See the full, updated list of all upcoming Nintendo 3DS games.
Shakedown Hawaii
A game that's been a long time coming has finally confirmed a release. Unlike the Switch's official release date, for the 3DS, we only have assurance that it will come out shortly after May 7th. Good enough for people who have been awaiting against all hope. An open world adventure set in a retro 16bit environment, VBlank Entertainment's followup to Retro City Rampage ramps up the criminal escapades in this part of the tropics.
With the tagline "Business in the front and bodies in the back," Shakedown Hawaii deals with striking the balance between the legitimate corporate facade and the criminal underbelly. See the world through the eyes of an aging CEO, his son, and a henchman that’s only known as the consultant. With them, you get to crash and burn in the fanciest cars, run people over, and take care of business.
A retro parody packed with pixels, chiptunes, and nostalgia, it’s coming to the 3DS sometime this year.
Timespinner
From the makers of our favorite modern retro games like Stardew Valley, Pocket Rumble, and Wargroove, Chucklefish takes on another 90s inspired adventure with this new title. As an action RPG slash metroidvania platformer, Timespinner's narrative takes a turn towards bending the realities of time and space. Discover a rich and beautiful world with pixel art visuals, meet mysterious familiars to train you in battle, face challenging bosses, and locate secrets.
Already released on most PC, PS4, Vita and much recently, the Xbox One and the Switch, that leaves the 3DS, one of their stretch goals, the only console that's left wanting this retro gem. Starting out on kickstarter, their last update about the 3DS port was late last year where the devs talk about starting on it very soon. We'll have to wait and see when soon is. No release date yet.
Distraint
Jesse Makkonen's adventure is one prime example of both an affordable and portable horror experience. Despite its simplistic graphics, Distraint delivers a menacing dose of psychological horror. Revolving around the character named Price, help him through his corporate ambitions by fulfilling the relatively menial task of seizing a property of an elderly woman. You soon find out though that this mission will soon put him in a spiral of misery and regret.
With the subtitle Pocket Pixel Horror, Distraint has actually been widely available on Android and iOS devices since 2016. Its Deluxe Edition which features dynamic coloring, enhanced animation, refined audio, and improved UI was released later on the PC and iOS to pretty decent reviews. It's this edition that was slated to release on Nintendo's portable console, but the devs have been mum since. No release date yet.
Shovel Knight: King of Cards
Yacht Club Games has always been at the forefront of giving their fanbase exactly what they wanted. By refining the knightly 8bit experience with every free expansion, the Shovel Knight saga just kept getting better and better. But their upcoming expansion, King of Cards, ramps it up in all fronts. Already giving full new experiences in Plague of Shadows and Specter of Torment, King of Cards gives a full royal flush of new features.
Not only will it cap off the Shovel Knight saga with King Knight's taste for royal bashes and bounces, it will also have competitive card battles with future subjects and a chance to show off your skills in feats and plaftorming challenges. With such a huge update to their gameplay, it's only understandable for it to need a lot more time in the oven. Already delayed a few times, we expect Yacht Club Games to deliver once more sometime this 2019.
Super Mighty Power Man
A genuine 2-D action-platformer reminiscent to the classic games of the 80’s and 90’s. Play as Corey, a kid who finds himself in the most unexpected adventure to save the galaxy. Inspired by the popular SEGA hit, Mega Man, go on a rampaging journey to defend your world from the evil forces of General Mok.
With its true 8-bit NES visuals, it’s a fantastic trip back to the past but with a modern twist. Encounter countless creatures and defeat bosses by using your myriad of superpowers. It’s truly a love letter to the days of old, and especially so to the beloved Mega Man series.
While it failed its kickstarter campaign from two years ago, a few publishers have taken an interest on the title, and we're still hoping it will come out...eventually. Unfortunately for now, no release date yet.
The Great Ace Attorney 2
There comes a rare moment in gaming when fans pour their energy into a game’s Western localization. Most Nintendo games don’t see the light of day in the U.S., most get buried under the dark pits of Japanese arcade stores, never to be released outside their country. CAPCOM is known to do that, which leaves some fans disappointed.
This fan-made translation serves as a prequel to the iconic Ace Attorney franchise. It serves a sort of spin-off that takes place in Feudal Japan. Fans were passionate when it comes to this entry, despite CAPCOM’s aggressive take downs. But in support of this wholesome passion project, it deserves the attention, especially for non-Japanese speaking players who just want to play the game. It’s already out on the iOS and Android, but the 3DS version might come out later due to CAPCOM’s intervention.
League Of Evil
Of all the games coming for the 3DS and PSVita, Ratalaika Games’ 8-bit platformers doesn’t plan to wow you with its presentation, it’s in the content. Ravenous Games is giving us a hunger for justice in this new platform adventure game. Created in that ubiquitous retro style, League of Evil takes us to the seat of the arcade style action amid blocky stages and chiptune tracks.
The rules are simple: Use your acrobatic skills and jump about from level to level, punch enemies, and defeat the league of evil scientists, almost in the style of the classic Megaman series. Unpack the 4 chapters spread over 140 levels, or create your own chaos in their level editor.
Already on the Steam, Switch, and smartphones, League of Evil is a success among critics and gamers, with many praising its addictive, fast-paced gameplay and captivating animations. No release date yet.
RISE: Race The Future
Already out on the PC, and backed by a barrage of positive reviews to boot. RISE is shaping up to be one impressive racing game on the portable console. From the same people behind the 3DS shooter, Ironfall: Invasion, VD-Dev's venture into racing is looking equally good.
Strutting their style with subtle controls, high-octane racing and gorgeous visuals, RISE would be a great addition to the 3DS' arcade racing lineup.
Unfortunately, it’s not without its fair share of problems, there's not a lot of news coming out for their 3DS port, especially since the passing of their co-founder. The 3DS is now in life-support for the past few years. Let’s hope we get to see this come out of dev-hell. On the bright side, it’s perhaps aiming for a Switch release, the 3DS port might not be long behind.
0000
Another title from Ratalaika Games. Instead of eliminating enemies and taking down thugs, in this game, you get to challenge yourself in its tough-as-nails difficulty.
This 3ds puzzle game takes joy in its 100 handcrafted levels. Combining rhythm and puzzle elements, leap and dodge to the rhythmic tunes inspired by a combination of 8-bit and modern electronic tunes. Its black and white playground can catch you off guard. Use your reflexes to survive its gauntlet of hair-pulling levels.
There’s not much we know about this game at the moment aside from its trailer and a handful of screenshots. Coming this 2019.
Silver Falls
There’s not a lot of horror titles on the 3DS. For a family-friendly console, it’s a bit of a taboo to introduce the concept of horror to a target demographic of 10 year olds. In Silver Falls, play as a group of survivors unaffected by a mysterious extraterrestrial threat that plunges the quaint little town.
Considering it’s portable features, Silver Falls has a lot of promise. It evokes the familiar dread of survival-horror elements from notable games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Customize your weapon, find the perfect combination for the job as you live through hell and back with the game’s unique ‘groundhog day’ feature where you start over when you die.
Like most of the upcoming 3DS games, release dates are a blur but the devs did promise to release this early 2019 so stay tuned!