Ranking by platform

The best games on Nintendo 3DS.

209 games compete in this selection. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past tops it with 1,907 points: the ranking comes from player votes alone, and moves with every duel settled.

  1. 1 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 1991 · Action-adventure 1,907
  2. 2 Super Metroid 1994 · Metroidvania 1,880
  3. 3 The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth 2014 · Roguelite 1,878
  4. 4 Super Mario World 1990 · Platformer 1,871
  5. 5 Super Mario Bros. 1985 · Platformer 1,867
  6. 6 Pokémon Blue Version 1996 · JRPG 1,867
  7. 7 Pokémon Red Version 1996 · JRPG 1,862
  8. 8 Final Fantasy IV 1991 · JRPG 1,857
  9. 9 Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition 1998 · JRPG 1,844
  10. 10 Pokémon Silver Version 1999 · JRPG 1,826
  11. 11 Final Fantasy III 1994 · JRPG 1,825
  12. 12 Mega Man X 1993 · Platformer 1,807
  13. 13 Super Mario Bros. 3 1988 · Platformer 1,803
  14. 14 The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds 2013 · Action-adventure 1,782
  15. 15 Super Castlevania IV 1991 · Platformer 1,778
  16. 16 Pokémon Crystal Version 2000 · JRPG 1,775
  17. 17 Shovel Knight 2014 · Platformer 1,765
  18. 18 Pokémon Gold Version 1999 · JRPG 1,759
  19. 19 The Legend of Zelda 1986 · Action-adventure 1,756
  20. 20 Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest 1995 · Platformer 1,756
  21. 21 Rayman Origins 2011 · Platformer 1,749
  22. 22 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 1992 · Platformer 1,748
  23. 23 The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX 1998 · Action-adventure 1,746
  24. 24 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D 2011 · Action-adventure 1,742
  25. 25 The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap 2004 · Action-adventure 1,742
  26. 26 Metroid Fusion 2002 · Metroidvania 1,740
  27. 27 EarthBound 1994 · JRPG 1,736
  28. 28 Super Mario Kart 1992 · Racing 1,734
  29. 29 Donkey Kong Country 1994 · Platformer 1,732
  30. 30 Mario Kart 7 2011 · Racing 1,725
  31. 31 Terraria 2011 · Sandbox 1,699
  32. 32 Pokémon Moon 2016 · JRPG 1,695
  33. 33 Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins 1992 · Platformer 1,694
  34. 34 Mega Man 2 1989 · Platformer 1,691
  35. 35 Sonic Generations 2011 · Platformer 1,689
  36. 36 Luigi's Mansion 2001 · Action-adventure 1,687
  37. 37 F-Zero 1990 · Racing 1,683
  38. 38 Pokémon X 2013 · JRPG 1,680
  39. 39 Fire Emblem Awakening 2012 · Strategy 1,680
  40. 40 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link 1987 · Metroidvania 1,678
  41. 41 Animal Crossing: New Leaf 2012 · Simulation 1,674
  42. 42 Mega Man 7 1995 · Platformer 1,672
  43. 43 Castlevania 1986 · Platformer 1,665
  44. 44 Super Mario Land 1989 · Platformer 1,665
  45. 45 Mega Man 3 1990 · Platformer 1,657
  46. 46 Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate 2014 · Action RPG 1,655
  47. 47 Mario Kart: Super Circuit 2001 · Racing 1,654
  48. 48 The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages 2001 · Action-adventure 1,645
  49. 49 Pokémon Omega Ruby 2014 · JRPG 1,643
  50. 50 Pokémon Y 2013 · JRPG 1,642
  51. 51 Metroid 1987 · Metroidvania 1,640
  52. 52 Super Mario 3D Land 2011 · Platformer 1,639
  53. 53 Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS 2014 · Fighting 1,636
  54. 54 Metroid: Samus Returns 2017 · Metroidvania 1,635
  55. 55 Pokémon Alpha Sapphire 2014 · JRPG 1,633
  56. 56 Contra III: The Alien Wars 1992 · Platformer 1,633
  57. 57 Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 1994 · Platformer 1,632
  58. 58 Pokémon Ultra Sun 2017 · JRPG 1,629
  59. 59 New Super Mario Bros. 2 2012 · Platformer 1,628
  60. 60 The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D 2015 · Action-adventure 1,622
  61. 61 Mega Man 6 1993 · Platformer 1,620
  62. 62 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice 2016 · Visual novel 1,617
  63. 63 Mega Man 1987 · Platformer 1,611
  64. 64 Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! 1996 · Platformer 1,611
  65. 65 Mario's Super Picross 1995 · Puzzle 1,608
  66. 66 Super Mario Bros. Deluxe 1999 · Platformer 1,607
  67. 67 Final Fantasy 1987 · JRPG 1,605
  68. 68 Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones 2004 · Strategy 1,604
  69. 69 Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon 2013 · Action-adventure 1,601
  70. 70 Resident Evil: Revelations 2012 · Horror 1,596
  71. 71 Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney 2007 · Visual novel 1,595
  72. 72 Tetris 1989 · Puzzle 1,593
  73. 73 SteamWorld Dig 2 2017 · Metroidvania 1,592
  74. 74 Wario Land 3 2000 · Metroidvania 1,587
  75. 75 Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia 2017 · Strategy 1,582
  76. 76 Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright 2015 · Strategy 1,582
  77. 77 The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures 2015 · Visual novel 1,580
  78. 78 The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons 2001 · Action-adventure 1,579
  79. 79 Mario & Luigi: Dream Team 2013 · RPG 1,578
  80. 80 Pilotwings 1990 · Sports 1,575
  81. 81 Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels 1986 · Platformer 1,574
  82. 82 Monster Hunter Generations 2015 · Action RPG 1,574
  83. 83 Pokémon Trading Card Game 1998 · Card & Board 1,573
  84. 84 Bravely Second: End Layer 2015 · JRPG 1,573
  85. 85 Shantae and the Pirate's Curse 2014 · Platformer 1,572
  86. 86 Shin Megami Tensei IV 2013 · RPG 1,571
  87. 87 Mega Man 5 1992 · Platformer 1,570
  88. 88 Pokémon Sun 2016 · JRPG 1,569
  89. 89 Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2004 · Platformer 1,569
  90. 90 Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest 2015 · Strategy 1,567
  91. 91 Kid Icarus: Uprising 2012 · TPS 1,567
  92. 92 Kirby & the Amazing Mirror 2004 · Platformer 1,564
  93. 93 WarioWare: Touched! 2004 · Arcade 1,564
  94. 94 Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward 2012 · Visual novel 1,563
  95. 95 Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon 2015 · Strategy 1,563
  96. 96 Mega Man X2 1994 · Platformer 1,560
  97. 97 Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate 2013 · Platformer 1,551
  98. 98 Wario Land 4 2001 · Platformer 1,550
  99. 99 Paper Mario: Sticker Star 2012 · JRPG 1,545
  100. 100 Castlevania II: Simon's Quest 1987 · Metroidvania 1,544

