Top 9 Import-Worthy European DS Games

One of the many great things about the DS is that it’s inherently region-free; that is, can play games from any country, no modding required. There are some Japanese DS games that have practically become required playing for true fans of the system – Ouendan, Taiko DS, and Jump Ultimate Stars just to name a few.

Yet for all the attention that’s been paid to Japanese DS games, no one’s pointed out all the great games the system has in Europe that we haven’t seen here in America. Sometimes Europe gets great Japanese games localized that don’t come to the States for one reason or another, others are made in Europe for that market. So, here are my picks for the 9 best games worth dropping a few Euros on.



1. Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland

More than likely you’ve heard of this one, which stars bizarre man-elf Tingle (from the Legend of Zelda series) in some kind of weird action-RPG. Maybe you’ve thought about tracking down a copy, but you haven’t because you’re not that big a Tingle fan, or it just looks too strange.

Well, I’ve never been a big Zelda fan (Link’s Awakening is the only one I’ve ever even finished) and I loved this game. And yes, while it is very strange, it’s also one of the most unique and fun action-RPGs you’re going to find on the DS, or any other system for that matter.

Don’t worry about the story, which is nonsense. The game is brilliant for the way it takes every RPG stat (strength, health, money, experience) and merging it into one number to keep track of: Rupees. Tingle is obsessed with the valuable gems, so much so that they’re used for literally everything in the game. Take damage in combat? Lose some Rupees. Need to buy something from the shop? Spend your Rupees. Need to befriend someone before they’ll give you the info you need to continue your quest? Grease their palms with some Rupees.

There’s tons of stuff to do in the game (fight monsters, solve quests, explore dungeons, cook new items, map uncharted territory) so you’ll never be bored. Combine that with the extremely innovative gameplay and some great 2D sprite-based artwork, and you have the must-play European DS game.


Hopefully you’ve seen something here that caught your attention. US gamers, when you think you’ve played all the great stuff Nintendo’s little two-screened handheld has to offer, don’t forget about all the great games you can find just across the Atlantic.