The successor to the Nintendo Game Boy was an interesting shift in the portable gaming market. The Game Boy was a staple part of video game culture, allowing people to play Nintendo games on the go, and it remained that way for decades. When Nintendo moved away from the Game Boy name and released the Nintendo DS, it was a big hit among people who loved playing games on the go. The dual screen of the handheld enabled new games to push the boundaries of what was possible for portable gaming, trying out new ideas that offered unique experiences. For many, the Nintendo DS is one of the best pieces of Nintendo hardware to ever release, and it has the game library to back it up.

There were many games released for the Nintendo DS, including titles that eventually became rare gems for collectors. While most of the major titles released by Nintendo were common to find, a handful of them became more elusive over the years. Today, these games are major collector's items that any retro gaming fan would want to have in their own private collection. But they better be prepared to pay a lot for them, because these games don't come cheap. Here are five of the rarest Nintendo DS games that you may never get to own.

6 Shepard's Crossing 2

5 The simple life on DS

Before there were many kinds of farm simulators available online, there were experiences like Shepard's Crossing 2 for the DS. The game was released in 2010 by Success Crop and published by Graffiti Entertainment. Players are put into a small town where they can build up a farm and harvest crops, as well as create a life for themselves within the town. Everything from maintaining your farm to building personal relationships with others in the town is part of the experience, which is similar to others in the genre, like the Harvest Moon series. The game features beautiful animation and interactivity through the Nintendo DS bottom screen. There's a ton of in-game activities that tie directly to building out the farm and engaging with all sorts of things throughout the game.

Because of the limited number of units that were published, Shepard's Crossing 2 has become rare over time. A loose copy of the game can be valued at around $200 alone. A complete copy of the game is a bit more expensive, often being valued at over $250 or more. In some auctions online, copies of Shepard's Crossing 2 have been known to sell for over $400.

4 Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver (PokeWalker Bundle)

Remaking the classic sequel

There are many different kinds of Pokémon games across various platforms, but not all of them have the same popularity as Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver on the Game Boy Color. Which is why when Nintendo and Game Freak remade both games in the form of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, fans lost their minds. Both games were released in 2009 for the DS, and originally came with an accessory that could be used with the game itself. The PokéWalker is an accessory that allows players to transfer their Pokémon into the device from the game, and increase its power by walking around daily. The device has been compared to the Tamogotchi, another portable device from the 90s where the user took care of a creature over time.

The game itself is set in the Johto region, which has new species of Pokémon to find and capture. Most of the game was the same as the original 1999 release, but with better visuals and quality-of-life features. While the standard edition of the game is valuable to some collectors, the bundle with the PokéWalker is worth a lot more. A copy of the game without all of its contents is worth around $200 for each version. But a complete-in-box copy of either Pokémon HeartGold or SoulSilver with the device is valued at over $300, with some auctions selling the bundle for a lot more.

3 Mario Kart DS (Not For Resale edition)

Getting into the race early

Nintendo fans love to play Mario Kart on any Nintendo platform. It's one of the most successful series around, with tons of copies being sold on the Nintendo Switch entry of the series alone, but it has been wildly successful since the beginning on the Super Nintendo. When Mario Kart finally made its way onto the Nintendo DS in 2005, it was par for the course. Mario Kart DS is the fifth entry in the series, and the first portable Mario Kart game as well. Like its predecessors, Mario Kart DS has Super Mario characters racing against each other on a number of themed courses, with a few extra modes to mix up the action. The game had Wi-Fi online multiplayer functionality, as well as DS Download Play to have up to eight players racing against each other.

Mario Kart DS was so popular at the time that it became the third-highest-selling game in the series, behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Kart Wii. The version of the game that is tough to find is the "not for resale" edition that was given to stores prior to the game's official release, which has a label to distinguish it from the standard version. These carts were not sold at retail, and were originally supposed to be sent back to Nintendo, but some managed to get into the hands of collectors instead. A cartridge of this version of Mario Kart DS is worth around $230, but you'll have to find someone willing to sell it.

2 Pokémon Pearl (Carry Case Bundle)

A shiny expensive bundle

Many of the popular Pokémon games for Nintendo portable systems are often highly coveted by retro game collectors. As is the case with Pokémon Pearl and Diamond version, which is the fourth generation of the series. The game was released in 2006 and featured Pokémon species from the Sinnoh region that also appeared in later spin-offs. Both Diamond and Pearl added new features to the core Pokémon gameplay formula, including new battle tactics and mini-games, such as the Pokémon Contests. These entries also had Wi-Fi functionality, allowing players to battle and trade Pokémon over the internet. Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were also given remakes on the Nintendo Switch in 2021, being titled Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

The games themselves are hot items among collectors, but one version of Pokémon Pearl is a bit more valuable than the others. A bundle that includes a carry case goes for significantly more than the standard version of the game. Loose and incomplete, this version of Pokémon Pearl can be valued at around $1,700 in some places, but can skyrocket in price to over $2,500 if completed-in-box. Many Pokémon fans are rabid enough to pay significantly high prices for variations of the games.

1 Pokémon Platinum (Figure Bundle)

A platinum tier collector's item

One of the most expensive games in the Nintendo DS library is another highly sought-after Pokémon game. Pokémon Platinum was released for the Nintendo DS in 2008, and is the third game for the fourth generation of the series. This was a tie-in to Pokémon Diamond and Pearl versions, much in the same way that Pokémon Yellow was to the original Pokémon Red and Blue versions. The game featured more Pokémon species to find that were exclusive to it, as well as a new form to the game's legendary Pokémon, Giratina. The gameplay was identical to that of the Diamond and Pearl versions, but some bugs and glitches from those games completely fixed.

One bundle of Pokémon Platinum is incredibly valuable and hard to find. This version of the game comes with a carry case and a Giratina figure that depicts the Pokémon in the Origin Forme from the game. A loose copy of this bundle out of the box is worth more than $3,000 if you manage to find it. But a complete version with all of its contents is significantly more expensive, being valued at around $4,300 when complete. This bundle has been known to sell for ridiculously high prices in online auctions, with a few of them reaching prices as high as $8,000 at the time of the sale. The high price point is due to the Giratina figure being exclusive to the bundle and having a limited number of units produced.

DS gems that you really want

The Nintendo DS was a great handheld console because of the fantastic games it had available. Many people have fond memories of the DS and all the fantastic first-party titles that were developed for it, which often took advantage of the system's dual screens. However, not everyone will get to own some of these rare and valuable DS games that have become harder to find over time. Unless you're able to drop some serious cash to get them, chances are you'll never get to have any of these rare Nintendo DS gems in your collection.