So after hearing multiple feedback from the duders on here, also the fact that I forgot 3DS was backwards compatible I am deciding to broaden the purpose of this topic. (Originally I was asking for one game to play on the 3DS which seemed to limit most people to Fire Emblem.) Basically I recently bought a 3DS and I want to know from you guys what are the must have games for 3DS and from the DS era.

The only games I own are:

Pokemon Y

Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Pushmo is pretty great

Depends what your looking for in terms of length and replay value.

Fire Emblem Awakening is in my opinion the best game on 3DS. (Though I enjoyed SMT4 more)

Most VC games only work on one system, with NES and Gameboy on 3DS and SNES on WiiU.

So for example Mario Bros 3 is on the 3DS VC it is not on the WiiU VC? I know it is not cross buy or cross save just was wondering if the same game was available on both consoles which would be better?

Anything really I would just like to know your favorites is all. I probably wont replay any of these games much because I have tons of other games to beat.

If I had a choice, I would say that I have gotten the most enjoyment out of Fire Emblem: Awakening. I think I managed to clock in over 50 hours with the game.

But... I also have a confession to make. I have spent just as much time, and possibly gotten almost just as much enjoyment out of Dead or Alive: Dimensions. It's a really good time waster, whether you want to just play for 3 minutes or 30 minutes.

But if I had to pick "the game" it would be Fire Emblem.

As to the second question, I really love playing VC games on the handheld. Most VC games are pretty digestible in small doses (Mario games, Zelda) and I really think the graphics look sharp on a smaller screen.

Mario 3 is one of the few games that works on both. I'd go with the 3DS version just for the portability, you don't get any additional features with the Wii U version.

My favourite game on the 3ds is probably SMT4, but Fire Emblem Awakening is pretty good.

Fire Emblem Awakening was probably my favorite game of last year on any console and certainly my favorite game on 3ds. I've beaten it twice already have a hankering to play through it a third time. Between attempting harder difficulty settings, getting all the optional characters, hour and hours of DLC, and seeing all the player offspring options I can't think of a game that I have played recently with better replayability.

Kid Icarus: Uprising

Fire emblem awakening. Bonus points for star fox 64 for barrel roll.

I'm playing through Fire Emblem Awakening now and it seems fine. Nothing special though. The only other games I've played on 3DS are Picross e and Professor Layton 5. They're both good but not great. Picross e was a little disappointing because I didn't realize it was just easy puzzles from the original Picross DS.

If love per square inch were a thing in games, Attack of the Friday Night Monsters was my favorite 3DS game...

Wait a few months and get ANOTHER Pokemon game.

Pokemon is all you'll ever need brother!

Why only one game? You should buy all the games.

I've been playing a bunch of Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D and it's actually quite awesome. Level design, character design and gameplay is surprisingly varied and well realized. The final two worlds are also crazy tough if you're into that.

I was also a big fan of Attack of the Friday Night Monsters! Playing the game is kind of dull, but the writing is super charming and it's quite short at about 4 hours.

And apparently I need to check out that Fire Emblem tip because that's all anyone here is talking about...

Play Fire Emblem: Awakening, it was on the best games released last year, not just on the 3DS but all the systems.

Okay I do not have a list of what is on both VC but lets say the game is on both the WiiU and 3DS VC where do you think you will get the better experience?

There are a few. Fire Emblem is fantastic, Super Mario 3D Land, and Legend of Zelda A Link Between Worlds are all superb.

Notable mentions Mario & Luigi Dream Team, Shin Megami Tensei IV, Mario Kart 7, Pokemon X. There are many more though.

@jamin724: The "better experience" simply comes down to portable vs. playing it on your TV. Personally I'd typically prefer to go with the 3DS because I have a better chance of playing a virtual console game on my commute rather then at home these days. Maybe you'd rather see virtual console games blown up on your TV. Both platforms offer save states and Miiverse posting. But honestly, there's very little overlap in the titles available on both. I also suggest you check in with Club Nintendo every month and see if you can grab something for free if you are down with registering your games and filling out some surveys.

@tom_omb: I heard of club nintendo is it free? Sorry I have not played nintendo since NES/SNES. I hear you get points for buying games does that include digital games?

I don't really understand everyone's gushing opinion of Fire Emblem. Some of the social stuff was pretty good, but the rest of the game wasn't anything special. The main story wasn't terribly interesting and actually playing the game is only really fun for the first 5 hours or so. It doesn't really allow you to deviate from the basic strategy and you quickly become overpowered and every battle in the second half is just tedious.

I never had a DS so I used my 3DS to check out the games I had missed. I don't think anything on the 3DS comes even close to the better DS games. 999, Layton, The World Ends with You, the DS Castlevania games, and the DS Zelda games are all great.

Goddammit you guys, it's "Attack of the Friday Monsters". There is no night.

