There’s no denying that the Nintendo DS, Nintendo’s bold departure from the Game Boy name and history, was a very beefy little fella in its day. The handheld would see a ton of epic, sprawling RPGs released, including fantastic entries in series like Dragon Quest and Pokémon. The console also saw unique releases such as Radiant Historia and Solatorobo: Red the Hunter. It’s a fun look back at the glory days of the Nintendo DS, and it reminds us that the console had so much to offer across all the different types of RPGs.
10. Suikoden Tierkreis
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Suikoden Tierkreis is a bit underrated, as it doesn’t seem to be remembered quite as often as the mainline games that dominated fan attention across the first two PlayStation consoles. Suikoden games are often marked by massive recruitable casts and a sense of scale and grandeur that’s impressive even by RPG standards. Suikoden Tierkreis, a spinoff exploring one of the many worlds established by this franchise’s lore, has both of those qualities.
However, the game does deviate from the main games in some interesting ways. For example, your characters can be equipped with multiple weapons, and certain features like army and duel battles are not to be found. If you have a very specific vision of what a Suikoden game should be, then you may struggle with this. The game isn’t even set in the world fans are familiar with, so there’s no question Suikoden Tierkreis aspires to be a little different. At the same time, you’ve got straightforward JRPG mechanics, likable characters, and a moving story that once again has you obtaining the 108 Stars of Destiny.
If you don’t mind its stark differences to the more well-known games, Suikoden Tierkreis is a game deserving of a second life.
9. Radiant Historia
Developers: Atlus, Headlock
Publisher: Atlus
Set on a continent divided between two nations trapped in bitter conflict, Radiant Historia has players taking up the role of a soldier named Stocke from the country of Alistel. Someone has to get everyone on the same page, and Radiant Historia’s intense, complex narrative has Stocke moving through timelines with a book known as the White Chronicle. Making crucial decisions in the course of the game with this book can open new paths in the narrative, and even in terms of the gameplay itself. With the added weight of a story steeped in politics with a massive cast of names and faces, you can see why Radiant Historia fans love this dark, intensive narrative.
Beyond Radiant Historia’s time travel component giving the high fantasy game enormous replay value, with your choices leading to very different experiences and conclusions, it’s also impressive to see the developers keep all of these threads running in such a non-linear fashion.
Radiant Historia also proves to be compelling with its visuals, boasting striking character and monster designs, and an appealing turn-based combat system that takes place on a 3×3 grid. Despite its massive story and its various possibilities, some of them very bleak, Radiant Historia is easy to pick up where it counts.
8. Solatorobo: Red the Hunter
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: Xseed Games
If you’ve been hoping and praying for an action RPG with heavy steampunk aesthetics and anthropomorphic dogs and cats, well, the developers of Tail Concerto have some amazing news for you. Think of Solatorobo: Red the Hunter as a spiritual successor to that game. The character designs and even the general atmosphere of this world set across a series of islands in the sky will remind you of that profoundly underrated PS1 cult favorite in no uncertain terms.
Of course, Solatorobo also differs wildly from its predecessor, particularly in terms of the gameplay. While the former was a straight-up platformer, Red the Hunter has you gaining experience as you defeat your enemies, with the added ability to upgrade your mech as you progress through the game, because whoops we forgot to mention that Solatorobo: Red the Hunter also has those. There’s also a ton of sidequests, 83 in all, to keep you busy as you explore new areas and push the engaging main plot along.
Despite its extremely charming graphics and cute characters, Solatorobo: Red the Hunter is a deep game with addictive combat mechanics that allow Red to pull off some unique combos. Even if the graphics don’t grab you at first, give this a try.
7. Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
Developer: Square
Publisher: Square
Think of Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift as a loose sequel to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Though set in the same world and featuring some familiar elements, Grimoire of the Rift opts to tell its own story and build on this universe in its own unique way. A magical book brings a young man named Luso to a world known as Ivalice, and now he must figure out how to get back home.
Tactics may have a particular focus on its combat and party management, but the relatively lighter plot and ability to explore a new world in Grimoire of the Rift gives the game a nice, added degree of depth to the experience. Fans of this Final Fantasy spinoff will be pleased to see the grid-style combat between parties that this series has become known for. It’s all immersed in a world that fans will immediately be familiar with, which also means it’s not too serious a learning curve for newcomers or anyone inexperienced with tactical RPGs.
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift doesn’t do anything particularly out of the ordinary in its franchise, but that’s fine when we’re talking about one of the most beloved tactical RPG series of all time.
6. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Publisher: Nintendo
Nearly 20 years after the 1990 release of the first Fire Emblem game on the Famicom, titled Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, the Nintendo DS received a stellar remake in the form of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. While in fact the second remake, Shadow Dragon took full advantage of the DS’ online capabilities in 2008. The dual screen of the DS was also used well, with the game giving you character stats alongside the turn-based tactical RPG action. The straightforward layout makes it easy to dig through just how deep this game can get in terms of strategy and management.
Shadow Dragon introduces us to Prince Marth, who Smash Bros. fans will no doubt remember from Melee and Ultimate, and his quest to take back his home kingdom and rescue his sister from the forces of evil. It’s not the deepest basic premise, but Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon adds quite a bit of new story and characters to the adventure, including stuff cut from the first Japan-only remake in 1994.
