While Nintendo’s home console is struggling against its newer competitors, the 3DS has a firm grasp on the handheld market. The fact that this system can sell, even survive, in a world where most people have games on their phones with them at all times, is astounding. A system is only as good as its games, and the 3DS definitely has plenty to offer. Here are my top 5 games to play on your 3DS.

5. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon

2013 was Nintendo’s ‘year of Luigi’, and what better way to pay respect to the eternal second fiddle than with his own game? Luigi’s Mansion was originally a launch title for the Gamecube, and in my opinion, one of the best games of the system. The most common criticism of the original was that the game was too short, and a sequel is a good way of addressing that problem. The game added a lot of cool gameplay elements and new environments to be a great sequel to the first, while keeping some of the quirks that made the original great. Luigi’s reenactment of the ghostbusters is extremely fun and worth playing through.

4. Phoenix Wright, Dual Destinies

The mark of a good system is a strong diverse library of titles for people of different tastes. Phoenix Wright Dual Destinies is a great game for people who enjoy a strong story in their game. Dialogue is everything as you try to solve crimes, and prove them guilty in the courtroom. Phoenix Wright does not add too much new to the series, and mechanics are introduced throughout the game to assist in your cases. I feel like I would not be doing my job properly if I did not include this overused joke, but there are no ‘Objections!’ to this great game.

3. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D

When it comes to platformers, Nintendo knows what they are doing. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D is a great game for anyone looking for a good challenge. While Mario is the standard for a platformer and they are usually very solid games, DKCR beats New Super Mario Bros 2 as a platformer because of the level of difficulty and game feel. The game looks and plays great, each level is unique in its own world and the game never gets dull. Some advice I have to offer on this game is to take a break if a boss or level is giving you problems. I usually was able to beat a level on my first try after putting the 3DS down for a day.

2. Fire Emblem: Awakening

Fire Emblem: Awakening is the latest game in the longstanding fire emblem series, best known for adding characters to Super Smash Bros. that nobody’s ever heard of. If you have wanted to know where Marth, Ike and Roy come from, you should look into the series, and Awakening is the perfect game to start. The pairing system added a new layer to the already in-depth strategy. You control a small group of soldiers and move them around a chessboard-like battlefield. Awakening has beautiful animations, an interesting story and the most complex strategic gameplay on the system as of now.

1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

The legend of Zelda, while not struggling as much as some other franchises like Sonic the Hedgehog over the past few, has not had a strong new entry in the franchise since, arguably, Twilight Princess. Skyward Sword and Phantom Hourglass were alright, but Zelda as a series has historically been a favorite of gamers. Ocarina of Time is widely considered to be one of the most revolutionary games of all time, along with other great titles like the original pokemon games and even Tetris. A Link Between Worlds made a promise to call back to the days before Ocarina, specifically to A Link to The Past, but also modernize what people liked about the game. Link Between Worlds does exactly that with the item rental system, the open world dungeons and the ability to play the game in short bursts that is so important to handheld systems. If you own a 3DS and you do not yet own this game, you should attempt to fix the problem as soon as you can.

2014 is already looking great for the 3DS, with upcoming releases like Bravely Default, Super Smash Bros. and another Donkey Kong country. Hopefully this list will be completely different by this time next year.