The Nintendo DS Game That Takes The Longest To Beat

The Nintendo DS remains one of Nintendo's best-selling consoles of all time, and it's not too hard to see why the system achieved such success. The little dual-screened handheld absolutely excels at leaning into the quick and casual gaming market, offering all manner of high-quality experiences. Whether it's popping in to get a single Power Star in "Super Mario 64 DS" or making a bite to eat in "Cooking Mama," the DS has a ton of titles that work well for short bursts of gaming on the go.

But while the DS may be fondly remembered for its portable, pick-up-and-play nature, the handheld console is also home to plenty of meaty experiences that can and do rival the runtime of blockbuster titles on modern consoles, such as "Etrian Odyssey" or "Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skies." However, if you're looking for the title on the system that will take you the absolute longest to see the credits, one particular entry in a beloved franchise holds the throne — and no, we're not counting "Animal Crossing: Wild World" here.

The "Shin Megami Tensei" games are no strangers to being some of the longest titles on their respective platforms. Popular spin-off "Persona 5" notably holds the distinction of being the PS3 game that takes the longest to beat, for instance. The Nintendo DS is no exception to the demon-centric RPG series' reign, either, with 2010's "Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey" taking the top spot for the lengthiest game on the handheld.

According to HowLongToBeat, "Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey" runs the average player roughly 54 hours just to roll credits. That runtime more than doubles for completionists, taking players an eye-watering average of 118 hours to see everything. Despite not being a numbered entry, "Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey" is a mainline title in the series, and features many of the usual staples in terms of gameplay and story. Players attempt to save the Earth from the apocalypse by engaging in turn-based combat with a team of collectible and customizable demons. As players progress, their actions and decisions determine the trajectory of the story.

"Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey" has a warm critical reception, with its Metacritic score sitting at a solid 80, so it seems a worthwhile option for RPG fans or those looking to get a lot of time out of the DS. The only other platform the title is available on is the Nintendo 3DS too, so Nintendo's handhelds are the sole place that fans can access the title.