After 12 years, the Nintendo eShop has closed for good on the 3DS and Wii U systems. From now on, gamers will no longer be able to download games and DLC content on these systems, restricting new purchases to physical copies only. To celebrate some of the great titles that have appeared on these systems over the years, we’ve rounded up 10 of the most memorable titles. In no particular order, here are the top 10 best games in memory of the 3DS & Wii U eShop.
Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation
Fire Emblem Fates was a brilliant title on the Nintendo 3DS. Unfortunately for fans of the game who wanted to play the Revelation storyline, they would need to own the limited edition version of the game. This became quite tricky to achieve, as value quickly rose for physical copies over the years. As of 2023, a good condition physical copy of Fire Emblem Fates Limited Edition can be purchased for as much as a whopping $750 USD and upwards.
Thankfully, the Nintendo 3DS eShop came to the rescue for a lot of gamers who were looking to gain access to the Revelation section of Fire Emblem Fates, offering the limited edition variation of the game as a digital download through the eShop, at a much more regular and affordable price.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
The Legend of Zelda is one of the biggest names in Nintendo history, with numerous highly-successful game titles featuring everyone’s favorite Hylian, Link. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds just so happens to be one of the best 3DS Zelda titles and one of the most popular games for the system overall. A Link Between Worlds features the classic balance of action and puzzle-based gameplay and a charming, simplistic top-down chibi art style that worked well on the 3DS.
This game is set in the same world as the beloved SNES title, A Link to the Past, with noticeable changes over time. This provided a fond nostalgia for fans of the previous title, with the same fun and familiarity of well-balanced puzzles, entertaining dungeons, and engaging storyline, bringing a brilliant overall gameplay experience and high replayability, helping gamers never tire of this 3DS gem.
Pokemon Mainline Games (X/Y, ORAS, SUMO & USUM)
The Pokemon games have long been one of Nintendo’s crowned victors in games produced, sales, and fan base. The 3DS era of mainline games, in particular, are some of the best RPG titles that can be owned on the system and are some of the most enjoyable, memorable Pokemon tales of all time, taking leaps in terms of new features, developments, and brand new Regions and Mons to collect.
The 3DS is home to Pokemon X & Y, Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, Pokemon Sun & Moon, and Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. These titles were insanely popular in terms of an offline, single-player experience and online multiplayer, with the trading and battling systems allowing Trainers to connect to their friends. The 3DS era of mainline Pokemon games even have plenty of features that fans miss today in the most modern Pokemon games, such as the National Dex, the Battle Tree, and Mega Evolution.
Rhythm Heaven Megamix
Rhythm Heaven Megamix is a rhythm game lover’s dream come true. While the narrative direction isn’t a considerable strength or focus in this title, the endless fun and enjoyment you’ll find from the engaging minigames and brilliant soundtrack more than makes up for it. Certain minigames even incorporate your Mii characters, adding a personal touch to your gameplay experience.
Megamix brings the best minigames from the previous Rhythm Heaven title. It combines them all in one game, allowing hours of fun with wacky characters and various styles and mechanics, meaning there’s bound to be something for everyone. Rhythm Heaven is a simple but enjoyable game, making it perfect for numerous occasions, such as party sessions with your friends or relaxing and kicking back on the couch. It’s just a shame that a Rhythm Heaven title has yet to be picked up on the Switch, making Megamix one of the most recent playable franchise titles.
Virtual Console
Virtual Console was one of the best features of the 3DS and a major selling point for those considering picking up a handheld console. Virtual Console enabled gamers to purchase retro Nintendo titles from previous systems, including fan-favorite Pokemon Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, and Crystal, as well as old classics like Metroid, Castlevania, Donkey Kong, and more.
Games were purchased individually for a set price, and once downloaded, they were on your 3DS and good to go, ready to play whenever you wished. This was a brilliant idea by Nintendo, as retro games — with the Pokemon games in particular — are still immensely popular and highly sought-after. Fans can only hope that one day, some of the impressive titles included in the 3DS’ Virtual Console will be introduced in a similar format to the Nintendo Switch, perhaps within the Switch Online Subscription such as the NES Bundle.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD is one of the best titles on the Wii U, bringing an open-world 3D quest to Zelda fans who own the system. This iteration of the Twilight Princess title aims to enhance the experience by ironing out some of the more significant issues in the previous releases. While the game has flaws even in this variant, being able to play as a wolf form of Link, and having engaging combat that will keep your eyes glued to the screen make it a fantastic adventure for gamers to experience.
