#01
Pokémon HeartGold
A role-playing game about a young trainer traveling Johto, with a Pokémon walking behind them.
2009
DS
Platform
Nintendo DS
The two-screen handheld that outsold almost every home console.
A ranking of the top games on this system, best first. A game that shipped on more than one platform keeps a separate place on each list.
Opened most here
Up to ten guides — the ones people open most often on Nintendo DS. The ranking further down is a separate list.
Now the full ranking
Ranked on DS
The top games on DS, best first.
100 ranked · #01–#100
#02
The World Ends with You
An action RPG about a boy in Shibuya fighting with pins on two screens.
2008
DS
#03
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
A puzzle adventure about a ghost who possesses objects to undo deaths.
2011
DS
#04
Chrono Trigger
A role-playing game with an extra dungeon.
2008
DS
#05
Advance Wars: Dual Strike
A strategy sequel about pairing two COs in one battle.
2005
DS
#06
New Super Mario Bros.
A side-scrolling platformer about Mario crossing eight worlds on the DS to reach Bowser.
2006
DS
#07
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
An adventure about Link sailing a small sea on the DS, drawing routes with the stylus.
2007
DS
#08
Mario Kart DS
A kart racer about Mario characters racing classic courses and new ones on the DS.
2005
DS
#09
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
An action-adventure about Soma and souls, with magic seals you draw.
2005
DS
#10
Elite Beat Agents
A rhythm game about agents dancing to pop songs to fix people's problems.
2006
DS
#11
Pokemon Platinum
An RPG with a longer Distortion World.
2009
DS
#12
Pokemon SoulSilver
An RPG about catching and training Pokémon.
2010
DS
#13
Pokemon Black
An RPG set in Unova about a region that questions owning Pokemon.
2011
DS
#14
Pokemon White
An RPG about catching and training Pokémon.
2011
DS
#15
Pokemon Black Version 2
An RPG about a sequel set two years later.
2012
DS
#16
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
An action-adventure about a train and Zelda as a spirit who possesses suits of armor.
2009
DS
#17
Super Mario 64 DS
A 3D platformer with Yoshi, Luigi, and Wario.
2004
DS
#18
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
An RPG about Mario and Luigi inside Bowser, and Bowser out in the world.
2009
DS
#19
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
An RPG about the Mario bros.
2005
DS
#20
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
A dungeon RPG about a human who wakes up as a Pokemon.
2009
DS
#21
Animal Crossing: Wild World
A life sim about a shared town and neighbors who move in and out.
2005
DS
#22
Nintendogs
A pet sim about training, walking, and caring for puppies using the DS microphone and touch screen.
2005
DS
#23
Kirby Super Star Ultra
A platformer with extra modes.
2008
DS
#24
Kirby: Canvas Curse
A Kirby game about drawing rainbows for Kirby to roll on.
2005
DS
#25
Kirby Mass Attack
A Kirby game about flicking up to ten small Kirbys.
2011
DS
#26
Kirby: Squeak Squad
A Kirby game about treasure chests stolen by mice.
2006
DS
#27
Yoshi's Island DS
A platformer about Yoshis carrying babies with different abilities.
2006
DS
#28
WarioWare: Touched!
A puzzle game with the stylus.
2005
DS
#29
Rhythm Heaven
A rhythm game about odd jobs and a flick of the stylus.
2009
DS
#30
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
A courtroom adventure about finding contradictions in testimony.
2005
DS
#31
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for All
An adventure game with new cases and a psyche-lock system.
2006
DS
#32
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations
An adventure game about a sequel that closes the trilogy's running story.
2007
DS
#33
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
An adventure game about a new lawyer and a system for spotting tells.
2008
DS
#34
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
A puzzle adventure about a village of riddles.
2008
DS
#35
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
A puzzle game about a train and a box.
2009
DS
#36
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
A puzzle game about a future London.
2010
DS
#37
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
An adventure game about nine people escaping a ship through numbered doors.
2009
DS
#38
Hotel Dusk: Room 215
An adventure about a former cop asking questions in a hotel, played sideways.
2007
DS
#39
Last Window: The Secret of Cape West
An adventure game about the same detective in an apartment building.
2010
DS
#40
Trace Memory
An adventure about a girl and a ghost solving a island's past, also called Another Code.
2005
DS
#41
Trauma Center: Under the Knife
A surgery sim about tools and a healing touch with a time limit.
2005
DS
#42
Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2
A surgery sim with new operations.
2008
DS
#43
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
A strategy game about a ruined world.
2008
DS
#44
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
A strategy RPG with permadeath.
2009
DS
#45
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
A long RPG about a fallen angel, with local multiplayer.
2010
DS
#46
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
A long RPG about a hero's life from childhood, including marriage.
