GotY - Best Nintendo 3DS Game of 2013

It's been a landmark year for Nintendo's once-ridiculed handheld. Somehow the Japanese developer has managed to overcome a rocky launch and an essentially pointless hardware gimmick - just look at the 2DS for evidence of the mainstream's opinion on 3D - and make the 3DS one of this year's must-have pieces of gaming hardware. 

From Animal Crossing to Etrian Oddyssey, the games on the 3DS are varied and cover a vast array of genres and playstyles. This made narrowing the best 3DS games of this year an even bigger challenge than ususal; we've seen an array of mild masterpieces spring up in all sorts of unexpected places. However, there can only be one standing at the end of the year. 

Before that, though, here are our runners-up.

3. Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Maybe it's the length of time since any of us actually played an Animal Crossing game, or maybe it's just a gameplay loop that never loses its addictive fun, but whatever the reason, New Leaf grabbed us like only the Gamecube original had in the past. The writing was spot-on cute and funny, and it's never been more fun to discover the various secrets and Easter Eggs hidden throughout the town. New Leaf isn't a reinvention of the Animal Crossing wheel, but it's the best iteration of the series that we've seen in a long time.

2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

A Link Between Worlds is more than just an homage to the classic SNES game A Link to the Past. In some places, it's just about downright plagiarism. The sound effects that pop out when you hit enemies or stick arrows into walls are the same as they were on the SNES, and the layout of the world (including the Dark World) is the same. A Link Between Worlds' stringent devotion to the past may border on worship at times, but its integration of flexible new item rental mechanics and pretty graphics ensures that there's plenty new to love in this updated classic. And besides, basing your game so strictly on one of the best pieces of interactive entertainment of all time is far from the worst decision you could make.

And the 3DS Game of the Year is...

Fire Emblem: Awakening is our 3DS Game of the Year

Fire Emblem: Awakening is the very epitome of Nintendo's classic approach to games development. It builds upon a decades old formula of strategic combat that cuts deeper than ever thanks to the most balanced, terse encounter design the series has ever seen. But it's the deep relationships system, in combination with Legendary weapons and heroes, beautiful CG cutscenes, and a gripping story that rivals console RPGs in its ability to force tough decisions from you, that makes this Fire Emblem a masterpiece. If you're looking for the perfect strategy-RPG, look no further; it's unlikely any will outdo Awakening for a long time to come.


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