Anyway, as much as I liked that charming game, it's not the game I'd recommend when someone asks about one must-own game. I think Super Mario 3D Land is well worth your time.

Fire Emblem is a red hot brilliance-sandwich and also A Link Between Worlds is good.

Fire emblem.

Fire Emblem Awakening or Luigi's Mansion 2

Etrian Odyssey 4 is an amazing dungeon crawler if your into that.

But currently Fire Emblem Awakening is the best game on the platform.

The best game is probably Fire Emblem (play it on Hard Classic go onnnn), but the game I've enjoyed the most has been Attack of the Friday Monsters.

Although if you're only going to buy one game then it shouldn't be that since it's only about 3 hours long. Fire Emblem then. You will probably end up having dreams about it.

I'd go with either Fire Emblem, Super Mario 3D Land or maybe one of the SMT games (Which Atlus has on sale on the eshop fairly regularly.)

Animal Crossing: New Leaf is pretty great too, on top of all the games mentioned here. I spent roughly 250 hours on it.

So looks like everyone loves fire emblem. Could someone explain what smt stands for and what kind of game is it? @hunkulese I completely forgot you can play DS games on 3DS.

@jamin724: SMT = Shin Megami Tensei

I can't believe only one other person has mentioned new leaf, that is a game that has an endless amount of content.

And fire emblem is crazy good, it is one of the few games that I wanted to start over right after beating it.

Tomodachi Life

A Link to the Past isn't available on the 3DS, unless you got one of those ambassador GBA games and those aren't available to anyone anymore.

A Link Between Worlds, however, is a 3DS game. As someone who has only ever liked and finished one Zelda game, A Link Between Worlds is the game to get for the 3DS as far as I'm concerned.

Also look into Shin Megami Tensei IV, Fire Emblem Awakening, Super Mario 3D Land, and Etrian Odyssey IV or Untold.

EDIT: Oh! You asked about Shin Megami Tensei above? It's a turn-based JRPG. Your party is made up of three "demons" and one human. The demons are mostly taken from world mythologies, religions, and legends. You gather them by convincing them to join you (a bit like Pokemon, only you talk instead of throwing a ball at them). You can fuse two different demons together to make a more powerful demon, something that's required for the best of them.

Basically, it's Pokemon in the post apocalypse and with an alignment system. And its battle system is more complex. And it's much harder.

PHOENIX WRIGHT

I don't really feel like there's one must-have game that I could unequivocally recommend, but I think that's basically true of any console.

Fire Emblem is good, but not without its issues. As far as RPGs go I think I enjoyed Etrian Odyssey 4 and Shin Megami Tensei 4 a bit more, but those games certainly aren't for everyone, and they kind of excel in different areas.

If you like the Ace Attorney series then Dual Destinies is great, but if you liked that series already I feel like that should be a no-brainer.

Fire Emblem is the best game for that system hands down.

I'd say Super Mario 3D Land followed by Fire Emblem and Mario Kart 7. Animal Crossing is pretty great too.

Monster hunter 3 ultimate is pretty awesome, but the wiiu version is the one to get if you ever plan on doing that, not a game for everyone though.

I would also vouch for Fire Emblem, Etrian Odyssey and Phoenix Wright, and there are many nice eshop only games like harmoknight.

Fire Emblem is fantastic and effectively had the system glued to my hands for a month.

If you told me I was only allowed to keep one game for that system, that would be the one I keep.

@believer258: i meant world sorry the 3ds one though I did play the GBA one as well >.< . also people can suggest other to picks but if you had to pick one what would it be.

Mario 3D Land all the way. But you have to beat it twice to fully appreciate it.

Also Kirby Triple Deluxe is sooooo dope. That game came out of nowhere and is really underrated.

*ahem* A Link to the Past is a SNES game. Ported to the GBA later, of course.

As I said, A Link Between Worlds is the game I'd pick for the 3DS. Shovel Knight is also a fantastic game but it's an eShop game and it's on the Wii U and PC as well. I didn't recommend it because I wasn't sure if you were OK with getting eShop games or if you would rather buy that game through a different store.

If you already have A Link Between Worlds and you're looking for something else, then Fire Emblem Awakening, Shin Megami Tensei IV, Super Mario 3D Land, and Etrian Odyssey Untold are fine picks. I am not you and do not know your tastes, so I can't tell you exactly which game to buy. I can tell you that A Link Between Worlds is the best game I've played on the 3DS and I can tell you a few other games that I think are really, really good, too.

Definitely gonna have to say Shin Megami Tensei 4, but I love all of those games unequivocally. Otherwise, I'll echo everyone else and say Fire Emblem. Such a great SRPG.

Does anyone have a list of the VC on WII U compared to 3ds for north america? Like if a table showing what is on both and what is not.

Bravely Default

Is Shin Megami Tensei IV different from persona 4?