Tag: Nintendo DS
Random A Homebrew Port Of Balatro Is Now Available On Nintendo DS
Though key features are missing
Given the immense popularity of Balatro since its launch last year, it was really only a matter of time before it was unofficially ported over to other systems via homebrew modding. Well, that time is upon us, folks. Thanks to Haynster over on Github (via GBATemp), Balatro is now available to play on the Nintendo DS...
News 'Nintendo Music' Adds Another DS Soundtrack, Here's Every Song Included
Train your brain with Dr Kawashima
The latest Nintendo Music mobile app update happens to time in with the 20th anniversary of the DS, and with this in mind, the soundtrack from Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? has been added to the service. The soundtrack comes with 14 tracks all up and has a runtime of 35 minutes. You can...
Poll Was The Nintendo DS Prototype Really So Ugly?
Or just misunderstood?
It's hard to believe that it's been 20 years since the Nintendo DS launched, yet here we are. It's been even longer since it was revealed too, with the newly-appointed VP of sales and marketing Reggie Fils-Aimé taking to the stage at E3 2004 to showcase Nintendo's vision for the future of handheld gaming. We know now, of...
Guide 50 Best Nintendo DS Games Of All Time
The best DS games ever
Nintendo DS was an experiment, a quirky dual-screened handheld which Nintendo famously introduced as a "third pillar" alongside the GBA and GameCube. However, within a handful of years, its innovative games and wide appeal led to the Game Boy brand's retirement and the dawning of a new era of Nintendo handhelds. We've...
Random OG Rebecca Chambers Actress Returns In Another Resident Evil Reunion
"Look at those monsters!"
Back in 2022, we reported on a long overdue reunion in the world of Resident Evil when the original actors for Chris Redfield (Charles Kraslavsky), Barry Burton (Greg Smith), and Albert Wesker (Eric Pirius) all sat down to reminisce on their time shooting the intro to the 1996 classic (or the Deadly Silence releas
Soapbox 'Revenge Of The Sith' On DS Is Still Top-Tier Star Wars Gaming
Heart Palpatinetions
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim celebrates Revenge of the Fifth with a DS throwback... You felt it, didn't you? A disturbance in the Force. Over on Coruscant, Darth Sidious has called for the execution...
Random 19 Years On, Mario Kart DS Speedrunners Are Still Finding New Shortcuts
Cutting corners
It has been 19 years since Mario Kart DS first hit the tracks. That's a pretty staggering length of time and one that we'll probably need a little sit down to fully recover from. But hey, while we freak out about the passing of the years, check this out: speedrunners have found a handful of new shortcuts on the DS' previously pretty...
Random McDonald's DSi Console Pulled From Second-Hand Sale In Japan
Ronald got mad
Well, this isn't something you see everyday. Over in Japan, a McDonald's-branded Nintendo DSi briefly went on sale in a second-hand hardware store before being promptly delisted (thanks, Automaton). For those who may be unaware, McDonald's had produced specialised DSi consoles containing software called 'eCrew Development Program'...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Super Scribblenauts
Think it. Vote it.
Welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! In last week's brawl, we checked out Mario Golf for the Game Boy Color, pitting the Western Design against the rather quirky effort from Japan. In the end, Japan won the vote at 72% - well done! This week, we're moving onto the Nintendo DS with Super Scribblenauts from WB Games and...
Random Nintendo's DS Demo Kit Is A Remarkable Feat Of DIY
They don't make 'em like this anymore
We love seeing how seemingly normal pieces of hardware can be bent and twisted to fit specific needs, and this particular discovery from YouTuber 'The Retro Future' is one of our favourites. After getting their mitts on a special demo distribution version of the Nintendo DS that only displays one screen with no...
Guide 31 Best DSiWare Games You Should Get Before They're Gone Forever
DSiWhere?
It’s over, unfortunately — the 3DS eShop closed for new purchases on Monday 27th March 2023, and took the DSiWare store with it. The demise of the 3DS and Wii U eShops has had many of us reminiscing on the days not too long ago when those digital stores were in their prime — as well as firing those stores up on their respective...
Random Original Resident Evil Actors Have Reunited After 26 Years
"Nooo! Don't gooo!"
Cast your mind back to 1996, you might remember the now-iconic opening cinematic for Capcom's Resident Evil, featuring the in-game S.T.A.R.S team in a live-action shoot (for Nintendo gamers specficially, you might have first encountered the cinematic in the 2006 DS release, Resident Evil: Deadly Silence). Even in the mid-'90s, it...
