Hardest Nintendo 3DS Games

Nintendo might be most well-known for putting out systems that appeal to a more casual audience, but considering just how many developers are eager to make games for these consoles, it's inevitable that there would be at least a few games that end up being much harder in their overall difficulty. The 3DS is a prime example of this, having a plethora of titles that many people consider to be pretty challenging, and in some cases, downright unforgiving in how they play.

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Though some of these games are very big names, some are a little more obscure and niche that really should be spoken about a lot more, considering how satisfying it can be to finally beat them.

7 Monster Hunter Generations

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.65

Admittedly, Monster Hunter Generation's difficulty isn't too dissimilar from previous entries in the series. Still, as anyone who has any amount of experience with the series will know all too well, these games are well known for becoming incredibly difficult as they go along. The reason for this is that it plays into the whole gameplay loop of upgrading and acquiring new gear to then hunt down a brand new powerful beast, but Generations doesn't pull any punches with its monsters, especially later down the line once the Deviants and Elder Dragons start showing up.

It's also without a doubt one of the more "complex" Monster Hunter games, in the sense that it throws a lot of mechanics and systems the player's way all in the first few hours. As a result, learning to utilize Hunting Styles, Hunting Arts, and Signature Moves during a battle can take a lot of getting used to, but it's also important to learn them all as quickly as possible since they're all essential tools that are necessary for dealing with the game's most dangerous enemies.

6 Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.72

• Platform: Nintendo 3DS
• Released: August 23, 2011
• Developer: Atlus, Career Soft

While seasoned Shin Megami Tensei fans will at least know what they're jumping into when booting up Devil Survivor Overclocked, it can be an outright merciless experience for newcomers, especially considering that it doesn't do the best job at actually explaining all of its complex systems to the player. To keep up with the enemies, who only get stronger and more intimidating as the game goes along, players will need to be constantly cracking new skills to use in battle, alongside keeping their demons at high levels so that they aren't one-shot at the beginning of a fight, which is a very common occurrence.

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Speaking of the demons, these devilish little creatures essentially act as supporting units for the human characters, but because the player will have to control up to four entire teams of demons at one time, it means that using them all effectively is far from easy. Additionally, the staggering amount of passive and active abilities that each character has can also be difficult to know how to use, especially in those first few hours when everything is still new.

5 Shin Megami Tensei 4

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.81

As if Devil Survivor Overclocked wasn't already challenging enough, Atlus decided to double down with Shin Megami Tensei 4, resulting in what many consider to be the hardest mainline game in the series to date. A huge reason why the game can be so unforgiving is because of how unreliable the grinding is, with each battle only gifting players with tiny stat buffs and barely any EXP. As a result, players can't just grow their party to become absurdly overpowered, but instead, are encouraged to use clever strategies and demonic powers to overcome the enemy.

When talking about Shin Megami Tensei 4, it's also very important to bring up the critical hits, which can be incredibly frustrating to deal with, especially because if an enemy manages to land just one of them, they can instantly wipe out the entire party in a mere few seconds. Buffs and debuffs also play an incredibly important role in the battle system, so forgetting to use them can quickly lead to a Game Over screen for most of the tougher battles later in the game.

4 Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.85

Despite the 3DS version of Donkey Kong Country Returns having its difficulty purposefully dialed down from the Wii port, it still manages to be one of the most arduous entries in its series, which is certainly saying something given its reputation. Of course, punishing platforming sections and relentless enemy types are expected from a Donkey Kong game, but the timing window for Donkey Kong's movements is so precise that it can make super jumping and dodging extremely difficult to pull off, let alone master.

Aside from the base levels, which already pose a pretty considerable challenge on their own, there are also the K levels, which are considered so difficult that only the most experienced platforming fans will be able to take them on without ripping their hair out in the process. Ultimately, a lot of longtime Donkey Kong fans appreciated this return to form as a nice breath of fresh air from the more accessible platformers that were being released at the time.

3 Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.85

Because Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey was a cooperative product between Atlus and Lancarse, it feels quite different in tone and atmosphere to the other SMT games, but it does still carry over many of the core gameplay mechanics, and the series' brutal difficulty too. Just like previous entries, a big part of the game revolves around recruiting demons who can then be used in battle, but acquiring them is much harder this time around because of the alignment system, which allows demons to turn down the player's request if they don't align with them on a moral basis.

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Additionally, while demons are immensely powerful assets during an intense fight, it's not always guaranteed that they'll remain loyal to the player, since it can be easy for them to refuse certain commands, or even go against the player, depending on certain actions made throughout the story. This adds a lot of unpredictability to the gameplay, which makes it more or less impossible to rely on a dependable playstyle, so luck does play a very big part in judging whether a battle will go according to plan, or if it will result in a Game Over screen.

2 Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.85

When the Fire Emblem Fates set of games was first announced, Conquest was pitched as being the hardest of the three, and the game that hardcore Fire Emblem fans would get the most enjoyment out of. It's fair to say that Intelligent Systems certainly wasn't lying when they said this, with Conquest being just as, if not more brutal than the classic games due to its merciless map design and lethal enemy types.

Though the game has some amazing maps that are packed full of detail, many of them are also specifically designed to work against the player most of the time, with there always being ambush spots where enemies can pop up, along with plenty of small environmental hazards that can inflict debuffs on any units standing near them. Many of the enemies are also designed to dish out an absurd amount of damage, often through the use of Dual Strikes, which can pretty much kill a character outright if both attacks land, and if permadeath is on, it means that character will be gone for the rest of a playthrough. In fact, Fire Emblem: Conquest reignited the age-old discussion about whether difficulty makes a game more fun, which hasn't been discussed with Fire Emblem in mind ever since Sacred Stones for the GBA.

1 VVVVVV

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 4.11

• Platform: Nintendo 3DS
• Released: December 29, 2011
• Developer: Terry Cavanagh

On the surface, VVVVVV can seem like any other retro 2D platformer title, but in reality, it's a very tough experience that, while not impossible, is still extremely difficult to play through from start to finish. Players aren't able to jump in VVVVVV, but instead, they can reverse the direction of gravity to cling to specific surfaces. Because of the way the levels are designed, it means that most of the platforms are right next to a layer of spikes or a patrolling enemy, so players need to be extra sure that flipping surfaces won't just lead to them dying.

There may only be eight main levels in the game to run through, but because of how large and expansive each of them is, it's all too easy to get completely lost when there can be upwards of 400 rooms in a given area at one time. Things only become more challenging once moving platforms and optical illusions also start being thrown into the mix. Combine this with a severe lack of checkpoints, and it results in VVVVVV being a very unique, but also incredibly hard 3DS, platformer to complete.

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