Nintendo needs to put these DS games on Nintendo Switch Online
With the imminent reveal and eventual release of Nintendo’s next hardware, it’s safe to assume that we’ll eventually be seeing more retro platforms become available on Nintendo Switch Online. And with confirmation that the Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with standard Switch software, it’s also safe to assume that its Virtual Console-esque offerings won’t be starting over with the NES. Many would tell you that GameCube is the next platform Nintendo should add to their online services, and that makes sense – but given how large these games are (plus the presence of many remakes and ports on Switch, including Metroid Prime Remastered, both Pikmin games, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and more), this seems unlikely. That said, the most likely platform to come to Nintendo Switch Online would be Nintendo DS. The Wii U actually had Nintendo DS games available for download on the eShop, so there’s some precedent here. And since Nintendo Switch lacks a microphone needed to play certain DS games, it’d make sense to wait for Switch 2 to release these titles back to the public.
So today, we’re looking at several DS games that Nintendo needs to add to Switch Online if or when the company does decide to add this platform to its lineup. Note that we’re only discussing likely games here – as great as the Pokemon titles on the DS are, it’s highly unlikely that they’ll ever be released this way – especially not when Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are already available and would be backwards compatible.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story
There’s something good to write about every Mario & Luigi game, but this one is notable for being the most beloved of them all. Bowser’s Inside Story, hence its name, places the focus of the story on Bowser for the first time. You get plenty of time playing as the Mario Bros., but you spend just as long playing from Bowser’s point of view. This game is the peak of his characterization, and is part of why so many players like him in the first place. We think Bowser is at his best when he sets aside his rivalry with Mario to take down a more dangerous foe, and that’s exactly what happens here. Bowser’s Inside Story, plot-wise, is also the culmination of three games’ worth of story and is home to one of the greatest final battles on a Nintendo system. And none of this is even mentioning the gameplay – the overworld has many secrets to explore, the combat and Bros. Attacks are sublime, and there’s a decent amount of content after the final boss, including an enemy gauntlet and other such challenges. The Nintendo 3DS remake of the game isn’t a net improvement upon the original; it runs at 30 frames per second rather than the original’s 60 and some feel that the updated graphics look odd (such as Bowser being much rounder and bulkier in the remake compared to the original DS version). The only challenge with porting this to Nintendo Switch 2 would be the giant battles – these are performed with the DS held sideways, which would get awkward especially when played on the TV. Still, we have faith that Nintendo can find some sort of workaround!
Mario Kart DS
We’re not about to pretend that Mario Kart DS holds a handle to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but it’s still a neat little entry in the series worth revisiting – even if it’s only for nostalgia purposes. The choppy, blocky characters really do show you that this game is 20 years old, but the soundtrack still holds up well today and has a unique charm to it. For its time, Mario Kart DS brought with it several unique tracks – Airship Fortress, Luigi’s Mansion, and Waluigi Pinball being just a few. That being said, not every track is a hit – Figure-8 Circuit is one of the most bland tracks in the series, and others, like Yoshi Falls, are still rather basic. Mario Kart DS does have a few interesting tidbits, though: it’s home to the only Mission Mode in the series, and it’s also the only game where you can access R.O.B. as a playable character. You can also customize your driver to a small extent by choosing their kart. If you didn’t play Mario Kart DS as a kid, you might not find a ton of good stuff here – especially given the prevalence of snaking (the act of continuously initiating and releasing drifts to gain speed over and over again) which winds up being optimal for every race. Still, it’s an important piece of Mario Kart history and one we’d like to see preserved.
Animal Crossing: Wild World
At the time of writing, none of the Nintendo Switch Online platforms (NES, SNES, N64, etc.) have an Animal Crossing game on them – unless you count the original version of Animal Crossing on Nintendo 64, which would be Japanese exclusive. The point is, Nintendo doesn’t often re-release Animal Crossing games, but Wild World was one of the DS games available on Wii U. Wild World is one of the more mild games in the series with a low frame rate and dated visuals that might be tough to look past for those who didn’t grow up with the game. Even so, having multiple Animal Crossing games playable on Nintendo Switch (or Switch successor) would be a win. Wild World remains undoubtedly charming, even with its flaws and age, and in a similar vein to Mario Kart DS, it’s one we’d want to see join the DS library if Nintendo ever goes ahead and makes one.
