Best games
Best Nintendo 3DS games of 1990
The 8 best Nintendo 3DS games released in 1990, ranked from 2,471 critic and player ratings.
The best Nintendo 3DS game of 1990 is Super Mario World, with a critic score of 100/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 30 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 1990.
- 8 games are listed on this page, carrying 2,471 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 8
01
Super Mario World
A 2D platformer and first entry on the SNES in the Super Mario franchise, Super Mario World follows Mario as he attempts to defeat Bowser's underlings and rescue Princess Peach from his clutches. The game features a save system, a less linear world map, an expanded movement arsenal and numerous new items for Mario, alongside new approaches to level design and art direction.
100
/100
02
Super C
The alien Red Falcon is back, and planning on taking over the planet Earth.
82
/100
03
F-Zero
F-Zero is set in the year 2560, when humanity's multiple encounters with alien life forms had resulted in the expansion of Earth's social framework. This led to commercial, technological and cultural interchanges between planets. The multi-billionaires who earned their wealth through intergalactic trade were mainly satisfied with their lifestyles, although most coveted more entertainment in their lives. This resulted in a new entertainment based on the Formula One races to be founded with vehicles that could hover one foot above the track. These Grand Prix races were soon named "F-Zero" after a rise in popularity of the races. The game introduced the first set of F-Zero racers: Captain Falcon, Dr. Stewart, Pico, and Samurai Goroh.
80
/100
Super Mario World
A 2D platformer and first entry on the SNES in the Super Mario franchise, Super Mario World follows Mario as he attempts to defeat Bowser's underlings and rescue Princess Peach from his clutches. The game features a save system, a less linear world map, an expanded movement arsenal and numerous new items for Mario, alongside new approaches to level design and art direction.
100
/100
02
Super C
The alien Red Falcon is back, and planning on taking over the planet Earth.
82
/100
03
F-Zero
F-Zero is set in the year 2560, when humanity's multiple encounters with alien life forms had resulted in the expansion of Earth's social framework. This led to commercial, technological and cultural interchanges between planets. The multi-billionaires who earned their wealth through intergalactic trade were mainly satisfied with their lifestyles, although most coveted more entertainment in their lives. This resulted in a new entertainment based on the Formula One races to be founded with vehicles that could hover one foot above the track. These Grand Prix races were soon named "F-Zero" after a rise in popularity of the races. The game introduced the first set of F-Zero racers: Captain Falcon, Dr. Stewart, Pico, and Samurai Goroh.
80
/100
04
Punch-Out!!
You are Little Mac, a 17 year-old rookie fighter straight out of the Bronx. What you lack in size you more than make up for in determination. Spurred on by your trainer, Doc Louis, it's time to take on the world's boxing best! Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! was re-branded simply as Punch-Out!!, and re-released in the US and Europe in 1990. When Nintendo's license had expired with Mike Tyson, his likeness was replaced by a fictional character named Mr. Dream, whose visual likeness and undefeated record are based on Rocky Marciano. This version of the game is used in all Virtual Console releases, Animal Crossing, the NES Classic Edition, and on Nintendo Switch Online (which Mike Tyson contested).
80
/100
05
Mega Man 3 (1990)
It's robot rebellion, and nobody's safe! Least of all, Mega Man! This time the superpowerful cyborg takes on a horde of metal maniacs who've had it with being obedient! And they use every android-annihilator ever invented to make you believe it! Mega Man goes berserk, blasting through a galaxy of mining stations in search of energy crystals. But it takes more than guts to battle the phenomenal robot masters who control these worlds. It's a wrenching job, the worst - and the best - that Mega Man's faced so far!
