Thanks to some best DS games, it’s hard to believe that when Nintendo revealed the handheld, it was treated as something of an experiment. After a few years, everyone and their mum owned a DS, a copy of Brain Age. If you’re looking for a nostalgia trip, we’ve whittled down a list of the best DS games just for you.
With the Nintendo DS, gaming took a revolutionary turn. Its unique dual-screen setup and touch capabilities changed how players interacted with games. Many of the titles released for this system not only became household names but also set the standard for future gaming experiences.
Once you’re done here, keep walking down memory lane with our guides to the best Wii U games, best 3DS games, and best Game Boy games. Or, if you’re looking for a glimpse of the future, we’ve covered everything we know so far about the Nintendo Switch 2. Here are the best DS games:
What You Will Learn
- A comprehensive list of the top Nintendo DS games to revisit.
- Insights into how these games shaped handheld gaming.
- Details on unique gameplay mechanics that defined the DS experience.
- Nostalgic reflections on beloved franchises and their impact on gamers.
- Tetris DS
- New Super Mario Bros
- TLoZ: Spirit Tracks
- Bowser’s Inside Story
- Animal Crossing: Wild World
- Electroplankton
- GTA: Chinatown Wars
- The World Ends With You
- Nintendogs
- Kirby Canvas Curse
- Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
- Advance Wars: Dual Strike
- Warioware: Touched!
- Professor Layton
- Pokémon HG&SS
- Pokémon Black 2 & White 2
- Mario Kart DS
- Sonic Rush
- Scribblenauts
- Spectrobes
- Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop
Tetris DS
Tetris is an absolute classic, so much so that it’s been turned into a battle royale on the Switch. Tetris DS takes the brilliance of Tetris and turbocharges it with a plethora of great Nintendo-themed levels and songs.
It somehow improves on the original and still stands as one of the best versions of the puzzle title you can play today.
New Super Mario Bros
The first 2D Mario game since Super Mario World had a lot to prove, and luckily New Super Mario Bros still stands as one of the best 2D entries in the series, even if the ‘New’ brand has lost its luster over time.
New power-ups, tight design, and a bunch of great mini-games help this one stand the test of time.
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
While Phantom Hourglass is still a fun way to bring the world of Wind Waker to handhelds with touch controls and some smart ideas, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks takes all those ideas and expands on them to deliver a true handheld Zelda experience.
Zelda travels by your side as a ghost, you build a train to battle enemies, and the dungeons are real tests that make smart use of the DS’ features. Easily the better of the two DS entries.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story
An RPG title where you play as either of the titular Mario bros with individual
