42 All-Time Classics for Nintendo DS

42 All-Time Classics (also known as a clubhouse-style compilation) packs a full deck of board, card and parlor games into a single handheld cart. Solitaire, Texas Hold ’Em, Blackjack and Spades sit alongside Chess, Shogi and Backgammon; you’ll also find darts, bowling, billiards, word and logic staples, and quick curios like Ludo and Yacht. Each game comes with a rules primer and a practice-friendly difficulty ladder, so newcomers can learn at their own pace while veterans dive straight into harder tiers.

Stylus controls keep inputs intuitive—drag cards, flick pins, draw shot lines—while clear tables and pieces make the screen easy to read. The compilation shines in multiplayer: single-cart Download Play lets a group share one copy locally, and built-in lobbies make setting up matches painless. House rules and variants (scoring tweaks, time limits, starting positions) let you tailor favourites to your group’s style.

As an everyday carry, it’s hard to beat: a portable cabinet of classics you can open for five minutes or fifty, with enough variety that something always fits the moment. Whether you’re looking to sharpen strategy on Chess puzzles or unwind with a few rounds of bowling, this set earns its “always installed” status.