2009
DS
#47
Final Fantasy IV
An RPG about a party on a long journey.
2008
DS
#48
Final Fantasy III
An RPG about a party on a long journey.
2006
DS
#49
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
A strategy RPG about clan laws and jobs.
2008
DS
#50
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
A real-time strategy RPG in Ivalice.
2007
DS
#51
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
An RPG about a new generation of adepts.
2010
DS
#52
Metroid Prime Hunters
A shooter about bounty hunters and touch-screen aiming.
2006
DS
#53
Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
A ninja action game played with stylus slashes.
2008
DS
#54
Sonic Rush
A Sonic game about boosting and a second character, Blaze.
2005
DS
#55
Sonic Rush Adventure
A platformer about sailing to islands.
2007
DS
#56
Diddy Kong Racing DS
A racer with new tracks.
2007
DS
#57
Mario Party DS
A board game of mini-games on the DS.
2007
DS
#58
Pokemon Diamond
An RPG about catching and training Pokémon.
2007
DS
#59
Pokemon Pearl
An RPG about catching and training Pokémon.
2007
DS
#60
Pokemon White Version 2
An RPG about catching and training Pokémon.
2012
DS
#61
Pokemon Ranger
A game about drawing loops around Pokemon to befriend them.
2006
DS
#62
Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
An adventure game with a larger region.
2008
DS
#63
Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs
An adventure game about signs you trace.
2010
DS
#64
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
An action-adventure about two characters you can swap.
2006
DS
#65
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
An action-adventure about glyphs you absorb.
2008
DS
#66
Retro Game Challenge
A puzzle game about a set of fake retro games you have to master.
2009
DS
#67
Tetris DS
A puzzle game with several modes and Nintendo themes.
2006
DS
#68
Meteos
A puzzle about launching stacks of tiles off the bottom of a planet.
2005
DS
#69
Electroplankton
A puzzle game about drawing and tapping creatures that make music.
2005
DS
#70
Picross DS
A picture-crossword puzzle about filling a picture from number clues.
2007
DS
#71
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
An action game about a Triad heir.
2009
DS
#72
Contact
An RPG about a boy and a professor who talks to you, the player.
2006
DS
#73
The Legendary Starfy
A platformer about a star prince and friends who give him skills.
2009
DS
#74
Super Princess Peach
A platformer about Peach using moods as powers.
2006
DS
#75
Wario: Master of Disguise
A Wario game about drawing disguises on the touch screen.
2007
DS
#76
Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen
A long RPG about heroes on a quest.
2008
DS
#77
Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation
A long RPG about two worlds.
2011
DS
#78
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
An action RPG about twins and a crystal chalice.
2008
DS
#79
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
An action RPG about a crystal that changes the rules of a floor.
2009
DS
#80
Lock's Quest
A tower-defense game about building walls by day and fighting by night.
2008
DS
#81
N+
A minimal platformer about momentum and mines.
2008
DS
#82
Geometry Wars: Galaxies
A twin-stick shooter about shapes.
2007
DS
#83
Space Invaders Extreme
A shooter about chaining colors of invaders.
2008
DS
#84
Contra 4
A run-and-gun that treats the two screens as one tall view.
2007
DS
#85
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan
A puzzle game about a Japanese cheering game that Elite Beat Agents was based on.
2005
DS
#86
Jump Ultimate Stars
A Japan-only fighting game of Weekly Shonen Jump characters.
2006
DS
#87
Professor Layton and the Last Specter
A puzzle game about a specter in a small town.
2011
DS
#88
Pokemon Conquest
A strategy RPG about warlords and Pokemon in the style of Nobunaga's Ambition.
2012
DS
#89
Solatorobo: Red the Hunter
An action RPG about a dog pilot in a flying mecha.
2011
DS
#90
Okamiden
An action-adventure about a puppy with the celestial brush.
2011
DS
#91
Radiant Historia
An RPG about two timelines you can swap.
2011
DS
#92
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
A first-person dungeon RPG about a team in the Antarctic and demons you negotiate with.
2010
DS
#93
Etrian Odyssey
A dungeon RPG about drawing your own map.
2008
DS
#94
Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard
A dungeon RPG with a new stratum and classes.
2008
DS
#95
Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City
A dungeon RPG about a city half underwater.
2010
DS
#96
The Dark Spire
A first-person dungeon RPG that can look like an older computer game.
2009
DS
#97
Glory of Heracles
An RPG about heroes who cannot die, in a Greek myth setting.
2010
DS
#98
Blue Dragon Plus
A real-time strategy RPG about shadows.
2009
DS
#99
LostMagic
A game about drawing runes to cast spells.
2006
DS
#100
Magical Starsign
An RPG about students of magic on a journey between planets.
2006
DS