Nintendo has always dominated the handheld games scene. Despite the release of the Switch, Nintendo’s 3DS continues to have games made for it. It doesn’t seem like a platform that will go away anytime soon, and for good reason! It is one of the best handhelds of all time. That’s why it’s no surprise that it features some of the best free-to-play games of any non-mobile device. Here are some of the top contenders for this title:
Top 6 free Nintendo 3DS games
6. Pokémon Rumble World
This is the first of a few free-to-play Pokémon games for the 3DS, all of which are very well made and addicting. Rumble World in particular is a unique game from the Rumble franchise that features toy Pokémon that have come to life and are ready to battle. This game is a great revival of the series and worth trying out for anyone who hasn’t.
From: Amazon
5. Team Kirby Clash Deluxe
A very unique Kirby game, based off a minigame featured in Planet Robobot, Team Kirby Clash Deluxe is a perfect party game to play with friends, if you’re looking for a more RPG style game to play together compared to the typical word games that most party games have.
From: Amazon
4. Stretchmo
Most of the free games for the 3DS are a pretty basic game with cute aesthetics, and Stretchmo is just that. Now that’s not to say this basic game isn’t enjoyable. Stretchmo is an excellent puzzle game based in the Pushmo series. The first few stages are free, and then it features purchasable games within it, which is a perfect model for a free-to-start game, as it intends for you to spend money but gives you a good portion of the game to see if you like it first.
2. Pokémon Picross
The third and final Pokémon game on this list, and probably one of the best free to play games available for the 3DS. If you don’t know what Picross is, it is basically a math-based puzzle game similar to Sudoku. The goal is to create an image based off these puzzles. Pokémon Picross features Pokémon images as the main reward for playing. Once you complete an image, you can use the Pokémon in future challenges, with varying effects based on the Pokémon type.
1. Nintendo Badge Arcade
It’s hard to really classify where this game stands between being free or even a game exactly, but it is definitely worth picking up if you’re interested in decorating your DS with badges. This arcade grabber-style game lets you get unique custom badges to put all over your touchscreen.
Handheld games aren’t the only place that Nintendo dominates. Along with their popular handheld releases, Nintendo has created some of the most iconic free-to-play mobile games, including the brand new Dragalia Lost.
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