10. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS) Publisher: Konami / Developer: Konami Release Date: 4th Oct 2005 ( USA ) / 29th Sep 2005 ( UK/EU ) The first game in the series to grace the Nintendo DS (as if that subtitle didn't clue you in), Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is a sequel to the brilliant Game Boy Advance game, Aria of Sorrow. Soma Cruz returns having (spoilers!) thwarted the Prince of Darkness in the previous game, and this time his adventure includes various stylus-based elements which, if we're honest, feel more than a little gimmicky. When the console first arrived it took a while for developers to work out how best to take advantage of the touchscreen and, crucially, when to ignore it. Despite the bolted-on Seal system and a feeling of 'enforced' innovation, the series' classic heritage still blasts through and this remains one of great Castlevania games... along with around nine or ten others. What a series!

9. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS) Publisher: Konami / Developer: Konami Release Date: 21st Oct 2008 ( USA ) / 6th Feb 2009 ( UK/EU ) Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia was the third entry for the franchise on Nintendo DS, and the final Castlevania produced under the eye of Koji Igarashi, famed developer behind many series highlights including Symphony of the Night and, more recently, the Castlevania-inspired Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. With the Belmont clan gone, it's up to new heroine Shanoa to take on the world's most persistent vampire and his monstrous hordes. Picking a favourite Castlevania is like picking a favourite child and something in the bottom half of one person's personal top 10 could easily be another's numero uno. This game was made over a decade after Symphony of the Night, with visuals and a soundtrack among the series' best, so if you skipped it for whatever reason, it's time to return to Dracula's castle once again.

8. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (DS) Publisher: Capcom / Developer: Capcom Release Date: 11th Jan 2011 ( USA ) / 14th Jan 2011 ( UK/EU ) Coming from the mind of Shu Takumi, the main developer responsible for Phoenix Wright (and his Japanese voice), Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective equals, and arguably surpasses, the quality of the lawyer's many games. It has a few issues towards the end with some of the puzzles requiring a few leaps in lateral thinking (particularly when controlling multiple characters with different abilities), but Ghost Trick is a perfect showcase of what the Nintendo DS could accomplish with the right design. Making use of the system's stylus to latch onto object cores and ultimately recover the deceased protagonist's memory, it's still a delight to play, with a dramatic, jazzy soundtrack and a story that continues to surprise until the end. It may be crammed full of tricks, but this is still an absolute treat.

7. Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (DS) Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Level-5 Release Date: 12th Sep 2010 ( USA ) / 22nd Oct 2010 ( UK/EU ) The third entry of the mystery-solving DS Layton trilogy, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future doesn't stray too far from the winning formula of the first two releases, and instead focuses its attention on offering up what is easily the best storyline of the series on the console, not to mention some of the best minigames as well. It's no slouch with the puzzles, either, and it's safe to say that if you're a fan of the franchise, this is a game you absolutely do not want to miss.

6. The World Ends With You (DS) Publisher: Square Enix / Developer: Jupiter Corporation Release Date: 22nd Apr 2008 ( USA ) / 18th Apr 2008 ( UK/EU ) The World Ends With You is a mass of innovative ideas stylishly combined into a beautifully presented package. Its battle system, although complicated, can be tailored to suit each player’s style, and the flexibility displayed throughout the game is highly commendable. The end result is an RPG that’s every bit as unique as the person who plays it, and that is truly rare. The Final Remix Switch port is still a winner, but necessary changes to combat and controls mean it can't quite recreate the joy of the original dual screen experience - this DS version remains arguably the best way to play.

5. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations (DS) Publisher: Capcom / Developer: Capcom Release Date: 23rd Oct 2007 ( USA ) / 3rd Oct 2008 ( UK/EU ) The third game in the Ace Attorney series was originally released on GBA in Japan, but found its way to the west via the DS in 2007 (and the series has since graced most other platforms you care to mention). The culmination of the original trilogy, Trials and Tribulations puts you back in the shoes of the plucky defence lawyer for another round of convoluted cases and supernatural shenanigans. Sure, you can play these games on Switch now, but the titular attorney's visual novels hold up well on virtually any platform (except for, perhaps, WiiWare, although you'll have a job getting your hands on that version these days) and if you fancy going through them on DS, you'll get no objection from us.

4. Radiant Historia (DS) Publisher: Atlus / Developer: Atlus Release Date: 22nd Feb 2011 ( USA ) Radiant Historia received an updated 3DS port in 2018 gaining the subtitle Perfect Chronology (which we absolutely loved), but in all honesty it didn't feel drastically different to the DS original. Developed by Atlus and Headlock, it's a top-shelf JRPG, with an engaging time-travel hook, brilliantly fun, puzzle-like combat, and a genuinely likeable cast of characters. While it’s far from the first adventure to draw on parallel timelines, it smartly integrates its world-hopping gameplay and narrative, and the result is a unique, beautifully-paced experience that’s a joy to play whether here or on 3DS.

3. Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (DS) Publisher: Square Enix / Developer: Square Enix Release Date: 17th Feb 2009 ( USA ) The first in the RPG series to come to the Super Famicom, this DS remake was the first officially localised appearance of Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride to arrive in the west. It recently jumped back into the charts in Japan thanks to an upcoming movie based on the game. That it's a finely crafted RPG should come as little surprise given its heritage, but it's arguably the poignant, personal storytelling which elevates this game as one of the very best in a series of greats. Innovations such as the collection of monsters along the way would go on to influence other monster-collecting games and while it lacks some of design refinement in some areas, it's still an epic adventure. The hero of this game may only get Assist Fighter billing in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but make no mistake, this is one of the best old-school Dragon Quests you can go on.

2. Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver (DS) Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Game Freak Release Date: 14th Mar 2010 ( USA ) / 26th Mar 2010 ( UK/EU ) The original Pokémon Gold and Silver games are fondly remembered by Pocket Monster fans all over the world, and with good reason: they introduced features that genuinely evolved the original Game Boy games, such as breeding and an in-game clock (not to mention colour!), features that have become series staples. Add in fan-favourite monsters and these remakes were always going to be well received. Future games would trickle in additional quality of life features and other innovations, but some would argue it never got better than travelling across the land, searching far and wide in these DS remakes. The Game Boy originals may be a little hard to return to these days, but Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver strike the very best balance of nostalgia and that patented catch-'em-all gameplay.