Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D grew out of the popular bonus mode Mercenaries, which first appeared in Resident Evil 4, and develops it into a standalone title focused purely on score-attack action without the classic story-driven exploration. The player chooses from characters known from several installments of the series, including Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine, and in time-limited missions tries to eliminate as many enemies as possible and achieve the highest score using combos, headshots, and efficient use of limited ammunition, with each character having a distinct set of weapons and special abilities.

On the 3DS, the game uses the stereoscopic 3D display to emphasize the depth of arenas and enemies attacking from various distances, and offers gyroscope-based controls for fine-tuning aim, which was seen in reviews as an interesting, if not universally comfortable, feature. Two-player cooperation over local wireless connection was one of the game's main draws, though it lacked online play support, which was criticized by part of the audience. The graphical presentation was detailed for a handheld of its time and managed to convey the atmosphere of the main series even in the smaller screen format, including familiar environments and enemies from previous installments.

Mercenaries 3D was received as a solid, action-packed spin-off for fans of the series looking for quick, repeatable fun without having to follow an extensive story. The lack of online multiplayer remains the most frequently mentioned shortcoming; otherwise, the game made good use of the 3DS's portable nature for short gaming sessions and repeatedly improving personal records. The variety of characters and arenas also gave players a reason to return to individual missions repeatedly and look for more efficient ways to achieve a higher score, with each character requiring a somewhat different approach and knowledge of their arsenal.