My Five Most Wanted Nintendo 3DS Games of 2013

This week of five special themed articles has reached its conclusion, and with it comes my five most wanted Nintendo 3DS games for 2013. The System of the Year 2012 seems to be just as hot for 2013. Come take a look at these five titles and you'll find out for yourself why.

Pokemon X/Y

Pokemon as a series stayed tried and true to its roots, even on more powerful hardware like the Nintendo DS. However, now on the 3DS, the series is finally "evolving" with Pokemon X and Y. This pair of 3DS titles due out worldwide in October will feature full-fledged three-dimensional graphics-- battles, environments, characters, etc. Even with the short announcement trailer (as seen right here), Poke-fanatics across the globe are salivating at all of the possibilities the new dimension adds to the series. As someone who started to grow tired of the franchise, it's lovely to see Pokemon try something new and truly advance itself.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

After the extremely safe Animal Crossing: City Folk, Nintendo is shaking things up in a big way for Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Now the player assumes the role of the mayor, a role ole' Tortimer vacated. Mass customization is the name of New Leaf's game, allowing the player to place landmarks around their town, create patterns for furniture, renovate their home, wear more detailed clothing (in the previous games only shirts and hats were able to be customized), and much more. New Leaf is without a doubt my most anticipated Nintendo 3DS game for 2013, and it cannot come out soon enough.

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon

The original Luigi's Mansion was a launch game for the Nintendo GameCube back in 2001. Now, Luigi is once again getting a game of his own to star in with the follow-up, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. This time around the cowardly plumber isn't just visiting one mansion-- he's visiting several. Each mansion contains different themes, enemies, and puzzles for Luigi and the player to solve. Shigeru Miyamoto has stated that Dark Moon is to possess more puzzles than the original GameCube game. Bring it on, Nintendo, as I'm sure there are plenty of 3DS owners ready to test their mental matter while experiencing some fun, E-rated scares.

Fire Emblem: Awakening

Nintendo's first foray with DLC on the 3DS in Japan, Fire Emblem: Awakening is the latest in the long-running strategy RPG series. Awakening brings with it new concepts, such as the aforementioned DLC, but there's also other things as well. I'm alluding to things like being able to create your own character to great depth, a more intricate class and job system, and much more. The February 4 release date for Fire Emblem: Awakening is less than a month away, but it seems so far away, doesn't it? ...Especially for our European pals.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate

The Castlevania series returns to its 2D roots with the long-winded title of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate, a Nintendo 3DS exclusive. The March 2013 release game will feature multiple playable characters, including Trevor Belmont, Simon Belmont, and Alucard. Unlike the previous 2D entries in the franchise, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate has earned itself an M for Mature rating by the ESRB. Whether that affects sales in any way is up in the air, or whether or not the lack of longtime 2D Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi will harm or help the game in any way either.

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The end of our look at what currently announced games for 2013 excite me most has come. I hope you enjoyed seeing the top titles that have me quivering in my boots with anticipation. Next week will be the third week in a row that is special. We will have five reviews in five days. I hope you look forward to that! See you then!