Best Pokemon DS Games

Which Pokemon console era was the best? For many, the answer is based on personal exposure and nostalgia, with their first journey to Catch ‘Em All being their favorite. For others, the Game Boy and GBA eras represent the franchise’s peak, an understandable argument considering these titles wrote the blueprint defining the concept of a Pokemon game, knowledge Game Freak still uses roughly three decades later. However, in terms of both quantity and quality, the Pokemon DS games are arguably untouchable.

Even ignoring the spin-offs and pairing together the dual releases, the franchise produced five games that are comfortably among the Nintendo DS’s best RPGs. While not reinventing the wheel to the same extent as the 3DS or Switch eras, this console generation perfected the formula cemented by Gold and Silver and Ruby and Sapphire. The best Pokemon Nintendo DS games represent the IP at its peak; that said, not everything released for the handheld console was great.

Updated November 1, 2025 by Mark Sammut: As there are no more Pokemon DS games to go over, we added recommendation sections at the end of each entry.

Every Pokemon Nintendo DS Game (Released In North America)

The Nintendo DS has arguably one of the best lineups of Pokemon games ever, offering quantity, quality, and even variety. Admittedly, not every release was a success story, particularly concerning the spin-offs; however, the franchise at least tried to shake things up by dipping its toes into other genres like strategy and racing. One of those was even quite successful. The Generation 4 main games are all highly-regarded too.

The following table includes every Pokemon Nintendo DS game released in North America. Only two projects (Learn with Pokemon: Typing Adventure and Pokemon Card Game: How To Play DS) were not localized, and they have been left out of this discussion since they cannot be analyzed in their natural forms. That said, they are the definition of niche.

Click on the game to jump to its ranking.

14

Pokemon Dash

A Terrible Racing Game That Has Poor Touch-Screen Implementation. Just An Underwhelming Use Of The Pokemon License.

Pokemon Dash is one of the more unremarkable releases for the Nintendo DS, at least in concept. It’s essentially a Pokemon-themed racing game, with players being able to race against their favorite Generation 3 creatures such as Torchic, Treecko, and Mudkip.

The graphics and sprites for the game are charming; however, it’s weighed down by its repetitive gameplay and the fact that players can only play as Pikachu. The game is also designed around the Nintendo DS’s stylus, with players essentially guiding Pikachu around a track rather than controlling it, akin to a kart racer.

Is Pokemon Dash Worth Playing Nowadays?

Unfortunately, Pokemon Dash is almost impossible to recommend on nearly any level. The gameplay is too simplistic to be interesting beyond a few minutes, and the rest of the package offers very little to make up for its weak core loop.

13

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team

At This Point, More Of A Historical Piece Rather Than A Must-Play Title. Still, This Was A Fine First Attempt At A Dungeon-Crawler

The counterpart to Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team, which was released exclusively for the Game Boy Advance, Blue Rescue Team was released only for the Nintendo DS. The games are practically interchangeable as far as story and playable characters go, with the differences lying in certain creatures players can encounter and recruit in dungeons.

At the time of Red & Blue Rescue Team‘s debuts, Mystery Dungeon was still a fairly unique entity for Pokemon fans, especially Western audiences who might have never heard of Shiren the Wanderer or Chocobo’s Dungeon. As such, Blue Rescue Team benefited from being the franchise’s first trip into this side world, even if the game was surpassed by its sequels in many ways.

Is Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team Worth Playing Nowadays?

Although decent for its era, Blue Rescue Team is arguably the worst entry in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, and all the other Nintendo DS games are better. If you want to experience this story, and you have a Nintendo Switch, I recommend picking up Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX.

12

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers Of Darkness & Time

A Serviceable Game With A Good Story But Little In The Way Of Innovation. At This Point, This Series Was Starting To Run Out Of Steam.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers Of Darkness & Time has an enchanting story, unique sprites, lovable characters, and interesting gameplay. Mystery Dungeon is built upon dungeon-crawler gameplay, and the franchise is far more expansive than just Pokemon. These spin-offs are among the license’s most famous releases, and they do offer a nice change of pace from the standard Pokemon project.

