Summary
Ever since Nintendo transitioned from making toys and playing cards to the home console market,Mariohas been a consistent presence in their arsenal. From the originalSuper Mario Bros., all the way to his greatest adventure inSuper Mario Odyssey, the little guy has called multiple consoles home. But it goes without saying that some of Mario’s greatest success has beenon the handheld systems, where he has been the star of not just platformers, but conquered numerous different genres and styles of games.
From sports games to traditional platformers, all the way to racing games and some excellent puzzle games, Mario’s time on the 3DS was truly something special. No other handheld Nintendo console boasts as many Mario games as the 3DS, with a library of fascinating releases. While Mario’s home console efforts have often redefined and perfected the 3D platformer, his handheld adventures have seen some of his most unique journeys come to life.
Updated June 06, 2025, by Maddie Fisher:The 3DS was a system that Nintendo continued to support even when it didn’t seem logical, as they launched several high-profile games on the platform when the Switch was beginning its ascent. It was a massively successful device, as proven by the staggering number of Mario games. This list of the bestMario3DS games has been updated to showcase that, adding new galleries and showing just how much power Nintendo was able to squeeze out of their impressive handheld hardware. Among them are a few of Mario’s impressive sports collaborations with ex-rival Sonic and some cuteMario Vs. Donkey Konggames. Mario’s handheld games have shown to be some of the most popular in the franchise, and his 3DS titles are some of the best that Nintendo has ever made for their long-standing mascot.
20Mini-Mario and Friends: Amiibo Challenge
Amiibo-Focused Entry In The Mario Vs. Donkey Kong Series
TheMario Vs. Donkey Kongseries was a productive force on the 3DS, with four total entries. This puzzle-platformer spinoff series fit in well on the handheld console, and in 2016, Nintendo releasedMini-Mario and Friends: Amiibo Challenge. While it had some fun levels, the main issue withAmiibo Challengelies in the required use of the Nintendo figures in order to operate.
As a part of Nintendo’s brand, the Amiibo line has been hit-or-miss. Games that require them to play always feel a bit off-putting, especially considering that othergames have used themin much better ways. In terms of otherMario Vs. Donkey Kongtitles, the levels and puzzles found in the game make it difficult to justify the Amiibo requirement. The 3DS not only saw much betterMariogames, but far better entries in this series, making this unfortunate title a bit outdated.
19Mario Party: Island Tour
Debut Of Mario Party On Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo’s die-hard faith in their handheld platforms is never more obvious than when they use that system to launch the next long-standing series on the system.Mario Party: Island Touris the 12th game in this storied franchise. But one of the best aspects ofIsland Touris the way it offers new systems, breaking from someMario Partytraditions in some very cool ways.
Where previousMario Partygames pit players against each other on a looping board full of traps and Bowser spaces in order to buy stars,Island Tourbuilt its concept on linear, race-type boards. On the way to the finish line, the inherent drama came from high rolls and winning mini-games. It was a unique spin on theMario Partyformula that sadly has not been revisited, asmodern titles in the seriescould take a few cues from this forgotten entry.
Mario Partyhas been one of the most consistentlywell-made spin-off titlesin Nintendo’s arsenal, as this genre-defining multiplayer game has routinely delivered some spectacular experiences over the years. One of the main reasons for its success has been mini-games, where Nintendo has shown a wonderful ability to create a huge range of unique competitions. And inMario Party: The Top 100, they celebrated that by compiling the best and most popular mini-games in the entire franchise.
As just throwing 100 mini-games onto a cart may be a bit boring, Nintendo wraps the whole presentation into a jaunt through an island with a chosen character. It’s not perfect, and it misses a few key games, but it does allow players to experience some of the best ones in the franchise. Games like Hotel Goomba, Booksquirm, Trace Race, and Later Skater are just a few of the exceptional games that show just how inventive and clever this franchise is.
Despite recent confirmation thatMario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020will be the final entry inthis long-running crossover franchise, it’s hard not to look back on past efforts in this series with fond memories. The collaboration between two former long-time rivals in Mario and Sonic has made for some excellent games. The 2016 version set in Rio is still worth revisiting today.
Featuring a fantastic selection of characters, ranging from Sonic and Mario, all the way to Rouge the Bat and Espio, this terrific title also has some great events to take part in. New to the series is BMX racing, while classics like volleyball and horse racing are just as fun as they’ve always been.