News Nintendo DS Firmware 'Prototype' Reveals System's Unique Boot Up Sound Effect
It even works on "real hardware"
Nintendo preservation website Forest of Illusion has managed to acquire another rare piece of gaming history. It's been able to archive a Japan prototype of the Nintendo DS X4 firmware - recovered from an X4 prototype unit. According to the source, "just about every aspect of this version is different from the final...
Random You Can Now Play The Excellent 3D Platformer 'Demon Turf' On The DS
Download via the game's Discord server
Demon Turf, released back in 2021, may have arrived on multiple platforms, but it's one of those games that just belongs on the Switch, right? It's got that 'Nintendo' flair and this was only solidified early in 2022 when the standalone expansion, Demon Turf: Neon Splash, released to rave reviews (including our...
Feature Need More Turtles After Shredder's Revenge? You Should Check Out These Underrated TMNT Gems
Heroes in a handheld
Hopefully you’re all enjoying the absolutely tremendous Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, the latest addition to the TMNT video gaming canon from Dotemu and Tribute games. We know we are. It’s another blistering action game in the tradition of Konami’s NES and SNES beat-’em-ups. And that’s great — we...
Random Man Rescues "Abandoned" Nintendogs, Becomes Viral Sensation On TikTok
Update: See how the story ends
Update [Tue 17th May, 2022 01:30 BST]: TikTok user Ben 'bennypvideo' Pollard has now uploaded part four and part five (the final chapter) of this story. In the final part, he decides to rehome the dogs. You can see how the entire story unfolds on YouTube or watch the last segment below: Original story [Wed 4th May,...
News Fans Have Discovered A Neat Mario Party 3 Reference Hidden Inside Mario Party DS
A familiar tune
If you were lucky enough to have had a copy of Mario Party DS back in the day, you might well remember Toadette’s Music Room, one of the game's unique boards. What we're willing to bet you didn't know, however, is that the board actually contains a cool little easter egg relating to an older game in the series. Toadette’s Music...
News Gamers Vote Nintendo DS As The Console They'd Most Like To See Make A Modern Comeback
Do you agree?
If you could see the return of any classic video games console, what would you choose? That was the question put to 1,000 UK gamers in a recent study by Hyperoptic, all in a bid to see which system holds the highest nostalgia value. Sitting right at the very top of the votes is Nintendo's own DS, closely followed by both the...
News The Elusive McDonald's Nintendo DS Has Made Another Appearance Online
Full eSmart 2.0 manual shared for our viewing pleasure
There have been plenty of rare and elusive Nintendo consoles over the past few decades, either released as one-offs or under limited circumstances, and the 'McDonald's DS' is right up there as one of the more quirky system variants. You might know about it already – McDonald's-branded...
News Tomb Raider Team Shares Early Development Footage Of Tomb Raider: Legend For GBA And DS
Early concept art and storyboards, too
In an industry where early development footage, scrapped plans, and early concept art are usually only made public thanks to datamine efforts or questionable leaks, it's incredibly refreshing to be treated to some never-before-seen footage of a game in its early stages direct from the source itself. Yes, Tomb...
News Nintendo Gigaleak Reveals Scrapped DS Projects, Including A New Pokémon Pinball Game
And much more...
As you've likely seen this week, the Nintendo 'Gigaleak' dating back to last year has resurfaced. The second round of leaks over the past few days have revealed early Wii Remote concepts, confirmed
News BioWare Had Plans For A First-Person Mass Effect Game On Nintendo DS
But cartridge costs and sales forecasts got in the way
In 2012, Electronic Arts released BioWare's third entry in the Mass Effect series on the Wii U. While we've not seen Commander Shepard appear on a Nintendo platform since then, there were apparently plans prior to this for a spin-off on the Nintendo DS. Ex-BioWare producer, Mark Darrah,...
Random Someone Is Trying To Recreate Counter-Strike On The Nintendo DS
Boom!!! Headshot!
If you were one of the many people enjoying PC gaming in the year 2000 (the same year we saw the release of Rare's Perfect Dark on the Nintendo 64), one of the titles you might have played is Valve's original online team-based FPS, Counter-Strike. Although this game never got released on a Nintendo platform, French YouTuber...
Random This Rare Accessory Lets You Play Modern Consoles Through Your Nintendo DS
4K, 120fps output has never looked so good
We've seen some pretty crazy console setups in our time, but we didn't expect to see an Xbox Series X running on a Nintendo DS when we woke up this morning. YouTube channel The Retro Future has shared a new video (above) that showcases Microsoft's latest machine – claimed by the company to be the world's...
