Super Paper Mario
The 3DS already has one Paper Mario game (and approximately 30 games starring the mustachioed plumber), but hear us out. Super Paper Mario was originally planned as one of the final GameCube games, but Nintendo shrewdly moved it to the Wii early in that systems lifespan. While it was a great experience, the controls were a little weaker in the transition, so pushing it to the 3DS would give the title the analogue controls it was designed to have.
Additionally, Paper Mario: Sticker Star proved that the flat variation on Marios world looks great on the 3DS, and the gameplay conceit of Super Paper Mario would enhance it further. The visual effect of continually flipping between 2D and 3D worlds would benefit from the extra heft that stereoscopic visuals would give the title. Early Wii adopters got to enjoy the smart gameplay and even cleverer writing of this platformer, but every 3DS owner deserves the same exciting adventure.
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Some Silent Hill fans might think the series has been in the crapper since developer Team Silent was dismissed after the fourth game, but Climax Studios did their best to renew the franchise. Climax returned to the original, kept it creepy, but made the proceedings even more internal and personally torturous. The city of Silent Hill has always externalized the inner torment of the protagonist, but Shattered Memories did it in an impressively human way.
Outside of the emotional tale it tells, Shattered Memories also succeeds in creating a disturbing, dimly lit Silent Hill thats worth exploring. Luigis Mansion: Dark Moon already proved that the 3DS is great at creating atmosphere with shadows and a flashlight, so just imagine how that would work with flesh-eating, shrieking monsters. Also, a 3DS port could correct the mistakes of previous handheld port that came to the PSP.
The Last Story
The title of this touching JRPG might've been a self-fulfilling prophecy: As one of the last original Wii exclusives, hardly anybody noticed when it arrived stateside in 2012 amidst a wave of Wii U hype. That's a damn shame, because The Last Story is an enchanting tale of warring nations and the band of mercenaries stuck between them, set against the backdrop of a unique, apocalyptic landscape.
This is essentially a Final Fantasy entry in everything but name--not all that surprising, given that the game's director, Hironobu Sakaguchi, was involved in the production of nearly every Final Fantasy ever made. A 3DS version would give The Last Story a new lease on life, welcoming in a new legion of fans with open arms.
C-Stick it to the man
So, have we teased your imagination with the prospect of these would-be 3DS greats? Original IPs are always welcome, of course - but sometimes, it's a joyous experience to play something familiar in a whole new way. Did we miss any major candidates? Let us know in the comments!
And if you're looking for more, check out 25 upcoming 3DS games for 2013 and beyond and Franchises that should be resurrected on the Vita.
