Essential Nintendo DS/3DS Games

[Ike]

With the Switch having stomped its way into the market, the DS lineage is most likely done for. I had quite a few DS games when I was collecting, and now I find myself deeply regretting having gotten rid of some of them, and even more having passed some of them up when they were new. I used to have a copy of Contact, a game which was "quirky" in the EarthBound sense, and which I quite enjoyed but sold for reasons I can't remember. It used to be you could go into any GameStop and trip over a pile of complete copies for $3.99, but since GameStop started destroying DS boxes, it's pretty difficult to find nowadays with the packaging intact. I forsee a lot of these games becoming expensive in the near future, especially with rising interest in Nintendo as a brand after the late era Wii-Wii U slump, so I'm trying to figure out how to build a solid collection. I was looking through my collection and realized that a lot of games that used to be super cheap have gone way up, especially 2007-2010 era Atlus games. I found my receipt for The Dark Spire ($9.99 new) in the box and looked it up, and an incomplete used copy can go for up to $50 bucks now. For the sake of simplicity, I'm considering DS and 3DS games to be of the same library.

I've got:
999
All of the Phoenix Wright games
Chrono Trigger DS
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
The Dark Spire
Ghost Trick
Hotel Dusk
Izuna 1
Kid Icarus 3DS
Kirby Mass Attack
Kirby Super Star Ultra
DQ Rocket Slime (this game deserves to be worth more than it is)
DQ4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Retro Game Challenge
SMT 4, Devil Survivor Overclocked, Devil Survivor 2 (DS), Soul Hackers, Strange Journey Redux
Shiren the Wanderer
Solatorobo
Tetris DS (the best Tetris, except for Puyo Puyo Tetris)


I'm planning to re-buy Contact and Radiant Historia (which I sold the DS version in anticipation of the Perfect Chronology release, I just haven't picked it up yet.) I'm also looking at Bravely Default (should I bother with this or should I just get Octopath Traveler?), Legend of Legacy and Alliance Alive (which I understand are Secret SaGa games, and look fun) and a couple others I'm sure I'll remember later. Which ones do you guys think are worth looking at?

[🧀Son of Suzy Creamcheese🧀]

I don't know if all Phoenix Wright games also means Miles Edgeworth Investigations, but you definitely need that one if you don't.
Other than that:
-NSMB and SM3DL. A bit cliche answer, but both excellent. Though if you've played SM3DW, 3DL might be a bit lame.
-Luigi's Mansion 2
-Pilotwings Resort
-Any Rhythm Heaven and WarioWare
-Pokémon HG/SS or B/W

-Monster Hunter Generations, but only if you don't have a Switch
-Donkey Kong Country Returns, but only if you don't have a Wii

Yes that's lots of 1st party, but that's mostly what I got for them.

[spanky]

I really enjoyed Contra 4.

Also good call on Retro Game Challenge. The sequel is pretty good too.

[Snake]

No love for Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin? Dragon Quest IX?

Mega Man ZX and ZX Advent.
Final Fantasy III and IV.
Brain Age
Front Mission 1st
Metal Slug 7

Contra 4 is certainly a must.

[dsparil]

Bravely Default and Bravely Second are definitely worth it. Octopath is hugely overrated in my opinion.

SMTIV:A is good too. One ending is a little hokey but the gameplay is improved.

This was the 3DS list I posted last time this came up minus what you have. Need to think about DS games.

