It’s time to interrupt out the stylus and open up Nintendo’s beloved dual-screened console as we try probably the most underrated DS video games!

Though it noticed enormous mainstream success, Nintendo’s DS was an underrated console for a lot of players. It had a number of horrible shovelware and lazy, touchscreen-enabled ports, and was maybe a bit harder to wade by way of the detritus and discover the hidden gems on the system. 

With greater than 3000 titles within the DS sport library although, there’s an terrible lot that will have been missed. Beyond the standard suspects and massive names, there have been loads of video games that didn’t obtain the business success they deserved.

So let’s check out ten of probably the most underrated DS video games right here!

Do we have to clarify who Pac-Man is and the place he got here from at this level? 

One of probably the most iconic characters in online game historical past, Pac-Man has starred in tons extra forms of sport than simply the maze-style expertise he first featured in (simply try our finest Pac-Man video games record for a great journey by way of the character’s gaming historical past!).

This early DS title from Namco is fairly forgotten lately, however it’s a enjoyable and unique tackle the Pac-Man components. Plus, it makes actually ingenious and amusing use of the DS contact display. 

In Pac-Pix, you’ll draw Pac-Man himself, who turns into animated no matter how misshapen your touch-screen abilities could make him.

He’ll chase ghosts within the route you’ve draw him going through; it’s nice enjoyable!

You’ll additionally want to attract totally different objects as you progress – equivalent to bombs and arrows – to take care of the varied forms of ghost that pop as much as destroy Pac-Man’s day.

It can really feel a little bit like a tech demo at instances – and that’s most likely as a result of it began life as one. Still there’s no denying that that is an unfairly missed and forgotten title from Pac-Man’s wealthy and various historical past. 

Pac-Pix is unquestionably deserving of a spot on probably the most underrated DS video games record!

For some purpose, the Puyo Puyo video games had been usually reskinned and full of characters from different franchises once they first got here to the West within the early 90s. 

Audiences exterior of Japan would have seemingly first skilled the Puyo Puyo video games as Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine for Mega Drive/Genesis (which you’ll discover on our finest Sega Mega Drive video games record) and Kirby’s Avalanche for SNES.

Regardless of how they had been packaged, the Puyo Puyo video games at all times had brilliantly addictive puzzle gameplay. It was made charming and cute by the little translucent beans you’d be a part of collectively to make colored chains of them disappear. 

Their little eyes, and the best way they’d look both at you or one another relying on how they joined collectively – gave the video games an terrible lot of character. 

This DS model of Puyo Pop Fever by the legendary Sonic Team introduced much more character to the sport. This time, within the type of the sensible character designs for gamers and their enemies.

Yet it appears to have been principally forgotten, which is an actual disgrace.

It’s nicely value searching down and taking part in – and greater than earns its spot on probably the most underrated DS video games record! 

They say by no means decide a ebook by its cowl, however the atrocious Bubble Bobble Revolution cowl artwork actually could be very off-putting.

It shouldn’t be tough to make Bub and Bob – the dinosaur stars of the Bubble Bobble video games – look cute and interesting, however somebody clearly didn’t get the memo.

It’s a disgrace, as a result of Bubble Bobble Revolution – regardless of additionally that includes a barely unappealing in-game art-style too – is definitely a extremely enjoyable continuation of the sequence. It’s bought some neat concepts that use the DS and its distinctive options very well. 

At instances, you’ll use the contact display and even blow into the microphone to activate followers that maintain your bubbles afloat. It’s actually cleverly achieved!

Not solely that, however the unique arcade model of Bubble Bobble (certainly one of our selections for finest arcade video games of all time!) can also be included in its entirety.

That makes Bubble Bobble Revolution just about a should have for followers of the sequence. 

A deep and involving RPG with over 70 hours of gameplay, Infinite Space is as advanced and involving as DS video games get.

Players take management of younger starship commander Yuri – and can discover themselves in command of a fleet of starships of their travels throughout the galaxy. 

A large number of ships and customisation choices can help you personalise the fleet to your desire and play-style. Take on area pirates and evil dictators all through the sport’s absorbing story.

From the makers of Steel Battalion (which you’ll discover on our uncommon Xbox video games record), Infinite Space is a singular expertise that by no means bought the highlight it deserved.

And, it by no means got here to every other platforms both!

Hands up should you keep in mind Namco’s traditional, hilarious taking pictures gallery sequence (try Point Blank 2 on our finest 90s arcade video games record!) coming to DS?

Not many individuals do.

Despite the arcade, mild gun-based origins of the Point Blank video games, Point Blank DS is definitely a extremely good match for the DS and its touchscreen.

40 totally different mini-game levels – taken from one of the best of the primary three console Point Blank video games – are included, with head-to-head multiplayer (utilizing only one sport card) being the icing on the cake. 

Point Blank DS is an outstanding expertise that extra DS homeowners want to take a look at. It’s unquestionably one of the vital underrated DS video games ever!

Puzzle video games have a pure residence on handhelds, as gamers can usually sort out a number of levels at a time whereas on the transfer, with out having to fret about discovering save factors or going by way of reams of expository dialogue.

