Though there is some debate over whether The Legend of Zelda games is RPGs – they don't feature turn-based battles or leveling up in the traditional sense – the strong sense of progression, large open worlds, upgrading equipment, and dungeon conquering do mean it has many aspects familiar to the genre. And, let's face it, for the most part, they're simply wonderful games. A Link Between Worlds is no exception, with the game making excellent use of the chances provided by the 3DS's stereoscopic capabilities.

A Link Between Worlds is an indirect successor to the legendary SNES classic A Link to the Past (which is still largely recognized as one of the finest games ever developed), and it's a deserving tribute to its 16-bit grandfather. It clearly merits its spot at the top of the list for Finest 3DS RPGs and sits at the top of the best Nintendo 3DS games of all time. It is beautifully designed, original in terms of gameplay, and immensely captivating.

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The mainstream Pokémon series games spent over two decades as 2D, top-down RPGs in a fairly conventional 8-bit/16-bit manner; it wasn't until the release of Pokémon X and Y in 2013 that they eventually became more current in style, employing fully 3D polygonal visuals for the first time. Not only were they technologically innovative, but other elements firmly rooted in the games in the past as well, including trainer customization and touchscreen interaction with Pokémon.

Unsurprisingly, the long-awaited Pokémon X and Y were tremendous critical and economic triumphs (albeit, strangely, the two versions rank somewhat differently in Metacritic's rankings for no apparent reason!). The series has progressed significantly since then, but this is the first new-generation game for the 3DS, and it adds significantly. Play it for the historical significance as well as the opportunity to capture 'em all.

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With Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon currently on the list, it's likely that their immediate predecessors will be included as well. Following a precedent established early on with the Pokémon games, which launched as a pair of titles before quickly following up with an upgraded edition, the Ultra variety saw Sun and Moon somewhat enhanced, while the titles are mostly the same from a plot standpoint.

The non-enhanced titles' higher ranking on this list indicates that the new elements were probably insufficient to justify the purchase of both – and with Sun/Moon arriving first, it likely soaked up the critical praise that became slightly jaded when the Ultra versions were released just a year later.

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The first game in the Xenoblade Chronicles series was originally released for Nintendo Wii in 2010. It is part of the 'Xeno' family of titles, which includes Xenogears (released on PlayStation in 1998), and the Xenosaga series (with six games released between 2002 and 2006, all for PS2), and the Xenoblade Chronicles games.

Because of the complexity and scale of the game, it simply would not have been feasible to implement the ambitious port on the original, less technically proficient 3DS hardware. Xenoblade Chronicles 3D impresses – especially in comparison to many of the more traditional Japanese RPGs on the 3DS – due to its open, less linear nature, and the fact that it exists at all on Nintendo's relatively humble (if slightly enhanced) handheld is an impressive achievement in and of itself.

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Monster Hunter, Capcom's action RPG series, debuted on the PlayStation 2 with a high level of online capabilities at a time when connecting consoles to the internet was still unusual. The 3DS, on the other hand, was designed with far greater connection in mind, featuring a novel and addicting StreetPass features that activated anytime you came into touch with another 3DS user.

Generations were designed to be a celebration of the series, with a 'best of' atmosphere and a greater emphasis on customizing and flexibility. The series is still extremely popular today; the most recent installment, Monster Hunter Rise, was launched on the Switch in March 2021 and sold 1.3 million units in Japan alone within its first week on sale, indicating that the hunger for monster hunting on the go is as strong as ever.

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Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology, another enhanced remake of a DS RPG, is another highly rated Atlus title (can those guys do no wrong when it comes to RPGs? ), exhibiting its typical opulent production qualities, complex history, and compellingly sophisticated gameplay mechanics.

However Japanese RPGs are typically known for being extremely linear in terms of plot, Radiant Historia seeks to avoid this by incorporating branching, and time travel components — though, ultimately, linearity remains a concern. The game's turn-based arena fighting system was notably well-received by critics and audiences, yet despite its success, it never earned a sequel, which is rare for RPGs, let alone those held in such high esteem.

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The Mario & Luigi series is only one of the RPG spin-off series in which the Super Mario Bros, well known for their platforming antics, have appeared. The Mario & Luigi games initially emerged on the Game Boy Advance in 2003 with Superstar Saga, and that first game was remade on the 3DS with a lot of improvements.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Narrative + Bowser Jr's Journey is a remake of the 2009 DS original that includes changes comparable to the Superstar Saga remake — adding a completely new side story (Bowser Jr's Journey). Unfortunately, despite critical acclaim, this game did not sell well, and series makers AlphaDream filed for bankruptcy shortly after its release. Despite the fact that Nintendo owns the series' rights, the loss of the creators and the dismal financial performance of this remake may mean that people have seen the last of these RPGs for the foreseeable future.

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Etrian Odyssey games, like the Shin Megami Tensei series, are published by Atlus. Though the Etrian Odyssey games are far less in number than Atlus's perennially successful Shin Megami Tensei series, RPG fans hold them in high respect. The first three games in the series were released on the Nintendo DS, with the first game released in 2007.

Despite its gorgeous graphic design, the Etrian Odyssey series is an old-school dungeon crawling game with a high difficulty level. Etrian Odyssey IV was the first 3DS game to be released, and it included the first animated 3D opponents. The game was also accompanied by a CD soundtrack and an art book displaying the game's beautifully crafted setting and characters during its first release.

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With the first installment being such a critical and economic success, Shin Megami Tensei publisher Atlus launched a sequel three years later, also on the 3DS. The fairly perplexing naming pattern stems from the fact that Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse takes place in the same post-apocalyptic universe as the previous game but in a different chronology (and featuring a new main character).

Though many of the features and monsters from Shin Megami Tensei IV were carried over to Apocalypse, critics complimented the game for adding a lot of quality-of-life enhancements to the systems, giving players a more polished experience. Unfortunately, Apocalypse's sales were substantially lower - maybe because players were puzzled by the title, which gives the idea that it's an upgrade or expansion rather than a totally new game.

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Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, released in 2014, is an old-school JRPG in the vein of the Etrian Odyssey series. It pulls together characters from Persona 3 and Persona 4 in a way that seems more like a worthy chapter in the narrative than a throwaway spin-off title.

Persona Q, like the Etrian Odyssey, contains difficult puzzles and a high learning curve when it comes to fighting. That doesn't take away from the enjoyment, and there will be a point where everything simply clicks and gamers may get lost in it for hours. It's also worth checking out Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, which mixes together with a dream of characters from Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5.

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