Best games
Best Nintendo 3DS games of 2016
The 9 best Nintendo 3DS games released in 2016, ranked from 1,804 critic and player ratings.
The best Nintendo 3DS game of 2016 is Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest, with a critic score of 87/100 — 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 80 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: 2016.
- 9 games are listed on this page, carrying 1,804 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 29 September 2026.
Top 9
01
Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest
Fire Emblem Fates is split into three story paths. Conquest is one of the two base stories, the other being Birthright. The other story path can be bought digitally at a discount through the in-game store. The third story path is Revelation, a DLC that was released later. You need to be have completed Chapter 6 in either game to access the other stories and DLC. Conquest is the hardest of the three paths, having reduced ability to grind experience from maps, tougher mission objectives, and giving less money and experience for those missions.
87
/100
02
Pokémon Sun
Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon trademarks were registered thus leaking the next Pokémon game titles to the public. Pokémon.com confirmed the games would be for the Nintendo 3DS and released in holiday 2016, with a new world, new Pokémon, and new adventures. Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon will be the first games in the Pokémon series to allow players to choose from nine languages to play in. In addition to English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish, players will now be able to play in both Traditional and Simplified Chinese.
86
/100
03
Pokémon Moon
Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon will be the first games in the Pokémon series to allow players to choose from nine languages to play in. In addition to English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish, players will now be able to play in both Traditional and Simplified Chinese.
85
/100
Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest
Fire Emblem Fates is split into three story paths. Conquest is one of the two base stories, the other being Birthright. The other story path can be bought digitally at a discount through the in-game store. The third story path is Revelation, a DLC that was released later. You need to be have completed Chapter 6 in either game to access the other stories and DLC. Conquest is the hardest of the three paths, having reduced ability to grind experience from maps, tougher mission objectives, and giving less money and experience for those missions.
87
/100
02
Pokémon Sun
Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon trademarks were registered thus leaking the next Pokémon game titles to the public. Pokémon.com confirmed the games would be for the Nintendo 3DS and released in holiday 2016, with a new world, new Pokémon, and new adventures. Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon will be the first games in the Pokémon series to allow players to choose from nine languages to play in. In addition to English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish, players will now be able to play in both Traditional and Simplified Chinese.
86
/100
03
Pokémon Moon
Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon will be the first games in the Pokémon series to allow players to choose from nine languages to play in. In addition to English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish, players will now be able to play in both Traditional and Simplified Chinese.
85
/100
04
Severed
Severed Is a first-person dungeon crawler that uses touch based combat mechanics. It has a loot and crafting system based on severing enemy body parts to create and upgrade armor.
84
/100
05
Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma
Zero Time Dilemma is the third and final entry in the Zero Escape series. It is a story focused mystery/thriller visual novel with multiple endings that involves player choices and puzzle rooms.
78
/100
06
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens takes players deeper into the new film than any other game with all of the heroic characters from the movie, including Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and BB-8, as well as Kylo Ren, General Hux and Captain Phasma, while also exploring iconic Star Wars locales, such as Jakku and Starkiller Base. This game introduces new gameplay features, including the enhanced “Multi-Builds” system, where players can choose from multiple building options to advance the game. Gamers will be able to engage in intense new Blaster Battles for the first time, utilizing surrounding environments to drive back the First Order. Fans can also experience the thrill of high-speed flight gameplay through arena-based battles and dogfights in space, while utilizing a multitude of vehicles along the way, including the legendary Millennium Falcon.
75
/100
07
Punch Club
Train hard, fight crocodiles and find love. Earn your place in the Punch Club ranks, and discover who brutally murdered your father, in this choose your own adventure boxing management tycoon. Punch Club is a boxing tycoon management game with multiple branching story lines. Your goal is clear, but how you get there depends on whether you want to legitimately climb the rankings, or take the more ridiculous, shady route. Along the way you'll want to focus your talents. Will you take the Way of the Tiger, the Way of the Turtle, or the Way of the [other one?]? Your strength, accuracy and agility all depends on whichever Way enlightens your path. Do you have stripes, or flippers? And every decision will matter, especially in your social life. You'll be juggling friendships, love life, work, recreational time, relationships, and possible stardom, all alongside your gym time and fighting aligators. It's not all just pumping iron, you know.
