Ever since Nintendo transitioned from making toys and playing cards into the home console market, Mario has been a consistent presence in their arsenal. From the original Super Mario Bros., all the way to his greatest adventure in Super Mario Odyssey, the little guy has called multiple consoles home. But it goes without saying that some of Mario's greatest success has been on the handheld systems, where he has been the star of not just platformers, but conquered numerous different genres and styles of games.

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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 on April 10, 2024, 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 best Mario 3DS games has been updated to showcase that, adding multiple new entries and expanding on some of the previous ones. Mario's handheld games have shown to be some of the most popular in the franchise, and his 3DS titles are easily some of the best that Nintendo has ever made for their long-standing mascot.

14 Mario Party: Island Tour

Metascore: 57

• Platform(s): 3DS
• Release Date: November 22, 2013
• Developer: NDCube

Nintendo's die-hard faith in their handheld platforms was never more obvious than when they would put the next mainline title in a long-standing series on the system, as Mario Party: Island Tour is the 12th game in this storied franchise. But one of the best aspects of Island Tour is the way it offers new systems, breaking from some Mario Party traditions in some very cool ways.

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Where previous Mario Party games pit players against each other on a looping board full of traps and Bowser spaces in order to buy stars, Island Tour built 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 the Mario Party formula that sadly has not been revisited, as modern titles in the series could take a few cues from this forgotten entry.

13 Mario Party: The Top 100

Metascore: 59

Mario Party has been one of the most consistently well-made spin-off titles in 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 the mini-games, where Nintendo has shown a wonderful ability to create a huge range of unique competitions. And in Mario 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.

12 Mario Sports Superstars

Metascore: 62

• Platform(s): 3DS
• Release Date: March 24, 2017
• Developer: Bandai Namco, Camelot Software Planning

Mario and his friends are certainly no strangers to sports, as they have come together to compete in golf, football, and tennis in a number of fantastic games. But with Mario Sports Superstars, Nintendo opted to showcase multiple different events. Offering everything from horse racing to tennis, Mario Sports Superstars is one of the more underrated 3DS titles.

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Superstars also 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 overlooked Mario 3DS games and is due for some sort of revival on the Switch.

11 Mario Party: Star Rush

Metascore: 68

• Platform(s): 3DS
• Release Date: November 4, 2016
• Developer: NDCube

The Mario Party series 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.

In Mario Party: Star Rush, the main method of play is called Toad Scramble. Instead of picking icons from 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.

10 Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars

Metascore: 70

The handheld nature of the 3DS made it a perfect landing spot for the Mario Vs. Donkey Kong series, 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 Stars eventually 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 to Super Mario Maker's arrival on 3DS the following year.

9 Super Mario Maker For Nintendo 3DS

Metascore: 73

Somehow, Nintendo was able to take a game that seemed like it would translate horribly from a home console to a handheld and produced a spectacular way to play Mario Maker on the go. Although it lacks some of the scope of its bigger brothers on the Wii U and Nintendo Switch, Mario Maker on 3DS is still a great way to spend some time being creative.

Despite missing a few items and course objects, the 3DS version of Nintendo's beloved creation suite still maintains all the charm, fun, and joy of making your own Mario levels. It is just as addictive and engaging as its console counterparts, and it also features 100 levels in a mode called Super Mario Challenge. Altogether, it's a fantastic package of play and creation.

8 Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Metascore: 75

As the first handheld entry in the Paper Mario line, Sticker Star had a lot of ambition to live up to. Following the critical acclaim bestowed upon the original Paper Mario on the N64, as well as the popular Thousand-Year Door on GameCube and equally praised Super Paper Mario on Wii, there was a bit of anticipation for the first one to hit the 3DS.

While maintaining all the charm, wit, and humor found in the previous Paper Mario games, Sticker Star also made some noise by adding the sticker mechanic, as they are used for puzzles and combat. It was a bold decision, but one that paid off as it brought all the joy and heart from the console Paper Mario games to the handheld arena.

