Nintendo DS RPGs that still hold up

Pokémon SoulSilver Version 2009 i Why it still holds upBadges, hidden machines and new creatures to catch still give it a steady pull today, with enough freedom to explore.

Pokémon HeartGold Version 2009 i Why it still holds upTwo regions of badges, laid out with both freedom and direction, make it worth playing now.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story 2009 i Why it still holds upTwo linked layers of play, Bowser outside and the brothers inside, each affecting the other, are the reason to play it now.

Pokémon Black Version 2 2012 i Why it still holds upIf you come to it now, expect a tournament full of trainers from earlier games and a Key System for a harder replay, which give you plenty to do after the main story.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey 2009 i Why it still holds upNegotiating with demons and fusing them into new ones make every battle also a way to build your party, which still keeps its draw.

Pokémon Pearl Version 2006 i Why it still holds upEven now, battles that depend on each move's type and category reward planning a team on the climb to the Champion.

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies 2009 i Why it still holds upYou still set your own pace, with side quests that can run in parallel and a hero you customize.

Pokémon White Version 2010 i Why it still holds upEven now, a party of six chosen from hundreds you have caught gives every team a different shape.

Pokémon White Version 2 2012 i Why it still holds upA steady loop of exploring and battling, with new places that hold new Pokémon, still gives it its pull.

Pokémon Black Version 2010 i Why it still holds upCollecting a team and growing it battle by battle is a simple loop that works now as well as it did.

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride 2008 i Why it still holds upRecruiting monsters that ask to join still gives the long stretches of battles a goal.

Radiant Historia 2010 i Why it still holds upPushing enemies together on the grid and rewinding to decisions in the timeline still give every chapter two kinds of planning.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift 2007 i Why it still holds upYou can still set your own difficulty, with handicaps you choose for bigger rewards.

Pokémon Diamond Version 2006 i Why it still holds upChoosing a first partner and growing a team is a long journey that is still open today.

The World Ends with You 2007 i Why it still holds upShort chapters and a combat system that uses both screens still fit a handheld.