When it comes to gaming handhelds, few consoles have stood the test of time. Fortunately, the Nintendo DS is one of them. This little portable system has featured a variety of games over the ages. However, with so many of the best Nintendo DS games over the years, it’s difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. Let me make it easier for you. So keep reading as I list out the best Nintendo DS games for you to play right now.
15. Dementium: The Ward
New Release: October 31, 2007
A first-person survival horror game on Nintendo DS, Dementium: The Ward, puts you in the shoes of William Redmoor. The goal is simple – you try to escape a hospital after suffering amnesia, solving puzzles, and defeating the crazy enemies lurking in the shadows and hallways.
While you’d think a first-person game doesn’t work well on a Nintendo DS, it somehow does! The touchscreen is used mainly for inventory management and camera controls. They also get a notebook to jot down clues and mysteries as a reminder. It might not be the best game out of the lot on this list. However, it has a certain charm to itself.
14. Flower, Sun, and Rain
New Release: June 16, 2009
Some people might call me crazy to suggest this title on the best Nintendo DS games. And you know what? I am. Flower, Sun, and Rain is an adventure game by SUDA51 and Grasshopper Manufacturer. A port of a PS2 game, it follows a searcher named Sumio Mondo, who gets called to an island named Lospass to track and defuse a bomb in a plane. However, he gets inadvertently trapped in a time loop, reliving the days up until the bomb blast, trying to finish his job.
While the premise and characters are some of the best I’ve seen in any DS or video game, the gameplay isn’t. Gameplay is the single thing many people hate about Flower, Sun, and Rain. However, despite its tedious nature, Flower, Sun, and Rain is possibly one of the best adventure games on Nintendo DS and a must-play for adventure game lovers. Please don’t be shy of using a guide to play it. You might need one.
13. Professor Layton and the Curious Village
New Release: February 10, 2008
If it is a Nintendo DS, you must add the best adventure series on the platform—Professor Layton. While I could’ve added any of the Layton games to this list and called it a day, I went with the first Layton game because it kicks things off. Curious Village follows Professor Layton and Luke Triton investigating St. Mystere for an artifact named Golden Apple.
Layton games smartly use the stylus and touch screen of the Nintendo DS, often asking players to submit answers to various mysteries in exchange for help in-game. The game would become one of the must-plays in the series, and while it has permanently stayed on the Nintendo platforms and mobile phones, Layton has become one of the favorite video game detectives of all time.
12. Elite Beats Agents
New Release: November 8, 2006
Elite Beats Agents is by far one of the best Nintendo DS games not only because it’s rhythm-based but also because it’s one of the highly suggested ones. The game makes you control a trio who helps people stuck in difficult situations, which are almost always funny. You use the Nintendo DS stylus and touchscreen to tap the prompts, following the rhythm and helping people in need!
The premise is goofy enough, and the game consists of an original soundtrack that will either make you bop your head, tap your feet, or both! Unfortunately, we never got the second game outside of Japan. However, the first game leaves a lasting impression on everyone, becoming a well-beloved video game.
11. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
New Release: October 4, 2005
One of the few Castlevania games launched for Nintendo DS, Dawn of Sorrow continues the story of Soma Cruz from the Gameboy Advanced game Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. Dawn of Sorrow again follows Soma Cruz after he takes on the power of Dracula. To avoid becoming the next dark lord, Cruz and his allies go on an adventure to stop a cult trying to kill Soma.
Dawn of Sorrow brings back the tactical soul system from Aria of Sorrow, where Cruz can absorb the souls of the enemies he has defeated, ignoring the human and the final boss. Also, to utilize the DS touchscreen, the game introduces a new “Magic Seal” system too, where players draw a pattern to defeat powerful enemies. It is a must-play Castlevania game for fans and newcomers and deserves its spot as one of the best Nintendo DS games.
10. Trauma Center: Under the Knife
New Release: October 4, 2005
The Japanese developers Atlus might be known for their popular series Shin Mega Tensei and Persona. However, during the handheld era of Nintendo, they experimented and made some compelling games, which also happened to be some of their best work on the Nintendo DS. One is Trauma Center: Under the Knife, a simulation game where you play as a surgeon, Derek Stiles, working with the medical group Caduceus to find a cure for a disease named GUILT.
The game has one of the best storylines on Nintendo DS, presented in a visual novel format. While the series never left the Nintendo DS and Wii, nor did it see a new game made in recent years, it did get some dedicated fans, becoming one of the best Nintendo DS games.
9. 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
New Release: December 10, 2009
The game that kicked off the Zero Escape series of visual novels, 999, follows nine characters forced to participate in the Nonary game. Trapped on a cruise ship, the characters need to find a door marked with a “9” within nine hours by any means before the boat sinks and kills every one of them.
While I most certainly simplified an otherwise complex experience, 999 captivates its audience through the compelling storyline. Its gameplay supplements the puzzle and adventure mechanics while the story takes a front seat in this game. That is why 999 is widely regarded as one of the best stories in video games and one of the best games on Nintendo DS.
