The Best Multiplayer Games on 3DS

The 3DS was never thought of primarily as a multiplayer platform, but it built one of the richest local and online multiplayer libraries of any handheld. Here are the standout experiences.

Mario Kart 7 — The Evergreen Racer

Mario Kart 7 supported up to eight players via local wireless and online. The addition of kart customization — mix-and-match bodies, wheels, and gliders — gave competitive players real tuning depth. The underwater and gliding sections added variety to the classic formula without overcrowding it. Years after release, players were still finding people online.

Super Smash Bros. for 3DS

A full-featured Smash Bros. on handheld was something fans had wanted for over a decade. The roster was enormous, the online modes worked surprisingly well (smash run's local-only requirement aside), and it was genuinely impressive technical feat on the hardware. For local play, it remains one of the best pick-up-and-play fighting game experiences anywhere.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

Co-op Monster Hunter on 3DS was transformative. The ability to form a hunting party of four — locally or online — and tackle high-rank monsters together built the kind of camaraderie usually reserved for MMOs. Each session felt earned.

Download Play

One underappreciated feature: Download Play allowed friends to play local multiplayer from a single game cartridge. Mario Kart 7 and multiple Pokémon games supported it. It lowered the barrier to social gaming enormously — one person owned the game, everyone joined the session.

StreetPass

Not exactly traditional multiplayer, but StreetPass deserves mention. Passing another 3DS owner on the street silently exchanged game data — Mii characters for StreetPass Quest, ghost data for Mario Kart, puzzle pieces. In dense urban areas this was a constant, delightful background interaction.

Conclusion

The 3DS multiplayer ecosystem was underrated. Whether through cartridge sharing, local wireless, or online matchmaking, it offered more social gaming options than its size suggested.