Theoretically, the prices of old games are supposed to drop, but the Nintendo DS games seem to get more expensive.
Being a gamer, you might already know that the prices of the games released for the modern gaming consoles get lower over time. This is logical, as the stuff gets old while their value deteriorates, resulting in a price decrease.
But when it comes to the Nintendo DS games, most of them have almost the same prices as they had since their launch day – which was YEARS AGO. What is even more surprising, some of them have even gone up in recent years.
To find out more about why Nintendo DS games are still pricey, let’s have a closer look!
Why Are Nintendo DS Games So Expensive?
We came across some intriguing reasons that make total sense to the expensive game titles for Nintendo DS. A few of them are:
Evergreen Top Quality Game Titles
Ever since Nintendo’s first game, they have been successfully maintaining the quality of their games. For more than a decade, they have given us dozens of great games. That includes Mario Kart, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, and others.
In fact, if it’s a game by Nintendo, it has to soon turn out to be a classic. They have pretty much managed to stay upright and consistent with the quality of games for Nintendo DS. That’s why their games have become the most sold console of all time. With all that value they offer, they are well poised without any price drops in the gaming market.
All Iconic Nintendo DS Games Are Unique
The open secret of the Nintendo DS game’s sustained growth and high prices in the gaming industry is its development investment. They have spent a heavy amount of R&D on the game development for the Nintendo DS consoles. And as a result, they have delivered the best, such as Mario games that are great for arcade-style players. While the Zelda series is role-playing or adventure game.
The very essence of continuous R&D and innovative game development lets them cater to different audiences of their games. It helps Nintendo to connect to the strong fanbase for certain games and keep the retro gamers entertained for a long time.
Exclusive Gaming Experience
Nintendo DS games have a proven record of providing an exclusive gaming experience by creating iconic characters like Mario. Even if you are not a fan, you may have heard about this character and want to know about them.
Nintendo sold 30.8 million units of New Super Mario Bros on its DS console in the month of March 2021, making it on the top of the list of Nintendo DS games sold of all time. Similarly, other Nintendo DS games like Pokemon Diamond and Pearl (23.96 million), Animal Crossing Wild World (11.75 million), and Nintendogs Dalmatian & Friends (23.96 million) made the highest-selling records in 2021. This shows that the games of these characters are still desired by every gamer, even if it’s a decade-old characters developed by Nintendo.
Unique Style Gaming Hardware
Nintendo DS was released as a third pillar experiment among the other Nintendo consoles. And thanks to its appealing unique features – 64-bit graphics, dual-screen, touchscreen functionality, and backward compatibility with GBA games – it became super popular.
By 2011, Nintendo DS was the best-performing gaming system, with nearly 950 million games sold. Nintendo DS hardware has impacted the interest, desire, and demand for its games that never let the prices go down. In short, the demand for these consoles never goes down, and the prices of their games do not go down either.
Lockdown Entertainment
If you think that all retro games got a BIG PUSH due to the global pandemic situation, then you are not wrong at all. Because with the advent of the global lockdowns, the demand for at-home entertainment skyrocketed. And this includes the gaming consoles too.
In the case of Nintendo DS games, it is no different. The iconic games such as Pokemon and Brain Age flew off the shelves of physical and digital retailers worldwide. With impressive sales figures of millions, Nintendo and other retailers had to increase the prices of the Nintendo DS games. Because staying at the same or lowering the rates, had only worsened the imbalance of supply and demand.
Nintendo, The Brand Itself
Nintendo has been dominating the gaming industry for decades. It has produced promising games that not only Millenials, but younger generations are also interested in them. Some are after the first-hand experience of the game. While others may want to enjoy the original storyline.
On the other hand, young game developers may come to these games for inspiration and reproduce the ideas in their own way. All in all, Nintendo knows how to use the nostalgia element for their games, leading it to sustain or even increase their old game’s market value.
Vintage Collection And Collectors
There are multiple reasons people invest in retro games, particularly in Nintendo DS games. One of them is that they know that the game is original in terms of story, authenticity, and the product itself. Another reason is that the older the games get, the more valuable it becomes.
For instance, Nintendo DS games like Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Bros sold for $1.56 million and $2 million to an anonymous bidder in an auction. Similarly, a graduate student invested $100 in the game and sold it for $950 after a year.
Some gamers may pay in hundreds, while others may pay in millions. It depends on how old and in good condition the game is at the time of its selling. But one thing is sure, Nintendo DS games are valuable and highly profitable, even now and in the coming years.
FAQs Nintendo DS Games Being Expensive
Still, got some questions? Let us answer some of them here:
Most Nintendo games are expensive because the developers invest a lot of time in the quality and innovation of the games. Some of their games are more expensive than others because of their iconic game characters, which are in demand by Nintendo fans across the world. Such as, the Super Mario Bros Nintendo DS game has high demand in the market due to Mario’s character, which was sold in millions at an auction.
No, as they are different platforms of Nintendo video game consoles. Each console has specific requirements to run games. And, to play the Nintendo DS games, you need a dock for connecting to the system. While for Nintendo Switch Lite, you do not require such connection to any system. So, it’s not possible to play Nintendo DS games on Nintendo Switch Lite.
There are multiple games that have become rare for the Nintendo DS console. Some of them are Solatorobo: Red the Hunter, Dokapon Journey, and Power bike. If you are interested in buying any rare games, you can put in a request for such games on online retro game selling sites.
Also, read about the best multiplayer Nintendo DS games of all time.
When we talk about valuable and rare games, Nintendo has numerous consoles like other systems have. But Nintendo DS consoles are rare, valuable, and most expensive games. It’s worth increases over the years. Plus, the hike in the prices of old games has also increased the prices of the Nintendo DS games.
You can find Nintendo DS consoles for between $32 and $103. Prices may vary depending on the condition and the games you buy with it. You can add popular games, such as New Super Mario Bros, Pokemon Diamond, Super Mario 64 DS, Mario Kart DS, Animal Crossing Wild World, or Nintendogs Dalmatian & Friends. You can easily buy these games from our store site.
Summary
Nintendo has been in the market for decades, producing timeless, classic, and well-researched games for their gaming console. They do not just rely on the notalgia elements but also focus on the quality of the games. Recently, the Nintendo DS games have been sold in millions. This proves that these games are still valuable, popular, and profitable. And they continue to be the leaders in what they make.
