2017 has been quite the year for 3DS owners so far, what with the release of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minion, Minecraft 3DS Edition and Metroid: Samus Returns, among other titles. But the season of great portable gaming isn't over yet, and a bunch of interesting new titles are on their way to the 3DS in the coming weeks, months, and beyond.
Join us, as we check out the upcoming 3DS games worth getting excited about, and if you're looking for the best of what's already out there, have a look at our 25 best 3DS games. Alternatively, for the home system owners, check out what's in store for the Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation VR by clicking on the respective links below.
- Upcoming Xbox One games
- Upcoming PS4 games
- Upcoming Nintendo Switch games
- Upcoming PlayStation VR games
Fire Emblem Warriors
Release date: October 20, 2017
It's not long at all before you can finally get your hands on the next Fire Emblem game, which is also set to release for the Nintendo Switch at the same time, which is a first for the beloved tactical RPG franchise. Warriors takes a slightly different route from previous titles in the series, drawing inspiration from Dynasty Warriors and other hack-and-slash playgrounds to deliver faster paced combat that comes packed with a real punch. Don't worry, there's still a tactical dimension to the proceedings, and new protagonists Rowan and Lianna are joined by a returning cast of characters that franchise fans will be familiar with. This one has all the makings of a 3DS masterpiece.
Kirby Battle Royale
Release date: November 3, 2017
They did it. They finally used Kirby - a lovable sentient marshmallow - as the basis for a brawler game. He's been fighting and inhaling his way through Super Smash for decades, now, so it was only matter of time. Kirby Battle Royale offers 10 competitive game modes enjoyed by up to four different Kirbys, who are either controlled by real players via the game's online and LAN support, or through an AI computer. If you're particularly taken to the Mario Party or Super Smash series, this might be the exact kind of title to scratch that competitive itch while you wait for another instalment.
Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon
Release date: November 17, 2017
Essentially the definitive versions of last year's new duo of Pokémon games, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon brings new content and a healthy helping of changes to the mix, making this a worthwhile pickup even if you already played the games back in 2016. The Ultra editions offer new worlds, beasts, stories, evolutions, Z-moves, and much more to tuck into, so don't pass them off as nothing more than a re-release. It's either an excuse to finally play a Pokémon game that you might have missed first time around, or a perfect reason to enjoy the experience all over again.
Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth
Release date: Autumn 2017
A dungeon-crawling JRPG from Atlus and Deep Silver, plus the fifth main game in the secretly brilliant Etrian Odyssey series, Beyond the Myth represents a promising entry point for those unfamiliar with the franchise. Etrian Odyssey II & III director Shigeo Komori returns for this instalment, which is a healthy indicator of the game's potential as a deep and expansive adventure that still looks beautiful even while running on the dated hardware of the 3DS. Beyond the Myth also continues to experiment with the 3DS hardware in interesting ways, and expands the series' tradition of letting players try their hand at cartography via the touch screen, which will undoubtedly come in handy for exploring the game's open world.
Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology
Release date: Early 2018
A completely remastered interpretation of a JRPG classic from 2011, not to mention another title from team Atlus, Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology represents a prime opportunity to jump into a cult classic if you happened to let it pass you by five years ago. The 'perfect' of the title isn't lying: this re-release comes equipped with new voice work, cut-scenes, songs, gameplay mechanics, and story content. Even without all of its new bells and whistles, though, the original soundtrack alone is enough to melt your heart, which entirely justifies picking Perfect Chronology up when it releases next year.
Dillon's Rolling Western: The Dead Heat Breakers
Release date: Early 2018
You may not have heard of it, but The Dead Heat Breakers is actually a threequel to a series that begin as a decisively Western-style RPG from Nintendo and Vanpool studios, which first released on the 3DS in 2012. The series marries fast, immediate combat with tower defence mechanics to offer something fun and fresh for a system typically dominated by JRPGs, and this unexpected follow-up appears to continue on that trend. You can expect improved visuals and controls, in addition to some new ideas and an expanded sense of scale...geddit? Scale, because Dillon is an armadillo...never mind.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux
Release date: Early 2018
If you couldn't tell by now, the 3DS schedule is weirdly dominated by a lot of remastered Atlus games, but Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey - a weird and wonderful JRPG from 2010 - is well worthy of its upcoming Redux. With its interesting morality mechanics, cerebral narrative, and dazzling presentation, Strange Journey is unlike any other JRPG you'll have played before. Plus, the Redux comes packed with additional content, such as a brand new protagonist and a completely different ending that can explored through navigating the game's branching story.
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
Release date: 2018
It's already out in Japan on PS4 and 3DS, but Square Enix has confirmed that Echoes of an Elusive Age will be coming out sometime next year in the West. A localisation of the 3DS edition hasn't been officially announced yet, but it's more than likely that we'll see it, considering the franchise's successful history with Nintendo's portable system. The 11th Dragon Quest game includes two modes on 3DS that players can experiment with: the traditional 2D presentation or a more modern frame of reference in 3D. That already sounds like a radical change for a JRPG adventure that looks more than capable of evolving the Dragon Quest we know and love into something even bigger and better.
