Whether you need a hit of nostalgia or just want to revisit the best handheld game console ever, here are some of my favorite DS and 3DS games from my childhood (also all of these games have variations available on the Nintendo Switch and will have variations available on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2).
Pocket Card Jockey
Genres: Card, Sport
In an unusual fusion of horse racing and solitaire, Pocket Card Jockey offers one of the most addicting gameplay loops I have ever experienced. As a kid, I wasn’t too keen on playing a solitaire game but the charming graphics ultimately lured me in. Pocket Card Jockey masterfully spices up the mundane card game with powerups and synergistic combinations akin to the recent hit game Balatro. It also incorporates JRPG-like elements which is immediately noticeable by its goofy premise. You are an aspiring jockey who gets trampled by horses while training and dies. An angel then descends from the sky, reviving you and encouraging you to view the sport of horse racing as a game of solitaire. You are now determined to become the best jockey as you breed horses, build rapport with NPCs and horses alike, and win races in a surprisingly fun, addicting, and complex game that blends modified solitaire and strategic horse racing.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Genre: Social simulation
If you ever find yourself bored and in need of a relaxing evening, Animal Crossing: New Leaf is the game for you. Like most other Animal Crossing games, you control a human villager that moves into a new town full of anthropomorphic animals; however, in this installment, you are mistaken for the mayor. It is now your job to improve the lives of the townsfolk with your assistant Isabelle—a helpful hard working dog who also surprisingly appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate—by starting public work projects and enacting ordinances. Additionally, the game includes all of the most beloved features of previous installments as well as some welcomed new ones. You can fish, catch bugs, engage in the turnip stock market, befriend NPCs, make money to pay off your mortgage, dive at a tropical island, etc. Animal Crossing: New Leaf also features much more customization options for your character and your house. As a kid, I never thought I could enjoy a video game without any plot or structure but I quickly found myself hooked on the open-ended gameplay, plethora of customization options, charming NPCs, and the capitalist cycle of paying off house loans to Tom Nook.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
Genres: Role-playing, Strategy
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl is probably my favorite game of all time. First of all, it definitely has the best starter lineup out of any Pokémon game. Torterra looks like a cool combination of a better executed Venusaur and the Lion Turtle from Avatar: The Last Airbender, Infernape is the best designed Fire/Fighting type Pokémon, and Empolean has the most unique typing out of any starter with its Water/Steel typing. Gameplaywise, it is very faithful to the Pokémon game formula; however, I think that just speaks to how well the execution and fundamentals of the gameplay is in Pokémon. The game is filled with 107 new Pokémon and new features such as Pokémon Contests, forced double battles, and the Pokétch. But what I loved most about this game was how challenging it was. The final boss, or the Pokémon Champion, in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl is the infamous Cynthia with her partner Garchomp. Cynthia is still, to this day, considered the strongest Pokémon Champion by far across all Pokémon game installments. Her theme song will send chills down the spines of any Pokémon player and her sudden appearance in a random house in Pokémon Black and White is considered one of the most random easter eggs and the scariest jump scare in Pokémon. Ultimately, the Cynthia battle was the first time I had ever struggled in a video game which initially frustrated me as a kid, but it forced me to strategize and improve which just made the victory all the more satisfying.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
Genres: Roguelike, Role-playing
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue Team, strangely, begins with a personality test. The result of which determines what Pokémon you play as throughout the rest of the game. Your character wakes up on a beach with an inconvenient case of amnesia but they do know that they were once human. The game follows your character and a partner Pokémon through explorable dungeons as you recruit more allies, collect items, level up, and discover more about the mystery of your transformation. The wide variety of Pokémon types, moves, items, and environments create a diverse and strategic dungeon crawler experience; although, the game can feel a bit grindy at times. Ultimately, though, the highlight of this game when I first played it as a kid was the story. It’s extremely endearing and heartwarming. The ending almost made me cry which secured this game as a core memory in my childhood. If you’re a fan of Pokémon, roguelike dungeon crawlers, and/or wholesome coming-of-age storylines, this game (or any other Pokémon Mystery Dungeon game) is a must play.
