Hidden Gems: 8 3DS games that (almost) everybody forgot

We've already looked at the Vita's hoard of hidden treasure, so now it's time to examine the 3DS's equivalent.

Since Nintendo's portable has seen a steady stream of games since its debut, several have naturally plunged into obscurity - which can be either a good or a bad thing, depending on the title in question.

Anyway, we're not interested in the stinkers; on the contrary, it's the quality titles that should be brought to the forefront, and there are quite a few of those.

Whatever your reason for skipping the following games the first time around, you've no excuse now: pick up a cartridge or hit the eShop, because these entries deserve your attention.

Though it may have sold a ton of units, nobody ever talks about Street Fighter 3D anymore; and since this is the best fighting game on the 3DS (excepting the magnificent Super Smash Bros), that situation needs to change.

Anyone who picked up a 3DS late in the game may have skipped Street Fighter 3D due to its being a launch title, so if you fall into that category, consider adding some hadouken to your portable library.

Joining Street Fighter 3D as an initial member of the 3DS roster, Steel Diver is tactical, intense, and rewardingly difficult, yet even that can't compensate for its crippling lack of content.

However, though the game will probably disappoint if purchased at retail price, most stores have it for much lower. If you can snatch it up from the bargain bin, Steel Diver's submarine action is sure to satisfy.

Pilotwings Resort completes the original trilogy of good 3DS games, and like Steel Diver, it's a fun experience whose only major flaw is its brevity.

But Pilotwings Resort shares another thing with its submersible contemporary: it, too, is currently priced far below retail, which compensates for its shortness. If "breezy-yet-challenging flight sim with a neat 3D effect" sounds enticing, then it's likely that you'll enjoy this one.

The payment model featured in Rusty's Real Deal Baseball is one of the most unique I've ever seen, and not just among Nintendo games.

Ordinarily, you'd pay $40 to unlock each of the included minigames; but, by haggling with the titular character on each individual purchase, you can bring the price down to $16, saving $24 of real-world cash.

The minigames are pretty entertaining too - think WarioWare with a baseball backdrop.

Level-5's well known for its masterful RPGs, yet none of those other titles can equal the ridiculous premise of Inazuma Eleven, which combines soccer and RPG mechanics to great effect.

However, the latter takes precedence over the former, as this is much more a role-playing battler than an actual football game. The 3DS rerelease adds stereoscopic 3D and widescreen visuals while keeping the core elements intact - a wise decision, indeed.

A mix of Tetris and those wacky Japanese game shows where contestants have to match their bodies to cutouts in a rapidly approaching styrofoam wall (whew!), Ketzal's Corridors is as reflexive as it is cerebral, and that's its best feature.

Its second best feature is - surprisingly enough - the spectacular 3D effect, which adds a stunning level of immersion to the corridor-traversing gameplay.

Sure, it's got the same hook as Pokémon (namely, monster collecting), but Shin Megami Tensei IV is a lot less child-friendy than Game Freak's flagship series; its demons are "just terrifying" instead of "terrifyingly cute."

And though the story and out-of-battle segments are a bit rough, the loop of acquiring and fusing demons to create enemy-wrecking typhoons of destruction never gets old.

Unlike most individuals, I actually enjoy revisiting the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series on the DS, and that's probably because of nostalgia rather than the gameplay itself.

The same can't be said for Etrian Mystery Dungeon - no, this is a game that stands on its own strengths, such as extensive party customization and taxing enemy encounters that'll send you back to square one if you're not careful.

Fans of roguelikes, this is your ideal 3DS game.