Opinion

The 20 best DS games for 20 years of Nintendo DS

17/12/2024

Translation: machine translated

The Nintendo DS celebrated its 20th birthday on 21 November 2024. To mark the occasion, I present 20 of the best games for Nintendo's successful handheld.

I recently reviewed the success story of the Nintendo DS. It shows that the innovation of the DS hardware was more important than the sheer performance of Sony's PSP. The many great games contributed to its success

That's why I'm presenting my 20 favourites - plus an insider tip from colleague Domagoj Belancic. The average playing time was taken from howlongtobeat.com. The games are listed in chronological order according to their release date in Europe.

"WarioWare Touched!"

In the demo video, you can see how players of "WarioWare Touched!" were able to game the mobile game "Fruit Ninja" on the Nintendo DS years earlier. It is just one of 180 so-called "microgames" in which you have to solve bizarre tasks correctly within a few seconds using a microphone and touch controls. As a launch title, "WarioWare Touched!" proved at the time just how different Nintendo's new handheld really is. What the short game lacks, however, is a multiplayer mode. At least the successors got that. Nevertheless, different modes and tasks combine the microgames in such an entertaining way that at least the first playthrough is a lot of fun.

Released on: 11 March 2005

Playing time: 5 hours

Multiplayer: No

"Advance Wars: Dual Strike"

Before "Fire Emblem" claimed the spotlight of strategic role-playing games on Nintendo devices, the series shared its place on handhelds with "Advance Wars". You can now catch up on the first two parts in the Switch remake, for the third part "Dual Strike" you have to reach for the Nintendo DS. Compared to its predecessors, this part does little new and merely improves the technology. However, as the strategic battles with a modern war setting and the story are still gripping, this is not a shortcoming.

Released on: 30 September 2005

Playing time: 51 hours

Multiplayer: Yes

"Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow"

As the first "Castlevania" game on the Nintendo DS, it takes on many elements of the classic games such as the popular "Symphony of the Night". It uses the two screens to impressively present its usual gruesome monsters. You jump, puzzle and fight against the hordes of the night. You don't need to have played the GBA predecessor "Aria of Sorrow" to have fun with this game. The story about protagonist Soma, who doesn't want to plunge the world into despair, is entertaining even without prior knowledge.

Released on: 30 September 2005

Playing time: 13 hours

Multiplayer: Yes

"Nintendogs"

Would the Nintendo DS have been successful without "Nintendogs"? Pretty sure. Nevertheless, the puppy simulation has characterised many years of the device by tapping into a whole new target group: Casual female gamers. In "Nintendogs", you look after the cute puppies as if they were a high-quality Tamagotchi. Once you've won all the competitions, you can still have a play date with your friends' dogs and show them the rare toys you've managed to find on your daily walks. I may have gotten a huge kick out of chasing my friends' puppies with toy cars back in the day.

Released on: 07 October 2005

Playing time: Unlimited

Multiplayer: Yes

"Mario Kart DS"

As with most Nintendo consoles and handhelds, "Mario Kart" has also been released on the DS. However, this is not just a steamed-up adaptation of the console games. Instead, 32 tracks (16 of which are new) and twelve drivers from the "Mario" universe await you in "Mario Kart DS". The highlight are the unique racing missions, which you complete by completing certain tasks. Once you have completed all the tasks on a level

you can even expect a kind of boss fight.

Released on: 25 November 2005

Playing time: 11 hours

Multiplayer: Yes

"Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney"

"Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney" is the remake of a game that launched an entire franchise. The gameplay consists mainly of reading. In the role of lawyer Phoenix Wright, you investigate crime scenes and question witnesses. The absolute highlight, however, are the court hearings in which you have to prove that your clients are innocent. There you combine all the knowledge from your investigations to convince the judge. The whole thing is not only incredibly fun, but also covers a lot of emotions during its plot, which is played out by likeable characters. "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney" will captivate you, make you laugh and even make you cry.

Released on: 16 March 2006

Playing time: 23 hours

Multiplayer: No

"Animal Crossing: Wild World"

"Animal Crossing: Wild World" not only brought the living situation to a handheld for the first time, but was also the first part of the series to have online functionality. Many years before "New Horizons", you could visit your friends' villages and view the fruits of their labour. Although the option to decorate the village is missing, there is no lack of scope. There are plenty of holidays, special characters and unique insects and fish to collect so you'll never get bored.

Released on: 31 March 2006

Playing time: Unlimited

Multiplayer: Yes

"Tetris DS"

For some "Tetris" fans, this version has a special place in their hearts. Apart from the timeless "Tetris" gameplay, six single-player modes represented by Nintendo characters await you on the Nintendo DS. More impressive and entertaining, however, are the multiplayer modes. Almost 13 years before "Tetris 99", players were able to game with many other people at the same time. Not 99, but at least ten. This is a remarkable achievement that Nintendo successfully reused many years later.

