Nintendo is closing its 3DS eShop next March as it phases out another hit handheld with an impressive library. The 3DS has become one of my favorite systems and as a fan of its RPG catalog, I’d be remiss if I didn’t attempt to curate a list of RPGs that everyone should buy before the March 2023 deadline. While I won’t provide a full writeup for every game, I want to highlight a few of my favorite RPGs on the system. Other games I have enjoyed and recommend will appear on here in a list. As of this writing, many of these games are on sale until Sunday, April 17. Hopefully you already have some of these games or can buy them at a very steep discount. Below I will list numerous RPGs worth buying for the system, with a few highlights on some of my favorites. Enjoy!

Radiant Historia

One of my favorite JRPGs on the 3DS is Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology. What makes this game worth playing is its story and combat. The former has you playing as Stocke, a hero who can travel through time to learn new skills and abilities as he uncovers how to prevent a catastrophe from destroying the world. Stocke has to travel through different timelines to progress the story and alter the events that will make his quest successful.

Radiant Historia’s combat is the star of this game. What makes it special is that you have the ability to modify the progression of combat and who attacks when. Rather than traditionally having your party attack and then the enemy attacking, you can fiddle with the turn order. Changing the battle’s order comes at the cost of being more susceptible to damage and harm but if done correctly, your party can attack upwards of 5, 8, or 10 straight times. On top of this, enemies are placed on a grid and your party has abilities to push enemies back, pull them forward, or shift them to the right or left onto one plane and that’s where the fun begins. By attacking multiple enemies at once and chaining spells and attacks together, you’ll receive greater rewards upon ending the battle. It’s highly addicting to prepare your party to go all out in one turn and decimate the enemy. Your planning and strategy are rewarded with greater spoils and ultimately, it’s what makes Radiant Historia one of the best JRPGs I’ve played in the last decade. Heck, even writing this has me wanting to experience the story and satisfying combat all over again!

Shin Megami Tensei

The Shin Megami Tensei series found a nice home on the 3DS over the years. With six games on the system, there is plenty to keep you busy with this series alone. I was first introduced to this series with Shin Megami Tensei IV and it humiliated me the first time I played it, but I persisted and have been a huge fan ever since. For me, SMT has a number of draws that make it one of the most interesting RPG series I’ve played. For one, the exploration in SMT is unsettling and weird.

Take SMT Strange Journey Redux, a remake of the Nintendo DS game, for example. This game is my favorite in regards to exploration and its environments because you’re often isolated and alone as you traverse dangerous locales like an abandoned shopping mall. As you venture further you’re met with traps and weird characters, both human and angelic or demonic, and you’re never quite sure whether you can fully trust them. Beyond this, each game has its plethora of demons to recruit and build your party around as SMT challenges you with its combat. Lastly, your character’s actions and choices can decide the fate of the world. My favorite game on the system is SMT IV but they’re all excellent in their own right.

It’s a shame that the 3DS eShop won’t exist in a year, but until then, make sure to purchase these games before they’re gone! There is a lot of greatness and variety within one of my favorite RPG libraries. Thank you for reading!

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Below are some of the 3DS RPGs/JRPGS I would highly, highly recommend! Any entry with a price next to it reflects its current sale price.

SMT IV – $8

SMT IV: Apocalypse – $9

SMT Strange Journey Redux – $10

SMT Devil Survivor – $8

SMT Devil Survivor 2 – $8

SMT Devil Summoner Soul Hackers – $8

Etrian Odyssey Nexus – $10

Etrian Odyssey 5 – $9

Etrian Odyssey Untold 2 – $8

Etrian Odyssey 4 – $8

Etrian Odyssey Untold – $8

Radiant Historia – $10

Persona Q – $8

Stella Glow – $8

7th Dragon Code: VFD – $9

Persona Q2 – $10

Fire Emblem Awakening

Fire Emblem Echoes

Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright, Conquest, and Revelations

Bravely Default

Bravely Second End Layer

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story

Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga

Mario & Luigi Paper Jam

Dragon Quest 7, 8

Yokai Watch 1, 2, 3

Fantasy Life

Ever Oasis

Monster Hunter Stories

Xenoblade Chronicles 3D

Final Fantasy Explorers

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy