The Nintendo DS is a handheld game console that was originally released in 2004. Since its release, several upgrades and updated versions like the Nintendo DS Lite, Nintendo DSi, and Nintendo 3DS have been released. They have different functionalities and designs, but the same basic two-screen format as the original Nintendo DS.

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When a lot of people think about the Nintendo DS, they think about games like Animal CrossingNintendogs, and Brain Age - all games that are fairly family-friendly and primarily appeal to the younger demographics and more casual gamers. But, throughout the original Nintendo DS's lifespan, a few games got an M rating, meaning that they were meant to be purchased by people over the age of 17 and might feature more violent or scary situations. Pretty surprising, right?

To see all 11 games that received an M rating on the Nintendo DS, keep reading!

11 Resident Evil: Deadly Silence

Resident Evil games have been released on a variety of different consoles. Two different games in the survival horror franchise were released on the 3DS, but only one was released on the original Nintendo DS, making it one of the 11 games on the console to be hit with an M rating.

Resident Evil: Deadly Silence was released in 2006 and is an enhanced port of the first game in the survival horror series. The game was released to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the series and follows the same basic plot as the original game, with a Classic Mode that is the same as the original as well as a mode that has a higher number of enemies spawning.

10 Crime Scene

Crime Scene is a Nintendo DS game that was released in 2010 on the Nintendo DS. In the game, the player takes on the role of Matt Simmons, a new forensics detective who was just assigned his very first case. The player uses the DS' touch screen in order to investigate different areas of the crime scene to figure out what happened there.

This game is not to be confused with the game CSI: Dark Motives or CSI: Deadly Intent, two games that were released on the Nintendo DS and based on the CSI TV series, each of which got a rating of T.

9 Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

This game is one of the most well-known M-rated games on the Nintendo DS. The Grand Theft Auto series has released games on multiple consoles over the years, but the fact that one came out on the Nintendo DS might be surprising to some casual fans.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars was released in 2009 and is similar to the earlier top-down, open-world Grand Theft Auto games. It got an M rating due to the violence and graphic nature of the game, but its score of 93 on Metacritic still made it the best Nintendo DS game released.

8 C.O.R.E.

Released in 2009, C.O.R.E. is a science-fiction, first-person-shooter style game that puts the player into the shoes of a Marine who is sent out to investigate a research facility.

Related: 10 Rarest Nintendo DS Games (& How Much They’re Worth)

This game didn't get the best reviews when it was released and is one that not many people know about because of that. Still, this game is one of under a dozen that got an M rating on the Nintendo DS, making it a unique one and one that many collectors want to get their hands on.

7 Ultimate Mortal Kombat

Ultimate Mortal Kombat is a handheld port of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 and was released in 2007. This is a port of an arcade game that was released in the 1990s and is a fun way for players to experience a retro Mortal Kombat game on a handheld console.

The fact that this game got an M rating should be no surprise. The Mortal Kombat series has always been known for pushing the boundaries of violence and gore in video games and the fact that it was released on this console may be a surprise, but the rating it got shouldn't be.

6 Dementium: The Ward

Dementium: The Ward was released in 2007 on the Nintendo DS and is a survival horror game that was originally planned as a Silent Hill game, but was eventually rejected by Konami before being published as its very own game.

The game follows a man named William who wakes up in a hospital with no idea of where he is or how he got there. The player guides William through the hospital, solving a variety of puzzles and defeating monsters, in order to try to escape.

5 Dementium II

Dementium II is the sequel to the game Dementium: The Ward and was released in 2010. This game, like its predecessor, is a survival horror game that is set in a truly terrifying hospital.

Related: 10 Rarest Nintendo DS Games (& How Much They’re Worth)

The game, like the first Dementium: The Ward, was rated M because of the violence, the terrifying monsters, and the generally scary situations. Although the Nintendo DS doesn't exactly seem like the most likely console for a survival horror game in the style of Silent Hill, this game proves that handheld games can be scary.

4 Theresia

Theresia is a horror visual novel that was released in 2008. This adventure game is definitely a terrifying one and is similar to other adventure visual novels and puzzle games.

The game follows Leanne, a teenage girl who woke up with amnesia and no memory of who she is or where she is. The player is tasked with guiding her through the large labyrinth, avoiding traps and trying to figure out who she is and how she got there. This game's disturbing storyline and scary content definitely explains how it got its M rating.

3 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors

999: Nine Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors was released in 2010 and has been released on other platforms since then, but is still notable because of the fact that it's one of only eleven games on the original Nintendo DS to get an M rating.

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The game follows nine people who were taken hostage and placed aboard a sinking ship and forced to play the "Nonary Game." Despite its M rating, this game has become really popular among video game fans. It's a combination of a puzzle game and a visual novel and is definitely an engaging experience that's still worth picking up a DS or 3DS to play.

2 Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is a role-playing game that was released in 2010 on the Nintendo DS. In 2017, an enhanced port of the game was released on the Nintendo 3DS, but the original DS games are still compatible with the 3DS consoles.

The game follows a group of people that are sent to Antarctica to investigate some strange events and get other-worldly demons and creatures to help your fight. This game is similar to other JRPGs as far as gameplay goes and is unique because it's the only RPG on the Nintendo DS to get an M rating.

1 Touch The Dead

Touch the Dead is a zombie-based rail shooter that has the player use the Nintendo DS' lower touch screen and their stylus to take out the zombies that approach them. This game doesn't exactly have the best graphics by today's standards, but those zombies were scary enough to get this 2007 horror game an M rating when it was released.

The game has a variety of different weapons that can be used to take out these zombies, but the actual act of aiming and shooting or hitting them always involves using the touch screen. This game's use of the Nintendo DS' touch screen was definitely unique at the time of its release.

Next: 10 Of The Best 3DS Games (That Still Need A Remake On Nintendo Switch)