Rumour: Nintendo Patent Supposedly Points To Return Of DS Games

We can only wish. DS has so many games, everyone has missed out on multiple must-have and hidden gems on the system.

One of the first things I thought of when mouse mode was revealed was that it could be used for DS games while docked.

Without Pokemon can't really think of that many standard DS games I'd be dying for that aren't already available on the Switch in some way - Hotel Dusk, Super Star Ultra, Pokemon Conquest, and maybe NSMB and 64 DS are about it - but I'd lose my mind if we could get 3DS games someday.

If they can go as far as a $100 add on to play Virtual Boy on Switch, then I fully believe they'll go this far with DS and down the road, 3DS.

Even if they have to sell us a screen attachment or just a mock DS that streams the DS games from the Switch 2, lol.

Radiant Historia and Devil Survivor oh and Infinite Space

I wonder if they're gonna make me buy a second switch 2 so that I have two screens to play these games with.

Switch2 exclusive ?

Whyyy ?

@Alcea because they want to sell Switch 2 consoles.

Well, the 2 screen setup would give reason for it being only for Switch 2 if it's how I think it is, which is when docked, the Switch 2 displays the upper screen on a TV, and the lower screen is streamed to either a Switch 1 or Switch 2. The rest can be used in a manner that works in either docked or portable mode, where docked mode can handle touch-screen input via mouse function of the Joycon.

@Lizuka Okamiden, Dragon Quest IX, Bowser,s Inside Story, Meteos, Final Fantasy IV 3D, Phantom Hourglass, Bangai-O Spirits. There are a lot of great games to add to te service

It would be cool if Nintendo released an optional vertical grip for the Switch, so that you could have two big and equally sized screens one above the other.

Imagine Phantom Hourglass or Spirit Tracks with mouse mode support. That would be great.

My childhood! Would be ecstatic to see DS (and Wii, for that matter) hit NSO.

Pokémon Trozei! is a DS game I would like to play again.

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but couldn’t this patent covering “screen within a screen” be a blocker for third party ports, like the Castlevania Dominus and Mega Man ZX Collections, etc?

I have four 3DS machines to play actual NDS games in cartridge so I don't even need NSO gaming rent service.

I struggled getting past the song playing with mic part in Spirit Tracks. I wonder if they will make it easier. Also, as much as I want DS games, they should slow down a bit on new systems. We barely got any GameCube games and still no main retro Pokemon games. Also I hope they don’t just disable everything when they eventually end the NSO like when they ended the virtual console after adding so many retro games.

Considering the price they're asking for the plastic Virtual Boy shell, I think a potential second screen for DS emulation would cost you a second mortgage. Or a third if you already have a mortgage on your house as well. Really hoping they just give an option to play without such a thing, honestly.

Keeping my expectations in check.
Could this be another: expensive accessory + subscription + drip feed combo?
Can't wait to find out.

@Angelic_Lapras_King Exactly what I was thinking. There is a USB-C port on the top of the Switch 2…

I hope they put Superman Returns on there

Imagine if they made like a DS mini sort of console, like not exactly a mini console but in the same spirit as the SNES mini, being a modern take on that platform with a bunch of games installed on it.

The Switch 2 is so big and heavy though, I'm not sure how comfortable it would be to play with another screen on top. Switch Lite size and weight would be perfect... We need a Switch 2 Lite

@CupidStunt @Lizuka TRAUMA CENTRE!

Why not allow us to use the Nintendo App on our mobiles which then turns our mobile phones into the bottom screen for DS games.

Animal Crossing wild world would be great to revisit and I’ve always wanted to play more of that weird game called Contact I think. I wasn’t much of a handheld player ever so I missed a lot of games for those systems.

If you want DS, just play DS. There is no problem with that.

@ibookboyuk I have owned every Nintendo console since 64 except for 3DS. It would be amazing to discover a whole console worth of Nintendo games that I've never played. I haven't bought any of the NSO controllers and I'm unlikely to buy the Virtual Boy but if they released a 3D screen attachment, I would buy that for sure.

@TrogdorTheBurninator I would say you're definitely right about 2 of those, expensive accessory and drip feed. Whether it's an extra subscription though is a wait and see. I would guess not, and DS NSO will be part of the Expansion Pass. I imagine there will be a price rise once Wii games arrive but hopefully no more tiers.