Random This Unused DS Lite Feature Would've Effectively Turned The Console Into A Switch
Nintendo may have been planning the hybrid concept for over a decade
The Nintendo DS Lite was a necessary refinement back in 2006. Contributing to around 94 million of the DS family's 154 million sales, this slimline variant proved highly successful, but 15 years later, we didn't expect to still be finding out about unused features. Outlined by the...
News Footage Of The Cancelled Nintendo DS Game Black & White Surfaces Online
Presenting Black & White Creatures
Following on from the surprise leak of Dinosaur Planet last weekend, footage of the cancelled Nintendo DS project Black & White has now surfaced online. If the name doesn't ring a bell, this is a handheld entry of the god video game series created by the famous video game designer Peter Molyneux (Populous,...
Random Did You Know Mario Kart DS Loads Differently Depending On Your Chosen Console?
But why?
Well, here's an interesting little fact for you: Mario Kart DS actually behaves slightly differently depending on which Nintendo DS system you use to play it on. The DS classic, which has now been available for almost 15 years, features a different loading sequence if you play the game on an original Nintendo DS system, rather than any...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Duel #63 - Advance Wars: Dual Strike
What is it good for?
Welcome to Box Art Brawl, the contest which pits regional box art variants from across the globe against each other in a deadly duel to the death. Well, not really — you just vote for your favourite, like. It's a bit of fun, see? Last time we witnessed Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest give itself a sound thrashing as...
Anniversary Pokémon Black And White Are Now 10 Years Old
We're ready to return to Unova
This week marks the 10 year anniversary of Pokémon Black and White on the Nintendo DS (aka the fifth generation of Pokémon games). Both titles were originally released on 18th September 2010 in Japan - with the western launch following in March 2011. These entries were some of the top-selling games on the DS,...
News Someone Bought A Duke Nukem Prototype For Nintendo DS On eBay
Dev cart of a previously unknown game
If you're anything like us, you may well peruse eBay every so often in the hopes of picking up a cheeky bargain. Complete-In-Box copy of Wave Race 64 starting at 99p, eh? That's got to be worth a speculative bid, no? However, it's rare that anything we bid on doesn't get sniped at the last minute, and even the...
Video Magician's Quest - The Animal Crossing Clone You've Probably Never Heard Of
Harry Potter meets Animal Crossing?
If you’ve played an Animal Crossing game, we bet you’d probably agree that there’s nothing else out there truly like it. From the way you can interact with the animal villagers to the way the game syncs up to the internal clock in your system to make the wild world that much more immersive, it’s truly a...
News Solatorobo Developer Open To The Idea Of Remaking Nintendo DS Exclusive
"the possibility is there"
Reflect on the Nintendo DS generation and you might remember the system exclusive Solatorobo: Red the Hunter. The action-RPG by CyberConnect2 was well-received across all regions but only sold around 100,000 copies worldwide. Is there a chance of the game ever getting a remake, though? CyberConnect2 boss Hiroshi Matsuyama...
Reminder Vote For Your Favourite Nintendo DS Games
We need your help to rate the finest Dual Screen games
Update: A big thank you to everybody who has already voted when this went live over the weekend - to anyone who missed it, feel free to dive in below and help us rank the top 50 Nintendo DS games ever. Carry on! Later this year we'll be celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Nintendo DS, a...
Video Explore The Musical History Of The Elite Beat Agents
Agents are... GOne?
If you have fond memories of the Elite Beat Agents or are yet to discover the delights of this male cheerleader series which was localised in 2006, the latest 'Did You Know Gaming?' video by Nintendo Life contributor Liam Robertson is definitely worth a watch. Over roughly half an hour, Robertson investigates the entire history...
News US Government Spices Up Its Flash Game With Yoshi's Island DS Music
Uncle Sam's a Yoshi fan
Where would Mario be without Yoshi, his trusty steed ever since Super Mario World? We're big fans of the dinosaur's work, and can't wait to raid the art room in the upcoming Yoshi's Crafted World. It seems somebody working for the US government is also a fan; as noted on Twitter by The Fore
Feature How One Man Is Turning Dead DS Lites Into Gorgeous Game Boy Advance Systems
Say hello to the Neon Advance
Humanity has been troubled by many great questions during its time on Earth. Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? Where do all those bloody odd socks go? However, none of these perplexing quandaries is more troubling than the ultimate question: which is the best Nintendo handheld for playing Game Boy Advance...
News The Creator Of Seaman Worked On A DS Title Called Mario Motors
He also provided the inspiration for StreetPass
Yutaka "Yoot" Saito is one of Japan's most unique game designers, having creating titles such as Seaman and Odama. Over the years he has enjoyed a close relationship with Nintendo, and was on very friendly terms with the late Satoru Iwata. Speaking at Reboot Develop 2018, Saito revealed...
