The Absolute Best Nintendo 3DS Sports Games of All Time
For over a decade, the Nintendo 3DS has reigned as one of the most popular handheld gaming consoles ever made. And for good reason – with its glasses-free 3D display, dual screens, and huge library of great games, the 3DS provides an unparalleled portable gaming experience. This is especially true when it comes to sports games. Thanks to the 3DS‘s unique features and powerful hardware, it has played host to some of the most realistic, feature-packed, and flat-out fun sports gaming available on any platform.
As an avid gamer who has logged hundreds of hours on my 3DS, I‘ve played nearly every sports title released for the system. Drawing upon that experience, I‘ve put together this definitive list of the top 12 absolute best Nintendo 3DS sports games of all time. Regardless of your favorite sport, there‘s something here for every 3DS-owning sports fan.
EA Sports brought its uber-popular Madden NFL series to the 3DS in fine fashion. Madden NFL Football makes great use of the handheld‘s dual screens, putting playcalling and pre-snap adjustments on the touch screen for quick, intuitive controls. The 3D effect looks fantastic and really makes the players pop off the screen. While later recent console versions have surpassed it graphically, Madden on 3DS still looks impressive and plays a great game of football, with all 32 NFL teams and smooth, hard-hitting action. The Franchise and Superstar modes give solo players plenty to dig into, while local multiplayer allows you to battle a friend in head-to-head pigskin action anytime, anywhere.
Nintendo and Sega‘s iconic mascots teamed up on the 3DS to bring their colorful cast of characters to the world‘s biggest sporting event. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games lets you compete in a variety of events like track & field, gymnastics, swimming and more, controlling your Mii or famous characters like Mario, Luigi, Sonic, Tails and others. The stylus-based controls work well and the 3D graphics look vibrant and sharp. With both single player and multiplayer modes, it‘s a fun collection of motion-controlled mini-games that‘s great for gamers of all ages and skill levels. It doesn‘t have the depth of other sports sims, but makes up for it with whimsical charm and simple, addictive gameplay.
Virtua Tennis has long been the premier arcade-style tennis series, and the 3DS version is one of the best yet. Virtua Tennis 4 looks amazing, with crisp 3D graphics that make you feel like you‘re right there on the court. It plays a fast, fluid game of tennis, with easy to learn controls that still allow for advanced techniques like slices and lobs. You can create your own player and take them through the World Tour mode, leveling them up and taking on tougher opponents. StreetPass is also utilized to exchange items and gift boxes with other players. Online multiplayer lets you battle real opponents over the internet, ensuring the competition never stops. If you‘re looking for a deep, content-rich portable tennis sim, this is it.
Konami‘s Pro Evolution Soccer series has long gone head-to-head with EA‘s FIFA juggernaut, and that rivalry carried over to the 3DS. Pro Evo on 3DS boasts excellent graphics and animations that hold up well compared to the console versions. Players move fluidly and realistically, and the 3D effect makes the stadiums and crowds come alive. Touch screen controls allow you to direct players and pick out pinpoint passes with ease. It‘s a remarkably deep and full-featured handheld soccer game, with a full Manager mode, tournaments, online multiplayer and even the ability to trade players via StreetPass. For 3DS-owning soccer fans, it doesn‘t get much better than this.
NBA 2K12 brought the world‘s most popular basketball video game series to the 3DS, but 2K13 perfected the formula. Improved graphics and animations made it the best looking 3DS sports game to date, while tighter controls and smarter AI provided a playing experience almost on par with the console versions. Signature Skills let you utilize a player‘s unique talents and abilities, adding welcomed depth and strategy. Modes like MyPlayer, Association and Situation allow you to live out your hoop dreams, while the Jordan Challenge lets you relive some of NBA legend Michael Jordan‘s most iconic performances. With full 5-on-5 action, realistic ESPN presentation, and silky smooth gameplay, NBA 2K13 is basketball nirvana in the palm of your hands.
As the world‘s most popular sport, soccer (or football) is well represented on the 3DS. But no soccer title captures the sport‘s depth, beauty and excitement quite like the FIFA series. FIFA 14 is the pinnacle of soccer gaming on Nintendo‘s handheld, with improved graphics, an expanded set of skill moves, and a slick new user interface. The 3D pitches look incredibly lifelike and immersive, especially with the 3D slider turned all the way up. Touch screen controls let you direct your teammates and unleash your striking skills with ease. A full franchise mode and tournaments provide endless replayability, while online play ensures you always have a challenger waiting. FIFA 14 feels like a console-quality soccer game jammed into a tiny 3DS cart.
