Nintendo 3DS - Gaming in 2011

I have to admit that I never used to be a huge fan of handheld gaming.

When I was a kid, I loved video games.  I loved them a lot.  I had an Intellivision, a Nintendo, a Super Nintendo...and later on I graduated to Sony PlayStation.  But you probably have already noticed that all of those consoles required a television set to use.

I just was always more interested in video games that were on a big television screen instead of a tiny little screen.  And keep in mind that when I say television screen, I mean the 19-inch television screen that I got as a Christmas present in 1993.

As far as I was concerned, if I had a game console for a television, why would I want a handheld video game system?  I only ever played with two handheld games in my childhood - my sister's Merlin toy from the late 1970s that was a hand-me-down toy, and a Game & Watch electronic game...I believe it was Donkey Kong Jr. or something like that.  I never owned a Game Boy, Game Gear, Game Boy Color, PSP, or Game Boy Advance.  But I never really felt like I was missing out.

At least not until I received my first Nintendo DS for Christmas one year, and I absolutely loved it.  I still remember the first game I got with it too...Super Mario 64 DS.  It is still a very challenging game - and one I still play on occasion.

But in keeping with the tradition of this month being a celebration of five years in the past, I'm going to talk about the Nintendo 3DS.

The Nintendo 3DS is very similar to the original Nintendo DS.  It's a handheld device that has two different screens - one a display screen, and the other one a touch screen.  But the major difference is that you can have the ability to flick a little switch to make your games playable in 3D.

I will admit that I do like having the option to play in 3D, and sometimes when it comes to playing certain games, the 3D feature is a major asset.  But usually I play my games without it.

And the reason why I want to talk about the Nintendo 3DS is simple.  It was released in Japan in January 2011.  It came to North America a couple of months later.  And I purchased my 3DS in November 2011.

So just put that into perspective.  The Nintendo 3DS is now five years old.  And yet, it's still as popular as ever.

Okay, sure...the NEW Nintendo 3DS came out last year, and it now has the technology to play Super Nintendo games on a handheld device.  I'll eventually get one of these at some point, but for now, I'm enjoying the original 3DS I have.

It's red...the same exact colour as the Merlin toy my sister gave to me all those years ago!

Now, there are dozens of games that are available for the Nintendo 3DS...and some are more fun than others.

But what are some of my personal favourite games for the device?  Well, I think I'll give you eight of my favourites in no particular order.  Are any of your favourites on my list?

SUPER MARIO 3D LAND (2011)

I'm not going to lie...this was the main reason why I wanted the Nintendo 3DS.  The only other time I remember seeing Mario in 3D form was when I played Super Mario 64 DS!  To put it lightly, this video game is BEAUTIFUL and well worth the purchase of the 3DS.  It's like playing all of your favourite Mario levels in a 3D world.  The flagpoles from Super Mario Brothers are there, as well as the ghost houses from Super Mario World, and enemies from all the previous Mario games combined.  And the overall difficulty level is ridiculous.  It's challenging, but also fun at the same time.  I highly recommend it.

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. 2 (2012)

Okay, so there really isn't much difference between this game and the first game for the original DS.  Both are basic platform games much like the classic Mario games, and the goal is to defeat Bowser and his children.  But there's an additional part where you can collect all different kinds of coins, and if you collect a specific number, something exciting will happen.

Well, okay, that's a bit of a stretch.  But I will tell you that as far as classic Mario games go, this one is definitely worth having.

MARIO KART 7 (2011)

Okay, I promise this will be the last Mario game in this list.  Really! 

I've always been a fan of the Super Mario Kart series ever since the first edition was released back in the summer of 1992, and I was not disappointed at all with the release of Mario Kart 7 for the 3DS.  There's something absolutely awesome about racing down brand new and retro tracks in the 3D format.  It almost sort of makes the ride that much more fun and realistic.  Plus with new characters to unlock and brand new items at your disposal, Mario Kart 7 never gets the chance to get boring!

BRAVELY DEFAULT (2014)

As someone who has always been a fan of role playing games like Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger, I was sort of hoping that they would find a way to release both these titles onto the 3DS...but since they already did so with the original DS, those hopes were dashed.

At least until Bravely Default was brought over to North America from Japan a couple of years ago.  This classic RPG may only let you control four characters - Agnes, Tiz, Ringabel, and Edea - but what you can do with those four characters is absolutely phenomenal.  It's a classic tale of trying to save the world from evil with a really ingenious twist towards the end.  It will leave you wanting more.  It's a good thing too - Bravely Second was released in North America in April 2016!

TOMODACHI LIFE (2014)

I kid you not.  This is a game that I NEVER thought that I would like.  And yet for nearly six months, I played it every single day.  I couldn't help it.  It was like playing the Sims with Mii characters.  You could feed your Miis, dress them, have them go on dates, get married, and have children, all while living in a gigantic apartment building.  It was like having your very own soap opera in the palm of your hands - and you could write their stories.  It's not that hard to get completely engrossed into it.  Believe me...I know.

ACE ATTORNEY: DUAL DESTINIES (2013)

Most times when you purchase a game, you go to the nearest EB Games or Gamestop, purchase a hard copy, and go on your merry way.  The fifth installment of the Ace Attorney series did things a little differently when it came to the North American release.  Jumping on the success of downloadable content, Capcom released this game entirely online.  People could purchase this game through the Nintendo eShop, and provided that they had enough space in their memory, the game would always be available for them to download.  I was so lucky to be on vacation the week it came out because much like the other Phoenix Wright games, I couldn't stop playing it.

There was even an additional bonus case that one could download just a month after the original game was released.  It's well worth it just to see the breakdown of Marlon Rimes.  It's that awesome.  And Ace Attorney 6 is set to be released sometime in 2016.  I CANNOT WAIT!

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY RETURNS (2013)

Okay, so this video game is nothing more than a handheld port of the Wii game that was released in 2010.  But so what?  Not all of us had a Wii.  I know I sure didn't.  To me, this game was brand new.  And as someone who played the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy on the Super Nintendo, I expected the new game to be extremely challenging...but my goodness, the difficulty level is so amped up on this game that I still have not managed to complete it - and I bought the game three years ago!!!

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME (2011)

Many of the Zelda games that were released for the N64, Gamecube, and Wii have been re-released for the 3DS...but Ocarina of Time is probably my favourite of the bunch.  When it comes to playing any game featuring Link as your main character, it's a fair statement to say that it will keep you entertained for hours - and yes, this game will definitely do that.  But seeing the remake of this game and comparing it to the original, and it is one beautiful game.  I get goose pimples just thinking about how awesome this game really is to play, and how the programmers must have worked overtime to make the scenes really pop!

So, that's my list of favourite Nintendo 3DS games.  Tell me...do you have any more to add?