16Mario Sports Superstars
Sports Compilation Title Pits Mario Characters Against Each Other
Mario and his friends arecertainly no strangers to sports, as they have come together to compete in golf, football, and tennis in a number of fantastic games. But withMario Sports Superstars, Nintendo opted to showcase multiple different events. Offering everything from horse racing to tennis,Mario Sports Superstarsis one of the more underrated 3DS titles.
Superstarsalso features a fantastic range of characters, including Mario, Yoshi, Diddy Kong, Rosalina, and Daisy. The events feel great to play, and the classic Nintendo charm is just as wonderful as it ever was. This terrific sports extravaganza is one of the more overlookedMario3DS games and is due for some sort of revival on the Switch.
15Mario And Sonic At The London 2012 Olympic Games
Sonic And Mario Come Together In The Best Olympic Games Title On 3DS
Long beforeMarioandSonicbegan competing together in crossover titles, they were competing against each other in a protractedconsole war during the 1990s. But in the wake of Sega leaving hardware behind, rivalries were tossed out the window, and the two icons began to co-star in games. Some of the best have been theMario and Sonic at the Olympic Gamestitles, and the 2012 London edition is easily the best handheld version of this classic team-up.
Players can choose between Mario, Luigi, Sonic, Shadow, Amy and more, as the roster is truly one of the best parts of the game. It features a great spread of events, with everything from hockey to archery to bowling to weightlifting. This spectacular competitive sports game is just one of the many reasons that the 3DS library is as celebrated as it is.
14Mario Party: Star Rush
Mario Party’s Greatest Handheld Entry Is One Of 3DS' Best Games
TheMario Partyseries was well-supported on the 3DS, which was also the place where Nintendo would often take more chances with the franchise. And with this entry, Nintendo changed the formula once again by offering new and fun ways to experience this multiplayer romp.
InMario Party: Star Rush, the main method of play is called Toad Scramble. Instead of picking iconsfrom the world of Nintendo, players control a squadron of Toads that roll dice together in order to move along the board and collect the characters themselves to combat fierce bosses. It’s a quirky and unique title that is still a ton of fun today and one that Nintendo would be wise to revisit on the Switch today.
13Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure
Refined Version Of Game Boy Classic
Created by the legendary Gunpei Yokoi,Dr. Mariohas become one of Nintendo’s most fascinating spin-off titles. One of the greatest iterations of this addictive block-puzzle franchise launched on the 3DS in 2015.Dr. Mario: Miracle Curemaintains the consistent level of quality that the series has become known for, tasking players with matching colored capsules in order to clean out their play space of red, blue and yellow viruses to achieve victory.
New to this 3DS version is a gauge that, upon being filled up, rewards the player with a Miracle Cure item. Some of them can clear an entire color of viruses from the screen, while others will eradicate an entire row. WithMiracle Cure, Nintendo maintained the fun of the original games while adding some new twists into what is still the bestDr. Mariogame to date.
The ongoing relationship between Nintendo and Camelot Software Planning has been a good one, resulting in some of the bestMariosports spin-off games.And withMario Tennis Open, Camelot brought their exquisite talents for crafting fun sports games to the 3DS.
In terms of its roster, this excellent 3DS title offers staples like Mario and Luigi, while Boo, Bowser, Diddy Kong, and Wario fill out the rest of this enticing collection of playable characters.Mario Tennis Openfeels a touch faster than other entries, with snappy and responsive feedback to racket hits. It also features some fun Special Games in the form of Ring Shot and Galaxy Rally. The former requires the player to hit balls through multiple rings, while in the latter, they must avoid falling into an expanding black hole. It’s one of the 3DS' best games and still one of Camelot’s best efforts.
The handheld nature of the 3DS made it a perfect landing spot for theMario Vs. Donkey Kongseries, where the bite-sized nature of the level design was a perfect fit for portable play. Initially presented as a tech demo of the Nintendo Web Framework at the 2014 Game Developer’s Conference,Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Starseventually made its way to 3DS in 2015.
The charming art of the Mario Mini Toys is a great fit on the 3DS, with ample use of the bottom touch screen to connect bridges and girders, as well as boasting an absolutely stellar soundtrack. It also features a workshop mode, where players can create and share custom levels, a precursor toSuper Mario Maker’sarrival on 3DS the following year.
