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Anyone who was playing video games in the mid-2010s will know that the Nintendo DS was the big console on the block. The DS and its variants – including the DS Lite, DSi, 2DS, and 3DS – were Nintendo’s answer to a handheld console. The DS fell right in between the GameBoy and today’s Nintendo Switch, and like a lot of front-running consoles, were right on top of cutting-edge technology like internet connection, cameras, and 3D screens.
Unfortunately for those of us on a nostalgia trip, the Nintendo DS was officially discontinued in 2014. The console and its games are still available, of course, since you can find just about anything on the internet. That said, the DS has gone the way of a lot of other “vintage” consoles, and the games have only gone up in price since the Nintendo DS went off the market. If you’re looking for any of the ultra-rare games below, then you should be prepared for your wallet to get a whole lot lighter.
10. Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver with Pokewalker ($165)
Pokemon is no stranger to limited or rare games. These days it feels like everywhere you look, there’s a sealed copy of one of their games going for a king’s ransom. Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver aren’t terribly expensive on their own. Still, they’ve got one thing that makes them stand out from the rest of the franchise: the Pokewalker.
The Pokewalker, for those unfamiliar, is a pedometer that is compatible with HeartGold and SoulSilver for the DS. It measures your steps as you walk around, and then the number of steps you’ve taken is converted into a wild Pokemon or experience for a Pokemon that you’ve transferred from your DS. Every copy of HeartGold or SoulSilver was sold with a Pokewalker back in the day, but like a lot of video game peripherals, the Pokewalkers themselves are incredibly rare these days. If you want to get a copy of either game with the Pokewalker included, you’re going to have to spend around $165.
9. The Dark Spire – 2008 ($200)
Armed with a suitably spooky name, The Dark Spire is a throwback game that pays homage to first-person dungeon crawler RPGs, with gameplay elements similar to games like Quake. When designing your character, you can choose between four customizable races, each with its unique stats and several different alignments, which have an effect on how the game plays out.
The Dark Spire received average reviews after its release, but it’s another cult classic among devoted DS fans and another game where copies are exceedingly rare. If you’re looking to venture into the Dark Spire for yourself, the game goes for around $200 these days.
8. Magician’s Quest: Mysterious Times – 2009 ($220)
Magician’s Quest: Mysterious Times is a fantasy-adventure life sim released for the Nintendo DS in 2009. The game lets the player customize a character and enroll in the Magic Academy, where you can decorate your own room, learn magic from the other characters at the academy, and even fall in love. It bears some similarities to Animal Crossing, especially Wild World, which was also released for the DS.
Unfortunately, unlike Animal Crossing, Magician’s Quest hasn’t seen the same amount of popularity among US audiences. The game saw two sequels released only in Japan, and these days Magician’s Quest: Mysterious Times has become incredibly rare, leading to price tags that usually hover around $220.
7. Dokapon Journey – 2009 ($325)
Dokapon Journey tells the story of Princess Penny, whose father, the King, has offered her hand in marriage to the brave adventurer who saves his kingdom. The game combines elements of a party-based combat RPG with a board game, making it essentially what you’d get if Mario Party and Final Fantasy had a baby.
Even though Dokapon Journey was a smash hit when it was released in Japan in 2008, its North American release a year later was far less successful, and it wasn’t even sold everywhere in North America. That means that it’s got a high price tag attached, and if you’re looking at starting a Dokapon Journey of your own, be prepared to spend around $325.
6. Commando: Steel Disaster – 2008 ($300)
Released for the Nintendo DS and DSi, Commando: Steel Disaster is a 2D run-and-gun shooter with five stages where the player leads a commando named Storm to the heart of a terrorist organization that’s taking control of the army’s war machines. The game received mixed review upon its release, but the real reason for it’s rarity is because of the way it was released.
When Commando: Steel Disaster was initially released, it was mainly released as DSiWare – similar to the Nintendo eShop exclusives of today. As a result, when the Nintendo 3DS eShop closed down in March 2023, the only copies we had left were the few physical copies that had been printed. If you want to buy a copy of Commando: Steel Disaster, it’s going to set you back around $300.
