Yes, you read that right; instead of listing a load of emulators that barely work or programs held together with string (or cancelled projects), we’ve got the Best Nintendo 3DS emulator on the internet for you to check out!
Why would you want to spend your time searching through Reddit or reading tonnes of reviews when you could just get the information on the emulator that actually works and give you good results? That’s time you could be using to play Luigi’s Mansion 2 or making a cake for your partner in the shape of the Triforce!
The Nintendo 3DS will forever have my gratitude for being the first handheld to bring Ocarina of Time to the scene (officially, at any rate). That and A Link Between Worlds will never stop being my favourite games to play on Nintendo’s late-great handheld.
But while the handheld has been discontinued, Nintendo 3DS Emulators have been trying to keep it alive (when lawsuits haven’t been filed, that is).
Honestly, you don’t need a top 10 for this list – there’s currently only one worth its salt out there. Obviously, we’ll update this article as more worthy emulators show themselves, but for now, stay away from the knockoffs and pick a program you can trust!
1. Panda3DS
- Open source
- Windows, Mac, Linux
Everyone loves Red Pandas; that’s a fact that I am not even going to look anymore into because I wholeheartedly believe it. That’s probably why I’ve been so drawn to Panda3DS, a new 3DS emulator that is looking to push the boundaries of 3DS emulation.
This is an open-source program looking to champion modding tools, debugging, and virtualisation. It’s in its infancy, and the team behind it isn’t trying to hide the fact that some games work and some tank miserably. They’re not afraid to show their flaws and know that there is room for improvement, which is why the Retro Gaming community is getting behind them.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 is up and running on the emulator too as you can see from the video above, with smooth controls and sequences working perfectly and no massive glitches popping up so far. Graphically, it’s all looking impressive so far. We’re looking forward to seeing how Panda3DS develops over the coming months and hopefully watching it go from strength to strength while testing it out in more detail with our (legally acquired) ROMS along the way!
Seb Santabarbara has bought every Nintendo console that has ever been released in his 34 years on Planet Earth. His favourite game franchise is Zelda, and he’s patiently waiting for Banjo-Kazooie to come back to the fold. When he’s not playing games, he’s travelling the world in his self-converted camper van.
