Summary
It’s no secret that Nintendo has pretty much dominated the market for gaming handhelds since its earliest days, having an especially successful stretch in the 1990s with their Game Boy lineup of handhelds. But in 2004, the company would completely change the world of portable gaming with the release of the Nintendo DS.
Sporting two displays, touchscreen functionality, and even backwards compatibility for GBA games, the DS was a revolution for on-the-go gaming at the time. It certainly was advanced, but handheld consoles still couldn’t compete with the more powerful console hardware. So when it came to bringing titles from home consoles over to the portable platform, releasing “spin-off” games with a smaller scope became the go-to option, and the DS had plenty of great ones over the years.
A “spin-off” is an offshoot to the mainline games in a series, sometimes having different plot or gameplay elements.
Yes, the originalCall of Duty: Black Opsfrom 2010 actually received a spin-off title for Nintendo’s touchscreen handheld. In fact,the wildly popular FPS series had DS spin-offs for all of its mainline games from 2007-2011, most of which were actually quite good.
Like the series’ other handheld spin-offs,Black Opsfollows a different plot, but still takes place during the same Vietnam era as its console counterpart. Players will move through familiar locations like Cuba and Vietnam with the same FPS gameplay, just adopted for the DS. The spin-off also featured local multiplayer — and even a version of the series' famous COD Zombies side mode. While the lower resolution of the DS sometimes made distant objects a bit hard to read, its visuals were still technically admirable for a handheld. Furthermore, its use of the console’s touch functions for general gameplay felt surprisingly comfortable.
Of course, the handheld spin-offs couldn’t exactly stand up to what the mainline titles offered, but it would be hard to deny just how impressive they are. As far as theCall of DutyDS games go,Black Opsoffered some of the most content and polish, overall, leading it to receive positive reviews from its players.
Okamidenis the 2010 handheld spin-off title to its well-known PS2 predecessor,Okami. It keeps with the same third-person, action-adventure experience as the first game, as well as its distinctive and beautiful art style, but brings it all over to the handheld platform.
The story is played through the eyes of Chibiterasu, the son of the original game’s protagonist.
Players will take on an adventure to save the land of Nippon, this time having a new plot, but with the same unique focus onJapanese folklore and culturefeatured in the PS2 original.Okamidenmade great use of Nintendo’s new touchscreen functionality as well with the game’s “Celestial Brush” feature. Allowing players to freeze time and draw with the stylus to alter the environment in both combat and puzzle situations. It madeOkamidenfeel so unique in its use of the touchscreen, combining perfectly with the game’s already stunning hand-painted art style.
While fans anxiously wait for asecond mainline entryfor the series,Okamidenis certainly a spin-off worth playing in the meantime. Just like its mainline PS2 predecessor, it proves to be just as unique and charming in both its gameplay and art style.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Daysis a nice on-the-go spin-off to the beloved ARPG game collaboration between Square Enix and Disney, while keeping the same well-known whimsical charm of its mainline PS2 releases.
Also taking on the same gameplay formula as other entries in the series, the player gets to control Roxas as he travels through the various familiar Disney universes alongsideother members of Organization XIII. The portable entry also brings in a new mechanic with its “panel” system, allowing players to choose their gear and abilities based on which panel is chosen, offering a good range of customization while also requiring some forethought for each battle.
While it doesn’t make much use of the console’s touchscreen, the traditional hack-and-slash gameplay feels very comfortable on the DS and offers visuals that don’t differ too much from its PlayStation 2 counterparts. All in all,Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Dayswas regarded as a fun and visually pleasing title, especially being a portable entry to the series. It’s a great way to have the classicKingdom Heartsexperience on-the-go.
Following a few remakes of previous mainline games for the DS,Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slimeis the first spin-off adaptation for the console in the long-running RPG series. Similar to its Japanese prequel,Slime Mori Mori Dragon Quest,Rocket Slimesees fans playing as the franchise’s Slime mascot as opposed to the usual human characters from the mainline games.
Instead of the series' typical turn-based combat,Rocket Slimeis much more action-oriented, tasking players with collecting various parts to build tanks and engage in battle and rescue their fellow Slimes. Much like the previous entry, the game doesn’t get too deep into using the handheld’s touch functions, but it uses up both screens to display its gameplay and interface in an organized fashion.
