41. The World Ends With You – Kane
“The world ends with you. If you want to enjoy life, expand your world. You gotta push your horizons out as far as they’ll go.”
Some developers really took the idea of using all the features of the DS to the next level. The team that put together this gem did exactly that here.
You take control of Neku and his fellow participants, chosen upon death to take part in the Game. Pulled into a parallel version of Shibuya and tasked with fulfilling missions to win the Game, the prize being to return to life.
The gameplay is the real prize here, however. Utilising the Dual Screen format to the fullest, you fight mirrored enemies on both screens, controlling a different character on each screen. This is explained in-game as the enemies living on two planes of existence and needing to be defeated in both to truly die. This means Neku must partner up with various fellow participants so they can fight together to complete their mission. Fighting on two screens gives us a frantic and energetic combat style that keeps you engaged from start to finish.
42. Mario Hoops: 3 on 3 – Riley
Ever played basketball with a Moogle?
Mario has pretty much starred in every sport at this point, and whilst not as gritty as Strikers, this one has a style of its own. Developed by Square Enix (yeah, those guys), it features Mario characters duking it out in high-octane matches featuring coins and Mario items. Each match feels unique, and it’s unlike any basketball game you’ve ever experienced before. If that doesn’t sound tantalising enough, there are Final Fantasy characters like the Moogle and Cactuar, as well as Mages. You can even face off against Malboro if you feel like it.
To top it off, the score is made by the legendary Yoko Shimomura of Kingdom Hearts and Mario & Luigi fame, so you know the music is incredible. This is a step above what we’ve learnt to expect from Mario sports titles: great and unique presentation, excellent music and even a little Final Fantasy magic to keep it fresh.
43. New Super Mario Bros. – Melty
Yet again, Mario, the princess is in another castle… Wanna play Poker?
At this point in time, a Mario game was a Mario game. This one is no different. Taking the game back to its roots in handheld form, Princess Peach is kidnapped by Bowser (or in this case, Bowser Jr.), and Mario must make his way through the numerous worlds in search of his one true love… Yeah, we still forgot about Pauline at this point.
Even though it’s just your classic Mario game, it’s still a great play. This is why Mario has stood the test of time. However, the magic in this entry is in the—say it with me—MINIGAMES! Yes, the minigames. Yet again, the DS proves to be the master of these tiny additions. These include ‘Snowball Slalom’, ‘Whack-a-Monty’, and ‘Hide and Boo Seek’.
I refuse to admit how many times I stayed up till 3 am playing ‘Wanted!’ and mistaking Luigi’s hat for Yoshi. It never happened… Although my highest score was well into the 100s.
44. Pokémon Trozei! – Riley
Yoshi’s Cookie, but with Pokémon heads?
The DS really was the peak of Pokémon RPGs and spin-offs, and whilst some may give this slot to Ranger or Conquest, I have decided to go to Trozei!, also known as Pokémon Link!.
This is a combining puzzle game in which the objective is to rack up a high score by linking up four matching Pokémon heads. Once you combine four, you have a “Trozei/Link Chance”, a period of time in which you can match three heads to hit huge bonuses. Additional chances allow for matching Pokémon in pairs and “L” or “T” shapes. There are also boss fights in which you need to match super-effective types and Dittos that will pretend to be any Pokémon you need.
Whilst on the surface this sounds basic, the difficulty and depth of the game really show its colours the deeper you go. Similar to Puzzle League or Tetris, the real satisfaction comes from getting great at the game and creating huge combos for scores so high you can claim you have mastered the art. If you love puzzle games and want something a little different to Tetris, this should please.
45. Custom Robo Arena – Kane
Come back when you have a clean robo
Custom Robo Arena is an RPG with a really fun twist. While its story is honestly doing nothing new, the battle system is unique to the series. Instead of your traditional sword and sorcery, which you might expect from the genre, battles take place between telepathically piloted custom robots called Custom Robos. These robots—as the name might suggest—are fully customisable, letting you swap out legs, jetpacks, weapons and the whole frame if you wish. Each new part gives you new stats and a possible edge in your next fight.
