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The 14 best games for the Nintendo 3DS - 'Pokemon,' 'Super Mario,' and beyond

The 14 best games for the Nintendo 3DS - 'Pokemon,' 'Super Mario,' and beyond

Nintendo's flagship game for the 3DS this holiday season is "Pokémon Sun and Moon" — the latest in the creature-capturing series, bringing some very welcome changes to the 20-year-old formula.

The 14 best games for the Nintendo 3DS - 'Pokemon,' 'Super Mario,' and beyond

"Pokémon X and Y," the previous games in the series, aren't too shabby, either.

"Pokémon X and Y," the previous games in the series, aren

You can get "Pokémon X" here and "Pokémon Y" here.

For Mario fans, there's a bunch of great options, from the classic-style sidescroller "New Super Mario Bros 2," which lets two players adventure at once...

For Mario fans, there

...to the more three-dimensional (and super-fun) "Super Mario 3D Land..."

...to the more three-dimensional (and super-fun) "Super Mario 3D Land..."

...to "Mario Kart 7," an excellent and worthy entry in the long-running racing franchise.

...to "Mario Kart 7," an excellent and worthy entry in the long-running racing franchise.

The 3DS also gets its own version of games like Super Smash Bros., Nintendo's famed cross-franchise fighting game.

The 3DS also gets its own version of games like Super Smash Bros., Nintendo

Luigi fans can also get their fix with "Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon," an action-puzzle game starring Mario's younger brother.

Luigi fans can also get their fix with "Luigi

"The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds" is an all-time great entry in the beloved series.

"The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds" is an all-time great entry in the beloved series.

There's also "Animal Crossing: New Leaf," a very chill game that casts you as the mayor of a town full of friendly animals. It just got a big update that adds support for Nintendo's "Amiibo" figurines, among other features, too.

There

For the more hardcore player, there's "Monster Hunter Generations." This game, the latest in a long-running series famed for its unrelenting difficulty curve, casts you as a titular monster hunter, going after ever-larger game with a wide variety of weaponry.

For the more hardcore player, there

There's also "Fire Emblem Fates," the latest in Nintendo's long-running role-playing game series. In this game, you lead your small squadron of knights, archers, and wizards in tactical battles. This series is famous for a key feature: If one of your soldiers falls in battle, they're gone for the rest of the story. No takebacks, short of resetting the game.

There

Buy "Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright," which lets you play as the good guys, "Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest," where you play the villains. You can buy the other story as a download from within each game later.

And if you're more nostalgia-minded, or you're just into the idea of playing a pair of timeless classics, 1998's "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" and 2000's "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" both got excellent remasters for the 3DS.

And if you

Buy "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D" or "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D."

And then there's Capcom's "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney — Spirit of Justice," the latest in the long-running series about crime-solving psychic defense attorneys.

And then there

"Spirit of Justice" is only available as a download from the 3DS' Nintendo eShop. Buy a download code here.

This is just the tip of the iceberg: There are lots of other great games for the 3DS, including indie sensations like "Pushmo," available digitally through the Nintendo eShop. But these are some of the best of the best to get you started.

This is just the tip of the iceberg: There are lots of other great games for the 3DS, including indie sensations like "Pushmo," available digitally through the Nintendo eShop. But these are some of the best of the best to get you started.

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