My 3DS Wish List

A list of (currently) 34 games I'll use as a starting point while finishing my effort to collect physical 3DS releases that interest me.

By Jason Venter · March 8, 2019

Did you know that the 3DS is basically done at this point? The stream of releases has long since slowed to a trickle, and the only big retail release confirmed as definitely still coming to the platform this year is Persona Q2 in a few months.

I've been fortunate, in that I've mostly been able to buy the games I wanted for the system as they released, but there are always a few that slip through the cracks. I'm posting this list for my own personal reference, because it's easy to check as I'm out and about and potentially shopping for games, or if I want to go on a semi-organized buying spree on eBay or the like.

Here's my list:

01. Batman: Arkham Origins - Blackgate
02. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (obtained)
03. Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars
04. Cooking Mama 5: Bon Appetit!
05. Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop
06. Corpse Party: Back to School Edition
07. Disney Magical World 2
08. Final Fantasy Explorers
09. Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove 3D
10. Harvest Moon 3D: The Lost Valley
11. Harvest Moon: Skytree Village
12. Heroes of Ruin
13. Hyrule Warriors Legends
14. Jake Hunter Detective Story: Ghost of the Dusk (obtained)
15. Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
16. Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
17. Mega Man Legacy Collection
18. Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D
19. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
20. Monster Hunter Generations
21. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth (obtained)
22. Pokémon Art Academy
23. Pokémon Ultra Sun (obtained)
24. Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World
25. Project X Zone
26. Shinobi
27. Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice
28. Style Savvy: Fashion Forward
29. Style Savvy: Trendsetters
30. Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS (obtained)
31. Tekken 3D Prime Edition
32. Tetris: Axis
33. Ultimate NES Remix
34. Xenoblade Chronicles 3D

Some of the stuff on the list above I have on another system, or I already own an arguably superior sequel or whatever, so I wouldn't prioritize that. But if I wind up buying most every physical release on the system that I care about and don't already possess, the above list would be what I wind up getting. And maybe another half-dozen or so, if I find them really cheap.

If you're hoping to finish up your own 3DS library, I recommend that you do so fairly soon. In particular, I suggest buying the releases from late in its life cycle that you haven't yet snagged, because those are the most likely to have been produced in limited quantities that will prompt them to go rare by the time you might look for them in as little as a few months (the Yo-Kai Watch Blasters games are already climbing fast, for instance, and only shipped a few months ago as of the time of this posting). The same holds true for the Vita library, of course. Maybe I should look into compiling a personal list for that system next. But not tonight...

Comments 6

hastypixels Mar 14, 2019

I'll be quite interested in a number of these. I still own my 2DS, though I haven't touched it in months... I still have the latest Metroid waiting for me, but I'm not exactly thrilled to have to stare at that tiny screen. Where's my 3DS-to-Switch adapter converter already?

Yeah, yeah... I know...

honestgamer Blogger Mar 14, 2019

I don't understand selling old systems and game libraries. Games don't stop being worthwhile just because they're older, and if they're worth buying at all, it's because they're (hopefully) worth playing more than once. I part with games now only reluctantly, and I tend to hold onto hardware also, because I take care of my hardware and I'd rather not inherit the symptoms of someone else's abuse by purchasing a system used at a later date. Anyway, I hope you're able to hold onto your 3DS and experience more of that library, even if you go months between each experiences. In truth, so do I. But it's nice to know my 3DS is waiting for me when the mood strikes, and that I have a bunch of great games to keep me entertained. That's what having a game collection is all about for me: convenient possibilities.

Masters Staff Mar 18, 2019

You're quite the collector, Venter -- that's a lot of games to 'finish up' your collection.

I know we've spoken about this before, but collecting is tantamount to hoarding; people purge because it feels healthy not to have things just to have them. I've been stricken with your illness to some degree, but I fight it every day!

honestgamer Blogger Mar 18, 2019

I know I have a hoarder side to me. That's not in question. But these lists are actually a helpful way to combat that tendency. I'll never be the sort to toss out a bunch of books and games and DVDs that don't "spark joy." When it comes to entertainment media, my threshold for "sparks joy" is low enough to be functionally irrelevant. But when I make those lists and stick to them and can check off one system or another, that's healthy for me. And I've done around 80 or 90 percent of the gathering I plan to ever do for retro games across all systems, which is healthier still. I buy games not just to have them--though as I've said often, there are some games I might not play for years--but so I can embark on projects without having to track things down and spend additional money at that time. I love having a shelf full of creative and sometimes professional possibilities. After spending the better part of two decades working on my collection, though, it's exciting to see an end point in sight.

What will you do when it's all over and you have everything?? Make your new project to slowly start selling them off? Haha.

My optimistic side hopes that I will find time to play through and write about many of the games, to grab assets for the site and sometimes just to relax with great experiences for the next few decades. I'm not buying stuff I plan to sell, because it will be a long while before a lot of what I have left to buy today will sell for much more than I might have to pay for it.