I’ve loved my 3DS from the moment I got my hands on it.  It’s a great portable with a lot of really fun applications, and I had a great time playing through Ocarina of Time again, only this time… in the third dimension! Of course it’s no secret that the initial months of the handheld’s release were pretty lackluster, with not many other must-have games besides Ocarina.  But that all changed over the past few months.

First, Nintendo provided the system with a massive software update, which included, among other things, the ability to record 3D video, along with an impressive amount of new content to the StreetPass games that originally came included with the system. It might not seem like much, but let me tell you, these games are addicting.  There are 7 new Nintendo-themed puzzles in Puzzle Swap, and these are much harder to complete than the original 7.  Then there’s Find Mii II, the sequel to the original Find Mii game, where you have to use Mii’s that you collect from other people to rescue your Mii that has been kidnapped by ghosts.  It may sound like pure lunacy to the uninitiated, but if you’re like me and are obsessed with collecting as many hats as possible for your Mii to wear, this is a huge addition to the system.

But the Big N didn’t stop there – they also released two AAA titles in rapid succession of each other, Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7.  Both of these games are insanely fun, and the fact that they both came out so close to each other means that you can go back and forth between the two games if either one has you stuck on a tough level.  I’d been on a bit of a Mario 3D Land kick lately, and I was finally able to get through the first 8 Worlds, while collecting all of the Star Coins along the way.  Now I just have to tackle the 8 remaining Special worlds. The game has been a total blast to play, as it somehow is able to blend the styles of the New Super Mario Bros. games with that of the Super Mario Galaxy series. The result is straight-forward mechanics, fun power-ups, and levels that are simple to get through, but made more challenging if you want to find every secret as you go. And there was also a brilliantly done psych-out that reminded me of the great ending of SMB3. (Remember when video games had fun screwing with you, before there was an internet full of spoilers?)

There’s never been a bad Mario Kart game, and MK7 continues the tradition of great tracks and fast-paced action.  The game has introduced the ability to drive underwater and to sail through the air with gliders, which are both used to great effect.  There are also plenty of little shortcuts to be found along the way, which harkens back to the old days of the franchise and make things really interesting in close races.  So far I’ve gotten Gold medals in the 50cc and 100cc classes, and am so far struggling with the tougher 150cc races. I’m loving the game so far, but I do wish that there were more characters available from the get go. And why does the Mii character sound like a disfigured Toad-Yoshi hybrid? And this is a more general gripe, but I wish the series would go back to having five tracks in every cup like there were in Super Mario Kart, instead of the now standard four.

But the greatest thing about both of these new games is how well they use the 3D to enhance the gameplay.  Naysayers had cried foul that the 3D effect was just a gimmick that wouldn’t make much of a difference in how the games were played.  And that was true in Ocarina, which was originally a 2D game that had been retrofitted with 3D effects.  The 3D in Ocarina is definitely cool, but it didn’t really “do” anything. That’s less true in Mario Kart 7, where the added depth helps players get a better sense of where things are on the track. But the 3D is used to maximum effect in Super Mario 3D Land, where certain puzzles and levels would be much tougher to get through if you had the 3D turned off.

All in all, I have once again found myself with a Nintendo handheld system that makes my commute infinitely more fun. And while I’m looking forward to the next batch of games for the 3DS, I’m also sure that I’ll be hunting for hats, puzzle pieces, Star Coins, and every last kart unlockable for the foreseeable future. And really, what more could a guy ask for?