Lets talk about your favorite 3DS eshop games which may be already known or perhaps hidden gems others can discover.
Pocket Card Jockey
This game is from Game Freak. I'm not the biggest card game fan but this game combines a few different genres pretty damn nicely. It is a blast to play for the most part (I don't like losing races) and I find myself in the mode of one more race.. one more race... and then a hour or two has gone by. Probably put about 9 hours into the game so far which is pretty decent considering I barely just got the game.
I still don't win as much but my horses suck even with collecting most of the power up bonuses throughout the races. I suppose you have to go a few times in growth and mature mode till you get better horses to keep breeding better foals. Game is brutal sometimes and forgiving other times depending on the cup and hand dealt. Leveling up doesn't seem to boost the horse too much either.
Pocket Card Jockey has pretty high reviews from almost every site that has reviewed it.
SteamWorld Dig
SteamWorld Dig was a blast to play. It wasn't that challenging but I had fun the entire time I played this game. Basically you just try to dig the correct path down while trying to collect all the nuggets. This game is worth the money but if price seems too much then just wait for it to go on sale because it has been on sales a few times already.
Pushmo
This is a unique puzzle game that was made by Intelligent Systems. There have been a few spinoffs like Crashmo and Stretchmo but Pushmo is probably the must have if you haven't played any of them yet. Basically you just pull blocks in and out till you reach the top. You have side pulls which allow you to pull the block all the way out and other simple strategies are involved. Some of the courses are pretty damn easy (especially the first few worlds) but then it starts getting harder. Some levels I just give up playing the game and then when I come back to it I figure it out. Usually get a doh! moment when you realize it wasn't as hard as it seemed before. Classic puzzle game for anyone that like puzzle genre.
Glory of Generals: The Pacific
Okay this game has gotten some pretty bad reviews but it seems most people reviewing the game aren't turn based strategy fans. This game goes on sale all the time so you should be able to pick it up for about 2-3 dollars I believe. Missions can be challenging and it almost makes you want to dip into play coins to get heal packs instead of just being able to heal one unit every turn for 80 gold. The heal packs for playcoins are pretty cheap and I try to avoid using them but some of the levels they throw so much shit at you that it is almost needed. The generals are pretty expensive but after a few days of walking around and getting play coins you can afford pretty much anyone you want. My main gripe is that finishing the levels doesn't give you as much reward. You should be able to buy generals through beating levels instead of relying on play coins to turn in.
Game plays like Panzer General pretty much. Translations aren't the greatest (I believe the publisher is Chinese) but it isn't that bad and you can get the point of each mission pretty damn quickly. Units are decently varied with infantry, tanks, artillery and ships. Each of those units have a few variations such as light, medium and heavy tank. Combat can be a little random but usually the best method is surrounding opponents with multiple units to get them with a negative status which makes them take more damage. Avoid this game if you aren't a turn based strategy fan. Even if you are you might not like it but I've enjoyed my time playing it.
Let's 3D Golf
Not a blockbuster of an eshop game but this is a solid golf game. I purchased this while I was waiting for Mario Golf to be released. It pretty much is a Hot Shots clone. Your characters have a special move they can use which usually helps with ball placement or hitting it longer. The courses are varied enough and this game is almost on par with Mario Golf. So if you don't want to splurge that much on a golf game this is a nice pick up.
Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword
This game is fun until you get to the end boss... Has a bunch of different levels with you taking on a lot of varied opponents like spearmen, swordsmen, archers, etc.. There are also little skill games to play which are decent but reminds of people playing fruit ninja. This game is all about timing. You have to time when your opponent is about to attack. Time it correctly and then you can counterattack. This game doesn't get as much shout outs as it deserves.
Gunman Clive 1 & 2
Most of you probably already heard about this game or played it. Most reviewers compare it to a Mega Man type of clone. Perhaps it kind of is but it isn't as difficult. Sure I've died a few many times on a few levels but most levels aren't too difficult. Not as big of a game but has a decent amount of levels to it. Price is pretty low so dropping a dollar or two on it is well worth the time played.
WoahDave
Got this game free in a humble bundle awhile back. I believe the base price of game is 4.99 or 5.99 which seems a little steep at first glance of game. Graphics are retro blocky characters and kind of looks like shit probably to most current gamers but I grew up playing Atari 2600 first so I don't give a shit. I believe they did it on purpose for a retro look.
The main focus of game is of course gameplay. Gameplay is very simple. You pick up eggs (before they hatch) and throw them at enemies and sometimes you get the clear block which wipes out all enemies on stage. I wasn't that impressed at first but it was simple and fun. The main draw of the game is just to see how far you can go before you get overwhelmed. Gets a little crazy once the level goes for a bit. Gameplay is solid but the price of this game is a little steep. If you like an old school arcade game with solid controls then this game might be for you.
Retro City Rampage DX
Supposedly this is one of the publishers that got burned on Wii Shop because they didn't meet the sales target but he was generous enough to put it on 3DS even after getting burned by the Wii Shop. I actually got it on Wii Shop after seeing the article on NintendoLife about he frustrations but still willingness to release the game on the 3DS eshop (without the bullshit sales target rule of the original Wii Shop).
Enough of the history lesson and onto the game... This game is pretty much a GTA clone with a bunch of retro video game references thrown into the storyline. Some of them are cheesy and some are actually kind of funny. I enjoyed seeing the turtles pop out of the sewer in the start of the game and having a copy of the terrible bomb disposal level in the Turtles NES game. Luckily it isn't as hard as that was. Missions are pretty varied and you will notice old school game references out the ass. I enjoyed the Smash TV levels a lot. So if you like GTA 1/2 then you will like this game.
Zen Pinball 3D
Unlike the Zen Pinballs on other systems this release just has 4 tables included with no option to buy more tables. The tables are Excalibur, Earth Defense Force, Shaman, and El Dorado. I listed the tables in my favortie to least favorite tables. Game is pretty top notch but sometimes you will notice a little slowdown. It doesn't happen too often and isn't that bad so it isn't game breaking at all. Basically you will just notice it everyonce in awhile get a little slow. If you enjoy pinball games then this is a pretty good pickup for pinball on the go.
*Thread is a work in progress*