@dr-gorgo Some of the DS games are already quite expensive, so having them available on NSO would be nice (although I would prefer if they were available as separate purchases on eShop).

If DS games ever do come to the Switch Online service, I would hope they add ASH: Archaic Sealed Heat, a game that was set to release here in North America, but never left Japan, likely due to low sales and the fact that it is one of the first games on the system to use a two-gigabit DS cartridge.

But it was once featured in an issue of Nintendo Power (when I saw that, I was so excited for the game), and apparently even had an ESRB rating. Nintendo of America was apparently even in the process of hiring English voice actors for the localization. But Nintendo ultimately put the kibosh on this release, much to my utter disappointment.

So I hope it will see the light of day here in the West someday, either on the Switch Online service or even as a remastered version for the Switch 2.

DS emulators have already done this for years.
How can Nintendo even patent this?

Oh no, please don’t put Tetris DS on there! It was practically all I played on the DS when I got it and then when I re-bought a cartridge for my 3DS that’s all I played on there as well! This could mean I lose my Switch 2 to Tetris DS too! 😆

@Angelic_Lapras_King If the second screen had the chipset for Wii U like streaming and GameShare, it could be a relatively compelling device if Nintendo made it affordable and supported it in as many games as possible.

(The service would also be a lot cooler if we could also use our Switch 1s as the second screen; it could be a bit cumbersome, but as an alternative solution for docked play it could be nice.)

@Alcea you could just get a Wii U and mod it to get the DS VC games
.
.
.
Or ya could just get a actual DS or 3DS both are good still.

I guess the ds emulation isn't ready yet but they should of shown this then the virtual boy, considering the Wii U had it and the Virtual Boy emu won't be out till next year with that headset ya need to even play it, there's a lot of great games on DS....wonder if it's taking longer due to figuring out how to add DS multiplayer to Switch? Cus that was the only issue with Wii U's DS VC

@Expa0 I'm kinda hoping this is one reason they've been priming us on Gameshare for so long and so consistently "you can gameshare on Switch 2 or Switch 1 family of systems" maybe they don't need to sell most families anything if they've got a couple Switch Lites kickin' around in the couch cushions.

I played the heck out of my 3DS. It would be worth bringing to switch2

@Anti-Matter VERY cool

Imagine if Nintendo would make a cartridge adapter with a second screen to pull over the Switch 2 screen 😬

My idea for DS and 3DS games is to have them be downloads to the 3DS. There would be not be a new screen to buy. You just download a NSO app to the 3DS to play DS and 3DS games which would also show on your docked or undocked Switch 2 screen. The 3DS would not be reissued though and the 3DS eshop would not be reopened. Nor can you play DS and 3DS cartridge or downloaded eShop games on Switch.

@xmkbest I had the same thought. A vertical screen flip grip type thing.

Since the Switch 2 is heavy. It could be something that rests on the table and keeps the screen secure. You could hold a Joycon in one hand and touch the screen with the other.

@DwaynesGames Or even use one of the Joy-Con in mouse mode! 😁

@gaga64

Short answer: probably not.

Long answer: highly unlikely, especially considering the Mega Man Star Force Collection is coming out next year.

This patent (assuming it even gets granted, & even if it does, it'll probably be limited in some way, like only being granted in the US or have really specific applications apparently like the Palworld stuff, assuming if even those stick) mentions having the top screen be the TV & the bottom screen being the touch screen, where the collections just have everything on one screen.

The picture in picture mode has the bottom screen in the corner within the main screen, & I don't think the collections do that (they have both screens separate at all times & I think you can just have the bottom screen in a corner or directly below it).

Take this with a grain of salt of course, since I'm not a lawyer, but I don't think Nintendo would have a case if they tried to stop whatever DS collection some 3rd party would want to make (doubt they'd care ether way since said DS collections usually come to Switch/Switch 2 regardless).

@xmkbest Right. And since both Joycon have mouse mode, they could include ambidextrous control options. 🙂

@Bass_X0 "my absolutely terrible idea that ensures a low adoption rate is..."

