April 2012 Nintendo 3DS Playtime Results

One of my favorite features of the Nintendo 3DS is its ability to track playtime results for every 3DS, DS, eShop game and apps. I am hooked to seeing what games I have been playing the most. It has been three months since the last playtime result post, so let's see if new games have cracked the top ten. If you wish to compare, check out January's post. With that, let's get to the results!

10) Resident Evil: Revelations (12:06)


I have a nasty habit of dropping a game as soon as I review it. This was the fate of Resident Evil: Revelations. I was two chapters away from once again beating the game, but newer titles came into my life and Revelations was brushed aside like hair in one's face. I still want to get back to this, and seeing as we are in a month of little to no new releases, April seems like the perfect opportunity to jump back onto that terror-filled cruise ship, hop online for some Raid mode, and unlock some Ooze-killing weaponry. Anyone up for some online play?

9) Pokemon Rumble Blast (12:15)


Pokemon Rumble was a WiiWare game that featured Pokemon in toy form battling it out against one another for supremacy. The addicting nature of that game turned into a retail title for the 3DS, Pokemon Rumble Blast. There were over 600 Pokemon to collect through knocking them out and hoping for the best. The boss Pokemon were particularly tricky to capture as you had only one chance per level to nab them. Triple team battles were introduced in this installment of this spinoff franchise, and they were efforts in frustration near the end of the game. To this day I have not beaten the final boss. It's seemingly impossible!

8) Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (12:17)


Just like last time's playtime results, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D barely edges out Pokemon Rumble Blast by two minutes approximately. The entertaining Mercenaries mode that originated in Resident Evil 4 and continued in the fifth installment came as a standalone game with this 3DS arcade-styled title. In many ways, Resident Evil: Revelations' Raid mode has outdone The Mercenaries 3D. From replay value to the amount of loot and achievements one can try to accomplish. That said, this game is still worth picking up (but not used).

7) The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (13:00)


The only Ambassador game on this list, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is one of my all-time favorite Zelda titles. It took Link to new heights-- albeit extremely small heights, literally. Introducing to the series the ability to shrink at specific points in the overworld and in dungeons (of which there were six in the game) and the funniest companion in the franchise's illustrious history in Ezlo, The Minish Cap has a lot going for it. It isn't too challenging, and there is a small amount of filler, but take this last Capcom-developed Zelda out for spin and you will discover a well made game.

6) Kirby Mass Attack (15:27)


The first Nintendo DS game I played on my new 3DS back in August, Kirby Mass Attack is outclassed only by Kirby Canvas Curse as the best DS Kirby game. It, too, used stylus controls to send a mass of Kirbys to attack enemies, pull heavy switches that one Kirby could only hope to move, and collect medals to not only progress in the game but to unlock several entertaining mini-games. Heck, the mini-games alone could have been their own title, but combined with the main game, Kirby Mass Attack packs a lot of bang for one's buck.

5) Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift (16:25)


Packed with many missions, quests, treasures, enemies to defeat, bosses to battle, and a charming story that doesn't take itself too seriously, Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift is a bright, engaging game that scratches the tactical RPG itch of DS owners. Even though I didn't have the time to give to reach the conclusion of the game, for the time I spent with A2, I did indeed enjoy it. It might not be as dark as the original Final Fantasy Tactics, and it might not be as good, but A2 is a competent addition to the franchise, Luso's blade looking like a giant pizza cutter notwithstanding.

4) Kid Icarus: Uprising (16:49)


The most recent game I have been playing on my 3DS is number four on this list. It's Kid Icarus: Uprising, and the 16:49 playtime is through my playtime only. My older brother hasn't even started his save data, so expect the playtime to go up dramatically. To say Kid Icarus: Uprising isn't in the upper echelon of 3DS titles would be a disservice to the game. It has the most content, features, and goodies out of any 3DS game. The dialogue is a delight, the secrets are numerous, the flight and ground controls (once gotten used to) are splendid, and Sakurai's touch is definitely apparent. If Smash Bros. 4 is half as good as Uprising, Nintendo fans are in for a true treat.

3) Golden Sun: Dark Dawn (25:01)


I am done playing Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, but its extensive amount of playtime will persist and linger on the top ten for a long time most naturally. The game itself was not as good as the previous Game Boy Advance entries, but what RPGs really are? It was amusing seeing the cast of Golden Sun and The Lost Age return in older form while viewing and playing as their offspring. Even with the Nintendo DS system's weak 3D graphics, Dark Dawn still looked awfully impressive when considering technical limitations. It's just a shame that the game is a breeze up until the final boss battle which is crazy as all get out.

2) Super Mario 3D Land (25:08)


Staying at the same amount of playtime as January's results, Super Mario 3D Land is a title that I would soon like to return to. It is the perfect mesh of 2D Mario like Super Mario Bros. 3 and 3D Mario like Super Mario Galaxy. Even when the initial eight worlds are completed, you are not finished. Instead, the big surprise is that you have another eight special worlds to contend with, a playable Luigi, and earning gold flags on every level. That's no simple task. Just look at the 25 hours and 8 minutes that it took my brother and I to accomplish this on both of our save files. Super Mario 3D Land wasn't awarded best handheld game of 2011 for nothing!

1) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (25:33)


I have a new number one as my most played game, and it is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. I recently started a new save data, and I've been performing much better in regards to finding more Heart Containers, solving puzzles in faster amount of time, and taking down bosses with ease. The Master Quest side of the game still awaits me, and I look forward to the added difficulty of losing more hearts when in battle and the more devious dungeon designs. I thought the puzzles in the original quest were challenging, but I haven't seen anything yet. It says something about the longevity of this game when I can constantly go back to and enjoy it more and more.

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Are you currently playing your Nintendo 3DS? If so, what titles are most recently stuck inside the game card slot for you? Let me and the community know in the comments section.