The best Nintendo DS games of all time

The best Castlevania games reigned supreme throughout the lifespans of the Gameboy Advance and the Nintendo DS. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is one of the higher watermarks in the franchise’s storied history, with plenty of Metroidvania goodness to please even the most cynical fans. The map is huge, the weapons and spells are plentiful, and the souls system, which allows for the absorption of enemy moves, is absolutely robust, with hundreds of unique moves and status perks available. The music, composed by series mainstays Michiru Yamane and Masahiko Kimura, is a treat, and the controls are perfectly balanced. It’s just a joy to play. Please, Konami — make more old school Castlevania games.

It’s been a while since the last Advance Wars title, though games like Wargroove on the Nintendo Switch have filled the gap nicely. Advance Wars: Dual Strike was an exceptionally solid entry in the franchise, making great use of the console’s dual screens. The bottom screen shows the battle map and allows for user inputs, while the top screen displays pertinent information, such as terrain and unit intelligence. This dual screen approach nearly eliminates the need to pause the game or navigate menus, streamlining the gameplay significantly. It’s also an absolute blast to play in local co-op. Just like the original, co-op does not necessitate two consoles, as one console can simply be passed back and forth between two players.

A fully realized GTA title on a portable platform? Yes, please. Though the overhead design recalls the original Grand Theft Auto games before they made the jump to 3D, the gameplay is filled with modern flourishes, plus dozens of mini-games and a large open world to explore to keep up with the best GTA games. The narrative boasts a biting wit (a series staple), and the gameplay is as fast, frenetic, and chaotic as ever. It also features drug dealing as a main gameplay component, which has got to be a first for a Nintendo system. 

What can be said about Chrono Trigger that hasn’t already been written? This is, by many accounts, the greatest JRPG of all time, with best-in-class gameplay mechanics, an innovative story, plenty of unique playable characters, and some of the best music to ever grace a video game. The DS version features brand new environments, streamlined gameplay options, and a bunch of other bells and whistles, making this the definitive version of the title. This version has gone on to be re-released for mobile and Windows computers, where it continues to sell like hotcakes. 

The second portable outing for Nintendo’s massively popular kart racer was a home run, offering the first appearance of many features that are now standard with Mario Kart outings. These features include retro tracks, modern imaginings of SNES and GBA favorites, single player missions, and the ability to design your own kart. This was also the first Mario Kart title to support online racing, integrating with the company’s now-defunct Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. You’ll be surprised how masterfully this game holds up, easily becoming one of the best racing games, including Nintendo’s newer Mario Kart titles.