@Liam_Doolan Might want to update the article with this alternative take:
https://bsky.app/profile/ninpatentswatch.bsky.social/post/3m3ebyvjpo22k

@DM7Dust fair enough, good answer

Seems weird they can patent this since these options are available on emulation and have been for years

While I can definitely still access my DS library, there are a few games I missed out on due to evolving gaming tastes since then. Some of which are ridiculously expensive secondhand. Examples: Dragon Quest VI (Though it's possible this will get a remake or remaster before I get to it), Pokemon Conquest, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky. So I'd gladly try them on NSO if they appear on the service.

No offense to the Virtual Boy fan out there, but how we are getting a NSO service that requires a paid piece of hardware before access to the best selling hardware family* is beyond me. This seems like a no brainer, especially now with mouse mode as others have pointed out.

I have a very extensive DS library, so I'm not itching for this. But there are many people out there that have no access to all these incredible games. A slow drip from NSO is far better than a closed eshop preventing access.

Hope this happens!

*Edit: next best selling? Depending on Switch sales at this point. I believe it's close.

@Drnsnsr are you somehow under the delusion that the 3DS didn’t sell well? Or that people trashed their 3DS?

@gaga64 Is Nintendo going to try to stop them with another patent on things that have already been invented?
Two screens at once has been done as long as there have been fan emulators, picture-in-picture was around on high end '90s TVs, and I've seen streamers do "switch between screens" streaming DS games before.

@Bass_X0 I'm not quite sure I understand how it works. How would the 3DS access the games if they aren't downloads.
Would the Switch stream them to the 3DS?

I've heard the 3DS version of Dragon Quest XI was a cloud gaming app, and I heard the resolution of the video it received was pretty terrible (including difficult to read text, assuming one could read Japanese). I don't know if that was because of the port or hardware limits.

@KingMike well that was kinda my point. If they felt they could get away with Patenting the idea of Summoning a monster to fight on your behalf, despite decades of games predating Pokémon, then trying to Patent the idea of replicating 2 Screens on 1 despite dozens of other prior games doing exactly that, seems almost as dubious

There's no part of me that wants to play the DS library on the Switch 2.

Go grab a used DS or 3DS (or maybe an Ayn Thor) and play those games on two stacked screens with an actual touch screen and stylus, the way they were meant to be played.

@KingMike you would download the games to an NSO app on the 3DS. The game screen would show the same on both Switch and 3DS simultaneously. The 3DS would act as the controller for the Switch. You would only be able to play the DS and 3DS games on 3DS when the 3DS is actively connected to the Switch.

@Bass_X0 A 3DS that can only play 3DS games while it's connected to a Switch? Whatever you've been smoking, it might be time to ease up on it.

Wonder if Nintendo will sell us a replica stylus for £20

@gaga64 Eh yeah, though again, I'm pretty sure that only went through because they narrowed it down to a very specific loop (at least that's the wording Reddit used), and that's only on the very big IF it holds up against a counter-lawsuit.

Although I do also want to post a correction to my earlier post: the Mega Man ZX Legacy Collection actually DOES have a screen option where the bottom screen can be transparent in the corner of the top screen.

Apologies for the confusion, though I doubt it means Nintendo would want to/can do anything about it, regardless.

I bought a cheap £20 projector from Aliexpress which was a smart projector and claimed Android 11 but was actually Android 8 I think. It had 1GB of memory and 8GB of storage built in and the best system it could emulate at full speed was the DS so you would think even the original Switch could do a very good job of DS emulation. That smart projector had a typical ARM 4 core chip found in cheap sub £10 android boxes but was underclocked in the projector because of the extra heat generated by the projector mechanism. How low performance do you have to go to find a chip that can't emulate the DS. I see there are various web sites that allow you to play DS games online through your browser.

Pretty much own every DS game that I'd want that could come to the service. Aside from Pokemon, DS is one of the consoles I love a lot of smaller games more than the AAA ones, and most of them are either licensed or just not expensive. (Seriously, Transformers 2007 DS: Autobots/Decepticon were basically San Andres w/ Transformers and it was amazing for the time.)

However, don't a good handful of DS games use the mic? How would that work?

That’s really nice, they should bring back DS games. I have over 430 physical games for DS (plus almost 140 for 3DS) and still play these all the time. The DS family of systems was always my absolute favorite and even 20 years along hasn’t lost a single bit of its charm.

@WhiteUmbrella I said the NSO app downloaded to the 3DS can only play NSO DS and 3DS games when connected to the Switch. The 3DS serves as a controller for the Switch. Your other games are not part of the NSO service so cannot be played on Switch.