8. Advance Wars: Dual Strike
New Release: August 22, 2005
Advance Wars: Dual Strike is a turn-based strategy game with engaging tactical gameplay and a compelling storyline. You command your army in intense battles, utilizing new CO powers, and experience dual-front warfare. With new features like unit-swapping, it delivers a deep and satisfying experience for players who enjoy turn-based tactical games.
Dual Strike has a few new features, like Dual Front, which allows two simultaneous battles on both screens of the Nintendo DS. The player controls one battle, while another player or the AI controls the other. Furthermore, Dual Strikes also featured some new units and a lengthy campaign. Overall, this was the quintessential Advance Wars package on Nintendo DS, and probably why it became one of the best games on the platform.
7. Hotel Dusk: Room 215
New Release: January 22, 2007
Hotel Dusk: Room 215 is a game I consider one of the best Nintendo DS games by a huge margin. This visual novel-adventure game, in which you horizontally hold the handheld and read it like a book, follows Kyle Hyde, an ex-NYPD detective, through the titular hotel, unraveling its mysteries and meeting its mysterious denizens.
Sadly, the developer, Cing, no longer exists, and this game is permanently stuck in Nintendo DS. However, Cing’s work in this game is so impactful that this game always comes up in the conversation of the best Nintendo DS games.
6. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
New Release: October 1, 2007
If it is a Nintendo platform, there has to be a Legend of Zelda game on it. And DS is no different from that idea. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Princess is a top-down action-adventure game where you follow Link in a brand-new adventure after his antics in the Wind Waker game from Gamecube. After Tetra goes missing, Link goes on an adventure through Mercay Island to rescue Tetra.
Phantom Hourglass excitingly uses the limitations of DS. It features both on-foot and boat expiration, with players interchanging between the 3D gameplay and the map at will, fighting through various dungeons in-game, and ultimately going on a grand adventure. If you’ve never played a Legend of Zelda game and own a Nintendo DS, this game is worth trying!
5. Nintendogs
New Release: April 21, 2005
In my quest to add a pet game to the best Nintendo DS games, it makes sense to add Ninetendogs here! It is a real-time pet simulation game where you care for a dog of your choice. Think of it as a Tamagotchi.
The game utilizes every feature on the Nintendo DS, including the built-in microphone, to teach and command them tricks. Seriously, if you’ve never owned yourself a dog in real life, this is the closest you can get to experience the life of being a dog parent. Just make sure to feed and clean your dog regularly!
4. The DS Generation of Pokemon Games
Release Date: 2006 – 2010
This might seem like a slight cheating on my end. However, with the amount of good Pokemon games available on Nintendo DS, I couldn’t decide on one of them. Hence, I decided to club all of them together into one entry.
The DS generation of games, including Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, SoulSilver, HeartGold, Black, and White, takes you through an adventure of collecting Pokemon across various islands. They are similar, where you fight with different Pokemon and trainers in battles, growing stronger with each fight and ultimately defeating the gym leaders. If you own a Nintendo DS, this is a must-play series.
3. Chrono Trigger
New Release: November 20, 2008
One of my favorite RPG games of all time, Chrono Trigger, had a Nintendo DS launch, which so happens to be one of the best ports of the game till now. The game follows Chrono and his friends through a time-traveling adventure, where each era introduces a new playable character with unique skills. Explaining more will spoil the game, and I’d suggest playing it blind.
Chrono Trigger on Nintendo DS looks beautiful on the small screen, with sharp and crisp pixels. Furthermore, the game shifts all the prompts for the fights on the bottom touchscreen, clearing up the clutter on the main screen. And the DS version also adds two new scenarios! So, if you’ve never played Chrono Trigger and own a Nintendo DS, you should play it!
2. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
New Release: October 11, 2005
In popular culture, nothing is as well-known among gamers as the word “Objection!” And it happened all thanks to the quirky and captivating storyline of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney! A visual novel by Capcom, Ace Attorney follows Phoenix Wright, a lawyer who fights through various encounters across several games.
There’s not much to talk about here. It is a standard visual novel with some point-and-click gameplay, where you are tasked with collecting clues. The court cases, on the other hand, are showdown between Phoenix and rival attorney Miles Edgeworth. Overall, this is one of those console seller games back in the day.
1. The World Ends With You
New Release: July 27, 2007
I wrap up my list of the best Nintendo DS games with an RPG set in modern-day Tokyo. It follows Neku, a teenage boy who must participate in a life-or-death game to survive. With its engaging storyline, stylish visuals, and innovative dual-screen combat system, it offers an immersive and unforgettable gaming experience.
The DS touchscreen is used to scribble on unique glyphs to perform attacks on the enemies. You also occasionally use the microphone to attack your enemies. This is one of the best Nintendo games of this generation, which many people suggest as the go-to Nintendo DS game.
And these are the best Nintendo DS games you should play. Are any of these games your favorite? Let me know in the comments below.
