Whatever your personal views on screen time for your kids, there’s no denying the popularity of the Nintendo 3DS with the younger generation. They’re also good for parent’s banks accounts too, as they are mostly cheaper than many other consoles on the market!
There is a huge range of games for the 3DS; from the new and exciting, to the all time favourites like Super Mario and Legend of Zelda – this gives the parents a hint of nostalgia, and ensures that their favourites are carried on into the new generation.
Nintendo are a great company with a long history for producing some really good games and consoles – and they allow a lot of user feedback too.
This means that fans of the company have been allowed a fair bit of input into how the 3DS was designed, meaning that it is just about as suitable for the user as it can possibly be.
This console has a long battery life, which is perfect for long car rides or for those times when you and your child just need some quiet time out.
Key considerations
When you’re looking to purchase the best 3DS games for kids, the first thing to consider is the recipient’s gaming preferences. The 3DS, although it is wildly popular, has fallen victim to the passage of time (as all technology has, or ultimately will), and new releases from Nintendo are not supported on this console.
If the person you want the 3DS for is happy playing thousands of different games from six generations of Nintendo consoles, then you should be left with one happy customer!
Next, ask yourself if this console is to be used on the move? One of the main advantages of the 3DS is that it is portable, and can be offered to your kids in the back seat of the car to keep them occupied on a long journey; taken to friends’ for sleepovers, or to Grandma’s house, or used on holiday where your usual house consoles are not available.
The 3DS comes in a range of colours, so you can personalise the one you are buying to the child you are buying it for, by selecting one in their favourite colour.
Best 3DS Games For Kids: Reviews
Although it can be tricky to find the best 3DS games for kids, we have tried to narrow down the search for you, buy finding out five of the best selling, most popular games that your kids would most like to see in their Christmas stocking:
1. Mario Sports Superstar
This is an interesting spin on the classic, well loved Mario franchise. It combines four of the most popular sports (football, baseball, tennis and golf), and horse riding has recently been added into the mix too, for the horse lover in your life.
What we like about it:
- It’s great for teaching kid about sports. Through playing this game, your little ones will learn all the ins and outs of the rules for various different sports; they can become pretty expert even without ever actually playing them in person!
- It contains all your favourite characters from the Mushroom Kingdom. All the old favourites are there, and your little ones can choose whichever they wish to play as, and switch between them as they please.
- There is a multi player option. If you are worried about your kids being too solitary, join them in the game! Friends and family can all take part in tournaments, adding to the fun and giving an air of friendly competition.
- Five games for the price of one. You may be expecting to have to purchase a different game for football, tennis, golf, baseball and horse riding – but this nifty little game contains the whole lot in one.
- Compatible with many other Nintendo models. You can play this game on a 3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS, and New 3DS consoles, making it highly versatile.
2. Pokemon Ultra Moon
Pokemon has been around for a while now, and its popularity shows no sighs of waning. You can indulge in your favourite gaming characters -and encourage your kids to enjoy them too, with this Pokemon game that is fun for all the family.
What we like about it:
- Contains over 400 Pokemon to discover and catch. Half the fun of any Pokemon game is finding the new characters, and this game is unlikely to disappoint as it offers you hundreds of new ones to discover.
- Compatible with other consoles. This game is not limited to the 3DS; you can use it with a great many other Nintendo consoles, meaning that it is very user friendly no matter what device you have – just check the list to make sure that yours is supported.
- Secrets unlocked in previous games will come to light. It can be frustrating to leave a story unfinished, so you will pleased to know that in this game you can unravel some previously unsolved mysteries!
- You can explore new worlds. It’s usually expected that a new game will bring new levels and different worlds, and this game will not disappoint on that score.
- No need to have played the previous games. Some games don’t make sense unless you have played their predecessors, but this one can be enjoyed as a stand alone experience.
3. Lego City Undercover
Lego games have shot to stardom in the last few years, especially for those who love both Lego and gaming! If you fit into this category, then you will love this game and all the fun it has to offer.
What we like about it:
- Many extra features to unlock. You can discover more than 50 new vehicles and over 70 different mini figures in this fun game.
- Compatible with other consoles. Whatever console you have in the 3DS family, you can play this game on them – this makes it more accessible for people who might not have the exact 3DS console.
- It has a good storyline. The game experience is awesome by itself, but what makes it even more awesome is to have a good story to follow, and characters that you can invest in. This game ticks all those boxes!
- It’s a good price. Some games carry off putting price tags, but this one is affordable and accessible for most budgets.
- Not just for kids. You may buy this game for your kids and find, having idly sat down to play it after they have gone to bed, that you are completely hooked (you have been warned!)
4. Luigi’s Mansion 2
The Mario franchise has been well loved for many years. This one follows the adventures of Luigi, and it is great fun for those who love the original Mario games.
What we like about it:
- You can play with friends. Multi player options are great fun and allow for a lot of collaboration as well as a bit of healthy competition, and you can play with up to three friends with this game.
- Stereoscopic 3D. Playing this game in 3D adds to the magic and the experience of the game – you can also play it in 2D if this is what you prefer.
- Excellent for brain training. As well as roaming around, hoovering up ghosts and having fun, you will be challenged by puzzles which are good for making you stop and think.
- Compatible with other consoles. As long as you check the listing to make sure yours is suitable, you can play this game on a variety of other devices.
- It takes a while to complete. Unlike some other games, which your kids might whizz through then be looking for the next thing, this one will challenge their skill and keep them playing for a good long time.
5. LEGO Harry Potter Years 5-7
Harry Potter is a worldwide phenomenon, and if you are aware of it at all you probably know that it has spawned a great number of different games. This one is the conclusion to the movie franchise in a game format.
What we like about it:
- Challenging puzzles. This is far from just a platform game! It offers puzzles to challenge your kids’ minds too, encouraging thinking rather than just staring mindlessly at a screen.
- Contains a lot of new features. You can learn new spells, meet new characters and go to new locations, making this an exciting addition to other Harry Potter games.
- It’s fun. Lego games often have an underlying sense of humour, which fill their games with fun and enjoyment, as well as the enjoyment of the game itself.
- Family friendly. Unlike some games which are unsuitable for younger gamers, the Harry potter ones are safe for the whole family, from age seven upwards.
- You can play as different characters. Each character has their own special tricks, moves and features, so you can play the game through once as your favourite, then start again as someone else. Hours of fun!