Retrospective The Awkward Birth of the DS, Nintendo's Most Successful System
How a third pillar became a golden goose
With 154.02 million consoles sold to date, the Nintendo DS is the company's most successful hardware platform, the world's best-selling dedicated handheld games console and the second most popular video games system of all time. Not a bad set of achievements for a handheld which, prior to launch, was debated,...
Video Mario Kart DS Skids Onto Wii U Virtual Console
We dig into DS settings for Wii U and classic racing
Nintendo DS games are finally getting their full chance to shine on the Wii U Virtual Console. The first of two games to be released at launch in Europe is Mario Kart DS, an excellent entry in the long-running racing series. All of your favourite Super Mario characters take to the roads once more...
News Nintendo DS And Nintendo 64 Games Finally Coming To The Wii U Virtual Console
Update: Four games available in Europe right now
If you feel that the Virtual Console on Wii U has been a neglected of late then today's Nintendo Direct should have put a big smile on your face. Nintendo not only reconfirmed its commitment to bringing Nintendo DS titles to the service, but also revealed that N64 games are on the way, too. DS titles...
News Official Nostalgia Trailer Released
Ignition Entertainment shows off their epic air-based RPG for Nintendo DS.
Ignition Entertainment has just sent us the first official gameplay trailer for their upcoming air-based RPG Nostalgia coming to Nintendo DS this fall. The trailer shows the game and its main characters in action and shows off some of the game's amazing air-to-air battles...
News Made in Ore Gameplay Videos
For those who are a little confused as to what to expect with the latest WarioWare title, Nintendo has released plenty of videos to help explain things a little better.
Over the past week, we've done plenty of coverage on Made in Ore and its WiiWare counterpart, Asobu! Made in Ore. Thoiugh we've given you plenty of details on these upcoming titles,...
News The DSi – One Step Closer to a Portable Virtual Console?
Nintendo has just unveiled details of a new handheld console called the DSi.
But before you get too excited and spill your Sunny D all over the keyboard, it’s worth noting that it’s essentially a DS with slight modifications rather an all-new machine. Improvements include larger screens (3.25 inches, up from 3 inches), two cameras (both 0.3...
News Nintendo Squash "New DS" Rumour
Well that's no surprise then. What did I tell you? You can't remember. Well, I told you it was too damn early for a new DS.
And I was right. Following on from our report last week about the possibility of a new DS to be announced at E3. The news came from Hamamura-san (head of Japanese publishing giant Enterbrain) and has been squashed by both...
News New DS Castlevania Is Given A Name
More vampire-hunting tomfoolery on your portable
The Entertainment Software Rating Board of America (better known by the shorter title of ESRB) has revealed the name of Konami’s next DS Castlevania adventure: The Order of Ecclesia. Series producer IGA hinted some time ago that another DS installment was in the offing, but this is the first news...
News This Is A Pretty Hearty Rumour: DS 2 At E3?
And it's all down to an article posted by Bloomberg Japan which has caused a whole host of rumours across the nerd-o-sphere.
According to the article, the president of Japanese magazine publisher "Enterbrain" (which hosts the gaming bible "Famitsu") has commented that Nintendo may (note the emphasis) be announcing a new version...
News Disney Turn The DS Into An Interactive Tour Guide
Never get lost within the Magic Kingdom again - whoopee
Some interesting developments are happening in the Magic Kingdom. In a recent post on a Disneyland fan website (we don’t make a habit of visiting these places, honest), a recent vistor to Walt’s Wacky Wonderland reveals that they were asked if they would like to participate in a trial run...
News Apollo Justice Demo Released
And the best thing is, no DS is required to play it
Capcom has released a rather neat Flash-based demo for its upcoming legal sim Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. The game is the next in the Phoenix Wright series of games, although Phoenix himself has stepped down and made way for the up and coming Apollo Justice. Now there’s an excellent name for...
News Assassin's Creed DS Gets A Subtitle
Altair's back for another stab on the DS
The home console version may have been the most crushing disappointment your humble reporter has experienced in quite some time, but we’re nevertheless still quite excited about Assassin’s Creed: Altair's Chronicles on the DS here at NintendoLife. Publisher Ubisoft has released some details on the...
News First Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood Screens
First shots of BioWare's latest RPG epic, featuring Sonic himself!
American softco Bioware, famous for its Star Wars RPGs on the Xbox (as well as numerous other titles) has released shots of its upcoming Sonic title for the Nintendo DS. Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (to give it it’s full moniker) is looking very promising indeed and the...

















































