Down and Dirty Reviews: 3DS Reviews -- A - Z

"Welcome all 3DS users!" Are your eyes hurt? I kid but it isn't much fun without the right games, eh? I'm here to help with a few reviews down below. All reviews are by StarSoldier unless noted.

The overall scores are out of 100.

The graphics, sounds, and game play are out of 10.

SCORE

NAME


43 BUST A MOVE UNIVERSE (Squarenix/Taito, 2011)

The classic arcade style puzzler returns and I was excited..... at first. Like the original games you help the little dinosaurs from Bubble Bobble pop all the multi-coloured on each board to finish the level and score points. The problem is the game play is only one player and there are even less modes then the much older Bust A Move '99 for the Nintendo 64. The game is fun for a few plays and fighting some of the bosses is OK but it doesn't take long for repetition to set in.
For 1 player only
graphics: 4
sound: 5
gameplay: 3

Find Bust a Move Universe on eBay here!

92 LEGEND OF ZELDA: A Link Between Worlds (Nintendo, 2013)
3DS Owners might be disappointed yet again that the 2013 exclusive Zelda 3DS game is yet another update of a classic adventure instead of a complete new twist on the old franchise but to my surprise this game had me glued from beginning to end. Much like the Snes A Link to the Past your green elf hero is on a grand quest across both a light and dark world but now you can transform into a 2D painting and used this ability to cling to walls and reach secrets you normally couldn't. The classic overhead action works very well here, the controls are very user friendly, there's not a lot of overly large landscapes so the game doesn't have a lot breaks in the action like many of the previous 3D Zeldas. My only complaints are that maybe the game is too short and that Princess Zelda still feels like a mere background character eventhough the game is named after her. Despite that this is the best Zelda I played in a long time.
*Battery back up game
For 1 player only
Rated (E) for Everyone
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 10

Find Legend of Zelda A Link Between Worlds on eBay here!

82 MARIO KART 7 (Nintendo, 2011)
I feel I played this game seven times already. OK, if you liked the other Mario Kart games before you'll like this one too because there are tons of new tracks to mess around with here and the game delivers the same great controls and wacky weapons including new ones like the Raccoon Tail and Fire Flower. Ohya, there is a new hang-glider feature I guess which can help drivers find short cuts and power ups they normally couldn't but don't worry because I'm sure that will be taken out of the upcoming sequels anyway too. Don't believe me? Well this MK sequel strips a lot of features of previous installments and it's weird driving on classic tracks here from the Wii and Gamecube editions but you can't use the stunt cycles or double dash abilities here. Oh well, the online rocks and the basic Mario Kart action is all here and even at it's core it's still a great game.
*Battery back up game
For 1 to 8 players
Rated (E) for Everyone
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 7

Find Mario Kart 7 on eBay here!


80 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS 2 (Nintendo, 2012)
Amazing enough this 3DS game barely mentions or takes advantage of the 3D of the 3DS itself (I think Nintendo wants to ease off that feature a bit with slow sales of the system) so the big new gimmick here is in this traditional Mario style platformer now is the ability to collect a massive amount of coins. Each stage now comes with a coin counter and there are cool new ways to earn coins by finding secret routes, power ups (like the new Gold Fire Flower), and you can even turn enemies into coins and you know what, it's pretty fun. Finding all these coins is cool and all since it add a bit of replay value to the standard formula but it also makes the game insanely easy since these coins gives you tons of lives plus other then that the graphics and music are pretty much the same as the last game. Still a decent game but I would have liked to see more improvements especially since this is on stronger hardware.
*Battery back up game
For 1 or 2 players
Rated (E) for Everyone
graphics: 7
sound: 6
gameplay: 8

Find New Super Mario Bros. 2 on eBay here!

