Our original worst-DS list put Deal or No Deal at number one, followed by Wiffle Ball, Homie Rollerz, Rhythm ’n Notes and the DS version of King Kong. We have kept the original verdicts below, with added buying context for anyone browsing old cartridges today.
Reader guide updated November 7, 2026. This is an archived opinion list, not a new hands-on test or a claim that every licensed DS game is bad. The version of a game matters: the same title on another system may be a very different experience.
The five picks at a glance
| Original position | Nintendo DS game | What the original article criticized |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deal or No Deal | A thin adaptation of the television format. |
| 2 | Wiffle Ball | Pace, balance and the feeling of being outmatched. |
| 3 | Homie Rollerz | Repetition and a lack of satisfying kart-racing fun. |
| 4 | Rhythm ’n Notes | The gap between the musical-learning promise and the experience. |
| 5 | Peter Jackson’s King Kong | Glitches and frustrating deaths in the DS version. |
From the Infendo archive
The original article follows. Its opinions and release-era references are preserved; the new reader guidance is dated November 7, 2026.
Sometimes developers make games just to make games, without actually caring about how it plays, or even testing it to make sure all the bugs are gone. Some developers produce games based on movies which are going to be terrible 99.9 percent of the time, because they are pretty much rushed and just utter garbage. Then there is “Shovelware”, where they just make something so bad and put it out there to make a quick buck. If you want to see the worst games ever made for the DS hit the jump, and pray you never have to play these or review them…
5. Peter Jackson’s King Kong –
This should be as no surprise to many of us. Games based on movies generally aren’t that great, and we know the reasons. They are generally rushed out in order be simultaneously released with the film, and generally follow the movies 2-3 hour plot. However, that sometimes is not long enough for a game, So they toss end up tossing in an extra boss here or an area there to fill it up. However, with this game it wasn’t really the crummy extras that were included or not included, it was the poor quality assurance. This game was plagued with many cheap deaths due to numerous glitches. Who likes falling through solid ground to your untimely demise. I’m sure Peter Jackson wouldn’t want that to happen to him if he was a gamer. I bet he would be ashamed to have his name attached to this if he was a gamer.
4. Rhythm’n Notes:
Improve Your Music Skills –
The description on the back of a game usually tells most people what they should be expecting, unless it was a total lie. Take a look at this games description for example.
Rhythm n’ Notes is the perfect game for musicians who want to stay in practice, or for those who want to learn music in a light and fun way. Lessons in the game teach time signatures and chords on drums and piano, while encouraging players to recognize musical timing, rhythmic patterns, and notes. With game play that starts off easy, but grows gradually more complicated as you progress, Rhythm n’ Notes will captivate your musical senses.
That sounds like a good game to teach yourself music and stuff as well as keep up with your current musical skills if you have any. Let’s go buy this game and pop it into the DS and… ACK!? WHAT IS THIS!? one of the most terrible Shovelware games I have ever seen. It’s so bad that no one on GameFAQs has even reviewed it. It’s one of those games that should best be forgotten.
3. Homie Rollerz –
“Hey foo’ it’s time to get out da way for some homie rollin!” A racing game/kart simulation that you could amazingly buy at any retail store, and no one would tell you not to buy it. I want you guys to picture this, take Mario Kart and then take out everything remotely fun about that game. Now add some car degradation so you have to keep your cart prestine, and upgraded as you go through the levels. Now finally lets race the same 10 Tracks over and over, and that’s the game. It’s games like these that make me wonder how someone can get a development kit for a system and have it get approved for sale.
2. Wiffle Ball –
I bet a lot of people remember playing Wiffle Ball as a child. Those giant yellow plastic bats, and those hard white balls with holes in them. Good times, good times… DSI games probably felt the same way about Wiffle Ball and wanted to recreate it with as a video game. Which is really commendable, if only they had done it right. This game is plagued with problems, the first being that all the characters you can choose to play, play exactly the same. Even though they say they have different stats, they are exactly the same. However, that wasn’t really the problem with the game. For a Baseball simulation the game is really slow, and rigged. Whenever you hit the ball, the outfielder or any person on the field moves faster than the ball actually moving in the sky. So if you like broken games where you hardly have a chance of winning, this is for you.
1. Deal or No Deal –
As a show, Deal or No Deal is only as popular as the show host. I mean most people watch it to see how the host talks to the contestants, while building a friendly relationship with them and toying with them mentally. I mean that’s what I noticed when I watched the show. The whole role of the game is a matter of chance and the goal is to foil “The Banker” who is a mysterious silhouette of a character who phone calls the shows host. As a DS game you lose the main element of what makes the show so popular, being able to have those discussions with Howie Mandell. Not to mention that the game is a direct port of the European game with only slight alterations. The only real changes was the conversion of pounds to dollars and that there is no host in the game. The game itself is just a bunch of touch screen selecting and nothing else. It’s amazing that this game is the worst DS game ever made, because if it was done right it could of been somewhat fun.
