Most Overlooked Nintendo 3DS Games - Part Three

Welcome to our third installment of the Most Overlooked Nintendo 3DS Games. As always with the Most Overlooked, these are games that were overlooked by the masses, and perhaps even a lot of gamers out there. Perhaps this list will interest you in titles you hadn't heard and/or read much about, or give you a fresh perspective on a title you were unsure of. On this edition we have an Atlus-published hack 'n slash game, the rare online loot RPG, and a game full of word puzzles.

Code of Princess

If you enjoy old-school hack and slash games like I do, then Code of Princess is probably already in your library of Nintendo 3DS software. If not, then perhaps you should still give the game a glance. There are approximately 50 unique characters to play as (though only four for the story mode), and various RPG elements, including gaining experience, upgrading stats, and acquiring new equipment. The Nintendo Network allows four players to play cooperatively or competitively online for some multiplayer mayhem. Perhaps it's the fate of most Atlus-published games to live a life of being niche, but Code of Princess is a title that is worth an action fan's while.

Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning

A story that should sound familiar, the village of Harvest Moon 3D, Echo Valley, was once a prosperous community until the economy went down the tubes. Now, your main character is tasked with rebuilding the infrastructure of the village. Are you up to the task? Well, not many people were. The Harvest Moon series was always a niche series, and the first game in the series made solely for the 3DS continues that tradition. From creating new buildings to simply watching over your haul of crops, Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning revamps the classic formula into a modern gaming world.

Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive!

The original Freakyforms was a digital-only title, exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS eShop. I found it particularly fun, albeit not for everyone (as this review suggests). The retail version of the game, Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive! added into the mix dungeons where Formees could do battle with one another, and players could find new Formee actions, in addition to everything the original game had. The title was released in both retail and digital forms for a suggested retail price of only $19.99. Much better than the MSRP for other smaller-scale games that have arrived on the Nintendo 3DS. It's just a shame more people missed out on this whimsical and charming game.

Heroes of Ruin

As seen on SuperPhillip Central, straight from the mouth of this next game's developer, Heroes of Ruin's sales "did not have enough commercial impact." While the game is most certainly flawed, particularly post-game, Heroes of Ruin offered something that remains rare for handheld systems, an online multiplayer loot-based action-RPG. For those that take the plunge, they will find a game that definitely had a lot of passion put into it, and something worthy to play. Plus, who hasn't dreamed of slicing up bipedal sharks as a caped lion? Not I!

Crosswords Plus

Stick with me here. The idea of crosswords might not be the most exciting thing in the world, but the handwriting recognition and slick menus make for an accessible game for anyone. Throw in word searches, anagrams, and words of the day, and you have a game with easily over 1,000 puzzles. The main reason I believe the game did not do as well as its predecessor (being on a system with less casual appeal notwithstanding) is the $29.99 asking price. That is just way too much for this type of game. Perhaps it would have done much better at a lower price point and as a digital download only.

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There are another five games that many have missed out on. If you have somehow missed a previous installment of the Most Overlooked Nintendo 3DS Games, then feel free to take a glimpse at the following two articles:

Nintendo 3DS - Part One
Nintendo 3DS - Part Two