67 PILOTWINGS RESORT (Nintendo, 2011)
One of the few launch games for the 3DS was of course another Pilotwings game (Nintendo loves to do that it seems). Well, anyway in this game you get to compete in various tests to see how well you can fly a plane, hang-glider, rocket pack, and more. Like other games in the series the graphics really push the power of the visuals of the new hardware and it looks great in 3D too. Sadly like other titles of the series you are scored by collecting stuff, going on the right path, time, landing and junk like that so nothing much as changed. Overall it's a decent game but I would have liked more since this is the series big return after a few years.
*Battery back up game
For 1 or 2 players
Rated (E) for Everyone
graphics: 7
sound: 6
gameplay: 8

Find Pilotwings on eBay here!

71 RAYMAN 3D (UBIsoft, 2011)
I can't wait to play this all new Rayman game for the 3DS... oh wait, this is just a port of Rayman 2. OK, so if you are new to this game (although I don't know why since it was ported to several different consoles like the N64, Dreamcast, PS2, and hundreds of others) our limbless hero Rayman gets captured by a group of pirates and you must make your escape to save your land from these jerks. The game still looks great with it's detailed environments and there are tons of unique stages like when you jetski across a lake with the help of a sea monster. It's a solid platformer but some more original content would have been nice.
*Battery back up game
For 1 player only
Rated (E) for Everyone
graphics: 7
sound: 6
gameplay: 8

Find Rayman on eBay here!

70 STAR FOX 64 3D (Nintendo, 2011)
Ohya, I love me some Star Fox and it's great so see the series make a return to what made it awesome to begin with, even though it's yet another Nintendo remake. So just like the name said this is just like the N64 classic space shooter where the Star Fox team is a dangerous mission to end the invasion of their galaxy from the massive army of Andross but now the game is touched up with much better visuals in stunning looking 3D and you can even use gyro based controls as well. Sadly that's pretty much it for the new features since there are no new stages, storylines, or characters introduced here so if you were expecting more from the original you won't find a lot here. Also the controls feels much better on a n64 controller compared to the rather flat 3ds itself. The intense 3D flight combat is still accounted for but as a Star Fox vet playing the same game on a smaller screen with tiny buttons just loses some of the magic.
*Battery back up game
For 1 to 4 players
Rated (E) for Everyone
graphics: 8
sound: 7
gameplay: 7

Find Star Fox 64 3D on eBay here!

73 STREET FIGHTER IV (Capcom, 2011)
Here is another launch game for the 3DS and amazing this is the first time a Street Fighter 4 game appeared on a Nintendo brand system. Was it worth the wait? Like every other Street Fighter you pick a fighter and challenge others from around the world to become the best. On the surface it looks like a great port of the ones on PS3 and Xbox 360 thanks to the huge roster of characters including a few from Super SF4 but it doesn't have the Arcade edition characters (and no one from Ultra SF4 either, of course) but playing a fighting game like isn't too easy since pulling off special moves is annoying with tiny pads. I guess Capcom knew this and added touch screen specials you can use no problem but I bet pro players will just stick with the console releases. Even though the graphics look fine it's odd how the backgrounds are frozen images now. It's good for a few plays but this game didn't exactly sell too well and with it's recycled material and clunky fighting controls I can see why.
*Battery back up game
For 1 or 2 players
Rated (T) for Teen
graphics: 8
sound: 7
gameplay: 8

Find Street Fighter 4 on eBay here!


88 SUPER MARIO 3D LAND (Nintendo, 2011)

Oh ya, now this was the big Mario game 3DS owners were dying for. Like in other Mario games you are on a mission to rescue Princess Peach but now the game uses a lot of 3D visuals and perspectives to show off the feature plus there are certain scenes where turning on the 3D function can really help to find secrets. The game play is pretty much the same as the other Mario titles out there but like a lot of other 3D titles like Mario 64 I noticed a lot more pitfall hazards in this game so get ready for a few tough jumps. Thankfully the Raccoon Mario tail is back so it's easier to guide in spots but I wish it had more flying abilities like in Mario 3 for the NES. Still a great playing Mario title that really shines on the system.
*Battery back up game
For 1 player only
Rated (E) for Everyone
graphics: 9
sound: 7
gameplay: 8

Find Super Mario 3D Land on eBay here!