Nintendo‘s plucky plumber has long been an ace on the tennis court, and his 3DS debut serves up a winner. Mario Tennis Open features over a dozen playable characters from the Mushroom Kingdom, each with their own colorful courts and special abilities. The fun, arcade-style action is easy for anyone to pick up and play, but still requires quick reflexes and smart shot selection to succeed. The gyro sensor allows you to physically move the 3DS to change the camera perspective – a nifty gimmick that actually works well. Local and online multiplayer lets you take on friends or challengers from around the world. And the graphics are impressive, with eye-popping 3D that makes it feel like tennis balls are flying right at your face. It‘s an ace of an arcade sports experience.
Wait, New Super Mario Bros. 2 is a sports game? Hear me out on this one. While it‘s not a pure sports title, New Super Mario Bros. 2 features so many sports-based levels and power-ups that I had to include it. Throughout the game‘s 80+ levels, you‘ll don baseball gear to smash blocks, put on football cleats for extra traction, and even shoot hoops in a basketball mini-game. The squirrel suit allows Mario to glide like a flying squirrel – perfect for those long jumps in the high jump competition. And while not exactly a sport, the new Gold Mario form turns our hero into a shimmering, coin-belching Olympian. It may not be a traditional sports game, but the sheer amount of creative sports-themed power-ups and challenges make New Super Mario Bros. 2 an insta-classic for this list.
American gamers may not be familiar with the Inazuma Eleven series, but this fan-favorite soccer RPG has earned a massive cult following around the world. The story follows Mark Evans, a talented goalie who sets out to assemble the ultimate soccer team in order to defeat the best young players from around the country and eventually the world. The core soccer gameplay is simple but fun, enhanced by over-the-top special moves that harken back to classic sports anime and manga. But Inazuma Eleven‘s real depth shines through in its team management and story. You‘ll recruit players, level them up through training, purchase equipment, and even interact with them to build bonds that help in tough matches. With multiple games in the series on 3DS, each telling a new chapter in the epic saga, Inazuma Eleven could keep you busy for months or even years.
As the name implies, Mario Sports Superstars collects a whopping five distinct sports – baseball, tennis, golf, horse racing and soccer – into one massively entertaining package. Each sport features the tight controls, eye-catching graphics and Mushroom Kingdom charm you‘d expect from a Mario sports title. But it‘s the little details that really impress. Take horse racing – before each event you can pet and feed your steed to boost its stats via the touch screen. In soccer, you can unleash wild power-ups like banana peels and shells to trip up your opponents on the pitch. Superstars supports both local and online multiplayer in every sport, as well as amiibo integration – tapping certain figures unlocks new content and characters. It‘s the ultimate Mario sports collection and an essential for any 3DS library.
Camelot Software Planning has been crafting fantastic Mario sports games for decades, and Mario Golf: World Tour may be their crowning achievement. This feature-packed golf sim lets you hit the links on dozens of colorful courses alongside your Mii or classic characters like Mario, Luigi, Peach and more. The graphics are simply gorgeous, from the detailed character models to the lush, rolling fairways that seem to stretch on for miles in the background. Touch screen and gyro sensor controls complement the traditional button set-up, making it a breeze to line up shots, add spin and analyze the lay of the land. Tons of modes, unlockables, tournaments and challenges provide limitless replay value, while local and online multiplayer ensures you‘ll never lack for a clubhouse competitor. It‘s not just a great golf game – it‘s one of the best 3DS games, period.
The first Inazuma Eleven GO title was fantastic, but its sequel catapults the series to new heights. Chrono Stones maintains the core soccer gameplay and team-building of its predecessor, but wisely spices up the story with an ingenious time travel twist. Main character Arion Sherwind and his squad must journey to different eras to track down powerful players and artifacts to help save soccer in the present day. The plot sends you to locations like medieval England, prehistoric times and even the future. You‘ll battle the likes of dinosaurs, knights and androids on the field, all while uncovering secrets and unlocking new abilities. It‘s a wildly creative and ambitious premise that‘s pulled off with aplomb. Of course, it also helps that the fast-paced soccer action is immensely fun and rewarding, with a surprising amount of depth for a handheld title. No other 3DS game combines engrossing sports gameplay, role-playing elements and a quirky story quite like the Inazuma Eleven series, and Chrono Stones is the pinnacle of this exclusive Nintendo franchise.
As you can see, the Nintendo 3DS is an absolute powerhouse for sports gaming, with an incredibly varied lineup that includes entries from all the big sports, as well as niche offerings you‘re unlikely to find anywhere else. With advanced features like 3D graphics, touch and gyro controls, local and online multiplayer, and even RPG-style progression and story, these pocket-sized takes on professional, fantasy and school sports provide experiences virtually unrivaled on other handhelds. If you own a 3DS, be sure to snag a bunch of these must-play sports titles – your thumbs and eyeballs will thank you. Now if you‘ll excuse me, I‘ve got a date with the back nine in Mario Golf: World Tour.
