The Rarest and Most Valuable Nintendo DS Games
The Nintendo DS is presently hitting the matter to detail in its life where there are quite a few great bargains to be found in its library, but some of the obscure gems and rarities are starting to be discovered and priced consequently. While some of the prices in these games might be a bit surprise, some of the more rare games might just rise strongly from here, if history is any guide .
You may notice some of the high-level rarities had relatively low prices on the moo end of the spectrum. The low range on these listings are for cartridge-only games. While some of these games are still hard to find as a bare magazine, the real bounty is on complete copies. And while the Nintendo DS cases are much more durable and utilitarian than the cardboard boxes for the Game Boy batting order, a draw of DS cases have been discarded by the likes of GameStop stores that have policy do scrapping cases before selling the games ( sad, but true ) .
The moment price in the value ranges is the highest price in the past three months which is normally the monetary value for a mint, arrant imitate. An average price is besides shared for a sealed copy if one has sold recently. The list is ordered by the counterweight of the two primary prices. note that some of these games are not rare in the sense that there are not many available, but rare proportional to demand, which makes the games expensive.
Check out the full Rarest and Most Valuable Games Guides Lineup
Treasured Standard North American Releases
Shepherd’s Crossing 2: $175-$515
Shepherd ’ s Crossing 2 is farm model that revolves around grow, animal farming, and wooing the ladies. It may feel familiar to those that enjoy the Harvest Moon serial, but it does have its differences .
A large draw to Shepherd ’ s Crossing 2 over exchangeable games is the open-ended gameplay that is less restrictive than its peers. however, you can ’ t actually leave your land like in Harvest Moon — but you can visit other houses ( arsenic long as you bring food ). There are besides more desperate consequences than Harvest Moon — you can potentially run out of supplies and die. In Shepherd ’ s Crossing you can besides wholly ignore sections of gameplay if you desire and focus entirely on the aspects that interest you .
This sequel on the DS was a succeed up to the original game that was on the PS2 and PSP. Both of those titles are still quite low-cost, but this DS release was humble adequate print run that it ’ mho pretty hard to find in the wild. It ’ s specially interesting to see that there wasn ’ t even many online reviews of Shepherd ’ s Crossing 2 out there at the time of its release. It about seems that the lovely game was developed, but they didn ’ t invest in any marketing resources to get exposure for it at all .
Check for Shepherd ’ s Crossing 2 on eBay
Check for Shepherd ’ s Crossing 2 on amazon
Veggy World: $29-$600 ($605 Sealed)
It ’ randomness not rare for our Rare and Valuable guides to have old-school scrolling shooters ( aka Shmups ) ranking high on the lists. however, these highly-sought-after shmups are normally expensive chiefly for their choice levels and ardor from the fans of the writing style .
Veggy World has more of a “ budget game ” type of feel, but does have some classic shmup vibration. however, a lot like Shepherd ’ s Crossing 2, there is about no solid reviews of the game ( although I ’ d argue that Shepherd ’ s Crossing 2 deserved more attention ). Veggy World seems to be a preferably repetitive game that requires you to tap the screen to shoot through incoming vegetable-themed “ aircraft ”. Players besides have rotating veggies surrounding their craft that can deal out damage. But I don ’ thymine think die-hard shot fans are going to be putting this on recur play excessively frequently .
Both the Wii and the DS interpretation of Veggy World aren ’ triiodothyronine super expensive in unaffixed disc/cartridge version, but complete copies are specially unmanageable to find in the violent. Its one of those games that most DS owners that did happen to pick up this rather rare game didn ’ t bother to keep the casing from it. now it ’ south particularly crafty to find .
Check for Veggy World on eBay
Check for Veggy World on Amazon
Solatorobo: Red The Hunter: $85-$315 ($350-$500 Sealed)
This jewel is the apparitional successor to Tail Concerto which besides happens to have a spot on our Rare and Valuable PS1 game steer. Solatorobo is a identical beautiful and polish Action RPG with beatemup elements. The stun graphics blend 2D and 3D elements to create a cohesive experience .
The game was published by X-Seed in rather limited quantities and besides came along with a soundtrack cadmium. All this came packaged in an supernumerary out cardboard box. however, as you might expect, a bunch of people didn ’ triiodothyronine keep the compact disk handy, let entirely the out cardboard sleeve. So a mint, perfectly arrant transcript will most probable demand that $ 300+ price point. If you are looking to score this bet on, but very largely care about the distinctive game encase and cartridge, you can save some cash .
Solatorobo : Red The Hunter did have a lot of good reviews, but it didn ’ t have a huge print run in North America ( although it did quite well in Japan )
Check for Solatorobo : Red The Hunter on eBay
Check for Solatorobo : Red The Hunter on Amazon
Powerbike: $50-$329
Another budget game-type release on the DS, Powerbike is a minibike racer/stunt jazz band plot that features relatively dependable graphics. At a glance it about feels like a mix between Road Rash and Excite Bike .