Released on: 21 April 2006

Playing time: 43 hours

Multiplayer: Yes

"Dr Kawashima's Brain Jogging"

Though the collection of logic tasks offers little classic gaming fun, the constant opportunity to improve your so-called "mental" age motivates you to insert the DS cartridge regularly. This has made "Dr Kawashima's Brain Jogging" the perfect game for in-between times when you want to solve a few maths problems or link words together correctly. It's also one of those games that requires you to turn your Nintendo DS 90 degrees - very few DS games demonstrate innovation as clearly as this one does.

Released on: 09 June 2006

Playing time: Unlimited

Multiplayer: Yes

"New Super Mario Bros."

Can you still remember the adverts for "New Super Mario Bros."? As often as it was shown on our TVs, it's no wonder it became the best-selling Nintendo DS game. Over 30 million copies of the platformer were sold. As annoying as it sometimes is these days that all "New Super Mario Bros." games play the same way, it all started with this instalment. The first game in the series plays so well that it is understandable why it became a whole series. Because the levels in a handheld game should also be fun on the go, they are crisply designed. However, the typical "Mario" magic remains intact. A must-have for DS owners.

Released on: 30 June 2006

Playing time: 11 hours

Multiplayer: Yes

"42 classic games"

The name says it all with "42 classic games". You can play 42 card, board or sports games alone, against the computer or your friends. It's great fun! With so many games in which touch control is creatively implemented, you're sure to find a few that you like. In addition to free play, you can master the individual games in the stamp tour at different levels of difficulty or fulfil game-specific missions. "42 Game Classics" was the ideal companion for travelling in the days before smartphones, and even today it still offers great entertainment.

Released on: 29 September 2006

Playing time: 18 hours

Multiplayer: Yes

"Professor Layton and the Mysterious Village"

As the first game in the successful puzzle series, "Professor Layton and the Mysterious Village" combines entertaining brainteasers with likeable characters and an exciting story. The now deceased psychologist Akira Tago designed the puzzles of the first trilogy, which range from simple maths to tricky trick questions. So you can spend hours solving puzzles at your leisure, but also take out the Nintendo DS for a quick brain teaser in between. The unusual mix works so well that not only puzzle fans should give the game a chance.

Released on: 15 February 2007

Playing time: 14 hours

Multiplayer: No

"Hotel Dusk: Room 215"

The gameplay consists of you controlling protagonist Kyle Hyde through the eponymous Hotel Dusk using the touch function. From time to time you interact with the environment, but above all you read a lot. The gameplay is not the game's strong point. Nevertheless, "Hotel Dusk: Room 215" is more entertaining than comparable visual novels because you hold the Nintendo DS like a book. The developers CING - who also created "Another Code: Double Remembrance" have developed - all invested in the thrilling plot. The story is a murder mystery centred around Kyle's former police colleague Brian Bradley. Unfortunately, less than a million people have experienced this story.

Released on: 13 April 2007

Playing time: 16 hours

Multiplayer: No

"Pokémon" main series

Nintendo has released some of the best Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS. All "generations" of the main editions - as players call the respective Pokémon era - are represented in the ten best-selling DS games. My favourite editions take place in Sinnoh with "Diamond" and "Pearl" and renew the classic RPG gameplay of the Game Boy games enough to create a "wow" effect.

Even more modern are the following editions in the Unova region, in which you can only catch region-specific Pokémon in "White" and "Black" until you have played through the game. For Pokémon trainers from the very beginning, the Nintendo DS also had the right games in the well-known Johto region with "HeartGold" and "SoulSilver". The editions are still used today as examples of successful Pokémon remakes.

Released on: 2007 to 2012

Playing time: Varies

Multiplayer: Yes

"The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass"

The Legend of Zelda series' love of experimentation has been well known since Breath of the Wild. However, Nintendo has already shown courage in earlier instalments, most notably with "Phantom Hourglass". On the lower DS screen, you control Link using the touchscreen - including running, attacking and using items. Admittedly, this doesn't always work perfectly. However, the hardware of the Nintendo DS is successfully implemented in the game to solve puzzles, so that not only "Zelda" fans can expect a unique game in the series. Those who prefer trains to ships should take a look at "Spirit Tracks". The direct successor appealed to many tastes better.

Released on: 19 October 2007

Playing time: 22 hours

Multiplayer: Yes

"The World Ends With You"

From the team behind "Kingdom Hearts" comes this unique experience for the Nintendo DS. The story is crazy as usual, but also deals with profound topics such as religion and coping with trauma. And it's all pretty damn cool. Soundtrack and graphics included. The gameplay is unique in the way it utilises the two screens. You control the protagonist Neku on the bottom screen using the touchscreen and his support on the top using the arrow keys. The many stylish battles in real time are so much fun that people are still debating whether the DS original or the Switch remake "The World Ends With You Final Remix" is better.