Despite the pros of the gameplay, these titles are still rather repetitive, particularly during later points in the campaign. If players found themselves under-leveled or stuck, it would take massively repetitive grinding for them to catch up to where they needed to be. Ultimately, Explorers of Darkness & Time does not do enough to differentiate itself from other Mystery Dungeon games, resulting in an experience that is hard to recommend when there are simply better options available.

Are Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers Of Darkness & Time Worth Playing Nowadays?

This is a difficult one to answer, as the games are mostly fine. Like, if someone enjoys the later entries in the series, they will likely have a decent time with either of these two projects; however, they might struggle to remember much about them.

11

Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs

The Worst Pokemon Ranger Game Is Still A Decent Time, But It Feels Like A Backward Step Rather Than An Exciting Leap Forward.

The third Pokemon Ranger installment saw the spin-off series stagnate to an extent. That said, the entry introduced a few improvements to the gameplay style, such as adding ridable legendary creatures and a time-traveling mechanism that allowed for multiplayer. However, its story is fairly weak, and the legendary Pokemon do not add much to the experience.

The feature in Shadows of Almia that allowed players to change their partner Pokemon between a wide variety of obtainable creatures was taken away in this sequel. It was an unnecessary backward step in a subseries that did not have much forward momentum. Compared to previous console generations, Pokemon arguably sat on its laurels a bit too often during the Nintendo DS era, and this was most apparent in the spin-offs that seemed to barely bring anything new to the plate.

Is Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs Worth Playing Nowadays?

If you are going to only play one Pokemon Ranger game, Guardian Signs should not be it. If you are looking to complete the series, the third entry is enjoyable enough.

10

Pokemon Ranger

An Interesting Attempt To Deviate From The Standard Pokemon Formula That Made Good Use Of The DS’s Stylus

The first installment in the Pokemon Ranger series is the most critically successful, at least according to Metacritic. However, it is not necessarily the best overall package in the series. Still, it introduced the concept of playing not as a trainer or another Pokemon, but as a Ranger set on maintaining peace throughout the region and saving wild Pokemon that have been put in harm’s way.

There isn’t much flexibility in the partner Pokemon that players can have; they can only choose between a Plusle and Minun, depending on which gender they choose for their protagonist. However, the circle-drawing gameplay style that allowed players to capture the friendship of wild Pokemon was revolutionary for the franchise. This mechanic couldn’t have been done on the Game Boy Advance, as the Nintendo DS was the first console to introduce a touchscreen.

Is Pokemon Ranger Worth Playing Nowadays?

For the most part, the first Pokemon Ranger got the formula right immediately, even if the sequels improve on some elements. Consequently, the game is still quite fun to revisit, and the gameplay still feels fairly fresh and novel due to the series not continuing after the DS era.

9

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers Of Sky

The Best Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Game On The Nintendo DS

The Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series is just generally not well-regarded by critics, with most of the entries getting middling reviews at best. However, they obviously have their fans, and if someone likes one entry, they will probably enjoy most of the others. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky is a classic example of a game that didn’t receive the most love from critics, but has become a favorite for many fans in the community.

The improved version of Explorers of Darkness & Time brought enough new ideas to the plate to justify its existence, and newcomers should pick this game above its predecessors. The additions include several new playable creatures, playable special episodes, new items, exclusive dungeons, and minor tweaks to the tear-jerking story. Speaking about the latter, this entry has the best story in the series. While that might not seem like that big of a deal for the franchise, the Mystery Dungeon games are more story-driven than the main series, and Explorers of Sky is one of the few Pokemon games that is primarily worth playing for its narrative.

Is Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers Of Sky Worth Playing Nowadays?

If you are looking to play a Mystery Dungeon game from this era, Explorers of Sky should be your first pick.

8

Pokemon Trozei!

Although Nothing Amazing, Trozei Is A Fun Distraction That Caters To Both Pokemon And Puzzle Fans (Although, Mostly The Former)

Pokemon Trozei! is a puzzle game that is very similar to Tetris and Yoshi’s Cookie when it comes to gameplay. Blocks with the faces of different Pokemon will fall from the top of the screen, but only the last row can be moved and matched with the ones above it.