73
/100
08
C
LEGO Marvel's Avengers
Lego Marvel's Avengers is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It is the spin-off to Lego Marvel Super Heroes and the second instalment of the Lego Marvel franchise. The game is based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
68
/100
09
Mighty No. 9
Mighty No. 9 is a Japanese 2D Side-scrolling Action game that takes the best elements from 8 and 16-bit classics that you know and love and transforms them with modern tech, fresh mechanics, and fan input into something fresh and amazing! You play as Beck, the 9th in a line of powerful robots, and the only one not infected by a mysterious computer virus that has caused mechanized creatures the world over to go berserk. Run, jump, blast, and transform your way through twelve stages using weapons and abilities stolen from your enemies to take down your fellow Mighty Number robots and confront the final evil that threatens the planet!
52
/100
Severed
Severed Is a first-person dungeon crawler that uses touch based combat mechanics. It has a loot and crafting system based on severing enemy body parts to create and upgrade armor.
84
/100
05
Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma
Zero Time Dilemma is the third and final entry in the Zero Escape series. It is a story focused mystery/thriller visual novel with multiple endings that involves player choices and puzzle rooms.
78
/100
06
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens takes players deeper into the new film than any other game with all of the heroic characters from the movie, including Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and BB-8, as well as Kylo Ren, General Hux and Captain Phasma, while also exploring iconic Star Wars locales, such as Jakku and Starkiller Base. This game introduces new gameplay features, including the enhanced “Multi-Builds” system, where players can choose from multiple building options to advance the game. Gamers will be able to engage in intense new Blaster Battles for the first time, utilizing surrounding environments to drive back the First Order. Fans can also experience the thrill of high-speed flight gameplay through arena-based battles and dogfights in space, while utilizing a multitude of vehicles along the way, including the legendary Millennium Falcon.
75
/100
07
Punch Club
Train hard, fight crocodiles and find love. Earn your place in the Punch Club ranks, and discover who brutally murdered your father, in this choose your own adventure boxing management tycoon. Punch Club is a boxing tycoon management game with multiple branching story lines. Your goal is clear, but how you get there depends on whether you want to legitimately climb the rankings, or take the more ridiculous, shady route. Along the way you'll want to focus your talents. Will you take the Way of the Tiger, the Way of the Turtle, or the Way of the [other one?]? Your strength, accuracy and agility all depends on whichever Way enlightens your path. Do you have stripes, or flippers? And every decision will matter, especially in your social life. You'll be juggling friendships, love life, work, recreational time, relationships, and possible stardom, all alongside your gym time and fighting aligators. It's not all just pumping iron, you know.
73
/100
08
C
LEGO Marvel's Avengers
Lego Marvel's Avengers is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It is the spin-off to Lego Marvel Super Heroes and the second instalment of the Lego Marvel franchise. The game is based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
68
/100
09
Mighty No. 9
Mighty No. 9 is a Japanese 2D Side-scrolling Action game that takes the best elements from 8 and 16-bit classics that you know and love and transforms them with modern tech, fresh mechanics, and fan input into something fresh and amazing! You play as Beck, the 9th in a line of powerful robots, and the only one not infected by a mysterious computer virus that has caused mechanized creatures the world over to go berserk. Run, jump, blast, and transform your way through twelve stages using weapons and abilities stolen from your enemies to take down your fellow Mighty Number robots and confront the final evil that threatens the planet!
52
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Nintendo 3DS game of 2016?
Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest currently tops the ranking with a score of 87/100 across 83 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.