In Twilight Princess, you can switch forms from Link’s humanoid self to his canine counterpart at will, giving you the freedom to explore the world as you wish. There are some memorable boss battles to chew your way through and some fun tools to use while exploring the locations and dungeons available. This creates some seriously satisfying moments, from slingshotting spider creatures from the ceiling and slashing them with your sword to zipping around and darting at dark entities in Link’s wolf form.
Fire Emblem Awakening
Fire Emblem Awakening was a massive hit for the 3DS, bringing franchise fans a strategic challenge with challenging gameplay, 43 playable units, and bonus DLC content. Awakening was set to be the last game in the Fire Emblem franchise if it underperformed, so the devs poured their hearts and souls into the making of this title. Because of that, a brilliant masterpiece was born, resulting in one of the best Fire Emblem games ever and a 3DS must-have.
The characters of Fire Emblem Awakening are endearing, lovable, and memorable, making them sure to hold a special place in the player’s heart. Combat is challenging and requires some keen thinking and strategy, but it fails to be crippling in terms of difficulty, such as some previous titles in the franchise. Fire Emblem Awakening was the perfect game for any newbie to jump into or for long-time fans to enjoy, uniting these two sides of the player base in an extraordinary way. It’s not often that a game can do this; for that, Fire Emblem Awakening will forever stand out.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Xenoblade Chronicles X is unique in being the only title in the series not currently ported over to the Nintendo Switch, making it quite special to the Wii U console. While it may not be as story-driven as other titles in the Xenoblade series, Chronicles X is its own kind of unique, making up for its weak points with a beautiful sense of exploration and adventure, the main storyline, entertaining sidequests, and intriguing enemies.
There is around 300 hours worth of content to play through in Xenoblade Chronicles X, all scattered throughout a massive world divided into five fascinating, vast lands. Xenoblade Chronicles X offers gorgeous landscapes and atmosphere for you to enjoy during your adventure, with epic music and some tough battles to keep you on your toes across all 300 hours.
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is a brilliant puzzle game formed as a crossover between two giant puzzle and adventure franchises on Nintendo systems. One of the most enjoyable elements of Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is the fun, entertaining, and satisfying story built in its own world.
This makes the game a brilliant spin-off title for any Professor Layton or Phoenix Wright fan looking for something new, while it can also be enjoyed for first-time players to either series. The game is navigated through point-and-click and puzzle-based gameplay, with various unique mechanics and enjoyable graphics. Most notably, this game is known to have a massive twist at the end to wrap everything up that will blow players’ minds, just adding the cherry on top of a brilliant experience.
Dr. Luigi
A hidden gem within the Dr. Mario sub-genre is the Dr. Luigi title, available exclusively on the Wii U. This game shakes things up a bit in a fun twist with the presence of Luigi. Dr. Luigi is a surprisingly fun, niche Mario game that lets players enjoy it for what it is, without a crazy level of concentration or focus needed to progress. It’s one of those games you can boot up on the Wii U and kill time with, including four gameplay modes to try out and work your way through over a few hours here and there.
While it may not have been the most excessive spin on the Dr. Mario formula, Dr. Luigi brought enjoyable elements to the virus-ridding franchise that made it stand out as its own quirky title. This includes the ‘L’ shaped pills, a remixed soundtrack, and jumping into germ-eliminating matches against your friends or strangers in local and online multiplayer sessions.
Here’s hoping Nintendo keep these mechanics in mind if they ever launch a new Dr. Mario title on Switch. Or, heck, combine the two already! Dr. Mario & Luigi: Double Germ Trouble, anyone? Don’t lie; you thought about it for a second, and if you didn’t, well… you are now.
That’s it for the top 10 best games in memory of the 3DS and Wii U eShop. Which titles across these systems were your favorites? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below, and check out the rest of our content here at Twinfinite for plenty more lists, guides, and news covering all of the latest Nintendo topics.