Filter, combine and travel back in time in the full ranking

Other rankings

Ranking of NES games All-time best Game Boy games Best games on Super Nintendo Best games on Nintendo 64 Top games on Game Boy Advance All-time best GameCube games Top games on Nintendo DS All-time best Wii games Best games on Wii U Best games on Nintendo Switch All-time best Nintendo Switch 2 games Best games on Satellaview

In detail

The best games on Nintendo 3DS, what this ranking says

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past leads this selection with 1,907 ELO points, ahead of Super Metroid and The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. The 209 games competing in it have played 31,002 duels.

This selection in figures
Games competing in this selection 209
Duels played by those games 31,002
Game in the lead The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991)
Score of the leading game, in ELO points 1,907
Point gap between 1st and 10th 81
Best represented genre Platformer
Last reading September 18, 2026

The best game of every genre on Nintendo 3DS

A selection is not read in one block: here is what leads each of its brackets.

The best game of every genre on Nintendo 3DS
Genre Games competing In the lead ELO score Duels played
Action-adventure 16 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 1,907 590
Metroidvania 15 Super Metroid 1,880 702
Platformer 65 Super Mario World 1,871 2,470
JRPG 36 Pokémon Blue Version 1,867 328
Racing 6 Super Mario Kart 1,734 277
Strategy 8 Fire Emblem Awakening 1,680 210
Simulation 5 Animal Crossing: New Leaf 1,674 145
Action RPG 10 Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate 1,655 115
Visual novel 9 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice 1,617 103
Puzzle 12 Mario's Super Picross 1,608 47
Sports 5 Pilotwings 1,575 58

What moved this week

The ranking changes with every duel settled. Over the past seven days, the score of 98 games in this selection moved.

What moved this week
Game Points gained in 7 days ELO score
Pokémon Alpha Sapphire +90 1,633
Pilotwings +80 1,575
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward +79 1,563

The most contested match-ups

These pairs of games have faced each other more than any others in this selection.

The most contested match-ups
Wins Against Duels played Win rate
Super Metroid Metroid Fusion 6 67%
Super Mario Bros. 3 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 6 83%
Super Metroid Zelda II: The Adventure of Link 6 83%
Pokémon Blue Version Pokémon Y 5 100%
Mega Man 2 Super Mario World 5 60%

How this ranking is established

No jury, no press score, no sales figures: two games face off, players vote, and every vote updates an ELO score. This page is a view of the world ranking, never a standing kept apart.

Understand the method in detail →

FAQ

What players ask

What is the best game on Nintendo 3DS?

According to community votes, the best game on Nintendo 3DS is The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, with 1,907 ELO points in the world ranking. It stands ahead of Super Metroid and The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, and its place is replayed with every duel.

How many games on Nintendo 3DS are ranked?

209 games of this selection take part in the duels, and they have played 31,002 of them so far. The full site catalogue is much wider: only games kept for their fame enter the running.

Which game on Nintendo 3DS is climbing right now?

Pokémon Alpha Sapphire is the strongest climb in this selection over the past seven days, with 90 ELO points gained. Over the same period, the score of 98 games in the selection moved.

Vote on a duel