It is a relaxing experience, similar to Pokemon Pinball. Trozei is a fine option for players who aren’t that fond of the mainstream series of games or just want something to play in between more time-consuming projects. While perfectly playing, the spin-off is unlikely to appeal to anyone besides die-hard Pokemon fans.

Is Pokemon Trozei! Worth Playing Nowadays?

Definitely. Trozei is a solid puzzle game and one of the better Pokemon spin-offs. That said, I would recommend Pokemon Battle Trozei on the 3DS above its predecessor, if you want to only try one.

7

Pokemon Ranger: Shadows Of Almia

The Best Pokemon Ranger Game, Period

Shadows of Almia is the second game in the Pokemon Ranger series. The title made several improvements to its predecessor’s story, which was a bit lacking in this regard. This included setting the protagonist as a teenager studying to be a Pokemon Ranger, which many kids and young adults playing the game could relate to.

Despite the improvements, Shadows of Almia kept the gameplay mostly the same, albeit with the important addition of being able to swap out partner Pokemon. Still, the lack of innovation was disappointing since it seemed like a missed opportunity. While fans of the original release should check this out, Shadows of Almia won’t impress anyone who did not care for the first game.

Is Pokemon Ranger: Shadows Of Almia Worth Playing Nowadays?

Yes, Shadows of Almia is the best Pokemon Ranger game out there. The series as a whole never quite reached the heights of the mainline entries, but the games are fun distractions. Honestly, Pokemon Ranger should still be a thing.

6

Pokemon Conquest

A Very Respectable Tactical RPG That Proved Pokemon Is A Perfect Fit For The Genre. Unfortunately, It Is One Of A Kind.

Pokemon Conquest was the first and only attempt by Game Freak’s franchise to try its hand at the strategy genre, with the spin-off introducing a unique storyline as well as a fresh turn-based battle system. Players moved different creatures across the battlefield, encountering enemies as well as harmful field hazards along the way. Pokemon Conquest is an incredibly fleshed-out game, with the main story taking roughly 15 hours to beat. There’s also a plethora of post-game missions for players to beat.

Although not everything about this peculiar diversion hits the mark, Pokemon Conquest was a very good first effort to push the franchise in a tactical RPG direction similar to something like Disgaea. Along with being a fun pick for die-hard fans, the game works well as an entry-level option due to its relatively low difficulty and somewhat goofy nature, making it a good pick for young Pokemon fans who are interested in trying a tactics project.

Is Pokemon Conquest Worth Playing?

Yes, particularly for younger players who are taking their first steps into tactics games. Pokemon Conquest is accessible while also offering enough depth to keep genre veterans entertained beyond the novelty of using Pokemon.

5

Pokemon Diamond & Pearl

A Confident Introduction To A New Genre

The first mainstream Nintendo DS Pokemon games were Diamond & Pearl. For many players, these entries were their introduction to the franchise, giving them deep sentimental value for all who played them in their childhood. They brought quite a few new things to the plate, such as Wi-Fi support, move classes, expanded evolutions, a jump to 3D, and the Poketch. The core loop remained mostly the same, but Diamond & Pearl offered more than just a fresh coat of paint.

Generation 4 was critically praised for its immersive story, smooth graphics, incredible soundtrack, and memorable characters that players met along their journey through the Sinnoh region. These games have developed a somewhat weird reputation over the years, being well-regarded but not extremely highly rated. As the first mainline DS entries, Diamond & Pearl were unsurprisingly massive, and they kept the Pokemon train rolling by delivering solid, if unspectacular, adventures. By this point, the franchise had become a source of comfort for many people, and these entries helped introduce that aspect to a new generation.

However, Diamond & Pearl just seem slow compared to both earlier and subsequent games. So many things feel like they take a second longer than they should, and the story is structured in a way that makes it feel repetitive.

Are Pokemon Diamond & Pearl Worth Playing Nowadays?

I mean, Diamon & Pearl are from an era where the franchise’s core releases seldom missed the mark. The games added plenty of QOL adjustments that make them easier to revisit than their predecessors, and they don’t come across as excessively dated. Unlike some of the earlier generations, Diamon & Pearl‘s modern remakes are not especially great, at least not to the point of rendering their ancestors obsolete.

That said, they are not the best way to experience this generation.