Summary
- Since the DS was removed from store shelves, it's become increasingly difficult to find games like Pokemon Platinum and Mega Man Star Force Dragon without emptying your wallet.
- Limited edition games like the Pokemon HeartGold Pokewalker Bundle are especially rare. They can even cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.
Collectors, beware. You're in for a scare. Retro games tend to get rarer and more expensive as the years go on, and nowhere is that more apparent than the Nintendo DS. The handheld was discontinued in 2014, and many of its titles went out of print long before that.
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Posts 5For a while, you could download digital versions of DS games from the Wii U eShop. However, the service tragically shut down in 2023, leaving fans with no other option than buying from the second-hand market. The results are staggering price tags sure to give your bank account the fright of its life. The following titles, in particular, are the rarest and priciest video games for the system.
Updated on November 16, 2024, by PJ Molloy: It's been almost two years since the Wii U eShop closed and ten years since the DS was pulled from stores. Needless to say, DS games are harder to find than ever, and their prices are through the roof. Get ready to see some mind-boggling four-digit numbers.
18 Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier
Estimated Value - $350
As a spin-off of the Super Robot Wars games, OG Saga: Endless Frontier swaps the series' traditional tactical RPG gameplay for turn-based combat. You control a gun-slinging bounty hunter named Haken, who gets tangled up in an intergalactic conspiracy while escorting a princess back to her home.
While Super Robot Wars is immensely successful in Japan, only a handful of its titles have been officially localized in English. Endless Frontier, in particular, is one of the rarer games in the series. A new copy costs roughly $350.
17 Pokemon Platinum
Estimated Value - $358
Pokémon Platinum
JRPG Released March 22, 2009 ESRB E For Everyone Developer(s) Game Freak Publisher(s) Nintendo, The Pokemon Company Platform(s) Nintendo DS Genre(s) JRPG Powered by Expand CollapseOften considered a top-tier DS Pokemon game, Platinum combines the best elements of Diamond and Pearl while adding quality-of-life updates, brand-new characters, and a new story about the spooky legendary Pokemon Giratina. The Sinnoh region has never looked better and featured so much to see and do.
Unfortunately, if you want to play this Gen Four classic, you'll probably need to drop an exorbitant amount of cash. Be prepared to see eBay price tags up to $358 - enough to buy five copies of the Sinnoh remakes for Switch.
16 Digimon World Dusk
Estimated Value - $374
Digimon World Dawn and Dusk are two variations of the same game, similar to how Pokemon divides each title into two versions. When a mysterious virus causes Digimon to revert into Digi-Eggs, it's up to you to investigate the SunShine District, explore dungeons, and get to the bottom of this baffling puzzle.
Both versions cost a pretty penny, but Digimon World Dusk is far worse for your wallet. An unopened copy goes for around $374 - almost three times the price of its Dawn counterpart.
15 Commando: Steel Disaster
Estimated Value - $375
Commando: Steel Disaster is a lesser-known run-and-gun similar to Metal Slug or Contra. Take control of a hotshot soldier named Storm, who must blast his way through a series of enemy camps to stop a warmongering villain named Rattlesnake.
Gameplay-wise, you explore side-scrolling levels, collect guns, and destroy everything and everyone in sight. Despite its exciting premise, the game received lukewarm reviews and quickly faded into obscurity. If you happen to find a copy, you'll need to spend about $375 to add it to your collection.
14 Mega Man Star Force Dragon
Estimated Value - $378
As the follow-up to the Battle Network series, Mega Man Star Force maintains the action RPG combat, which now takes place in a 3D environment. Set 200 years after its predecessor, the plot follows a high school student named Geo, who dons the iconic Mega Buster to investigate his father's strange disappearance.
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Posts 1Similar to Pokemon, Star Force launched in three separate versions, the rarest of which is the Dragon edition. A new copy is worth around $378, more than double the value of the Leo and Pegasus versions combined.
13 Solatorobo: Red The Hunter
Estimated Value - $386
Solatorobo: Red the Hunter
Action Released October 28, 2010 ESRB e Platform(s) Nintendo DS Developer CyberConnect2 Publisher CyberConnect2 Genre(s) Action Powered by Expand CollapseSolatorobo: Red the Hunter is known for being one of the most graphically impressive DS games. It's a 3D action RPG that follows Red, an anthropomorphic dog who fights crime in a series of steampunk-themed mech suit battles.
The game performed fairly well when it launched, spawning multiple spin-offs, prequels, and even a novel adaptation. But despite its popularity, tracking down a new copy has become nearly impossible over the years. If you manage to find one, it'll likely set you back about $386.
12 Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels Of The Starry Skies (Zoma Distribution)
Estimated Value - $388
Dragon Quest 9
JRPG Released July 11, 2010 ESRB E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes Developer(s) Level-5, Square Enix Publisher(s) Square Enix, Nintendo Platform(s) Nintendo DS Genre(s) JRPG Powered by Expand CollapseDragon Quest 9 is generally beloved by JRPG fans, thanks to its impressive 3D graphics, engaging turn-based combat, and outstanding soundtrack. You control an angelic guardian known as a Celestrian, who is robbed of his powers and forced to find his way home as a mortal being.
A regular copy of the game isn't too difficult to find, but the Zoma distribution is a different story. This special edition is unique in only one way: it features a different map than the standard version. That tiny change was enough to triple the value, putting it at a whopping $388.
11 Pokemon Ranger
Estimated Value - $435
Pokemon Ranger
Action RPG Released October 30, 2006 ESRB E For Everyone Due To Mild Cartoon Violence Developer(s) HAL Laboratory, Creatures Inc. Publisher(s) The Pokemon Company, Nintendo Platform(s) Nintendo DS Genre(s) Action RPG Powered by Expand CollapsePokemon Ranger is a refreshing departure from the series formula, replacing the usual turn-based battles with real-time combat. The goal is to catch Pokemon by drawing circles around them using the stylus. If they touch your line, your combo breaks, forcing you to start over.
There are three Pokemon Ranger games on the DS, each with a price tag in the triple digits. However, the first is the hardest to find. A new copy is worth about $435, which is more than the cost of both sequels combined.
10 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers Of Darkness & Explorers Of Sky
Estimated Price Range: $454 - $455
In Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness, you're put in the role of a human who's been mysteriously transformed into a Pokemon. During your journey to recover your lost memories, you join a group of adventurers, explore dungeons, and fight malicious Pokemon.
Explorers of Darkness launched alongside a special edition bundled with an Explorer's Guide, now costing an average of $454. The enhanced version of the game, Explorers of Sky, is just as rare, costing a staggering $455 for a new copy.
9 Pokemon Dash
Estimated Value - $475
Pokemon Dash
Racing Released March 13, 2005 ESRB E For Everyone Publisher(s) The Pokemon Company, Nintendo Platform(s) Nintendo DS Developer Ambrella Genre(s) Racing Powered by Expand CollapseDespite being a launch title in Japan and Europe, Pokemon Dash is largely forgotten about today. It's a top-down racing game in which you control Pikachu by constantly flicking the stylus in the direction you want him to run. You can even link it up to one of the GBA games to unlock special tracks.
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Posts By Casey FootSadly, the game received scathing reviews when it launched and went out of print shortly after. New copies are pretty tricky to find, but if you happen to hunt one down, it'll likely cost around $475.
