Platform guide
All Pokémon DS games
Nine mainline games came out on the Nintendo DS between 2007 and 2012 — two full generations plus the best-regarded remakes in the series. This is the complete list, and, because we open and test every cartridge we sell, what is actually worth checking before you buy any of them second-hand.
The short answer
The nine mainline Pokémon games on Nintendo DS are: Diamond, Pearl and Platinum (Generation 4, Sinnoh), HeartGold and SoulSilver (the Gold/Silver remakes), and Black, White, Black 2 and White 2 (Generation 5, Unova). All of them also play on the DS Lite, DSi, 3DS and 2DS, and none of them are region-locked.
Every mainline Pokémon DS game
| Game | Year (EU) | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Diamond | 2007 | Gen 4 — Sinnoh |
| Pearl | 2007 | Gen 4 — Sinnoh |
| Platinum | 2009 | Gen 4 — definitive version |
| HeartGold | 2010 | Gen 2 remake — Johto |
| SoulSilver | 2010 | Gen 2 remake — Johto |
| Black | 2011 | Gen 5 — Unova |
| White | 2011 | Gen 5 — Unova |
| Black 2 | 2012 | Gen 5 — direct sequel |
| White 2 | 2012 | Gen 5 — direct sequel |
Game by game — the buying notes
Pokémon Diamond (2007)
The pair that brought Pokémon online: Wi-Fi trading arrived here. Widely printed, so used copies are the most affordable way into Sinnoh.
Pokémon Pearl (2007)
Identical story to Diamond with different version-exclusive Pokémon — Palkia on the cover instead of Dialga.
Pokémon Platinum (2009)
The complete Sinnoh game and the usual answer to "which one should I get". Heavily counterfeited — worth buying tested.
Pokémon HeartGold (2010)
The Ho-Oh half of the much-loved Gold/Silver remakes. The genuine cartridge has an infrared sensor for the Pokéwalker — the single best authenticity test.
Pokémon SoulSilver (2010)
The Lugia half. Same story as HeartGold with different version-exclusives; both are among the priciest DS games there are.
Pokémon Black (2011)
A full reset: only new Pokémon until the end-game. Black and White are the cheaper way into Gen 5.
Pokémon White (2011)
The counterpart, with White Forest instead of Black City and a different cover legendary.
Pokémon Black 2 (2012)
The only direct sequels in the mainline series. Released late in the DS lifecycle, printed in smaller numbers, and priced accordingly.
Pokémon White 2 (2012)
Scarcer than the originals for the same reason. If you only buy one Gen 5 game, the sequels are the fuller game.
Buying HeartGold specifically? We wrote a separate guide to buying an original HeartGold cartridge — it is the most counterfeited game on this list.
The spin-offs worth knowing
Beyond the mainline nine, the DS carried a deep bench of spin-offs: the Mystery Dungeon series (Blue Rescue Team and the Explorers games), the Pokémon Ranger trilogy, the strategy crossover Pokémon Conquest, and early oddities like Pokémon Dash. Explorers of Sky and Conquest arrived late in the DS lifecycle and have become genuinely scarce — if you see a boxed one at a fair price, that is not a listing that waits around.
The DS also plays the whole Game Boy Advance generation if you use an original DS or DS Lite — both have the second cartridge slot. The full GBA Pokémon list is here.
What to check before buying a used Pokémon DS game
Authenticity first. Pokémon DS counterfeits concentrate on the expensive titles — HeartGold, SoulSilver and Platinum. Check the serial code on the label (European HeartGold reads NTR-IPKE-EUR), the label print, and on the remakes the infrared sensor: genuine HG/SS cartridges have a dark translucent window in the top edge for the Pokéwalker, and counterfeits leave the sensor out — the pairing screen simply does nothing. The full six-point check is here.
The save is the good news. Unlike the Game Boy generations, DS cartridges store saves on flash memory — there is no battery to go flat. A working DS cartridge from 2007 will still hold your save today. We test saving and loading on real hardware anyway, because a corrupted flash chip does exist — it is just rare.
Or buy one that has already been checked
Every Pokémon cartridge we sell has been opened, checked against its board code and play-tested on real hardware, with the save verified. We have been doing this since 2019, with 1400+ verified reviews at 5.0★, and we ship tracked to all 27 EU countries.
Browse tested Pokémon gamesQuestions we get asked
How many Pokémon games are there on the Nintendo DS?
Nine mainline games: Diamond, Pearl and Platinum (Gen 4), the HeartGold and SoulSilver remakes, and Black, White, Black 2 and White 2 (Gen 5). On top of that the DS has a long list of spin-offs, including the Mystery Dungeon and Ranger series, Pokémon Conquest and Pokémon Dash.
Do Pokémon DS games work on the 3DS and 2DS?
Yes. DS cartridges play on every DS and 3DS model: the original DS, DS Lite, DSi, 3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS and New 3DS. DS games are not region-locked either, so a European cartridge works on any of them. The other way round does not work — a 3DS game will not fit a DS.
Which Pokémon DS game should I buy first?
Platinum, in most cases: it is the complete version of the Sinnoh generation with the fullest story in one cartridge. If you want the series at its most nostalgic, HeartGold or SoulSilver — the Gold/Silver remakes are widely considered the high point of the classic era.
Why are HeartGold and SoulSilver so expensive?
Demand and scarcity: they are remakes of the best-loved generation, they came with the Pokéwalker accessory, and they were printed in smaller numbers than Diamond and Pearl. That price also makes them the most counterfeited DS games — a genuine cartridge has an infrared sensor in the top edge, which counterfeits leave out.
Do Pokémon DS games still hold a save?
Yes — DS cartridges store the save on flash memory, not on a battery like the Game Boy games. No battery to go flat means a DS save is reliable even twenty years on. We still test saving and loading on real hardware before a cartridge is listed.
How do I spot a fake Pokémon DS cartridge?
Check the serial on the label (HeartGold is NTR-IPKE-EUR for Europe), the print quality, and on HeartGold and SoulSilver the infrared sensor: start a Pokéwalker pairing — on a counterfeit the pairing screen does nothing. The counterfeits concentrate on HeartGold, SoulSilver and Platinum, exactly because those are the expensive ones.
Do you ship Pokémon DS games across the EU?
Yes — we ship tracked to all 27 EU countries from the Netherlands, with no customs charges inside the EU. The exact rate for your country is shown at checkout before you pay, and you have 30 days to return an order.
Looking for the whole series in order? All Pokémon games in order, by console — or jump to the GBA list and the 3DS list.
Dutch reader? Pokémon DS-games — dezelfde lijst in het Nederlands.
