Best Nintendo DS Games Like Pokémon

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The Nintendo DS is home to, arguably, the best Pokémon games the franchise has to offer. With such great success, it was inevitable that others would follow suit, though not as many as you might think.

Still, here are the very Best Nintendo DS Games like Pokémon in no particular order:

1. Fossil Fighters

I played this game for the first time, even though I had known about it for a long time. I never played it because the idea of fighting with dinosaurs was not appealing.

However, after playing it for a while, I can say I was entirely wrong and regret not giving it a chance when it was still on store shelves. While I’m still not completely sold on the dinosaur designs, the experience of digging up fossils and bringing them to life to battle other dinosaurs was pretty neat.

2. Spectrobes

In the early days of the Nintendo DS, I watched the trailer for Spectrobes over and over, hoping to purchase it one day. Unfortunately, that day never came during my childhood.

However, in college, I finally got my hands on it! It turned out to be an alright game. The mechanics feel relatively outdated and seemed much cooler through the eyes of a child.

But, I enjoyed it thoroughly, and it deserves a spot on this list. The game offers a considerable number of Spectrobes to collect, and shouting orders into my DS was as fun—and cringe-worthy—as you’d expect.

3. Dragon Quest Joker 1/2

These games represent the peak monster-taming experience on the Nintendo DS, and I only discovered them this year after playing Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince.

They still hold up well despite lacking some modern quality-of-life features. The graphics are incredible for the Nintendo DS, the atmosphere of Joker 2 is unbelievable, and the number of monsters you can catch and fuse is immense.

I think everyone should play these games, since they are among the best games on the system.

4. Digimon World DS / Digimon World Dusk/Dawn

I played Digimon World DS when it came out, and it’s still my favorite Digimon game to date.

I also completed both sequels, Digimon World Dusk and Dawn, and despite offering more Digimon and features, I still prefer the story of the first game. While all of these titles suffer from confusing level design, this issue feels more pronounced in the sequels.

Still, don’t let this discourage you! You’ll have a lot of fun collecting and battling with your Digimon partners.

5. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor

If it’s Shin Megami Tensei, then you can expect quality, and Devil Survivor is no exception. It offers a remarkable, dark experience perfect for a mature audience.

I played the Overclocked version on the Nintendo 3DS, which has more content. However, you don’t need the extra content to fully enjoy this amazing game.

Although the gameplay differs from the others on this list—as a turn-based tactics RPG—you’ll still find robust monster-taming mechanics that you’ll undoubtedly love.

6. Monster Rancher DS

Remember Monster Rancher? After the release of Monster Rancher 1&2 DX for the Nintendo Switch, this title crept back into our collective consciousness.

In Monster Rancher DS, you train a single monster at a time to compete in a series of tournaments. However, unlike other games on this list, your monster will retire once it gets old.

The monster-taming mechanics might not be beginner-friendly, but once you understand them, training your perfect monster is one of the most satisfying feelings I’ve experienced in any monster-taming game.