Released on: 18 April 2008

Playing time: 43 hours

Multiplayer: Yes

"Chrono Trigger"

If you ask veteran JRPG fans about their favourite game, they will often mention "Chrono Trigger". Created by a dream team - including Dragon Ball mangaka Akira Toriyama - the game showcases the best features of JRPGs in the 1990s. Without random battles, you can look forward to a turn-based battle system in which the positioning of your characters is particularly important and provides that extra pinch of tension. The interesting story takes the protagonist and his companions through several eras and remains beautifully adventurous. The DS version is a port of the SNES original from 1995 with some new features such as fresh areas and a monster battle arena.

A little tip for those who speak English: If you want to catch up on the game on the DS, I recommend buying the Japanese version on the second-hand market. It also runs on European Nintendo DS and you can set English as the language in the options. This way you only pay a fraction of the price of a European "Chrono Trigger".

Released on: 06 February 2009

Playing time: 27 hours

Multiplayer: Yes

"Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars"

"Chinatown Wars" proves that "GTA" can be fun even without bombastic graphics. With 93 out of 100 points, it is the best-rated DS game on Metacritic. The way in which the "GTA" feeling has been incorporated into the Nintendo DS is amazing. You spend your time in Liberty City doing the usual "GTA" stuff in a bevelled bird's eye view. You steal cars, complete missions and deal drugs. Alternatively, you follow the plot, which tells the story of the son of a Chinese gang leader. Definitely not a game you should underestimate due to its handheld nature.

Released on: 20 March 2009

Playing time: 14 hours

Multiplayer: Yes

"Mario & Luigi: Bowser Adventure"

In the last two years at the latest, everyone should have learnt that there are role-playing games with Mario. "Bowser Adventure" is not from the same series as "Super Mario RPG" or "Paper Mario: The Legend of Aeon Gate". Instead, it is the third instalment in the "Mario & Luigi series", which until the recent release of "Brothership" exclusively on Nintendo's handhelds. For fans of the series, "Bowser Adventure" is a love letter from developer studio AlphaDream, which was forced to close in 2019 due to insolvency. Fortunately, the charming world, the turn-based gameplay with real-time elements and the memorable moments between the Mario brothers and Bowser are still here for us.

Released on: 09 October 2009

Playing time: 26 hours

Multiplayer: No

"Pokémon Conquest"

Pokémon fans have been offered many other games on the Nintendo DS in addition to the main series. I would like to emphasise "Pokémon Conquest" as an insider tip. In strategic battles à la "Final Fantasy Tactics", you command your Pokémon through a battlefield. In the process, you can experience a special story based on the war-torn Japanese Sengoku period. It even features real-life historical figures such as Oda Nobunaga - in a Pokémon game!

Released on: 27 July 2012

Playing time: 44 hours

Multiplayer: Yes

Bonus insider tip from Domi: "Polarium"

Editorial colleague Domagoj has prepared another insider tip that I didn't know about yet. I'll take the floor:

A simple yet ingenious puzzle game. There are black and white tiles on the playing field. If you swipe over these tiles with the stylus, they change colour - white becomes black and black becomes white. In the normal game mode, which is reminiscent of "Tetris", blocks with different tile patterns fall down from above. The aim is to eliminate these blocks as quickly as possible. If the blocks pile up too high, it's game over. You destroy the blocks by turning entire lines into a colour - either white or black. The longer the line you draw and the more tiles you convert in one go, the more points you score.

In multiplayer, you can compete against other tile experts. Your eliminated blocks are moved to the opponent's playing field. There is also a puzzle mode. In this mode, you have to remodel certain patterns on the playing field in just one move.

Released on: 11 March 2005

Playing time: 5 hours

Multiplayer: Yes

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Cassie Mammone

Freelance Editor

cassie.mammone.freelance@gmail.com

I wrote my first text about video games when I was eight years old. I haven't been able to stop since. The rest of my time is spent on my love for 2D husbandos, monsters, my cats and sport.

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The 20 best DS games for 20 years of Nintendo DS

"WarioWare Touched!"

"Advance Wars: Dual Strike"

"Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow"

"Nintendogs"

"Mario Kart DS"

"Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney"

"Animal Crossing: Wild World"

"Tetris DS"

"Dr Kawashima's Brain Jogging"

"New Super Mario Bros."

"42 classic games"

"Professor Layton and the Mysterious Village"

"Hotel Dusk: Room 215"

"Pokémon" main series

"The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass"

"The World Ends With You"

"Chrono Trigger"

"Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars"

"Mario & Luigi: Bowser Adventure"

"Pokémon Conquest"

Bonus insider tip from Domi: "Polarium"

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I had 20 wishes for the Switch 2 – here’s how many Nintendo has fulfilled

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