Kirby Super Star Ultra
Kirby Super Star Ultra is absolutely a lock for a potential NSO DS platform. It’s one of the better Kirby games out there, improving on the original with additional game modes and content on top of what was already there. Kirby fans are often split on whether the graphics are an upgrade or a downgrade; the art style is definitely much different than the original game, but it isn’t objectively bad by any means. That is, until you get to the in-game cutscenes – their actual graphics are good, but they’re rendered at an incredibly low resolution that would be very apparent if you watched them on a big TV screen. That’s the case for the 3DS Kirby games as well, just to a lesser extent. Super Star Ultra’s True Arena challenge is also one of the toughest tasks the series has to offer, and the game includes full multiplayer for players with two copies of the game. We’re not sure how that would work on Nintendo Switch Online, but many of the games listed here would hugely benefit from online connectivity.
New Super Mario Bros.
Somehow, there’s only one New Super Mario Bros. game available on Nintendo Switch, and it’s New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe – which is not a big favorite among Mario fans. New Super Mario Bros. Wii, New Super Mario Bros. 2, and New Super Mario Bros. U are all very samey, and to an extent, the original New Super Mario Bros. is too. But compared to the three titles that came afterward, New Super Mario Bros. has more unique level designs, more unique enemies, and a somewhat different visual style. The game holds up very well to this day, and it also includes an incredibly fun battle mode if you’re able to play along with a friend. We think New Super Mario Bros. is a no-brainer on Nintendo Switch Online – this would definitely be part of the launch lineup.
Super Mario 64 DS
With the original Super Mario 64 available on Nintendo Switch Online, it makes a lot of sense to include Super Mario 64 DS as well. Compared to the original, it adds over 30 new Power Stars, three new playable characters (including Wario, who has never been playable in a 3D Mario game again), and plenty of additional mini-games that it shares with New Super Mario Bros. as well. It’s a fun time overall, but its main criticism would still hold up on Nintendo Switch: the game was designed to take inputs from a four-way d-pad, so if you try to play it with a control stick it will only move your character in one of eight directions. A version of this game with full support for a control stick would be incredible, but that’s rather unlikely. If you can get around the finicky controls, Super Mario 64 DS isn’t a bad time at all, for the most part – that is, until you encounter tough platforming in some of the later levels!
Any Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games
There’s no way The Pokemon Company is putting Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Black, White, Black 2, or White 2 on Nintendo Switch Online. But Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games are just fine, as the Game Boy Advance section of NSO actually does have it already. There are several Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games on Nintendo DS, but the most popular one is Explorers of Sky. Any and all Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games would be a welcome sight here, and there are plenty of them to choose from.
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
We’re indeed putting two Mario & Luigi games on this list, which is because it’s is by far the most underrated entry in the series. AlphaDream skipped over Partners in Time to remake Bowser’s Inside Story instead, which means it is the only game in the series other than Brothership that isn’t in the “Mario & Luigi 3DS” art style at all. A remake of Partners in Time would work well on Switch given the recent release and success of Mario & Luigi: Brothership, but including it on Nintendo Switch Online would probably ensure that it does not get a remake. Whether it does or doesn’t, Partners in Time is one of the darkest Mario games in terms of story (the darkest if you don’t count Super Paper Mario), which alone makes this game interesting. The gameplay iterates well on Superstar Saga, and includes lots of charming interactions between Mario and Luigi and other characters as well.
The Nintendo DS is home to tons of great games – perhaps too many to individually cover here. We’d also like to see Mario Party DS, Kirby Mass Attack, any of the Pokemon Ranger games, Super Princess Peach, Diddy Kong Racing DS, any of the Dragon Quest games, Mario Hoops 3-on-3, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks and Phantom Hourglass, Kirby: Squeak Squad, any of the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games entries, and Yoshi’s Island DS. Even then, that’s mostly first and second-party offerings. Also, Sonic Rush and Golden Sun would go great here too.
There are many, many options for this platform, and we’d like to hear your opinions down below. Which DS games does Nintendo need to include if or when they decide to make the platform available on Nintendo Switch Online? Let us know in the comments.
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