perhaps my favorite non-Persona spin-offs in the larger Megami Tensei umbrella, and Devil Survivor 2 is a marked improvement over its predecessor. Originally released on the Nintendo DS, Devil Survivor 2 would end up receiving a remaster for the Nintendo 3DS, just like its predecessor did, which also happens to include a ton of additional restored content that was cut from the original release. The crux of Devil Survivor 2 is its excellent turn-based tactical combat, which skillfully blends the classic elements and mechanics of a TRPG with the iconic "Press Turn" battle system from the Shin Megami Tensei series to great effect.

• Release Date — October 12, 2013
• Developer — Game Freak
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Review Aggregate Score — 88% - X, 87% - Y (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 75% - X, 75% - Y (Generally Favorable)

As the first two games in Pokémon's 6th generation and the first Pokémon games for the 3DS, Pokémon X and Y had a lot riding on them. And while these titles didn't do a whole lot to reinvent the series, they did add enough new mechanics and elements that became series mainstays for them to be recognized now as two of the more important modern Pokémon titles. 72 new Pokémon, the introduction of the Fairy-type, Mega Evolutions, and full-3D visuals; Pokémon X and Y helped usher the Pokémon series into the modern era in a way that the DS entries never did, and it's easy to see how many of the innovations of these two games have continued to carry modern entries in the franchise.

• Release Date — February 13, 2018
• Developer — Atlus, Headlock
• Publisher — Atlus
• Review Aggregate Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 86% (Generally Favorable)

Not to be confused with Chrono Trigger, the other great time-travelling RPG, Radiant Historia was an incredible DS RPG that was only made better with its 3DS re-release, Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology. Similar to Chrono Trigger, Radiant Historia sees players take on the role of a protagonist who uses their ability to navigate multiple timelines as a way to prevent an apocalyptic disaster. But where the two titles greatly differ is in their combat and use of time travel as a gameplay mechanic, with Radiant Historia going more in-depth in terms of players' ability to jump back and forth across the timeline to see how different choices play out. Combat is similarly complex, mixing elements of classic turn-based and tactical battling to create an addictive system where each encounter is actively fun to play through.

• Release Date — January 20, 2017
• Developer — Square Enix
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Review Aggregate Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)

The Dragon Quest series was able to have a nice little boost in popularity thanks to several classic entries making their way to the Nintendo DS, so it makes perfect sense that Square Enix would keep that momentum up on the 3DS ahead of the release of Dragon Quest XI. The best of the 3DS Dragon Quest games also happens to be one of the fan-favorite titles in the series, Dragon Quest VIII, and it looks and runs great on the 3DS, even compared to the original version on PS2. Dragon Quest VIII is a pure "comfort food" RPG that doesn't do a whole lot to differentiate itself from either its predecessors or its sequels (which, to be fair, is part of the Dragon Quest series' appeal), but it nails the fundamentals of what makes a good RPG in a way that cements it as a must-have on the 3DS.

• Release Date — February 7, 2014
• Developer — Silicon Studio
• Publisher — Square Enix, Nintendo
• Review Aggregate Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 84% (Generally Favorable)

Years before the title would ever release in the West, Japanese players had a total of 3 different versions of Bravely Default on the 3DS, which only served to help the game achieve a sort of mythical status. Thankfully, Square Enix and Nintendo would partner together to bring the "definitive" edition of the title (Bravely Default: For the Sequel) to the West as simply Bravely Default, allowing Western players to get in on its excellent homage to old-school JRPG mechanics, storytelling, and aesthetic. Discovering all the different jobs there are to unlock and trying them out in battle to see how they synergize never seems to lose its luster all these years later, and the fact that the game is receiving an HD remaster as a launch title for the Switch 2 is testament to the series' lasting appeal as a modern RPG that harkens back to the genre's origins.

• Release Date — April 10, 2015
• Developer — Monolith Soft, Monster Games
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Review Aggregate Score — 86% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)

One of the few games to release exclusively as a "New Nintendo 3DS" title, the 3DS port of Xenoblade Chronicles is nothing short of impressive. Taking the classic Wii JRPG and squeezing it down onto the 3DS must have been a challenge for Monolith Soft and Monster Games. But to their credit, the studios successfully pulled it off, allowing New Nintendo 3DS owners the chance to experience one of the greatest RPGs of the 7th console generation on the go for the first time. While this version has since been outclassed by the excellent (and appropriately named) Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition on the Nintendo Switch, Xenoblade Chronicles 3D is still one of the best RPGs on Nintendo's 3D handheld, and the ability to traverse Bionis and Mechonis in stereoscopic 3D never gets old.

• Release Date — February 19, 2016
• Developer — Intelligent Systems
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Review Aggregate Score — 86% - Birthright, 87% - Conquest (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 79% - Birthright, 80% - Conquest (Generally Favorable)

Taking a page from Pokémon's handbook, the highly anticipated follow-up to the Fire Emblem series' mainstream breakthrough with Awakening would release not as one game, but as two separate, yet connected entries. Fire Emblem Fates tells the story of two clashing royal families and the children who get caught up in trying to end that generational conflict through a peace-keeping gift of heirs.

Both Conquest and Birthright are excellent games that feature unique missions, unit types, and story beats essential to learning the full scope of the saga, and that they're each capped off with the excellent Revelations prologue only speaks to the grandiose scale and ambition that the Fire Emblem Fates games have. Best of all, all three titles retain most of the new mechanics introduced in Awakening, making it one of the most complete and feature-rich Fire Emblem experiences available.

• Release Date — November 21, 2014
• Developer — Game Freak
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Review Aggregate Score — 83% - Omega Ruby, 82% - Alpha Sapphire (Generally Favorable)
• User Score — 76% - Omega Ruby, 76% - Alpha Sapphire (Generally Favorable)

While my personal favorite Pokémon games on the 3DS might be Sun and Moon (and, to a lesser extent, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon), there's no denying that many longtime fans prefer the system's remakes of Ruby and Sapphire, and for good reason. Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire reimagine two of the more classic Game Boy Advance-era Pokémon games using new mechanics introduced in Pokémon X and Y, and the result is an experience that feels both familiar and fresh by blending classic game locations and rosters with modern mechanics and presentation. While it would have been nice to see Emerald get the same remake treatment, it's hard to deny that both Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire have some of the best Pokémon rosters in the series, and their place as two of the best-selling 3DS games underscores that point.

• Release Date — February 4, 2013
• Developer — Intelligent Systems
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Review Aggregate Score — 92% (Universal Acclaim)
• User Score — 90% (Universal Acclaim)

Following years of relative obscurity despite having a fervent cult following, the Fire Emblem series was finally able to break into the mainstream thanks to the excellent Fire Emblem Awakening. According to its developers at Intelligent Systems, Fire Emblem Awakening was a last-ditch effort to see the series become successful in the West, with Nintendo explicitly stating that Fire Emblem would remain a Japan-exclusive franchise if Awakening didn't perform well. Of course, Awakening didn't just do well, it helped bring an impressive amount of new players over to the 3DS (myself included) as a bona fide system-seller, and stands as perhaps the greatest entry in the long-running Fire Emblem series. Awakening helped save the Fire Emblem series from future obscurity, ultimately paving the way for the incredible Three Houses on Switch, and it remains the greatest RPG on the 3DS and one of the best TRPGs ever made.