Quick answer: The best Pokémon games on the Nintendo DS are HeartGold, SoulSilver, Black and White, all sitting at 87 out of 100 on Metacritic. Then come Diamond/Pearl (85), Platinum (83), followed by Conquest and Black 2/White 2 (80). The worst is Pokémon Dash, at 46. But the press score does not tell the whole story: Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky sits at 54 with critics and 9 out of 10 with players.
Fifteen Pokémon games came out in Europe on the DS between 2005 and 2012. They are far from equal: 41 points separate the best from the worst. Here is the full ranking, press scores included, along with the arguments that still stir up the community fifteen years later.
What are the 10 best Pokémon games on DS?
Here is the top 10 ranked by Metacritic scores, recorded in July 2026. Four games share first place, something that almost never happens on a single console.
| Rank | Game | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pokémon HeartGold | 87 |
| 1 | Pokémon SoulSilver | 87 |
| 1 | Pokémon Black | 87 |
| 1 | Pokémon White | 87 |
| 5 | Pokémon Diamond / Pearl | 85 |
| 6 | Pokémon Platinum | 83 |
| 7 | Pokémon Conquest | 80 |
| 7 | Pokémon Black 2 / White 2 | 80 |
| 9 | Pokémon Trozei! (Pokémon Link! in Europe) | 74 |
| 10 | Pokémon Ranger | 69 |
The podium: three ways of being a great Pokémon game
HeartGold and SoulSilver: the remake nobody has matched
87 out of 100 from the press, 9.1 out of 10 from players, and the first Golden Joystick in the history of the franchise, back in 2010. These remakes of Gold and Silver hand you two complete regions, Johto and Kanto, where a standard Pokémon game offers one. Your Pokémon follows you on screen, and the box contains the Pokéwalker, a pedometer shaped like a Poké Ball that talks to the cartridge over infrared. For many players, this is the peak of the series and nothing has topped it.
Black and White: Famitsu's only 40 out of 40
Same Metacritic score, but for opposite reasons. Where HeartGold plays the nostalgia card, Black and White bet the other way: 156 new Pokémon, an all-time record for the franchise, and above all not a single Pokémon from earlier generations before the end of the adventure. A player starting out recognises nothing. No other entry has dared do that.
Japanese magazine Famitsu gave them 40 out of 40, a perfect score. It is the highest mark the editorial team has ever given a Pokémon game, and only the fifteenth 40 out of 40 in its entire history. Gamekult went with 9 out of 10, a score they hand out rarely.
Diamond and Pearl: the invisible revolution
85 out of 100, and 17.67 million copies sold, which makes it the best-selling Pokémon game on the console. Its biggest contribution never shows up on screen: the physical/special split. Before, a move was physical or special depending on its type. After, it depended on the move itself. Every bit of modern Pokémon strategy comes from that decision. The downside is a sluggish pace and a regional Pokédex almost empty of Fire types, which explains the 15 out of 20 from jeuxvideo.com, the lowest score of any main-series game on DS.
The full ranking, from best to worst
Fifteen games released in Europe, from the summit to the bottom of the barrel. The sixteenth, Pokémon Card Game: How To Play DS, never left Japan.
| Game | Metacritic | In one line |
|---|---|---|
| HeartGold / SoulSilver | 87 | Two regions, the Pokéwalker, the benchmark remake |
| Black / White | 87 | 156 new Pokémon and a 40/40 from Famitsu |
| Diamond / Pearl | 85 | The move online and the physical/special split |
| Platinum | 83 | The definitive version of Sinnoh, the Distortion World |
| Conquest | 80 | Tactical Pokémon crossed with Nobunaga's Ambition |
| Black 2 / White 2 | 80 | The only true narrative sequels in the series |
| Trozei! | 74 | The puzzle game that wins over even non-fans |
| Ranger | 69 | Stylus capture, made by HAL Laboratory |
| Ranger: Shadows of Almia | 68 | The best of the three Ranger games |
| Ranger: Guardian Signs | 68 | Four-player co-op |
| Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team | 62 | The first one, where you are the Pokémon |
| Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time | 60 | The best-selling DS spin-off |
| Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness | 59 | Twin version of the above |
| Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky | 54 | Torn apart by the press, adored by players |
| Pokémon Dash | 46 | The worst Pokémon game on the console |
Is HeartGold really the best? The debate is still open
On paper, the consensus looks clear. Gameblog puts HeartGold and SoulSilver at the top of its ranking of the whole franchise, and Dexerto does the same in its top 25 published in June 2026. Two editorial teams, same verdict.
