The best Pokemon DS games range from the Sinnoh games that opened the console's run in 2006 to a crossover with Nobunaga's Ambition in 2012. Here are the 10 best Pokemon DS games, ranked from worst to best, taken from the full list of best Pokemon games.
Explorers lets you send a team member to aid a friend, so a team can have more than four members. Critics scored the two versions 60 and 59 out of 100.
Blue Rescue Team started the Mystery Dungeon line in the West in 2005. The player character is a Pokemon rather than a trainer. Critics scored the DS version 62 out of 100.
Shadows of Almia came out in 2008 with 270 Pokemon, including ones from Diamond and Pearl that the first Ranger lacked. Critics scored it 68 out of 100.
Ranger launched in 2006 and replaces Gyms with missions. You catch a Pokemon by drawing circles around it on the touch screen with the stylus. Critics scored it 69 out of 100.
Conquest gives Warriors and Warlords battle-changing powers that can only be used once per battle. It reached the DS in 2012, and critics scored it 80 out of 100.
Black 2 and White 2 added the Key System, which unlocks after you beat the game. They arrived in 2012, and critics scored them 80 out of 100.
Platinum is an enhanced version of the 2006 games and reached Japan in 2008. Battles can be one-on-one or two-on-two. Critics scored it 84 out of 100.
Diamond and Pearl have you thwart the plans of Team Galactic and added 107 new Pokemon. They came out in Japan in 2006, and critics scored them 85 out of 100.
Black and White started in Japan on 18 September 2010 and reached the rest of the world in March 2011. The 156 new Pokemon are more than any other generation has. Critics scored them 87 out of 100.
HeartGold and SoulSilver remake Gold and Silver and came out in 2009. Critics scored them 87 out of 100 across 59 reviews.
Conquest is the only spin-off here to match a main game, at 80 out of 100. The other four spin-offs score 69 or lower.
Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver. Critics scored it 87 out of 100.
Yes. It is the highest-scoring spin-off on the DS.