So that is the five worst DS games ever made, any objections Infendo? What do you guys consider to be the worst?
[via Metacritic]
How to use an old worst-games list when buying DS games
An old ranking is most useful as a prompt to investigate, not an automatic buying ban. Some collectors want unusual licenses or awkward experiments precisely because they are odd. If you want something fun to play, ask a different question: does the game do its main activity well enough that you will want to repeat it?
Check footage of the exact DS release. A review of a console version, sequel or similarly named title is not a substitute. Look at ordinary play rather than just a trailer: menu delays, the response to inputs and the rhythm of a typical level are easier to judge when nothing spectacular is happening.
A used-cartridge checklist
- Confirm the platform, full title, region and language before buying.
- Ask whether the cartridge saves correctly and has been tested on compatible hardware.
- Separate a worn or faulty cartridge from a game-design problem. One does not prove the other.
- Set a price you are comfortable paying for curiosity. A low price does not automatically make a frustrating game good value.
- Read more than one opinion, especially when the appeal is collecting rather than playing.
Licensed games and shovelware are not the same thing
The original article is deliberately blunt about tie-ins. Its criticism should not be stretched into a rule about every movie or television game. A license tells you what world a game uses; it does not tell you whether its controls, levels and pacing work. Evaluate those parts directly. Likewise, an unfamiliar title is not automatically shovelware.
What would you add?
Tell us which DS game disappointed you and what made it frustrating. Was it repetition, poor feedback, a technical problem or simply the wrong kind of game for you? Specific examples make the debate useful for the next reader. For the other side of retro discovery, explore our archived solo-Wii recommendations or join the Infendo Radio conversation.
Ha, I noticed Homie Rollerz was made by Destineer, which has a branch in Raleigh, NC. I actually applied to work there a year ago, and didn't get in. Maybe that was for the best if they're putting out games like that. Ugh.
are u guys sure that these games exist? I know king kong does, but I can't believe that there's a game out there called homie rollers!!!
you guys are spot on accurate with this one…but, add WWE Raw vs. Smackdown for having turn based wrestling moves…i kid you not…you have to select a/b or c with your stylus at every instance of the wrestling match in order to play the game.
I'd never even heard of that Wiffleball or Homie Rollerz games….
two words: nacho libre.
I've seen the Wiffle Ball game packaged with an actual wiffle bat and ball when it first came out. It's paid for right there!
I didn't think King Kong would be the top 5 worst DS games ever, sure it was bad, but not that bad. I've played it before.
It's pretty sad that the descriptive text on the backs of those games have better grammar than the reviewer here.
Games based on movies generally aren't that great, and we know the reasons. They are generally rushed out in order be simultaneously released with the film, and generally follow the movies 2-3 hour plot.
Now finally lets race the same 10 Tracks. . .
he only real changes was. . .
Just sad.
Someone actually had the gumption to show Homie Rollerz game on the floor at PAX last year (in what was apparently a "pre-alpha" state, even though the game was only a couple of months off from release at that point. It was an unplayable trainwreck then, and it sounds like it didn't turn out all that much better by the time it made it out the door.
I was all set to post about how you missed Spyro: Shadow Legacy, which is the worst game I've played on the DS… then I realized I wouldn't have ever wanted to try any of the ones you listed in the first place. Bravo.
@Evil Jim
Thanks for pointing out my flaws, I'll be sure to make sure I don't repeat the same mistake. I generally don't use generally three times in a row. Generally that is, now lets get to the real grammatical problems I have.
now lets get to the real grammatical problems I have
Okay: "lets" should be "let's", as it is a contraction of "let us"… 😛
The real problem with this list is it doesn't include Chicken Shoot.
I've heard countless reports that the new Aquarium DS game can easily be the worst game of all time.
i had the possibility to play deal or not deal. this game is so bad…and i mean really bad. all the content in this game is completely pointless :/. burn this game!
king kong is ass, but should be replaced on this list with elf bowling.
Deal or No Deal is the only one I've played and I can attest to how incredibly bad it is. Other than all of the tension being gone from the game, faceless people are just lame.
Oh noes, i thought it was called Homie hollerz. I even made up a funny song I've been singing everytime i thought of it. I'm still calling it Homie Hollerz.
Deal Or No juego de Deal, la gente no tiene cara!
You missed the terrible ATV Thunder Ridge Riders/Monster Trucks Mayhem 2-in-1. Graphics are worse than the screenshots on the back, gameplay terrible, etc. Nothing at all like the real deal, PC games I'm talking. Avoid at all costs. If you get it for free, you paid the right price.
some of those games were a piece of fucken shit man. Ghetto people would probably want to play with them if they can afford it
hello
ive seen all these games in tores and thought about getting them except for homie rollerz never seen that