Except that Écran Large, in its ranking of the 18 main games, drops them down to sixth place and puts Platinum on the podium, in third. Their argument holds up: Platinum fixes Sinnoh's pacing problems, adds the Distortion World and its warped physics, and offers the most substantial post-League content of the generation. HeartGold, for its part, inherits a lopsided level curve that the remake never fixed.
In other words, if you want the best nostalgic adventure, go with HeartGold. If you want the best-built game, Platinum has a strong case. Personally, I think the Distortion World alone is worth the trip.
The oddity in the ranking: Explorers of Sky
Look at the bottom of the table: Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky sits at 54 out of 100. Second to last, just above Pokémon Dash. Yet on the player side, it holds 9.0 out of 10 across nearly 600 votes, flagged as "universal acclaim". Thirty-six points between the press and the public: that is the widest gap in the entire DS catalogue.
What happened? The press of the time saw an opportunistic third version. IGN was scathing: "it feels like the only reason this game has a third version is because Nintendo knows kids expect one." Players, on the other hand, found five extra playable starters, five special episodes, and above all writing and a bond with your partner that many still call the finest story ever told in a Pokémon game. Time proved them right: the game became a cult favourite.
The lesson applies to the whole ranking. The Mystery Dungeon games take the last four places according to the press, but Explorers of Time and Darkness is still the best-selling Pokémon DS spin-off, with 4.88 million copies, and it was nominated RPG of the year against Fallout 3. A press score is not a verdict.
The worst Pokémon game on DS: Pokémon Dash
46 out of 100, dead last with no room for argument. Released alongside the console, Dash is a top-down race where you rub the touch screen with the stylus to move Pikachu, the only playable character. GameSpot called it "one of the laziest uses of the DS touch screen". You see everything it has in a few hours.
The irony is that it now goes for around 49 euros complete in box, roughly the price of Pokémon Pearl. Rarity does not care about quality.
FAQ: the best Pokémon games on DS
What is the best Pokémon game on DS?
Four games are tied at the top with 87 out of 100 on Metacritic: HeartGold, SoulSilver, Black and White. HeartGold and SoulSilver have the edge with players, at 9.1 out of 10 plus the 2010 Golden Joystick. Black and White hold the only 40 out of 40 Famitsu has ever given a Pokémon game.
What are the 10 best Pokémon games on DS?
In order: HeartGold, SoulSilver, Black and White (87), Diamond/Pearl (85), Platinum (83), Conquest and Black 2/White 2 (80), Trozei! (74) and Pokémon Ranger (69). The Mystery Dungeon games bring up the rear with critics, despite a stubborn cult following among players.
What is the worst Pokémon game on DS?
Pokémon Dash, with 46 out of 100. This race where Pikachu moves forward as you rub the touch screen launched with the console and ends in a few hours. Forty-one points separate it from the best Pokémon games on the DS.
How many Pokémon games came out on Nintendo DS?
Sixteen in total, fifteen of them in Europe. Five belong to the main series and eleven are spin-offs. Only Pokémon Card Game: How To Play DS stayed exclusive to Japan.
Should you play Diamond/Pearl or Platinum?
Platinum, no hesitation, if you only play one. It offers the same region with a Pokédex expanded by 59 entries, better balance, tighter pacing and the Distortion World on top. Diamond and Pearl keep the historical value of having introduced online play and the physical/special split.
Are the Mystery Dungeon games worth it despite their scores?
Yes, if the story matters more to you than the score. The press criticised their repetitive gameplay, but players give Explorers of Sky 9 out of 10. You play as a human turned into a Pokémon, and the bond with your partner is regularly named the best writing in the whole franchise.
What to take away
On DS, the top spot comes down to two philosophies: HeartGold and SoulSilver for nostalgia executed perfectly, Black and White for sheer nerve. Platinum stays the pick for players who value construction, and the Mystery Dungeon games deserve better than their press scores. As for Pokémon Dash, fifteen years on, it still holds last place.
To carry on the debate about the Pokémon themselves, our top 15 most powerful Pokémon settles a few other touchy questions.
To browse a full catalogue of manga and anime merchandise shipped worldwide, Bakashop brings together clothing, accessories, decorations and goodies inspired by your favourite universes. The Pokémon collection gathers beanies, plushies and accessories, and all our collections can be filtered by category.
Sources: Metacritic (recorded 15 July 2026), Famitsu, jeuxvideo.com, Gamekult, Écran Large, Gameblog, Dexerto, Wikipedia.