Soul Bubbles virtually doesn’t match the underrated class, as a result of critics cherished it – however it simply didn’t appear to search out an viewers amongst gamers, which is a crying disgrace. 

This is partly as a result of, bafflingly, it was a Toys R Us unique within the US, which severely restricted the potential for Soul Bubbles to succeed upon launch.

In Soul Bubbles, you’re tasked with rescuing misplaced spirits by drawing bubbles round them, then main them by way of harmful levels to get them to security. 

Though initially simple, it turns into an actual problem after the primary few worlds – however the fantastically drawn levels, relaxed atmosphere and brilliantly absorbing gameplay will maintain you persevering by way of to the top of Soul Bubbles.

Nintendo are not any strangers to cleverly merging their franchises and characters with pinball.

Though the Pokemon Pinball video games are most likely probably the most well-known and in style examples of this, there’s additionally Kirby’s Pinball Land on the unique Game Boy and Mario Pinball Land on the Game Boy Advance. 

Nintendo even teamed up with Gottlieb in 1992 to convey Mario to an actual pinball desk, in Super Mario Bros: Mushroom World!

Bringing the cool, metallic sci-fi aesthetic of Metroid Prime to the world of pinball ought to have been an apparent selection and an actual slam dunk then, proper? 

Sadly, Metroid Prime Pinball, which sees Samus caught, cleverly, in Morph Ball kind as she rolls across the playfield, didn’t get the kudos it deserved. 

Power ups, bosses and a number of missions function, together with single card multiplayer for as much as eight gamers.

Like Pokemon Pinball on Game Boy Color, the addition of rumble – a DS Rumble Pak was included – makes the sport much more immersive; it looks like there’s an actual ball rolling round inside your DS at instances!

It’s a sport that’s crying out for a second likelihood, and one which we didn’t hesitate so as to add to our most underrated DS video games record.

Tower protection video games had been all the fashion a little bit over a decade in the past; most video games within the style provide an addictive, compelling and satisfying hybrid of actual time and switch based mostly technique.

Ninjatown isn’t any totally different, with an cute forged of cute ninjas – every with their very own strengths and weaknesses – which are used to defend the eponymous settlement from waves of invading enemies.

The DS touchscreen is an ideal match for Ninjatown’s tower protection motion.

The clear, shiny and vibrant visible fashion ensured absolute readability even on the small screens of the DS, with the twin display setup additionally being excellent for the sport’s fashion.

It’d be nice to see Ninjatown make a contemporary comeback. The distinctive visuals and even the gameplay mechanics have aged very well, marking this title out as a transparent selection for probably the most underrated DS video games record.

Despite the success of the primary two Advance Wars video games on the Game Boy Advance – which nonetheless stand tall as two of one of the best video games ever made in our humble opinion – this second DS entry is nowhere close to as fondly remembered.

Partly, that’s maybe as a result of it took away the enjoyable, vibrant design of the primary three video games (which incorporates the third title, DS sport Advance Wars: Dual Strike) and changed it with a a lot darker, bleaker story and general tone. 

Yet it’s nonetheless an extremely sturdy turn-based technique sport, which has been unfairly forgotten.

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (which was generally known as Dark Conflict in Europe and Australia) additionally supplied on-line, in addition to native, multiplayer choices and the power to share customized maps too. 

It positively deserves a spot on probably the most underrated DS video games record!

Countless video games through the years have taken an terrible lot of inspiration from the Aliens franchise. That includies the most effective video games of all time: the atmospheric platform journey Super Metroid (which you’ll be able to try on Switch now – and also you’ll discover it on our record of the finest SNES video games on Switch).

So it’s solely truthful if the Aliens franchise itself takes a little bit of inspiration from different online game titles. 

That’s what occurs with Aliens: Infestation, a Metroidvania title from 2D masters MannerForward Technologies.

And sure, it owes greater than a little bit to Super Metroid (so I assume they’re even and don’t owe one another something now, proper?).

This squad-based journey is brilliantly designed, with a workforce of Colonial Marines investigating acquainted places and ships from the movie Aliens. It’s not lengthy after all the horrific occasions of the film have taken place, both.

Permadeath implies that if certainly one of your marines dies, they aren’t coming again. It’s a tense and scary journey with luggage of environment. 

Infestation is a genuinely spectacular achievement on the DS, a sport that’s extremely unfairly missed, in addition to underrated. 

Aliens: Infestation is a transparent selection for the very high of probably the most underrated DS video games record – and it’s a sport we’d urge you to hunt out and play! 

Jason – who lives within the UK – has had a lifelong curiosity in video video games, which all began when he found Space Invaders within the early 80s. The first sport he ever accomplished was Wonder Boy in Monster Land on the Sega Master System – which stays certainly one of his proudest gaming achievements. Jason is a passionate author – and has been writing about gaming because the late 90s. He at present runs popular culture weblog midlifegamergeek.com, which he updates each day (and has written greater than 700 articles on the weblog alone!).

Outside of video video games, Jason is a eager tabletop gamer, movie buff and comedian ebook fan.