79
/100
06
Dr. Mario
Dr. Mario is a falling block tile-matching video game, in which Mario assumes the role of a doctor, dropping two-colored medical capsules into a medicine bottle representing the playing field. This area is populated by viruses of three colors: red, yellow, and blue. In a manner and style considered similar to Tetris, the player manipulates each capsule as it falls, moving it left or right and rotating it such that it is positioned alongside the viruses and any existing capsules. When four or more capsule halves or viruses of matching color are aligned in vertical or horizontal configurations, they are removed from play. The main objective is to complete levels, which is accomplished by eliminating all viruses from the playing field. A game over occurs if capsules fill up the playing field in a way that obstructs the bottle's narrow neck.
72
/100
07
Final Fantasy III (1990)
Final Fantasy III is the third FF game for the Famicom. The turn-based battle engine has been improved: if the enemy is defeated, the next character will automatically switch to another enemy, and not hit the air, like in the previous two games. The game itself is, like the previous games, a top-down RPG where your characters travel in the overworld, sometimes entering cities and dungeons to buy equipment, rest and fight random encounters and bosses with turn-based combat. Final Fantasy III also introduces various series staples, such as the Job system and the Moogle species.
70
/100
08
Columns (1990)
Go back in time to a bygone civilization: the ancient world of Phoenicia. There you will play a simple and captivating game where sparkling, rainbow-coloured jewels drop one after another. According to the ancient merchants, by arranging three or more of the same jewels horizontally, vertically or diagonally, you shall perform miracles.
67
/100
Punch-Out!!
You are Little Mac, a 17 year-old rookie fighter straight out of the Bronx. What you lack in size you more than make up for in determination. Spurred on by your trainer, Doc Louis, it's time to take on the world's boxing best! Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! was re-branded simply as Punch-Out!!, and re-released in the US and Europe in 1990. When Nintendo's license had expired with Mike Tyson, his likeness was replaced by a fictional character named Mr. Dream, whose visual likeness and undefeated record are based on Rocky Marciano. This version of the game is used in all Virtual Console releases, Animal Crossing, the NES Classic Edition, and on Nintendo Switch Online (which Mike Tyson contested).
80
/100
05
Mega Man 3 (1990)
It's robot rebellion, and nobody's safe! Least of all, Mega Man! This time the superpowerful cyborg takes on a horde of metal maniacs who've had it with being obedient! And they use every android-annihilator ever invented to make you believe it! Mega Man goes berserk, blasting through a galaxy of mining stations in search of energy crystals. But it takes more than guts to battle the phenomenal robot masters who control these worlds. It's a wrenching job, the worst - and the best - that Mega Man's faced so far!
79
/100
06
Dr. Mario
Dr. Mario is a falling block tile-matching video game, in which Mario assumes the role of a doctor, dropping two-colored medical capsules into a medicine bottle representing the playing field. This area is populated by viruses of three colors: red, yellow, and blue. In a manner and style considered similar to Tetris, the player manipulates each capsule as it falls, moving it left or right and rotating it such that it is positioned alongside the viruses and any existing capsules. When four or more capsule halves or viruses of matching color are aligned in vertical or horizontal configurations, they are removed from play. The main objective is to complete levels, which is accomplished by eliminating all viruses from the playing field. A game over occurs if capsules fill up the playing field in a way that obstructs the bottle's narrow neck.
72
/100
07
Final Fantasy III (1990)
Final Fantasy III is the third FF game for the Famicom. The turn-based battle engine has been improved: if the enemy is defeated, the next character will automatically switch to another enemy, and not hit the air, like in the previous two games. The game itself is, like the previous games, a top-down RPG where your characters travel in the overworld, sometimes entering cities and dungeons to buy equipment, rest and fight random encounters and bosses with turn-based combat. Final Fantasy III also introduces various series staples, such as the Job system and the Moogle species.
70
/100
08
Columns (1990)
Go back in time to a bygone civilization: the ancient world of Phoenicia. There you will play a simple and captivating game where sparkling, rainbow-coloured jewels drop one after another. According to the ancient merchants, by arranging three or more of the same jewels horizontally, vertically or diagonally, you shall perform miracles.
67
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Nintendo 3DS game of 1990?
Super Mario World currently tops the ranking with a score of 100/100 across 1,964 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.