3DS, Which game should I get first?

[Pumpkin]

I will be getting a 3DS probably sometime in the next few months and after a purchase that big, I'll only be able to get one game for now. But there are 4 that I want! Which one should I go for first and why?

Pokemon X/Y
Fire Emblem: Awakening
Bravely Default
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

[Vyk]

Fire Emblem and Zelda do what they're best at and do it well. Very well. But it's almost exclusively grid combat, and roaming hack'n'slash respectively. I can't speak on Pokemon, but Bravely Default, is a full fledged, well rounded adventure. It and Fire Emblem would be pretty up there for character development and interactions, as well as story. But outside of that, you can't wander around and explore too much with Fire Emblem. And there's not a lot of characterization in Zelda. So I think Bravely Default is the best starter game out of those three, to give you a very healthy portion of everything. Exploration, story, characters, combat, etc.

But I mean, if you're in the mood for some puzzle solving baddy thwacking, then Zelda is for you. Or if you're really in the mood to play one of the best tactical RPGs ever, with excellent story and characters, then Fire Emblem for sure. Otherwise, Bravely Default (or possibly Pokemon? Unsure what they've done with this one)

[Bolivar]

I'd vote for Fire Emblem. With all the free bonus content and the lengthy story it's the best bang for your buck and it's just that damn good.

[Vyk]

I should note that Fire Emblem sounded so good to me that I bought it without even owning a 3DS yet, and we borrowed my girlfriend's friend's 3DS to play it. And I certainly did not regret it being my first game. I'm sure Bolivar would understand that I'm still waiting for the next Shining Force in strategy games, where I can roam the world map and explore and interact with NPCs and characters between combat and cut scenes. But that's an unfair judgement on my part since only one tactical series ever let anyone do that, and as far as standards in tactical games go, this one has the best of just about everything else. And the fantastic story and character interactions both in and out of combat more than make up for any bias I'd have against its lack of anything. I certainly don't regret it being my first 3DS game

[Skyblade]

Preferred style is definitely the question here. If you prefer one particular game type over another, choose that one. They are all excellent titles, so personal preference is a great decider.

That said, I'll do some break down and analysis of them for you.

Fire Emblem Awakening: Fantastic game. Lengthy story, huge amounts of content, tons of customization and replayability. That said, it is also one of the most questionable titles on the list. If you do not like turned based tactics games, you are not going to like Fire Emblem. As fantastic as the game is, it is almost all combat. There are dialogue scenes, but it doesn't have the world and town exploration of Shining Force or even that of Final Fantasy Tactics. It is basically either combat or character work, the entire time (and the character development is either story, or the Support system, which feeds right back into the combat, as excellent as the Support conversations are). If you aren't sure if you like the combat system, borrow it first, and try it out. With that caveat out of the way, however, the combat is strong and has an incredible amount of customization available (and it rewards you well for the effort you put in), the characters and story are fantastic, and the gameplay systems that tie them all together are incredible well designed. The game does have some flaws, mostly a lack of proper balancing for the new features in the game's higher difficulties. Difficulty Discussion.Do not play on Lunatic+. It is not fun. Easy is quite fun, and can provide a little challenge to newcomers, but it teaches you at an excellent pace, and gives you the tools you need to get around anything giving you trouble. Hard is probably my favorite difficulty, as even Lunatic is just more punishing than it needs to be. But the core of the game is simply brilliant, and I have gotten hundreds of hours out of it over the last year. It is my favorite title on the list (although Bravely Default might be eclipsing it, but I won't know until I finish it), but make sure you like the type of game first.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds: This is an easy one to recommend to everyone. It has near flawless technical execution (I have noted only a singular design problem, and it is on a minigame), and is probably the best Legend of Zelda game to date (definitely the best 2D one). It is simply beautiful. It also fixes a couple of the small problems that the games have had in the past. Items now get much more extensive use around the world than they did in previous games (use the Spinner for the Arbiter's Grounds, then completely forget about it), due to the new rental system. The retooled regenerating magic bar and its tie to Bombs and Arrows eliminates all your consumables except Potions, and makes the Magic Rods actually usable. The world is cleverly designed, not only with nods to A Link to the Past, but also tons of brilliant ideas in its own right, such as the puzzle rooms, which both teach you how to use an item and test you on your mastery of it, and reward you with some Rupees. This game is a must-have for the system.

