Nintendo DS Phat with games
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life

Believe it or not, it's now 20 years since Nintendo launched the DS.

Rather than getting caught up in where the last two decades disappeared to, we thought it was worth looking back at our personal top five games for a system with a staggering amount of superb software.

From delightful minigame gimmicks to full-blooded games in the classic mould, not to mention a raft of releases that blurred the line between games and lifestyle software, the DS broadened the definition of the word 'player', opening up avenues to gaming for people who thought it wasn't for them.

You can see our Top 50 DS games list for a definitive round-up, but we wanted to see how all that variety translated to Team NL's personal picks. And as you'll see below, despite some overlap with a few big hitters, there's far less repetition than you'd expect.

Check out the poll at the bottom to have your say on the best of our best, and be sure to let us know your personal top fives in the comments!

Gavin Lane, editor

Metroid Prime Pinball
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life
  1. Rhythm Heaven
  2. Animal Crossing: Wild World
  3. Picross DS
  4. Spirit Tracks
  5. Metroid Prime Pinball

Looking back, I've got some enormous gaps in my DS catalogue, plus some games I bought but haven't gotten around to playing yet — Chrono Trigger might be on the list above one of these days.

Ultimately with my list, I wanted to get a good spread of genres which showcased the console and Rhythm Paradise (as we knew it in Europe) captures the oddball, off-the-wall spirit of the DS perfectly. Wild World was my first Animal Crossing and will forever be special. Picross is there representing the system's amazing puzzle library. I'll get flack for Spirit Tracks, but it's massively underrated and has some of the series' best music (I did consider Phantom Hourglass and Okamiden in that slot, though). And I lost so many hours to Prime Pinball, it had to sneak in there.

So many DS games I haven't played, though! Race you to eBay.

Alana Hagues, deputy editor

DS Game Collection
Image: Zion Grassl / Nintendo Life
  1. Chrono Trigger
  2. Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver
  3. Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
  4. Radiant Historia
  5. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

Wow, okay, can you tell what genre I like? I wish I could give you a bit more variety here, but let's be real — the DS is easily one of the best consoles for RPGs ever.

I do feel a bit bad that over half of my list consists of remasters, ports, or remakes. But hey, this was the first time Europe got to play Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest V, two of the best RPGs on the SNES, and two of the best RPGs ever. And Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver is my favourite Pokémon game. alongside another DS all-timer, Pokémon Black & White. HGSS feels like an entirely different game from the Game Boy Color version.

Speaking of time travel RPGs, Radiant Historia is one of my favourites from Atlus with a beautiful story and fantastic combat (it's on 3DS too). Time travel is actually a huge part of the gameplay, too. And Order of Ecclesia is top-tier Castlevania. It loses some of the exploration (until the second half), but the combat is easily the best in the series. Only Aria of Sorrow and Symphony of the Night top it, in my eyes. Heck of a compliment.

I know The World Ends With You is missing here, I know — it's on the backlog, I promise. Perhaps it'll crack the top five one day.

Ollie Reynolds, staff writer

Tetris DS
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life
  1. Metroid Prime: Hunters
  2. Tetris DS
  3. Aliens: Infestation
  4. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
  5. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Metroid Prime: Hunters is a weird game. In fact, there are some rare occasions when I ask myself if it's actually any good. But as a showcase for what the DS was capable of, it was simply remarkable. Tetris DS remains to this day one of the best entries in the series, and I sincerely doubt it will be topped anytime soon.

Wayforward also achieved a slam dunk with Aliens: Infestation, creating a faithful adaptation of the movie with interesting Metroidvania mechanics and an intriguing permadeath system. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story is notably stronger than the eventual 3DS remake and is, alongside Superstar Saga, the perfect representation of AlphaDream's work on the series. Finally, GTA: Chinatown Wars is a textbook example of how to utilise the DS's unique features to create an entirely new experience in an established franchise.

Man, what a great system.

Jim Norman, staff writer

Star Wars Ep 3 Revenge of the Sith DS
Image: Jim Norman / Nintendo Life
  1. Professor Layton and the Lost Future
  2. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
  3. Nintendogs
  4. Mario Kart DS
  5. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Honestly, I could have filled four of the above slots with Professor Layton alone, but I chose to just stick with my favourite entry to spread things out a bit. The Lost Future (or The Unwound Future, for some of us) is peak prof with the very best puzzles, arcs, and story — I'll never forgive Level-5 for the damage that ending caused me.

I'll admit, Ghost Trick hadn't entered my sphere before it landed on Switch, but after devouring that sublime remaster, I snapped it up on the DS and played through it all over again. A late addition to me, yes, but top-shelf all the same. It's one of those titles that played completely to the DS' strengths, too — much like Nintendogs (yes, perhaps my desperate childhood desire for a dog is playing into that pick, but I ain't budging on it).

Mario Kart DS got me into the series like no game before could manage, and I couldn't put together a list without at least acknowledging the swathes of movie tie-ins that the DS housed. Most were terrible, but not my beloved Episode III. That sucker rules.

Liam Doolan, staff writer

Nintendo DS Phat with Mario Kart DS
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life
  1. Super Mario 64 DS
  2. Animal Crossing: Wild World
  3. Mario Kart DS
  4. Pokémon Black & White
  5. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Years before the DS arrived on the scene, I remember looking at all sorts of 3D handheld concepts in magazines displaying games like Super Mario 64 on them. While SM64 DS arguably wasn't quite as slick as the original experience, it was still basically my dreams come true - and that's why it's at the top of my DS list.

As for the rest, in brief - Animal Crossing: Wild World took the series to completely new heights with online play and social interaction like we had never really seen before in a modern Nintendo game. Mario Kart DS also allowed me to finally test out my skills against the world. At this point, I discovered a technique known as snaking and I was hooked.

And let's not forget the Pokémon series. I would probably nominate every release during this generation if I could, but if I had to pick a particular set of games, Black & White are probably the standouts. These entries just did an amazing job expanding upon the series. Phantom Hourglass was also pretty neat. Following Wind Waker, this was a hit, and who could forget Linebeck? Ah, the memories!

Some great variety there! Let us know in the poll below which of our picks you like most, and share your personal top fives and DS memories in the comments.

Which DS games are your favourites from our shortlist of staff Top 5s?

(You may select up to 2 answers)