The whole of society in-game seems based around these Robos. They’re used in the police force, criminals use them, and the school system seems aimed at producing the most accomplished pilots they can through an inter-school tournament. It all seems a little bizarre, but I’m a veteran of Yu-Gi-Oh, Beyblade and Medabots. I can say for fans of those, it’s pretty much all par for the course. Well worth a try for the unique battle system alone.
46. MySims Racing – Riley
There are five food groups. Meat, vegetables, grains, fruit and ice cream!
EA’s unexpected wholesome hit, MySims, boasted a legion of spin-offs before its untimely demise, one of which was the kart racing title for the DS. Whilst not as mechanically deep as the likes of Mario Kart or Diddy Kong Racing, the main draw here is the customisation. You can customise everything, from the playable character and karts to the colours of all the above. It’s not quite on the level of Modnation Racers, but the character that the NPCs in this game boast is unmatched.
The dialogue these crazed Sims come up with is utter lunacy. They come up with the most unhinged dialogue and requests. You’ll spend half your time optimising your build and the other half laughing in confusion at the complete shit these guys come out with. And personally, I think that’s well worth the price of admission alone.
47. Spyro: Shadow Legacy – Riley
“You truly are the greatest dragon ever to have been spawned“
Spyro saw a lot of transformations over the years, from his humble beginnings as a mascot platformer all the way to his darker days as a beat ’em up Lord of the Rings clone. At the end of the original continuity, Shadow Legacy decided to take all of the established lore and characters and combine them into a rich and cohesive world. Developed by Amaze Entertainment, Shadow Legacy is an action RPG with beat ’em up combat that gives you the ability to use spells by drawing symbols on the touch screen (similar to Okamiden, 5 years later).
The actual gameplay is basic and repetitive, but it isn’t really the draw here personally. The story, character interactions and dialogue are the most interesting elements. This remains the only Spyro game to reference the PS1, PS2 and GBA eras in one story, with characters that would never speak or interact finally being shown in more than “Thank you for releasing me” dialogue. The story and gameplay are also much easier to follow and understand than Sonic the Hedgehog’s attempt at an RPG, so take that as you will.
48. Super Mario 64 DS – Riley
“Thank you so much a-for-to playing my game!“
Whilst certainly far from the definitive way to play Super Mario 64, the DS launch title has its own strengths. Whilst it was an impressive feat for the time, its unorthodox control scheme and muddying of visuals have left this title feeling a bit left behind. But, with 30 additional stars, four playable characters and more secrets and content to find, it stands on its own as a worthwhile Mario entry. Mario’s powers have been distributed to the other characters now, and Yoshi has the unique capability of wearing hats and transforming into the other brothers. He’s the best of all the bros!
That’s not all. The game has a bunch of rabbits running around that, once caught, unlock a ton of fun and addictive minigames you can play alone or with friends. But the multiplayer fun doesn’t end there, you can also play star collection games with up to 3 friends as differently coloured Yoshis to hold the star before time runs out. But even if you’re playing solo, there are lots of new stars, bosses and content to sink your teeth into here next time you have that craving for ‘Bomb-Omb Battlefield’!
49. Kirby: Mouse Attack – Blaze
“And now it’s Kirby’s favourite time of day — snack time.”
Peace in Dreamland only means one thing for Kirby: another epic adventure! Help Kirby chase down Daroach and his band of Squeaks to get back the greatest treasure of all, your strawberry shortcake! Battle your way through eight beautifully designed worlds, collecting all kinds of copy abilities to solve puzzles and collect all the treasure chests in the level.
You will be rewarded with ability scrolls, a new feature to this game that allows you to power up existing abilities. You can even use them to get puzzle pieces to find bonus levels. A favourite feature of mine is the paint cans that give you the option to change Kirby’s colour in the game. There are so many different types of collectables and secrets in this game, you’ll be itching to find them all.
