Sequel to the 1989 Game Boy launch title Yakuman, Yakuman DS features Mario and his friends playing Mahjong. The player can choose Free Mode, where they can choose their CPU opponent and their own rules, Challenge Mode (fulfilling a given set of conditions with a given set of opponents), which is available in easy, normal, hard and expert levels, Ranking mode, where the player tries to ascend from rank 20 to rank 1, and local multiplayer, where up to four players can challenge one another.

In 2006, the game was rereleased with online capabilities as Wi-Fi Taiō Yakuman DS. It features online multiplayer using Friend Codes, with voice chat available.