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Gargoyles Quest
Gargoyles Quest had the same unforgiving difficulty as the side-scrolling series it was spun off from. Firebrand cant take more than a hit or two from enemies, and just two deaths will mean starting over from square one. Thankfully, the 3DSs restore point feature helps make this a less punishing retro gaming experience. 3DS owners looking for a blocky, black and white blast from the past with an unusual twist should look no further than Gargoyles Quest.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
After Link shipwrecks on a strange island, he awakens in the land of Koholint where everything feels slightly off compared to Hyrule, and its filled with people that remind Link of characters hes met before. Throughout the game Link must find and explore eight dungeons to collect the sacred instruments to wake the fabled Wind Fish so he can go home. But what happens to Koholint when it wakes up? Links Awakening kept the series winning gameplay and mixed it with a Twin Peaks vibe to create one of the most unforgettable games ever, proving that Zelda could be just as astonishing even at a smaller scale.
Game & Watch Gallery 2
Part of a series of Game Boy games that celebrated Nintendos portable legacy, Gallery 2 had classics like Chef, Vermin and Ball appearing both in their original form and in updated versions starring the cast of the Mario games. Whether played in their original form or with the clever updates, modern gamers can appreciate the modest addictive quality of those titles while also learning some gaming history.
Shinobi (Game Gear)
Just like with Mega Man, certain powers are really useful in the right situation. Still, even if you know that the (spoiler alert) optimal level order is Highway, Harbor, Valley, Woodland, theres a ton of challenge left in this side-scrolling action-adventure classic.
Super Mario Land 2
With its cartoony look and detailed sprites reminiscent of Mario World, a plethora of different theme worlds, and original, but understandable power-ups, Land 2 gave Mario fans what they wanted and did so brilliantly. (Wed love to see Rabbit Mario make a comeback.) SML2 brought lovable asshole Wario into all our lives, as the jerky doppelganger steals Marios castle (Mario owns a castle?), and the mustachioed one has to beat some tough monsters to collect the six Golden Coins and defeat the chunky neer-do-well. It wasnt the easiest game ever, but Mario Land 2 is still one of the best platformers in portable gaming history.
Cave Story (DSiWare)
Cave Story offers a lengthy, challenging quest with a worthwhile narrative and multiple available endings, and we called the DSiWare version a "fantastic action/adventure title on any platform" in our review. The $10 release still comes highly recommended on the 3DS.
Dark Void Zero
Dark Void's jetpack approach transfers over surprisingly well to the side-scrolling aesthetic, and while most players probably won't care about the story bits dealing with the Watchers and an alien invasion, the rock-solid gameplay is enough to pull in fans of retro-stylized adventures. Plus, you start the game by blowing into the 3DS/DSi microphone to knock dust off a virtual NES-like cartridge. Awesome.
Plants vs Zombies
The 3DS version comes packed with 50 adventure levels, 20 mini-games (including Zombiquarium, which is basically Insaniquarium for all you Popcap fans). Best of all, the DS version of PvZ includes Vs. Mode, which allows one player to control the zombies while the other fights for his life as the gardener.
Puzzle League Express
If you never played this on SNES, GBC, N64, GBA or DS, this small taste of the series is perfect. For a small fistful of dollars you can experience what the loves about this underappreciated gem.
Shantae: Risky's Revenge
Shed your perceptions and invest the $12 for this awesome action affair, which we called "worth the money at twice the price" and "proof that the 2D side-scrolling formula still holds up after all these years" in our glowing review last fall. And hope WayForward gets another chance to bring Shantae to the masses somewhere down the line.
