10 Best Nintendo DS Games of All Time of 2026

Mario Kart DS takes first place because it gives a collector the most game for the least money and the least effort. Nintendo's own listing describes 32 courses spread over Grand Prix, Time Trial, VS., Battle and Mission modes, and notes that it was the first entry in the series to bring back classic courses from earlier Mario Kart titles. It also added the Blooper and Bullet Bill items and an emblem editor for customizing karts. Nintendo lists support for 1 to 8 players and a PEGI 3 rating, so it works for a child, a solo player chasing Mission mode or a group with several systems. The cost is low: DKOldies lists a used cartridge at $34.99. The main loss is online play, which ended with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection on May 20, 2014, and the Wii U Virtual Console release drops wireless features and is no longer sold.

New Super Mario Bros. ranks second because it is the easiest great game on the DS to start and it is still cheap to own. Nintendo describes it as Super Mario's first 2D platformer since Super Mario World, with eight worlds to explore while chasing Bowser Jr. and a kidnapped Princess Peach. New power-ups include the Mega Mushroom, the Blue Koopa Shell and the Mini Mushroom, and the hunt for all 240 Star Coins gives it far more life than a single run through the worlds. Nintendo also lists a set of touch screen minigames for a break from the main game. DKOldies lists a used cartridge at $40.99 before sales. The game is shorter than the RPGs below it, and Nintendo's UK page rates it PEGI 12 for gambling content, which parents may want to note. The Wii U Virtual Console release lacks wireless features and is no longer for sale.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village is the best value on this list and the cheapest cartridge we found, at $29.99 used at DKOldies. Nintendo's listing describes more than 135 puzzles, from river-crossing problems to matchstick arrangements, all solved on the touch screen. They were created by Akira Tago, whose puzzle book series has sold more than 12 million copies in Japan, according to the publisher's description. You play Professor Hershel Layton, called to the village of St. Mystere to look into a mysterious will, and the story unfolds through animated cartoon scenes. Hint Coins found around the village buy up to three hints per puzzle, and the touch screen doubles as a notepad. The difficulty rises gradually, which makes it a good pick for players new to puzzle games. The extra puzzles Nintendo offered by download depended on Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which closed in 2014, so the cartridge now holds the full experience.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is the best story game on the DS for players who would rather think than react. Capcom's description on Nintendo's UK page splits play into two phases: in the Investigation Phase you survey crime scenes, interview witnesses and gather evidence, and in the Court Phase you present that evidence and pick apart inconsistent testimony to clear your client. There are five cases that grow more complicated as they go, with a supporting cast that includes a psychic assistant and a prosecutor who assumes everyone is guilty. Nothing depends on old online services, and the PEGI 7 rating keeps it open to a wide audience. A used cartridge lists at $49.99 at DKOldies. Collectors who just want to play it can buy Capcom's Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, which bundles the first three games for Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox and Steam. Once the five cases are solved there is little reason to replay.

Chrono Trigger has the strongest pedigree on this list, and the DS cartridge is a version collectors seek out. Nintendo's listing calls it a remake of the 1995 SNES RPG made for the DS, following Crono as a malfunction at a fair sends his friend Marle back in time and starts a chase across eras. It uses the Active Time Battle system, has multiple endings and a soundtrack by Yasunori Mitsuda. The DS release adds a new dungeon and DS Wireless Play, and players can use the touch screen or switch to a classic mode with the original controls. The price is the catch: DKOldies lists the cartridge at $159.99 before sales, which pulls down its value score. For playing rather than collecting, Square Enix sells Chrono Trigger on Steam, where its store page lists the Dimensional Vortex and Lost Sanctum dungeons. It ranks fifth because of price, not quality.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is the action pick for collectors who want a game to explore rather than a set of levels. Konami's description on Nintendo's UK page sets it in 2036, with Soma Cruz entering a cult's base, a replica of Dracula's Castle, to stop Dracula's return. You leap across chandeliers, fight through rooms of traps and beat a run of bosses, while collecting the souls of fallen enemies to gain new attacks such as the Bullet Soul. The DS wireless link lets friends swap items. A used cartridge lists at $72.99 at DKOldies before sales. Konami's Steam page for the Castlevania Dominus Collection, released August 27, 2024, includes Dawn of Sorrow alongside Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia, which is the cheaper route if you only want to play.

Animal Crossing: Wild World is the DS game to keep in the system and open every day. Nintendo's own description stresses that it has no levels, scores or complex controls: you get a house and a mortgage and choose how to pay it off, whether by helping at the local shop, digging up treasure for the town museum or selling T-shirts you design. Time in the game runs in real time, so different activities appear at different hours and special events fall on certain dates such as birthdays. Every village is unique, and Nintendo lists support for 1 to 4 players. The drawbacks are age and price. Online play ended when Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection closed on May 20, 2014, so visits now rely on local wireless, and DKOldies lists a used cartridge at $79.99 before sales, which is a lot for a game that sold widely. It lands seventh mainly on value.

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver have the richest feature set on this list, and they would rank near the top if price were no object. The Pokémon Company's page describes a return to the Johto region of Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver with updated graphics and sound, new touch screen controls for the Pokédex, Bag and PC Boxes, and the option to keep using buttons. The boxed games came with the Pokéwalker, a pedometer that receives a Pokémon over infrared, earns it Experience Points as you walk and finds items and new Pokémon on the go. The problem for collectors is cost. DKOldies lists SoulSilver at $354.99 and HeartGold at $369.99 before sales, which is about ten times the price of Mario Kart DS. That drags the value score down hard, and it is why this pair sits eighth. If you buy, check whether a listing includes the Pokéwalker.

Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 are the deepest Pokémon games on the DS after the Johto remakes, and the last main-series pair built for the system. The Pokémon Company's page sets them in Unova two years after Pokémon Black and White, starting in Aspertia City in the far southwest of the region, with new places, new people and returning characters in new roles. Each version centers on Black Kyurem or White Kyurem, a Dragon and Ice type. The games run in 2D on the Nintendo 3DS, and they connect to Pokémon Dream Radar on 3DS, which can send Pokémon into your save. The Pokémon Company lists 1 to 4 players. As with HeartGold and SoulSilver, price is the barrier: DKOldies lists White 2 at $284.99 and Black 2 at $314.99 before sales. That keeps the pair in tenth place even though only HeartGold and SoulSilver score higher on capabilities.

The World Ends with You is the most DS-specific game on this list. Square Enix's description on Nintendo's UK page puts you in the role of Neku, a graffiti artist who wakes up to a message saying he will cease to exist in seven days unless he completes a mission, and who must outlast a group called the Reapers. Battles play out across both screens at once, with special attacks triggered by stylus motions on the touch screen or by shouting commands into the DS microphone. Fashion matters too, since what Neku wears affects his performance in battle. Chance Encounter mode traded data with nearby players, and up to four players can join minigames. The control scheme is the hardest to learn here, and item trading over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection ended in 2014. DKOldies lists a used cartridge at $98.99 before sales, which places it ninth overall despite its strong capabilities score.