Platform guide
All Sonic DS games
Eight Sonic games came out on a Nintendo DS card in Europe: two of the best 2D Sonics ever made, an RPG written by BioWare, a Mega Drive compilation, a kart racer, two Olympic crossovers — and one game that shares its name with a Wii game while being something else entirely.
The short answer
Sonic Rush (2005) is the one to buy, with Sonic Rush Adventure (2007) right behind it. Sonic Classic Collection (2010) carries the four Mega Drive games. Sonic Colours and Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing on DS are different games from the Wii versions with the same names. All eight play on a DS, DS Lite, DSi, 3DS or 2DS.
Every Sonic DS game, in release order
| Game | Year (EU) | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Sonic Rush | 2005 | 2D platformer |
| Sonic Rush Adventure | 2007 | 2D platformer — sequel |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games | 2008 | Sports — crossover |
| Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood | 2008 | RPG — BioWare |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games | 2009 | Sports — crossover |
| Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing | 2010 | Racing |
| Sonic Classic Collection | 2010 | Compilation — four Mega Drive games |
| Sonic Colours | 2010 | 2D platformer |
Game by game — the buying notes
Sonic Rush (2005)
The best Sonic on the system and the reason the others exist. Two characters, two screens used as one tall level, and a boost mechanic that later became the whole modern Sonic formula. Made by Dimps, who also made the Game Boy Advance Sonics. Start here.
Sonic Rush Adventure (2007)
More of the same with a sailing layer bolted on: you build boats and cross the map between levels. The running is as good as Rush; the boat sections are why some people prefer the first one. Cheaper than Rush, and no worse a game.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (2008)
The first time the two appeared together, a year after the Wii original. The DS version is its own game with its own events, built for buttons and the touch screen rather than motion controls.
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (2008)
The odd one out: a turn-based role-playing game written by BioWare, of all studios, with stylus-timed attacks. It ends on a cliffhanger that was never resolved. Divisive, and the only Sonic RPG there is — which is exactly why collectors want it.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (2009)
Vancouver 2010, again with its own DS event list rather than the Wii one. Common and cheap — the filler card to add when you are already ordering something else.
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (2010)
A different game from the Wii and console versions, not a port: fewer characters, its own tracks, and a frame rate the DS can actually hold. Judged on its own it is one of the better kart racers on the system.
Sonic Classic Collection (2010)
Sonic 1, 2, 3 and Sonic & Knuckles on one card, with the lock-on combinations included — Knuckles in Sonic 2, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles as one long game. The emulation is not perfect and purists notice; as a way to carry the Mega Drive era in a pocket it is still the cheapest there is.
Sonic Colours (2010)
Sold as Sonic Colors in America. On the DS this is a 2D Dimps game with its own levels, not a cut-down version of the 3D Wii game that shares its name — different levels, different bosses, same wisps. If you liked Sonic Rush you will like this; if you wanted the Wii game, buy the Wii game.
Two names that mean two different games
Sonic Colours and Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing each came out on the DS and on the Wii in the same year with the same name, and they are not the same game. The Wii versions are 3D and made by Sonic Team and Sumo Digital; the DS versions are separate builds — Sonic Colours on DS is a 2D Dimps platformer with its own levels, and All-Stars Racing on DS has its own track list. Neither is a cut-down port, and neither is a substitute for the other. When you buy, read the platform on the listing rather than the title.
Or buy one that has already been checked
Every DS card we sell is play-tested on real hardware, with the save verified and cleared. 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 DS gamesQuestions we get asked
How many Sonic games are there on the Nintendo DS?
Eight on a card in Europe: Sonic Rush (2005), Sonic Rush Adventure (2007), Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (2008), Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (2009), and Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, Sonic Classic Collection and Sonic Colours (all 2010). The Mario & Sonic games count because they are the ones people are looking for when they search this.
Which Sonic DS game should I buy first?
Sonic Rush. It is the best-designed game of the eight, it is common, and it invented the boost mechanic the series still uses. Sonic Rush Adventure after it, then Sonic Classic Collection if you want the Mega Drive originals in your pocket.
Is the DS version of Sonic Colours the same game as the Wii one?
No, and this catches people out. They share a name and a release date but they are different games: the Wii version is 3D, made by Sonic Team; the DS version is 2D, made by Dimps, with its own levels and bosses. The same is true of Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing — the DS release is a separate build, not a port. Check the platform on the listing, not the title.
Do Sonic DS games work on a 3DS or 2DS?
Yes. Every 3DS, 2DS, New 3DS and New 2DS XL plays DS cards. A 3DS card will not fit a DS, and DS cards do not run on a Switch at all.
Will the save still work on a used Sonic DS card?
Yes. DS cards write to flash memory and carry no battery, so nothing inside ages out — unlike a Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridge, where the save sits in memory kept alive by a coin cell. We boot every card, save a file to confirm the memory works, and clear the previous owner’s saves.
Do you ship Sonic DS games across the EU?
Yes — tracked shipping from the Netherlands to all 27 EU countries, no customs charges inside the EU, and 30 days to return an order. Your country’s exact rate appears at checkout before you pay.
The whole series in order, or the crossovers with Mario. Same platform, different franchise: all Mario DS games and all Pokémon DS games.
Dutch reader? Sonic DS-games — dezelfde lijst in het Nederlands.