@Bass_X0 I understand what you said, but fundamentally, what you are suggesting is using a 3DS to play 3DS and DS games, something that the hardware can already do, but paywalled to paying for an online subscription and buying a Switch 2. That is just a really stupid idea, I'm not going to sugar coat it. It's a terrible idea.

@WhiteUmbrella Yes, the NSO is a paid subscription service. Games get added every so often. You’re just not going to get a library of games for free.

I’m going to assume you are against the entire concept of the NSO, you were telling me what I know the NSO to already be, so I will have to dismiss your accusation of it being a terrible idea.

If someone doesn’t have a Switch 2 then they don’t get to play DS games on the Switch 2.

@Bass_X0 Ok ... you're just another troll. Got it.

@WhiteUmbrella no, a troll would shoot down someone else’s ideas saying they were really stupid and terrible. Which one of us does that apply to?

@Bass_X0
The 3DS hardware, eShop, and online services have all been discontinued for quite some time, there is 0% chance Nintendo will tie any Nintendo Switch Online service, feature, or application to the usage of a 3DS.

@westman98 I’m not saying that is what they would do, I’m saying it is what they should do. It’s all hypothetical and made up. In this scenario, the 3DS would be updated via the Switch online service, not by its own discontinued online service; which I even said would remain discontinued. When the 3DS is connected to the Switch, the Switch would send a save state of the game being played so that both Switch and 3DS would run the game simultaneously.

@Lizuka there are a fair few DS games made specifically for the dual screens that didn't adapt super well to switch because of that.

If we could get DS versions on virtual console it would be great.

And watch the price for extension go up by an extra 40 bucks or something ridiculous

@JayJ lol they do have one. It's called emulation

This is a very solid reason to upgrade to the NSO upper tier. DS has one of Nintendo's best libraries IMO, I regret selling mine, but that was the rule back in the day - sell the previous console to get the new one.

Paving the way for the inevitable Wii u split screen, screen in screen which would be nice

@PurpulTyeDye Yeah but it would be nice to have something official so people don't have to pirate, something specifically designed for the task.

Something like the FlipGrip would be perfect for this.

But will they require a $100 stylus to play them?

...no, they won't. It was an amusing thought, though.

@gaga64 Then they simply won’t release those games. It’s happened before with collections.

I think this dude misunderstands the meaning of the word confirmed

It's definitely interesting to see this possibly happening, but I think as far as this system goes, I'd rather just stick with my 3DS to play all of my DS and 3DS games.

I would rather them put their focus on making Wii and WiiWare games available next, but that's only after they have properly filled out their GameCube library. There are also key games still missing from Nintendo's catalog from their other system offerings too.

Unfortunately, DS games look like ar*e now. (In my opinion)

I hope they do. Advance Wars; Days of Ruin needs to be freed from its DS prison.

But Tate mode or vertical screen mode? Dual screen? Can we use 2 Switches for this?

Can we use our phone for this? I mean Playlink PS4 titles did this 10 years ago.

Everybody 1-2 Switch also did this with smartphones for some minigames.

Give us DS/3DS/Wii U with a suitable approach come on Nintendo.

If you offered it already with Switch 2 this would have been solved already but you haven't so we have to guess the weird way this is going to work if it is 'real' then just a rumour.

Also phones do DS/3DS emu pretty well or even Samsung phones whether the Flip, Fold or even non-those offer the 2 apps approach. IF they can offer similar to other phones by all means. I mean they did 2DS 1 screen as 2 images top and bottom. So they clearly can do Tate/vertical mode.

Are they going to do the Wii U style 2 screens side by side? If so that's fine but sometimes the inputs were better on the Gamepad.

Even then Brain Age/Training works fair on the touch screen and isn't as great for TV use other then the training/demo session (like DS did for the demo mode) with few minigames to showcase the game to someone else.

@RoboCube
Already did...

But NSO means multiplayer 2...

@Alcea I hope so cus it would be brilliant to play DS multiplayer again tho there adding Virtual Boy to NSO which none of the games had any multiplayer support due to no official link cable outside wanting people to rent the games I think it should of been a collection you could buy bundle it with the headset ya need since there's not a lot of games for the VB anyway.