With over 50 characters across 20 classes to help Marth, Shadow Dragon has more than enough to keep you busy, as you set about building and managing an army that will take back the world one massive battle at a time.
5. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
Developers: Level-5, Square-Enix
Publisher: Nintendo
The Nintendo DS was a perfect destination for Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies, the ninth entry in the iconic JRPG juggernaut. The game features exciting franchise firsts like a fully customizable player character, as well as online play, which unfortunately hasn’t been functional since 2014.
Still, that doesn’t detract from Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies being a roleplaying game that can keep you busy across 40+ hours for the main story alone. Dragon Quest games love to become a full-time occupation, and this one is no different, with a diverse assortment of sidequests and other fun bits that enhance the overall experience further. And with artwork by the dearly departed Akira Toriyama, the whole game has a knack for wrapping you up in a warm blanket of the very best qualities of the best turn-based JRPGs.
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies begins simply enough, with your character leaving their angelic race of Celestrians to find the missing magical fruit of the realm. However, this fruit has dark consequences when dispersed throughout the mortal realm. The stakes rise fast and hard in Sentinels of the Starry Skies, and it’s almost impossible to not get sucked in.
4. Chrono Trigger
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Chrono Trigger may be a port from a 1995 SNES classic, but it’s one that brought the game to Nintendo’s new handheld console in an extremely appealing package.
It’s also nice to have a version of Chrono Trigger that doesn’t have agonizingly long load times, as was the case with the PS1 port. And with the DS version of the game being a good deal cheaper than the SNES original, this might be the way to go if you want a physical, straightforward copy of Chrono Trigger.
At the end of the day, Chrono Trigger is an essential JRPG on any console. Players control a young boy named Crono, who soon finds himself on a time-traveling adventure with a princess named Marle after an invention designed by his friend Lucca goes haywire at the town fair. The setup for the time travel is fantastic, making for a game that really creates a feeling of exploring whole new worlds. There’s a spirit of adventure beneath the legendary designs by Akira Toriyama, the various endings, and even the multiple combat styles that no other RPG has ever been able to recreate in such a way. Nothing is quite like Chrono Trigger, and that fact means that it’s one of the best RPGs on any console lucky enough to boast this game.
3. The World Ends with You
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
The World Ends with You lives up to its name almost immediately. As a teenager named Neku Sakuraba, you find yourself in modern-day Shibuya with no idea as to how you got there. All you know is the mission you’re quickly given, alongside a watch that shows you exactly how much time you have left.
You also know that failing to complete the mission comes with the threat of complete erasure. This entire story would prove to be one of the most interesting narratives Square Enix developed at the time. Things get even crazier in this unique action RPG when you start getting into the combat system.
Battle in The World Ends with You can be a little tricky at first. Both DS screens utilize essential elements of your combat, with your characters and enemies existing in different zones, despite being in the same general place. You and your partner must share a health bar and can use collectible pins to increase the power of your attacks, which can also be done in cooperation with your partner, and yeah, this is a pretty complicated battle system to get a grip on. But once you do, and the game does give you space to get your bearings before things get significantly spicier, you’ll find yourself incredibly impressed by the unique depth of The World Ends with You.
It’s a tougher RPG than you might be used to. Even so, the art style of The World Ends with You, drawing from street art and urban youth fashion influences, is just one of the ways The World Ends with You softens the blow of something that’s unlike anything else in the best way possible.
2. Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver
Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Nintendo
Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver are often regarded as two of the very best games for the Nintendo DS as a whole, so it makes sense to see them standing among the best RPGs for the handheld, as well. Remaking two fan favorite Pokémon games wasn’t enough for the developers at Game Freak, and HeartGold & SoulSilver feature numerous quality-of-life improvements, including the addition of an in-game clock system, upgraded 3D graphics, and the ability to have your first slotted Pokemon follow you around on the overworld screen. At the time, players had only seen this feature in a very limited capacity in Pokémon Yellow.
But with all the changes big and small for HeartGold & SoulSilver, the essential components of why these games have captivated players for decades can be found in every moment spent playing these titles. You’re traveling a beautiful, bright world, and you’re capturing an incredible range of Pokemon. Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver made this effortlessly enjoyable by making a few meaningful updates, creating one of the best examples of a remake done to perfection, improving upon the original in every viable way.
1. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story
Developer: AlphaDream
Publisher: Nintendo
There’s a lot of cleverness to be found throughout Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story. From a cute story that sees Mario and Luigi trapped inside Bowser’s insides, while Bowser runs amok on the surface world, to graphics and dialog that emphasize a bizarre, adorable sense of humor and style, Bowser’s Inside Story is a game that sneaks up on you.
The combat mechanics of Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story take a little longer to adapt to than you might have guessed, but the rewards for doing so are vast. You get to experience one of the most unique attempts at a Mario game we’ve ever seen, with Bowser’s Inside Story making good use of the dual screens, putting Bowser on the top screen and Mario and Luigi on the bottom. Moving back and forth between the two soon becomes seamless and highly compulsory from a gameplay standpoint.
You also get the reward of Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story being one of the funniest Mario games we’ve ever seen. Seriously, with a game that balances inventive gameplay with what is essentially two separate adventures that are expertly woven together in a variety of clever ways, it’s nothing less than astonishing that Bowser’s Inside Story also has time to be deeply, hysterically funny.
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