Another unique feature is the ‘copy palette’ that appears on the touchscreen. This and adds a new level of strategy to the game as it allows you to hold and combine copy abilities to make new ones. Make use of the newly introduced copy ability “bubble” to trap and collect food and enemies to use later. But be careful, treasure is also kept in bubbles, so don’t let them float away!
This game is fun for new and old fans of Kirby, as you’ll battle new and old friends to track down the Squeak Squad. There is plenty of bonus content for when you’ve beaten the game too. From speedy time trials to intense boss rush modes. You can even join up with 3 friends in local play and compete in sub games inspired by the Squeaks. There’s something for everyone with this rodent-infested adventure.
50. Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2 – Dave
Missed opportunity to implement charging your meter with the mic tbh
Horribly balanced and rife with the sound of someone’s grandmother screaming the name of a Hawaiian King, Super Sonic Warriors 2 is in many ways a pretty standard Dragon Ball fighting game. This speaks to its strengths, however. There’s a lot of authenticity in the high-speed movement, support characters taking cheap shots to slow down a juggernaut, and aura-farming by firing a beam through a rain of fireballs.
By modern standards, the roster is rather modest. A lot of the more elaborate attacks are impressive, though, featuring screen-filling spritework that’s only surpassed by the fangame Hyper Dragon Ball Z. While it plays more like a Tenkaichi game on a 2D plane, when it’s at its best, it feels like a janky, less combo-heavy version of Dragon Ball FighterZ, which sounds like a dream come true for the many scrubs I have the (mis?)fortune to call my friends.
It also has some of my favourite “what-if” scenarios in a DB game. The one where Mr Satan befriends Broly was wholesome and introduced a more sympathetic version of the legendary Super Saiyan over a decade before the 2018 movie did. I never got the chance to play any of the Bleach or Jump Super Star games on the DS, but this filled the “shōnen battle manga licensed game”-shaped hole in my heart. Surgery was an excruciating experience, but the Zenkai boost was worth it.
We’d love to hear your thoughts and views on our entries. Got any recommendations for the team to play, like Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, Advance Wars: Dual Strike, or Metroid Prime Hunters? Maybe you think Flipnote Studio deserves more shine? Comment your thoughts below, or alternatively, join our Discord so our discussion can go on further.
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Just a dude that plays games. Ill write stuff on here once in a blue moon
He/Him
A flamboyant ultra nerd, Dave participates in the Underlevelled Tournament both for the thrill of the fight, and to avenge the orphans lost in the climax of the previous tournament.
Born: London
Height: ???
Weight: ???
Nen Type: Manipulator
Classes: Editor, Dancer,
Hobbies: street dance, collecting manga volumes, reading, editing
Likes: short-to-medium walks on the beach, pointing out how things can and will be misconstrued as racism, fighting games, RPGs, anime, Hades, alternative hip hop, conscious hip hop, Mara Wilson, overly long bios, ice-cream
Dislikes: insincere media, his own uncanny resemblance to Richard Ayoade, mayonnaise
Sean Hollyman is an avid fan of action figures, videogames and sometimes other things too. When he's not labourously trying to earn platinum trophies for games that he otherwise probably wouldn't care about, Sean can often be found taking photos of his Transformers in embarrassing situations.
Favorite Food: Roast Dinner
Least Favorite Food: ANYTHING with mayonnaise in it
You'll see me everywhere here. Mostly I stream and fix things when they break. You might find me writing an odd article or two too. Hope you enjoy the site!
Melltith, or Melty, enjoys cosier or slower paced games and likes to take her time with things.
She's a very crafty person who will throw her all into a multitude of new projects and skills.
Video game completionist and 3D platformer connoisseur, Riley is a fan of the whimsical frenzy of bright and colourful characters that blessed us in the late 90's. Their favourite game's are Spyro, Persona 5 and Super Mario Sunshine.
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