Nintendo is one of the leading names in video game development and it’s always exciting to see how their latest ideas manage to innovate the industry in major ways. Nintendo frequently leans into more unconventional control styles and unique ways to experience video games, whether it’s on their home consoles or handheld systems. Nintendo’s history with handhelds led to crucial changes in the industry and their breakthrough hardware, the Nintendo DS, lasted for a particularly long run.
The DS was eventually surpassed by the Nintendo 3DS, and now the Switch, which is a hybrid between a handheld and home console. Despite developments in the industry, there are still lots of classic Nintendo DS games that are as enjoyable now as they were upon their original releases.
10 Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Brings The Mature Crime Series To Nintendo
Nintendo has featured its share of mature titles in the past, but by and large the company tends to lean into more kid-friendly mascots and properties. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars was such a big surprise because it didn’t just bring the crime-filled world of Grand Theft Auto to Nintendo, but in the handheld market, no less. Chinatown Wars for the DS is an incredibly ambitious game that crams in an absurd amount of content. The top-down perspective works for the DS’ hardware and it develops a very addictive style of gameplay that gets the most of the handheld’s touch controls.
9 The World Ends With You Forges An Ambitious New RPG With Endless Personality
The Nintendo DS turned into an incredible home for lengthy RPGs, whether they’re updated ports of Super Nintendo classics, or wholly original experiences. The World Ends With You is one of the more unique RPGs for the DS, in terms of its gameplay and battle system. The World Ends With You largely flew under the radar during its original release, but the fact that a sequel, Neo: The World Ends With You, hit modern consoles in 2021, as well as a recent anime adaptation is proof enough that enthusiasm towards The World Ends With You is very much alive.
8 Advance Wars: Dual Strike Is One Of The Finest Chapters In Nintendo’s Prestige Strategy Series
It’s taken some time for the formative Wars franchise to make its way overseas and reach audiences outside of Japan, but both the Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo DS were instrumental in turning Advance Wars into a mainstream fascination. There weren’t a ton of options for real-time strategy fans back on Nintendo’s handhelds, which makes the DS’ Advance Wars: Dual Strike such a satisfying entry.
Dual Strike masters everything that the previous Game Boy Advance entries accomplish, but adds even more to the formula. It’s still one of the very finest strategy titles for any Nintendo handheld.
7 Kirby: Canvas Curse Reinvents The Kirby Formula To Great Success
Kirby has surprisingly become one of Nintendo’s more versatile gaming mascots and the character is able to indulge in different genres with a more natural capacity than The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, or even Super Mario. Kirby: Canvas Curse pushes the series into unprecedented territory with a new gameplay style that’s completely reliant on the use of the DS’ stylus and touch screen. The unconventional gameplay style for Canvas Curse left such a mark on audiences that Nintendo would eventually return to it much later in the Wii U's pseudo sequel, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse.
6 Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow Brings The Gothic Action Series To The DS
Castlevania is an incredibly iconic video games series and it helped make its mark on Nintendo's Game Boy Advance in the form of three original games. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow builds on this momentum and it's the first Castlevania installment for the Nintendo DS, but arguably the strongest. Dawn of Sorrow builds off of many of the concepts established across the GBA trilogy, but features improved level design, music, and a fresh story. The use of touch screen controls aren't too cumbersome either, like they can be in future DS Castlevania games.
5 The Legend Of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass Is One Of Link's Biggest Adventures
The Legend of Zelda has become one of Nintendo's most reliable properties and it's almost as much of a mover of consoles as Super Mario. Zelda games are now frequently launch titles and it's a rare franchise that's just as innovative in its handheld iterations as it is on larger home console escapades.
The Nintendo DS' The Phantom Hourglass expands upon The Wind Waker's narrative in satisfying ways and contains some of the franchise's most unique items and weapons. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is also a standout DS game, but the title's core track-laying concept isn't for everyone.
4 Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story Is The Apex Of The Quirky RPG Series
Many Mario fans are still chasing the high of a proper Super Mario RPG sequel after the Paper Mario games have increasingly gone down a more mainstream direction, but the handheld Mario & Luigi series has been quietly delivering groundbreaking RPGs for decades. The DS’ Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story features the same dedicated gameplay and odd sense of humor as its predecessors, but its increased focus on Bowser is such a rewarding change of pace. The DS game has since migrated over to the 3DS because it’s such a satisfying experience.
3 Mario Kart DS Is Just As Fun As Any Console Entry
Mario Kart is still one of Nintendo’s most popular and mainstream multiplayer experiences. The Game Boy Advance previously toyed with the idea of a handheld entry in the series, but Mario Kart DS is the first time that the series gets properly perfected for a Nintendo handheld. Mario Kart DS is the fifth mainline title in the franchise as well as the first to feature online play through a Wi-Fi connection. This perk was groundbreaking at the time, but even without online play, Mario Kart DS still nails the racing series’ tight controls.
2 New Super Mario Bros. Is The Breath Of Fresh Air That The Platformer Needed
Nintendo’s Super Mario franchise continues to reinvent the platforming genre in bold ways. The core of Super Mario games is usually the same, but it’s amazing to see how the incorporation of one major new element can lead to a totally new game. The DS’ New Super Mario Bros. is both a satisfying return to the franchise’s basics, but also remixes Mario’s history with bold new ideas, like the heavy use of the Mega Mushroom. The continued life of New Super Mario Bros. has a lot to do with the DS’ strong start with the series.
1 Pokémon Black And White Are Pivotal Entries In A Staggering Franchise
There’s no end in sight for the Pokémon series, especially now that it’s formally transitioned over from Nintendo’s handheld consoles to the Switch. Pokémon continues to expand and evolve in unexpected ways, but the Generation V titles, Pokémon Black and White, are turning points for the franchise. These games continue Pokémon’s strong tradition, but the DS upgrade adds so much more to the package, whether it’s through battle, Pokémon, or a surprisingly deep story. The love around Pokémon Black and White also led to the games receiving the first direct sequels in the franchise.