Super Monkey Ball 3D

Super Monkey Ball 3D marks the series' return to its roots – to analog stick controls instead of a touchscreen or motion gestures – while also being the first entry to make full use of the Nintendo 3DS's stereoscopic 3D display. The basic principle stays the same: a monkey inside a ball is steered by tilting the playing field and must reach the goal without falling off the track, all while collecting bananas and overcoming increasingly devious traps.

The spatial perception of the track is the key difference here compared to other versions. The 3D display effect helps players better judge the distance to the edge of a platform or the depth of a drop, which for a series built on fine perspective estimation isn't a cosmetic bonus but a real change to difficulty and playstyle – many sections that would be frustrating on a classic 2D screen due to misjudged distances play noticeably differently with the 3D effect active. The game also places greater emphasis on its collection of minigames and multiplayer battles over local wireless, adapted to the single analog stick of the handheld console, and offers a selection of characters and costumes spanning the series' history. Thanks to the return of stick controls, this version sits closer to the original GameCube entries than to the touch- or motion-based experimentation of previous handheld and home console generations, and many longtime fans saw it as a return to what made the series famous after two generations of searching for other control schemes.

Why play it: Super Monkey Ball 3D is a good choice for players who prefer classic stick controls over touch or gestures and want to see just how much stereoscopic 3D can help with judging distances in a genre built on precision.