These Dual-Screen Classics Deserve Another Run
The Nintendo DS library has a vast expanse of games that haven’t been touched in a very long time, likely due to the type of hardware required to play them. They leaned into touch controls, two screens, microphone tricks, short play sessions, and all the small quirks that made the handheld feel different from a regular console. That’s also why so many DS favorites are stuck in an awkward spot now, since they don’t always move cleanly onto one modern screen. The Switch has already become a comfortable place for older handheld games, remasters, and retro releases, so the DS library feels like one of the next big gaps waiting to be filled. These are 20 DS games we want on the Switch.
1. The Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Phantom Hourglass still feels like one of the easiest DS Zelda games to picture on Switch. Its seafaring adventure, map notes, and connection to The Wind Waker give it plenty of charm, and a new version could clean up the interface while adding optional button controls.
2. The Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Spirit Tracks has always been one of the more unusual Zelda games, with Link traveling by train and a ghost Zelda playing a more active part in the adventure. A Switch release could make the touch-heavy setup easier to use while keeping the game’s strange, likable personality intact.
3. Pokémon HeartGold And SoulSilver
HeartGold and SoulSilver remain some of the most generous handheld Pokémon remakes. The Johto journey, the return to Kanto, and the following Pokémon feature would still make these games feel substantial on Switch, even without leaning only on nostalgia.
4. Pokémon Black And White
Black and White gave the DS era a bold Pokémon reset with the Unova region, a new roster, and a story that put more attention on its central conflict. A Switch release would let players revisit one of the series’ most memorable handheld chapters without having to break out the stylus.
5. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels Of The Starry Skies
Dragon Quest IX brought a full role-playing adventure to the DS, complete with character customization, quests, and cooperative play. A Switch version could bring back online-friendly features, and give this portable RPG a much easier way to reach new players.
6. Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger is still one of the cleanest and most graceful time-travel RPGs ever made. The DS version is especially appealing because it kept the classic adventure intact while adding extra material, which makes it a strong base for a polished Switch release.
7. Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time
Partners in Time is strange in the way the best Mario RPGs often are. Pairing Mario and Luigi with their baby selves gives the game a lively four-character setup, and a Switch version could make those busy battles easier to read on one screen.
8. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story
Bowser’s Inside Story remains one of the funniest ideas the Mario RPG series ever ran with. Controlling Bowser in the outside world while Mario and Luigi explore inside his body was a more out-of-the-box game. That said, fans of this series would definitely love to revisit it.
9. Professor Layton And The Curious Village
Professor Layton and the Curious Village made puzzle-solving feel cozy, stylish, and easy to sink into for a few minutes at a time. Its brainteasers and mystery-book mood would fit nicely on Switch, especially with touch controls in handheld mode and smooth cursor controls for TV play.
Tim Bartel from Cologne, Germany on Wikimedia
10. Elite Beat Agents
Elite Beat Agents is pure DS-era weirdness, which is why it deserves another chance. Tapping and dragging along to pop songs while sharply dressed agents dance through over-the-top little stories is the sort of thing that could feel fresh again with the right control tweaks.
11. Rhythm Heaven
Rhythm Heaven works because its tiny rhythm challenges are easy to understand and hard to forget. The tap-and-flick timing would fit handheld play naturally, while a carefully rebuilt control scheme could help docked sessions feel less awkward.
12. WarioWare: Touched!
WarioWare: Touched! captures the frantic novelty of the DS better than almost anything else. Its minigames ask players to tap, drag, scribble, blow, and panic within seconds, and a Switch version could keep that chaos moving with a few practical control updates.
13. Kirby: Canvas Curse
Kirby: Canvas Curse turned Kirby into a rolling ball and had players draw rainbow paths through each stage. That simple touch-screen idea still sounds fun, and the Switch could make it shine in handheld mode with brighter visuals and smoother stage flow.
14. Meteos
Meteos was a puzzle game that made the DS library feel so adventurous. Its fast block-launching action and chain reactions were built around stylus speed, and a Switch version could bring back that frantic energy for players who want something sharper than a standard falling-block game.
Havok at en.wikipedia on Wikimedia
15. Hotel Dusk: Room 215
Hotel Dusk: Room 215 is a mystery game with a book-like layout, sketch-style character art, and a moody detective tone. A Switch remaster could keep that atmosphere while making the interface cleaner and more comfortable on one modern screen.
16. Trauma Center: Under The Knife
Trauma Center: Under the Knife turned the DS touch screen into a surgery table. A Switch version would need careful control work, but the mix of precision, pressure, and medical storytelling is too specific and memorable to leave behind.
17. Advance Wars: Dual Strike
Advance Wars: Dual Strike brought colorful turn-based strategy to the DS with commanders, tactical maps, and a clean portable rhythm. Since earlier Advance Wars games have already returned in modern form, Dual Strike feels like the next natural entry to bring forward.
18. Animal Crossing: Wild World
Animal Crossing: Wild World looks modest next to newer entries, but that smaller scale is part of its appeal. A Switch release could offer a less-expansive version of village life, built around checking in, decorating, fishing, bug catching, and moving at an easy pace.
19. Mario Kart DS
Mario Kart DS still stands out because of its Mission Mode, which gave the racing series a rare single-player challenge structure. Its track lineup, classic battle feel, and lean handling would make it a fun retro companion instead of direct competition for the newest Mario Kart.
Sébastien Bertrand on Wikimedia
20. Nintendogs
Nintendogs might be one of the trickiest DS games to adapt, but it’s also one of the easiest to want back. Caring for a virtual pet, accessorizing them, and putting them in competitions still sound perfectly suited to a cozy Switch revival.