Bravely Default
Bravely Second
Fantasy Life
FE Echoes: Shadows of Valentina
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Kirby: Planet Robobot
LoZ: MM 3D
Monster Hunter Stories
Pilot Wings Resort
Picross 3D: Round 2
Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice
Pokémon Sun/Moon
RE: Revelations
SMT IV: Apocalypse
Xenoblade Chronicles 3D
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (Zero Time Dilemma is seriously garbage)

For smaller eShop games:
Ambition of the Slimes
Azure Striker Gunvolt
Box Boy
Box Box Boy
Bye Bye Box Boy
Crimson Shroud
Pocket Jockey
Starship Damrey
Weapon Shop de Omasse

eShop ports whose sole purpose is to be in 3D:
3D Classics: Kirby's Adventure
3D Classics: Kid Icarus
3D Classics: Xevious
Ecco 3D
Galaxy Force II 3D (this is stunning in 3D)
Sonic 1 3D

[🧀Son of Suzy Creamcheese🧀]

Sept 19, 2018 14:18:55 GMT -5 Snake said:

No love for Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin? Dragon Quest IX?

Mega Man ZX and ZX Advent.
Final Fantasy III and IV.
Brain Age
Front Mission 1st
Metal Slug 7

Contra 4 is certainly a must.

I saw so many DQs there that I forgot about IX. It's indeed really good.

[X-pert74]

These games are more readily available today on Steam, but there is a Japan-only compilation of Umihara Kawase and Umihara Kawase Shun for the DS (it's called "Umihara Kawase Shun Second Edition kanzenban), which is nice. It's a DS game, so it's region-free, and it's a really fun platformer series, that features a grappling hook mechanic. It's kinda like Bionic Commando, but more stretchy and bouncy, and with lots of hidden level exists and hidden stages to find in each playthrough, it offers a lot of replay value. I love it.

[mainpatr]

Treasure's DS games are really good. That's the Bleach fighters and Bangai-o Spirits.

[Ike]

Yeah, I haven't got DQ9 yet but it's on my radar. I just beat 7 yesterday and I'm on to 8 now, and there's a good chance I'll pick up 11 too (kinda wish that were on 3DS in the US, would be nice to have them all portable, but that's what the Switch is for if that ever happens)

I have no interest in Pokemon, so I'll skip those. Definitely want Mario.

[JoeQ]

Bangai-O Spirits is amazing, definitely get that.

Mega Man Zero Collection if you don't already have them for GBA.

Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure

Soul Bubbles

[ZenithianHero]

Just going by physical third party stuff

Etrian Odyssey series
Front Mission DS
Elebits Adventures of Kai and Zero
Rune Factory series (3 or 4 if you just want to buy one now)
Sonic Rush and Rush Adventure (love these!)
Space Invaders Extreme 2
Legend of Kage 2
Trauma Center 1 and 2
Atelier Annie


7th Dragon III Code
Bravely Default
Frogger 3D (underrated!)
Hatsune Miku Project Mirai DX
Project X Zone 1 and 2
Rhythm Thief
Ridge Racer 3D
River City games (Kunio Kun)
Senran Kagura 1/2 (hey, they are fun beat em ups)
Shinobi
Stella Glow
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy

[Bumpyroad]

Check those WayForward titles, like both Shantae games, Thor etc., also Giana Sisters DS, Commando: Steel Disaster, Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary, Ketsui: Death Label, Nanostray 1/2, Code of Princess on 3DS.

[Ike]

Is the Aliens DS game any good? That was a Way forward title, yeah?

The Shantae games I have on Switch so I'm good on those. I'm mostly looking for physical games at the moment. If it's something that has been ported to Switch and I haven't already got it I would prefer that version.

[eatersthemanfool]

The Aliens DS game is worth trying out but it didn't click for me. Some people really seem to like it. It's similar to Alien 3 for SNES, but didn't feel as good for some reason.

Also, there is a Strategy RPG that I almost never see mentioned but I thought was pretty fun. Dawn of Heroes for NDS.

Dawn of Heroes isn't anything amazing, just a kind of basic SRPG with a few classes and a kind of British WoW clone artstyle. Not a lot of replay value but it's fun enough the first time through.

If you want to play all the not-terrible SRPG's on the DS, though, this is one.

[Deleted]

You mentioned Hotel Dusk. Do you have the sequel, Last Window?