This single-player spinoff of MapleStory provides a story-based look at the world of MapleStory. The player can choose one of four different classes; the player starts the game with one of two unlocked, depending on a quiz they start the game with, and can unlock the other three over the course of the game. Like its MMORPG cousin, MapleStory DS is an action platform game with RPG elements; each character starts with a basic attack, and can be customized with extra spells that can be mapped onto the DS's buttons.

While this game and MapleStory are separate, MapleStory DS does have unlockable codes that let the player obtain items in the MMORPG.