Summary
TheNintendo 3DSwas Nintendo last’s attempt at a dedicated handheld gaming system. Despite the console performing well in international markets, the rise of gaming on smartphones made its sale numbers a far cry from those of its predecessor, and it was a clear hint that players did not need a dedicated portable gaming system as they did in the past.
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Despite that, 3DS still has an impressive library of games, covering almost every single genre players could want. However, racing games got the short end of the stick, with very few valuable titles released during the console’s lifespan. That doesn’t mean that 3DS doesn’t have great racing games though. There are definitely some must-play titles that will surely make racing fans happy.
4Need For Speed: The Run
Need for Speed: The Runon 3DS is far from being an award-worthy game, but it’s still a good time. This is very unexpected, given that every other porting from this series on Nintendo handhelds was lackluster at best, andeven the main console version wasn’t that great. The game provides a good sense of speed and challenge, and it also has a fair use of the system’s 3D effect.
Sadly, the game is also on the short side. It will only take a dozen hours in a casual playthrough to blast through the game. There are some extra challenges to be found during the adventure, which may increase longevity to a certain degree, but it’s not anything to write home about. The game did have online multiplayer, which was pretty barebones but could provide some fun in the first few months after release before the community quickly died out.Need for Speedfans may still give the game a chance though,even if it’s not one the best street racing game ever.
3F1 2011
F1 2011was the only F1 game to receive a 3DS porting, which should make players more than suspicious. Surprisingly, the game is actually quite good. It brings most of the content from the main console versions, and the graphics aren’t too bad either, considering the hardware the game is running on. Also, the 3D effect is a nice addition, which makes the game much more immersive.
What keepsF1 2011away from greatness is the AI. The game isn’t insultingly easy or anything like that, but AI-controlled pilots just don’t seem to care very much about what’s happening around them. This is a shame because the game does allow for a great amount of customization to achieve a good simulation of a real GP in every other department. That being said,F1 2011is still a great pick for every racing fan, especially for those who love F1.
2Ridge Racer 3D
Ridge Racer 3Dwas one of the system’s launch titles, and it’s a surprisingly good arcade racing game, andone of the very few valuable titles in the launch line-up. The reason is very simple: the game is really fun to play. Arcade-style driving seems to be a much better fit for 3DS, and this game is another piece of evidence for the case. There are tons of vehicles to choose from, and they all provide a good sense of speed while playing. Also, the 3D effect is superb, even if this came out in the early days of the 3DS era.
Content-wise, the game has a lengthy campaign mode, which has players going through all the well-designed tracks in the game multiple times at different difficulty settings. It’s not easy to 100% the game given how difficult it can become towards the end, but there are some neat unlockables to be found for whoever decides to endure this test.Ridge Racer 3Dalso allows for multiplayer gameplay, but only through a local wireless connection, which was a shame at the time but mostly inconsequential today, given that servers were pretty much empty anyway. Ironically, the firstRidge Racerwas also a launch title for another console, the PS1, and in a similar fashionit was one of the best games available at launch.
1Mario Kart 7
Mario Kart 7easily takes the spot as the best racing game on the 3DS system and is alsoone of the best games on the system in general. Nintendo had already proved thatMario Kartgames could work marvelously on handheld systems with the above-decentMario Kart: Super Circuitand the incredibleMario Kart DS, andMario Kart 7cemented that. The game provides a faithfulMario Kartexperience on the go, adding some new features like gliding and underwater sections, something that would become a mainstay for the series. There’s also a neat 3D effect that might not be the best the system has ever had, but it’s still cool to turn on from time to time.
The game has also a great selection of tracks, with 16 completely new circuits to race on, along with 16 tracks coming from previous titles. As a testament to the game’s quality,Mario Kart 7was one of the most played games online throughout the whole 3DS' lifetime, and it’s still sometimes possible to find full lobbies to this very day, even if the servers are plagued by hackers. Every 3DS owner should have a copy ofMario Kart 7, and the game will always be a great time to go back to in the future,despite there being better entries in the franchise.