Bravely Default: Where the Fairy Flies: Buy this game. Maybe not first, but buy it. If you have ever been a fan of the Final Fantasy series, you need to own this game. It is the best title Square has released since Final Fantasy VII. And this is coming from a guy who played Final Fantasy Type-0 (which you should buy if it ever gets a translation), and is one of the biggest fans ever of the Final Fantasy Tactics Advance games. Similar to A Link Between Worlds, the execution of this game is nearly flawless (the same can not be said for many other Square fan favorites, such as FFIX. Great game, but it had quite a few technical problems). The job system is fantastic, the story and characters are strong, the world is compelling, and the extra little features just make it shine. D's Journal and the Item encyclopedia? Brilliant. The Tales-series style character conversations? Brilliant. The sub-quests to get extra jobs? Brilliant. Customizable difficulty, encounter rates, and customizable New Game+ feature? Completely Frelling Brilliant. You need to buy this game. It is simply too good to pass up.

Pokémon X and Y: Honestly, my least favorite title on the list. It's good, and I like almost all of the new Pokémon. I like the 3D presentation and a lot of the new systems. But I hate and loathe certain aspects of the story, and I found myself running out of content in this game far faster than I had any of the others on this list. Although it has just as much depth and customization as the series has ever had, it also gives as much actual reward for that effort as it always has: None. There is simply nothing to do with your Pokémon after you complete the story. The Friend Safari or Battle Maison are essentially all that's left. One is a crushing disappointment, and the other is incredibly unfair and overly punishing. Not to mention, neither has any story content. At least Fire Emblem Awakening gives you the option to get things like Priam's StreetPass map, or the DLCs like Apotheosis or The Future Past. Pokémon feels like a big grind to a finale that never comes. This is a good game, you'll get a lot of fun out of it during your first run, and then you'll put it aside and probably never get back to it, unless you really like multiplayer battles. There is simply no other content (and GameFreak still only gives you one save file and no New Game+ feature). It's a fun game, but I can't recommend it over the others, simply because it is completely lacking in replayability. If you can only get one game, get one that you can enjoy over and over and over again. Until they at least give us multiple save files, Pokémon will never fit that requirement.

[Ayen]

Bravely Default.

[Fynn]

Bravely Default. C'mon, shion. Don't leave summoner Agnès waiting!

[Pumpkin]

Well boyfriend surprised me by getting me one of these today . I was going to get Bravely Default, but between two gamestops we only saw 2 copies of Fire Emblem Awakening compared to about a bajillion of the other games. So to avoid having to go looking for it or ordering it online, we got that one. Then we got the system relatively cheap so we got a second game, Pokemon X, because that way I have a more silly fun game and a more indepth one, but it turns out my system didn't come with an SD card so I can't even play Pokemon . Plus both of those games were used and we saved some money that way too.

Bravely Default is next on my list (maybe for my birthday) and the Zelda . After that there are a few more I want to try like the Scribblenauts one, but that isn't high on my priority list.

Also, thanks for the very nice and detailed replies, everyone!

[Skyblade]

Don't forget that Pokemon Bank is out now, shion. Don't wait to get your Celebii!

[Del Murder]

All four are great options. I've played Pokemon and Fire Emblem and they are both amazing. I also have Zelda but haven't gotten to it yet. I also want to one day play Bravely Default due to all the praise it gets here and elsewhere. I ended up picking that one because, well, this is a Square-Enix fan site.

[Madame Adequate]

The correct answer was actually Etrian Odyssey IV.

[Pike]

Not gonna lie, my favorite game out of the ones on the list is Pokemon X/Y.

But then I'm kind of in love with Pokemon so I might be biased.