It has been hard enough to find bare cartridges of Powerbike, but its very uncommon to see complete copies of the crippled show up on eBay — about precisely a handful of times a class and lone a few ones that have a completed sale. But this is actually more frequent than they used to show equitable a few years ago. Having the curio ( and therefore respect ) become more far-flung cognition, you ’ ve seen sellers start to surface these items .
up until the spring of 2020, this plot was much selling for lone $ 10 for loosen carts and $ 20 to $ 75 for complete copies. It will be interest to see if this one stays strong past the retro rush of 2020, but it indeed does have the firm rarity component going for it then far .
Check for Powerbike on eBay
Pokemon SoulSilver & HeartGold Versions $80-$260 ($280-$1000 Sealed)
Wal-Mart Special Editions (Complete) $400-$825
Mainline Pokemon games are much making their cross off on our Rare and Valuable guides ( peculiarly the Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Color guides ) and the SoulSilver and HeartGold hold up quite well against those peers despite being being more holocene releases in an plentiful quantities .
The SoulSilver and HeartGold installments are quite popular introduction points in the series as it has a classical find to it while having some of the modern benefits of the newer title. Being on the DS besides brings the series to a bunch of players out there that are digging into the serial ( more DS units out there than the GBA or 3DS )
The plot besides had a Wal-Mart special edition ( from pre-orders ) that has a cardboard extinct box with a figure and a pokewalker jacket. Having all that with the master packaging drastically increases the value of the game .
Check for Pokemon SoulSilver on eBay
Check for Pokemon SoulSilver & HeartGold on Amazon
Little Red Riding Hood’s Zombie BBQ: $67-$220 ($330 Sealed)
It sounds like a budget championship, but it is actually a rather cool shooter that easily grabs the care of old-school collectors .
fiddling Red Riding Hood ’ s Zombie BBQ has a little slower yard than a typical shmup. however, the games uses both screens to make a nice tall “ screen ” for a vertical shooter. You use the D-pad to move the characters placement along the buttocks of the screen and then use the touch screen to adjust the angle of your shots as you tap to shoot. It about feels like a mix between a Plants vanadium Zombies game and a more traditional vertical gunman .
The game rested in obscurity for a while. It didn ’ metric ton get much collecting attention until 2016. even then, it was hovering in the $ 15 loose/ $ 40 complete range for a while. A year later it started commanding $ 45 for a cart and $ 100 or more for a complete copy. It ’ mho been on a sweetheart increase since then.
Check for Little Red Riding Hood ’ s Zombie BBQ on eBay
Check for Little Red Riding Hood ’ s Zombie BBQ on Amazon
Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation: $82-$195 ($200-$230 Sealed)
The Dragon Quest series has constantly had a relatively strong following in North America, but this is the inaugural we can recall an entry in the series show up on one of our Rare and Valuable guides in a while .
This detail release is an enhanced remake of a Super Famicom title that never officially made it to North America before. The original SFC let go of is regarded as possibly one of the top 5 in the series and this remake received quite hearty reviews overall .
While the series is huge in Japan, it didn ’ t quite warrant a huge print run stateside. It seems like there is just starting to be slenderly more demand than there is to supply .
Like many DS games, prices started int increase gradually in 2016 — Dragon Quest VI, in particular was going for a $ 20 to $ 40 image, but started trending up concisely after that .
Check for Dragon Quest VI : Realms of Revelation on eBay
Check for Dragon Quest VI : Realms of Revelation on Amazon
Pokemon Black & White Version 2: $ 78-$170 ($200 Sealed)
Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 are the fifth generation of the series and are the sequels to Pokémon Black and White. The games are set approximately two years after the events of Black and White and are set in the Unova region. They feature 300 new Pokémon and creatures that were not featured in Black and White .
apparently this “ sequel ” apparatus wasn ’ t a major stumble with most Pokemon fans as it entirely sold about one-half as many units as the original Black and White series. however, in the aftermarket, you ’ ll need to spend more to pick them up .
Check for Pokemon Black/White Version 2 on eBay
Check for Pokemon Black/White Version 2 on amazon
Magician’s Quest: Mysterious Times: $81-$158
This little gem published by Konami has a very strong Animal Crossing vibraphone. In fact, there ’ s therefore many times that it looks and feels like a blatant clone of Animal Cross Wild World .
however, sorcerer ’ mho quest did have a spot of a Harry Potter-esqe charming studies chemical element, some modest innovations, and some impressive depth to the plot and can keep gamers concerned .