Rocket Slimeis equally unique as it is charming overall, being well-received byDQfans, many of whom consider it to beone of the best spin-offs in theDragon Questfranchise.
Final Fantasy’s Tacticsseries is probably the most popular of the franchises' countless spin-offs, andFinal Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Riftwas a great DS adaptation for it. Being a sequel toFinal Fantasy Tactics Advance, it shares the same classic features, like the turn-based tactical combat and job systems, but expands on the mechanics quite a bit this time around.
The plot focuses on a boy named Luso, who is saved from a band of monsters by a clan leader named Cid after he is magically transported tothe world of Ivalice. Along the way, gathering a party and battling his way through enemies to find his way home. It follows the same formula as the rest of the spin-off series, where the player engages in turn-based, tactical combat on a grid, having over 50 character jobs with different abilities, adding lots of depth to each engagement. Developers chose to add more touchscreen functions for the western release of the game in 2008, where the original Japanese version from the year before did not.
While it may not be as beloved as the PlayStation original,Grimoire of the Riftwas a well-received addition to the Tactics series, and topped the charts during its first week of sales in Japan. Suffice to say,as far as tactics games go, this is one of the best in the genre on the DS.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Skyis the 2012 enhanced remake of the previous twoMystery Dungeontitles for the DS. Of course,Pokemonhardly needs an introduction at this point. Aside from its card game, manga, anime, and many video game adaptations, it’s also had a plethora of spin-off video games over the years, withExplorers of Skyperhaps being one of the best.
Instead of playing as the trainers like most of the series, theMystery Dungeongames put players in control of a human who has been transformed into a Pokemon, as they form a team to explore dungeons and rescue other Pokemon along the way. The gameplay remains the same, with turn-based combat allowing players to use a Pokemon’s basic attacks, moves, and items to battle others. Further than just combining the first two games,Explorers of Skyalso introduces lots of its own content, like new locations, mechanics, and more Pokemon to rescue and battle.
Being an enhancement and extension of the first two entries,Explorers of Skyis the definitiveMystery Dungeonexperience on the DS and is definitely a must-play title on the console.
Metroid Prime Huntersis the incredibly impressive handheld spin-off to theMetroid Primeseries, bridging the story gap between the first two titles originally released on the GameCube.
As expected, players will be put into the power suit of the infamous galactic bounty hunter, Samas Aran, as she takes on a mission to investigate a mysterious telepathic message. It takes the common FPS gameplay elements from the otherMetroid Primeconsole titles and adapts them to the small handheld with little compromise. But, its visuals are perhaps its most defining point, as many critics praised it for being downright impressive for the DS.
Metroid Prime Hunterswas a true spectacle in the realm of mid-2000s handheld gaming, even still being regarded as thebest-looking title on the Nintendo DS of all time.
WhileSuper Mario 64unfortunately couldn’t make this list due to being a port,Mario Kart DScertainly can. Bringing the ever-loved kart racing series and its charming band of characters and classic levels to Nintendo’s newest handheld.
The DS version ofMario Kartsurprisingly brought a lot of content, both returning and brand new, with 13 playable racers, 32 tracks, and all the familiar items and kart designs from the previous games. On top of introducing the new Shell, Banana, and Leaf Cups to Grand Prix, it was also the firstMario Kartgame to use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, allowing for online play with friends.
Much like the series’ other installments,Mario Kart DSwould garner critical acclaim and be a massive success for Nintendo. It went on to become the console’s third best-selling title, with a whopping23.6 million copies soldsince its release in 2005. Ultimately, what more needs to be said? It’s the series’ classic, tried and true, hilariously fun formula in a compact and on-the-go format.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Warswas the franchise’s first handheld entry for a Nintendo console since 2004’sGrand Theft Auto Advance. Reintroducing the classic top-down perspective from the original games, with its own unique comic book art style this time around.
InChinatown Wars, players are put in the shoes of a triad member named Huang Lee, arriving in the familiar backdrop of Liberty City, when he is suddenly ambushed and thrown into a war with the city’s other gangs. It features the traditional open-world gameplay of the GTA series, allowing players to roam a slightly smaller version of the well-known Liberty City. Gameplay is largely controlled with face buttons, but the game makes clever use of the touchscreen for its various minigames and accessing elements like the PDA and GPS.
GTA Chinatown Warsis still rated by many publications as thebest DS game of all timeand was a widely-praised spin-off to the already praised series.