5. Fire Emblem Fates: Special Edition (with Pre-Order Bonus) ($450)
If you’re looking at buying the Fire Emblem Fates: Special Edition, then good news! You’re actually getting three games in one. The special edition includes all three of the games in the FE Fates Saga – Birthright, Conquest, and Revelations – in one convenient bundle. Like a lot of the other games in the Fire Emblem franchise, the game is a tactical RPG that follows the player and their customizable character through the kingdoms of Hoshido and Nohr.
With Fire Emblem Fates: Special Edition technically being a full bundle, you might expect the price to be a little bit higher than the average game. That’s not the only thing raising the price, however; when the Nintendo DS game was released for pre-order, fans were promised a pre-order bonus in the form of three exclusive keychains. If you’re looking to get your hands on a complete copy of Fire Emblem Fates: Special Edition with the pre-order bonus included, it’s going to cost you around $450.
4. Solatorobo: Red the Hunter – 2010 ($500)
Are you a fan of fantasy adventures with robots and flying sky islands? Before the globally renowned Tears of the Kingdom and Skyward Sword Solatorobo: Red the Hunter did it first. In a world filled with anthropomorphic dogs and cats, the action RPG follows Red, a canine adventurer who pilots his own mecha.
Despite being nominated for multiple awards for its storyline and animation style, Solatorobo: Red the Hunter has become a rarity on the game market in the last decade and a half. Thankfully, it’s still got a cult following among players and Nintendo DS game collectors, but be warned: if you want to score a copy, they’re not parting with it for cheap. If you’re looking to buy Solatorobo: Red the Hunter, then you should be prepared to spend around $500.
3. Shepherd’s Crossing 2 – 2010 ($850)
Similar to Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon, Shepherd’s Crossing 2 is an in-depth farming sim/strategy game where you plant crops, raise animals, make new friends around town, and even have a variety of romance options available to you. The game was released in Japan in 2008 and then in the US/UK in 2010.
Despite its seemingly simple premise, Shepherd’s Crossing 2 is one of the rarest games ever made for the Nintendo DS. The reason for this probably dates back to its launch, when it was poorly marketed and saw awful sales numbers; on top of that, it was received badly by critics. As a result, not many copies were made, so getting your hands on a copy of Shepherd’s Crossing 2 for the Nintendo DS is going to set you back around $850.
2. McDonald’s Training Game – Japanese ($1,920)
This is one of the weirder games we’ve come across – if it can be called that. In 2010, McDonald’s Japan released what’s officially known as the “eCrew Development Program”, or eCDP. Unofficially, it’s known as the McDonald’s Training Game, and it was meant for training new McDonald’s employees. The game teaches the player how to cook various McDonald’s menu items, how to complete various other restaurant tasks, and it’s even got a quiz mode.
Unfortunately, with the Nintendo DS officially out of style as of 2014, the McDonald’s Training Game has almost been lost to the sands of time. Even before it was officially discontinued, not much was known about how the game was used or how long it was used, and it was only ever available to McDonald’s employees in Japan – not a huge market. As a result, the McDonald’s Training Game is incredibly rare these days, and if you’re trying to get your hands on a copy, be prepared to spend nearly $2,000.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Demo – E3 2005 ($12,500)
The undisputed heavyweight champion for “most expensive game we’ve ever seen” isn’t, technically speaking, a game. It’s a trailer for a game, specifically The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The game didn’t actually release until 2006, but Nintendo’s genius marketing strategy included handing out a never-before-seen trailer for Twilight Princess at E3 2005.
It was a massive year to be at E3, too, since PlayStation was showing off the PS3, Xbox had been hyping the Xbox 360, and Nintendo unveiled what would become the Nintendo Wii for the very first time. The fact that anyone’s still talking about the Twilight Princess Nintendo DS trailer is impressive, and the main reason for its astronomically high price tag is that it was only ever handed out at E3 2005. If you want one these days, you’ll either need a time machine or pay $12,500 – it’s hard to say which option is cheaper.