7 Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

Metascore: 76

Despite his status as a haven for pitch-perfect platforming action, Mario has also found his way into some pretty spectacular RPGs over the years. Ever since Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars on the SNES, Nintendo has cultivated a hearty stable of role-playing adventures for the Mushroom Kingdom crew.

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As per usual with Mario RPGs, it is filled with quirky humor, delightful writing, and the same great battle system previous entries had. It also has a lovely element of featuring the original Paper Mario sprite as a playable character alongside 3D Mario and Luigi, something that feels quite at home in today's era of multiverses.

6 New Super Mario Bros. 2

Metascore: 78

Among the many different forms that Mario took on the 3DS, he never strayed too far away from his platformer roots. Though the New Super Mario Bros. line has been somewhat forgotten by Nintendo these days, NSMB2 was able to satisfy the seemingly never ending need for a great 2D Mario platformer.

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It features some delightful boss battles against the Koopalings, specifically the fights against Iggy and Morton, but the final battle against Dry Bowser is a key highlight. It features a phenomenal sense of scale, as well as having one of the best final boss tracks one can find in the franchise.

5 Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

Metascore: 81

Released during Nintendo's infamous Year of Luigi in 2013, which saw other brilliant titles like Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon and New Super Luigi U, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team put Mario's brother at the forefront of this adventure. Despite Luigi's push to the front, it remains one of the most heartwarming tales involving the two brothers.

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While retaining all the brilliant aspects of previous Mario & Luigi games, Dream Team also featured some fun changes to the battle system. Shifting in and out of Luigi's dream world, Mario and his brother will transition between 2D and 3D screens, complete with some fabulous boss battles and a killer soundtrack.

4 Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions

Metascore: 81

Among the many subseries' in the franchise, it's safe to call the Mario & Luigi line one of the more consistent collections of titles that have managed to maintain a level of quality, humorous writing, and incredibly solid RPG systems. Mario& Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions is a remake of the original Gameboy Advance release from 2003, launching for Nintendo 3DS in 2017.

This enhanced remake features updated graphics and music, as well as a brand-new story called Bowser's Minions. Shown as a cute little play in Yoshi Theater, the story begins not long after Mario and Luigi defeat their first enemy and is a brilliantly funny experience.

3 Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr's Journey

Metascore: 84

This remake of one of the Gameboy Advance's best RPGs was released roughly two years into the lifespan of the Switch. If anything, it proved that despite the Switch being well on its way to becoming the monstrous success that it's become, Nintendo was somewhat justified in its continued support of the 3DS.

This release features arguably the funniest and wittiest script in the Mario & Luigi series, as well as a second story called Bowser Jr's Journey. Taking place while Bowser is busy in the main story, it focuses on Bowser Jr and the Koopalings. It's easily the best Mario & Luigi game, a fabulous package that is one of the little plumber's finest works to date.

2 Mario Kart 7

Metascore: 85

Nintendo's faith in the 3DS was something to behold, as they weren't shy about throwing mainline entries of their popular franchises on it. And it was with Mario Kart 7 that Nintendo was able to produce not just one of the best entries in their long-running series but also to create one of the greatest handheld racing games ever made.

Mario Kart 7 features some of the best tracks in the franchise, with courses like Neo Bowser City, Daisy Hills, and the spectacular new revision of Rainbow Road being some highlights. Additionally, the roster boasts the likes of Mario, Rosalina, Yoshi, and Bowser and also marks the debut of Shy Guy as a playable racer for the first time.

1 Super Mario 3D Land

Metascore: 90

If there's one thing that Nintendo knew about Mario's handheld adventures, it was that he was most at home on a platformer. Setting the tone for Super Mario 3D World to release on the Wii U a couple of years later, 3D Land is easily one of the finest 3D platformers on the system and a fabulously designed game from start to finish.

The stages were built around building up multiple mechanics within a single level. They would be established, refined and then done away with as a way to keep the player engaged. This unique system paired with Nintendo's usual flair for colorful worlds and sound design was a perfect fit for one of Mario's most incredible releases.

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