6 Great 3DS Games That Could Reach Their Full Potential on the Switch

KID ICARUS: UPRISING

Pit’s high-flying adventure game on the Nintendo 3DS was the first time we saw him star in his own game in 21 years. The title retained the light-hearted elements of the first Kid Icarus, but added way more personality to Pit’s character. The game was pretty well-received and sold over a million copies, but the control scheme was a big problem; playing Uprising literally made your hands feel terrible, even after short play sessions. Porting this title over to the Nintendo Switch would do it nothing but justice.

Kid Icarus: Uprising revived one of Nintendo’s forgotten franchises and showed that an online multiplayer shooter could flourish on the 3DS. Being able to play Uprising with two control sticks instead of an uncomfortable stylus control scheme would be monumental to the overall comfort of playing for long periods of time. Updated visuals, a fully fleshed out multiplayer, and better controls would make this third-person shooter a top contender for Nintendo’s new hybrid console.

LUIGI’S MANSION: DARK MOON

We’re getting Super Mario Odyssey later this year with Mario as the star of the show, but what about the fraidy-cat brother that we know and love? Luigi needs his time in the spotlight as well, and what better way of doing that than to bring Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon to the Nintendo Switch? Catching up with evil spirits would feel better than ever with the Switch’s two sticks and that glorious screen. Using one stick for movement and the other for the vacuum/flashlight control would work wonderfully.

Dark Moon was mission-based, unlike its predecessor on the GameCube. There were five different mansions that had multiple missions, but once the mission was complete you were transported out of the stage, not being able to explore at your leisure. Since the 3DS is a handheld, the game needed some sort of gameplay mechanic so that you could play it in short bursts. Thanks to the Switch’s capabilities, these bite-sized missions can be gone entirely, making all of the mansions available at your discretion, which would be a pretty rad feature to see.

MONSTER HUNTER GENERATIONS

The Monster Hunter series has been strictly portable since Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate came out for the Wii U back in 2013. After receiving multiple entries on the 3DS, it might finally be time for the franchise to come back to a home console.

Bringing a game like Monster Hunter Generations to the Switch would be spectacular. It would mean being able to hunt some monsters through local/online multiplayer with your friends, with more solid controls and a visual upgrade. Putting in hours upon hours of hunting, slaying, and crafting could be done easily if we were able to play a console quality Monster Hunter game at home and on the go.

ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW LEAF

It doesn’t seem likely that we’ll be getting a brand new Animal Crossing entry for the Switch, at least for this year. By why not put New Leaf on the Switch for people who have never played the 3DS version? New Leaf turned players into the mayor of the town instead of just being a boring ol’ resident. You were able to design your town to your heart’s content and build the perfect home for the inhabitants.

Animal Crossing would fit so well on the Switch, being that you can play on the big screen at home, and then maybe go out and complete little tasks while you’re actually doing errands in real life. Animal Crossing: New Leaf sold more than 10 million units on the 3DS, so we’re sure that there would be an audience for the title on Nintendo’s new console.

POKEMON SUN AND MOON

Gamefreak’s long-running main Pokemon entries has always stayed on Nintendo’s handheld systems, but making the move to the Switch would be a perfect change for the franchise. Pokemon Sun and Moon or even the rumored third iteration of the Alola region makes for a perfect title to play on the go. The hardware limitations of the 3DS would not be an issue on the Switch, making battles and character animations that much better. With two controllers, a couch multiplayer option could definitely be viable. Choosing from your pool of pocket monsters, you and a friend can team up in double battle fashion or even face off against one another on the big screen. Gamefreak could give Pokemon Sun and Moon a second life by debuting it on the Switch; imagine the possibilities.

PROFESSOR LAYTON VS. PHOENIX WRIGHT

A crossover visual novel/puzzler starring none other than the esteemed Professor Layton and ace attorney, Phoenix Wright. The unique puzzles from the Layton series have baffled players for years and have caused lots of head scratching. With the Switch’s unique features like HD Rumble, motion control, IR camera, and touchscreen leaves much to the imagination; puzzles can be updated to match the capabilities of the console. Phoenix Wright’s courtroom antics would be totally fleshed out with fully animated characters, cutscenes, and perhaps fully voiced dialogue.