In hindsight, it’s surprising that it wasn’t until the Nintendo DS that dual-screen gaming became all that prevalent. PC players recognized the beauty that multiple displays could bring. But when it came to handhelds or even home console systems, dual screens had essentially been relegated to simple addons like Dreamcast VMU or the GBA to GameCube link cable.

And there’s of course, the Game and Watch series which wasn’t exactly a blockbuster hit. Due to its success, the DS was able to introduce many of the world’s gamers to concepts they’d never seen before, but it also did something else. Just go on reading to learn more! 

Super Mario 64 DS

An interesting observation can be made before even booting up the Super Mario 64 DS game. The title’s box art has an often overlooked detail right on the front that differs from the actual game. The design for Princess Peach’s castle on the box is different from the in-game castle design.

While it’s also true that the castle on the original Super Mario 64 box art doesn’t match the in-game castle, what can’t be said about the N64 version is that Peach’s castle model on Mario 64 DS’ box art is ripped straight from another Mario game entirely. The model you could see on the packaging is taken directly from the Mario Circuit stage in Mario Kart Double Dash. Isn’t that fun, huh?

Sonic Classic Collection

Just like with Mario 64, not every game released on the DS was original. With the newfound audience on the handheld, the opportunity to give new players access to classic games in one collection became a real possibility. Sonic Classic Collection is one of those packages, though, of course, to throw in what’s essentially become a meme at this point, if it’s Sonic, it’s got to have something wrong with it.

In the original Genesis release of the Sonic games, hitting an item box containing Power Sneakers would increase the speed of the current stage’s music. However, with the DS collection, a higher-pitch version of the theme will play instead, which as many players noted, was very irritating. This wasn’t intentional of course, but it was a result of inaccurate game music.

No bugs or inconsistencies could put gamers off playing DS titles. Even now avid Nintendo fans download DS ROMs to play the cool classics on modern devices. So, if you also don’t have a physical DS and cartridges, but are dying to help Sonic with his noble mission, grab your favorite DS ROMs for your emulator and start playing right now!

The World Ends With You

Again, because of its success, the DS created opportunities for wholly new IP to hit the scene, a rarity when it comes to some companies. That said, The World Ends With You was a surprising smash hit for the DS. The new title managed to combine unique gameplay mechanics, a captivating story, and dual-screen gameplay, unlike many titles that came before it. On the first announcement, eager fans waited to hear a word for the English release for the game.

And during that time, the title was not known as The World Ends With You, but rather – It’s A Wonderful World. This name wound up sticking in Japan, and despite both names being pretty different from one another, they both reflect many of the themes in the game’s story. One of the reasons for the game’s title change was because that Wonderful World title was too close for comfort with the classic 1939 eponymous film. So, even before its new name was revealed, the company already knew it wouldn’t be using the same name across both languages.

The World Ends With You

But The World Ends With You was lucky enough to see a Western release at all. One game that didn’t get the international release was Nanashi No Game, whose title translates roughly to ‘Nameless Game.’ This first-person survival horror was impressively thought out with its recurring themes of Japanese urban legends and horror. But some of these references to Japanese superstition can’t truly be appreciated by just playing the game. So, there were reasonable doubts as to whether this game will.   

Cool Pokémon Remakes

With its having power comparable to the home consoles of the mid to late 90s, the DS became home for many remakes and ports of classic titles. Super Mario 64 DS gave the Nintendo 64 Classic new life with several new mechanics. And Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver let fans revisit an old favorite with updated graphics and modern sensibilities.

But it wasn’t all just remakes of Pokémon titles on the handheld, of course. We also saw the next iteration of the spin-off Mystery Dungeon series, Explorers of Time, and Explorers of Darkness, as well as their inevitable third iteration. 

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