The game has never been specially cheap, about keeping a bit of a hidden jewel condition for most of its life. It hung round in the $ 15 to $ 30 scope up until 2016 before starting its firm climb in value .
Check for Magician ’ s Quest : cryptic Times on eBay
Check for Magician ’ s Quest : cryptic Times on Amazon
Commando: Steel Disaster: $27-$253
This hide jewel draws a big cope of inspiration from SNK ’ s iconic Metal Slug series and brings some interest 2D ladder and gun good to the Nintendo portable. Granted, it might be preferably frustrating for the average crippled ( more than flush Metal Slug titles ) and might not have the polish of the Metal Slug series, but it ’ s an interesting game for hard-core 2D fans to add to their library .
up through the end of 2015, Commando : Steel Disaster was pretty much a bargain bin curio. You could well find idle cartridges under $ 10 and complete copies for $ 20 or therefore. Carts seaport ’ t increased dramatically ( duplicate, but from a low measure ) but collectors have started to realize how fabulously rare a mint, complete copy of this game truly is .
There are eBay sellers asking $ 500 for complete copies ( or $ 1500 sealed ), but the $ 200 to $ 250 price range is where we typically see complete copies move .
Check for Commando : Steel Disaster on eBay
Check for Commando : Steel Disaster on Amazon
Limited Edition Non-Game Cartridges
These items may actually see values above mint copies of the games above, but they actually aren ’ thyroxine actually games – they precisely happen to be “ bonus ” materials that are stored on Nintendo DS cartridges. inactive very collectible though, so we don ’ thymine want to overlook them !
Twilight Princess Preview Trailer Cartridge: $400 – $2500
This cartridge was given out in modest quantities at E3 2004. It did not include any gameplay, but stitched-together footage from the game .
We very don ’ t see these surface besides frequently. In fact, there is probably less than one completed sale on eBay for these units in the average year .
presently, there is one listed on eBay for an ask monetary value of $ 3,000. The highest document sale on eBay is for under $ 700 back in 2017. We can imagine, specially in this era of rising values, a unsheathed cartridge could easily sell for over $ 1,000, but $ 3K might be a stretch in the short-run without having the full promotion. But the box is very hard to find — even on eBay auctions, so a “ complete ” copy could go for a few thousand .
Check for Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess Preview Trailer Cartridge on eBay
Pokemon Distribution Cartridges: $45 – $1500
These special distribution carts we sent out to retail stores to promote special events and enable visitors to obtain a special Pokemon that wasn ’ thyroxine otherwise available outside of that event. They stopped producing these units after Generation V .
Most of these cartridges were destroyed or tossed out, but the exist carts are cursorily becoming a hot commodity for those Pokemon fans that are trying to round out their collection.
The values of these cartridges vary greatly based on the the character of Pokemon or function of the finical cartridge. here ’ s a quick run-down of the larger late confirmed sales :
- Jirachi & Pikachi-Colored Pichu: $1500
- Secret Key: $250 – $800
- Zoroark: $500
- Manaphy: $480
See current Pokemon Distribution Cartridges on eBay
Additional Games of Value
- Pokemon Platinum: $74-$160 ($350-$500 Sealed) (eBay)
- Super Robot Taisen OG Saga Endless Frontier: $28 -$185 (eBay)
- Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City: $52-$160 ($200 Sealed) (eBay)
- Dragon Quest IV Chapters of the Chosen : $57-$151 (eBay)
- Flower Sun and Rain: $50-$150 (eBay)
- Dragon Quest V Hand of the Heavenly Bride: $58 – $135 (eBay)
- The Dark Spire: $50-$140 ($170-200 Sealed) (eBay)
- Dokapon Journey: $40 -$145 ($260-300 Sealed) (eBay)
- Izuna Legend of the Unemployed Ninja: $37-$145 (eBay)
- Mega Man Star Force 3 Red Joker : $50-$130 (eBay)
- Sarah: Keeper Of The Unicorn: $25-$150 (eBay)
- Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow: $40-$130 ($130-300 Sealed) (eBay)
- Black Sigil Blade of the Exiled: $55 -$115 ($150-190 Sealed) (eBay)
- Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky: $57 -$110 ($175-250 Sealed) (eBay)
- Mega Man Star Force 3 Black Ace: $40-$115 ($200 Sealed) (eBay)
- Jewel Time Deluxe : $50-$100 (eBay)
- Legacy of Ys: Books I & II : $40-$110 (eBay)
- Winx Club: Saving Alfea: $39-$110 ($220 Sealed) (eBay)
- Castlevania Order of Ecclesia: $ 100-$120 ($270 Sealed) (eBay)
- Avalon Code: $36 -$105 (eBay)
- Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon: $40-$90 (eBay)