Don’t put your Nintendo DS in the retirement home just yet, there are still some awesome games out there for the classic handheld.
We hope you’ve got the candles ready – the Nintendo DS is about to enter its teenage years. Yes, we know, we can’t quite believe it either but it really has been over 12 years since Nintendo first launched its dual-screen handheld.
Given the number of consoles that have spawned from the original DS – the DS Lite, DSi, the 2DS and the 3DS – it’s safe to say Nintendo’s form factor experiment was a success and we’re now well accustomed to using a dual-screen.
Nintendo has arguably been the leading company in the handheld market since the original Game Boy. Since its success there, it’s really only gone from strength to strength with its handhelds.
Rather than allowing its success to make it complacent, though, Nintendo has used its position of strength to push boundaries and do more interesting things with its handheld consoles.
It’s Nintendo’s refusal to play it safe that’s probably helped it stay so successful in this area. The dual-screen design might have been a risk but it was obviously a worthwhile one since we’ve seen it evolve and improve from the DS through to the new 3DS.
That said, no matter how good a console’s design and no matter how many innovations it makes, it won’t stand the test of time without good games to keep players interested.
That’s another big reason the Nintendo DS has been such a success; it has a great, and still playable, selection of games on offer and some of them are now undeniable classics.
As good as the DS is, though, by this point the majority of us will no doubt have replaced our Nintendo DS with its chunkier and more powerful successor the Nintendo 3DS. That said, as it’s still part of the DS family the new handheld offers full backwards compatibility, giving full access to some unmissable DS titles as well as the greatest titles from the 3DS. Nintendo 3DS. greatest titles from the 3DS
Don’t worry if you haven’t upgraded and still have your original DS, though; we recommend you hold onto it just to make sure you don’t miss the chance to play a true classic.
To give you a better idea of exactly what games you should be looking to pick up, we’ve put together this list of what we think are the best titles out there. From excellent original titles such as Pokemon Black and White 2 to classic SNES ports like Kirby Super Star Ultra, you’re guaranteed to find something you like.
Even though a large number of games available on the Nintendo DS are ports, they’re drastically improved and their effective integration of the console’s dual-screen helped to redefine the handheld gaming experience. The best New 3DS and New 3DS XL deals The best New 3DS and New 3DS XL deals
So, rather than wait for Nintendo to continue its relentless march forward with the launch of its game-changing console/hybrid handheld, the Nintendo Switch, we think you should take the chance to pick up these great Nintendo DS titles while you still can. Nintendo Switch, Want a more modern round-up? Check out our best Nintendo 3DS games gallery. best Nintendo 3DS games
The Pokemon series dominated the Game Boy, a tradition that carried over to the DS. While there are generations upon generations of Pokemon games out there, the latest ones are, for good reason, the greatest, building upon the original games and adding their own awesome features. Not only that, but Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 aren’t just minor updates over Black and White – they’re a new addition to the series, allowing for exploration of the Unova region. From exploring the new region, to the classic turn based battles, these games are not games you’ll want to miss out on.
Speaking of classic games series, we would be remiss to not include at least one Mario game. OK, fine, we’ve included more than one Mario game, but New Super Mario Bros. is among the best. The game represents a new generation of Mario that stays true to the classic side-scrolling concept of the original Super Mario Bros. games, yet makes it a little more, well, modern.
You’ll find both familiar enemies, and new ones, and you can even link wirelessly with your friends to play as Mario and Luigi in a multiplayer mode. If any game proves that Mario is still relevant, it’s this one.
Final Fantasy IV (known as Final Fantasy II in the US) may have originally been made for the SNES way back in 1991, but the game seriously deserved a remake for a new generation of players. Square Enix did just that. The HD update offers newly developed 3D graphics and new added content, and not only brings two generations of Final Fantasy fans together, but also cements FF4 in the memory books as one of the best RPGs ever.
Final Fantasy IV isn’t the only SNES game to be ported over to the Nintendo DS – Kirby Super Star is an excellent choice for a dual-screen game, and brings the epic Kirby adventure to your pocket. Of course, this isn’t a complete copy of the original game – it also features things like new modes such as Meta Knight Ultra and Revenge of the King. Sure, you could argue that Super Star Ultra isn’t as exciting as Kirby Canvas Curse, but as a short and sweet adventure game, Super Star Ultra isn’t one to miss out on, especially if you’re a Kirby fan.
Animal Crossing: Wild World takes the popular GameCube game and makes it much more social. In the game, you and up to three of your friends from anywhere in the world can hang out in the same village and interact in real time. You can also hang out in your friends’ villages. When you’re back home there’s always something to do – from decorating your home to collecting new items to just lounging with the locals.
Kingdom Hearts 352/2 Days takes place during the year that Sora was asleep, and revolves around Roxas. You’ll basically follow Roxas and the other members of Organization XIII through the various Disney worlds. Perhaps the coolest new feature in the game is multiplayer mode, which allows you and your friends to play as other Organization XIII members.
While long-time Kingdom Hearts fans will love this addition to the franchise, new players will also get a kick out of it – it’s not too difficult to learn, and while some backstory may help in the general understanding of the game, you’ll still have a lot of fun without it.
While New Super Mario Bros. is an awesome game, there’s nothing better than going back to the classics. Super Mario 64 DS is, as I’m sure you can imagine, a port of the original Super Mario 64 game for the Nintendo 64. However it takes full advantage of the Nintendo DS’ dual-screen setup and adds touch screen features and even wireless multiplayer compatibility. Who says an old plumber can’t learn new tricks?
The third Mario game on the list is there for good reason – it’s an awesome, albeit weird, game. In Partners in Time, Mario and Luigi partner up with none other than their younger selves. As strange as it sounds, you get to control both the adult and baby sets of Mario Bros. as they explore the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond to take down the evil invaders from space, the Shroobs. The game gets a little out of control, but in this case, that’s a good thing.
Spirit Tracks sends our hero Link on a brand-new adventure, offering a totally new story with more puzzles, and so on. While Spirit Tracks is actually the second Legend of Zelda game for Nintendo DS, it trumps the first in almost every way, offering challenging boss battles and excellent gameplay. Link travels by train, as the name suggests, opening up new possibilities for puzzles and interesting challenges.
Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 are great games, but fans of the early generations may find themselves a little lost at the number of Pokemon to catch. HeartGold and SoulSilver are remakes of Gold and Silver for Game Boy Color, which are considered by many to be some of the best Pokemon games ever made, and for good reason. The game takes place in the Johto region and offers updated graphics, touch controls, and even the ability to use the ‘Pokewalker’ – essentially a glorified Tamagotchi – to take your Pokemon wherever you go.
It’s a PC point-and-click classic, but bringing a new and improved version of the original Broken Sword title to the portable Nintendo DS was a stroke of genius on the part of Nintendo and Revolution software.
The dual-screen touch elements of the Nintendo DS work extremely well with the point-and-click style of play and Broken Sword is one of the best games in the genre to show this.
The game follows the original story of George Stobbart as he travels across the world to unravel the Templar conspiracy. To draw in those who had already played the game, though, the Director’s Cut added new puzzles specifically suited to the DS touchscreen, animated facial expressions, and a brand new complementary storyline which follows George’s fellow adventurer Nico Collard to new locations and adds more depth to the original story.
