Nintendo brought Miitopia to the Nintendo Switch and third-party publishers have ported countless games to everyone’s favorite handheld hybrid system. It’s time for more 3DS ports.
Everyone owns a Nintendo Switch. The system has outsold the 3DS by a few million or so since the console’s 2017 launch. And the 3DS sold very well after the system found its footing — and games.
And there are so many 3DS games that need to be ported and reworked for Nintendo Switch. There are too many games that don’t deserve to stay in sleep mode. The 3DS contains some of my favorite games and there’s no way I’m alone.
Ocarina of Time 3D, Pocket Card Jockey, and Other Essential 3DS Titles That Need to Come to Nintendo Switch
With creative, smaller titles like Pocket Card Jockey and interesting ports from consoles such as Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, the 3DS no doubt has at least a few favorites of yours.
And there’s new players that added video games to their list of hobbies because of the Nintendo Switch. And they shouldn’t miss out on Super Mario 3D Land. No one should, Nintendo.
I love you, Nintendo but also please put all these games on Switch or else. (For real, I’ll help Wario get his driver’s license reinstated. And nobody wants that.)
Listen, Pocket Card Jockey is the reason this article exists. I mean that. Go play this game if you haven’t yet. Nintendo’s track record on porting games is lower than the amount of damage Wario did when he accidentally drove into that art museum. It wasn’t a big deal.
Pocket Card Jockey is a big deal. And I would pay sixty dollars for a Switch PORT even though it’s available for $6.99 on 3DS — and I already own the game. But I want to play it on my TVii. I also want everyone to get to play Pocket Card Jockey because its unique blend of horse racing and solitaire is some of the most fun I’ve had playing a Game Freak title. I said what I said and I know the company’s history.
Clearing cards energizes your horse, which allows you to speed ahead. Whether that’s surging back to first or maintaining your lead will depend on luck, your abilities, and how much you level your horse’s stats in between races.
Go play Pocket Card Jockey. It’s a rush from start to finish even though I’m pretty sure this isn’t how horse racing works. It should be though because cards literally make everything better.
Nintendo, I’m on the phone with the WarioLand DMV. Let’s get this enhanced port going, okay?
Ocarina of Time 3D
I didn’t really have a Nintendo 64 growing up. I mean, I did but the games cost more than PS1 games and Game Boy Color cartridges so my parents didn’t buy me a lot of N64 games.
I literally only owned Armorines Project SWARM and Star Wars Episode I: Racer.
I tried playing Ocarina of Time years later on the Wii Virtual Console and just couldn’t do it. I know the game was revolutionary at the time. I know its impact. I get it.
I was finally able to play it when the 3DS remake was released. I couldn’t play the original N64 version by the time I had access to it. The graphics and controls had aged so much. The Z-Targeting still felt great but many of the game’s groundbreaking features were harder to enjoy without rose-colored glasses.
And I didn’t have a pair of those. I grew up with ugly games but not Ocarina of Time (N64).
The 3DS version wipes almost every drop of dust off one of the greatest games of all time. And I think millions of players can learn that for the very first time if Nintendo puts Ocarina of Time 3D on the Nintendo Switch.
Fans will find a way to play it eventually but an official Nintendo Switch release would make Nintendo more money than even Wario can imagine after we get him driving again.
Not a single soul should be without the opportunity to experience the best version of Ocarina of Time. The N64 version on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Plus featuring Dante from the DEVIL MAY CRY series will suffice for some but certainly not most.
Super Mario 3D Land
Super Mario 3D World and Captain Toad Treasure Tracker absolutely rule but there’s still another Mario game or two missing from the Switch’s library. And I am not talking about Mario is Missing.
Super Mario 3D Land brings 2D-esque gameplay into 3D worlds from some of the best camera angles in handheld gaming. Seriously, the camera is almost always in the right spot, which makes Super Mario 3D Land feel like a dream.
3D Land features a variety of levels and tropes from the Super Mario Bros. series, including the Tanooki Suit, which had been absent from Mario titles for years until the 3DS title’s release.
Super Mario 3D Land feels like a ‘Greatest Hits’ of sorts or a celebration of the Mario series. It’s the perfect title for longtime fans looking for a quick coin fix or newcomers to the Mario series wanting to see what it’s all about.
Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why’d you steal our garbage?!!
Okay, so Nintendo didn’t publish this game but that’s okay. Adventure Time is owned by AT&T so a quick phone call consisting of, “Hey, this video game featuring your IP will make us money if you re-release it.”
Maybe there’s more to it. I don’t know. But Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why’d you steal our garbage?!! is a really fun platformer, despite being difficult at times.
It would probably be much easier with a Nintendo Switch Pro controller. It’s not the best game ever but it’s still fun. Let’s make it happen just like the lane change I’m making on the way to Walugi’s house. We’re helping Wario retake some pictures for his new driver’s license.
Animal Crossing New Leaf
I know Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the best game in the series (after that deep breath everyone took after the latest Nintendo Direct) but New Leaf is still my favorite game.
Animal Crossing games carry a lot of depth and detail. The games are too special to leave behind with old console generations.
Re-releasing New Leaf would also be a really cool way to show those new to the series where some of the new content from Happy Home Paradise takes inspiration from.
I’ve got one game I absolutely need on Switch and Waluigi has a couple he’d like to add to the list as well. And we’ve just enough time until this Mario Kart race wraps up. It’s the only thing between us and Wario’s house.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
This is one of the best Zelda games. Every Zelda game should be on Switch but especially one of the best Zelda games.
Luigi’s Mansion 1 & 2
These are some of my favorite games. And Walugi says this list is incomplete without them. I agree.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is incredible. I’m so glad the series was able to make a return, and in such a big way, but the whole trilogy belongs on the Nintendo Switch.
The first game in the series carries a long and winding story that feels very much like a Nintendo-developed Resident Evil title. It was a bold decision to release the Gamecube without a Mario title at launch but Nintendo gave us a ghost-bustin’ game with Luigi.
The sequel is based more around a hub and involves returning to levels for new objectives, but that’s because it was made with on-the-go gaming in mind. It came as a surprise when Luigi’s Mansion 2: Dark Moon was announced for the 3DS, especially such a long time after the first game, but it was worth the wait.
The full trilogy should be on Nintendo Switch and wow, Wario has so many unpaid parking tickets for someone without a driver’s license. I thought he was rich! Who does that?
The 3DS can no longer be purchased new and games preservation is super important. My hope is that these games and many others make their way to future game systems in one way or another so they can be experienced for longer. Capitalism unfortunately doesn’t prioritize the preservation of art so we’ll all have to yell for Pocket Card Jockey together.
Nintendo, I’m at Wario’s house to pick him up. We’re one picture without hats or props away from getting Wario his driver’s license. Pocket Card Jockey and A Link Between Worlds on Switch soon, please <3
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Published: Oct 17, 2021 11:00 am