If you walked into a GameStop in 2008 and saw a copy of Cory in the House DS sitting in the bargain bin for five bucks, you’d probably have ignored it. It looks like every other piece of "shovelware" from that era—a cheap, rushed tie-in for a Disney Channel sitcom. But fast-forward to 2026, and that same plastic cartridge is now a legitimate collector's item, with eBay listings hitting $400 and a Metacritic user score that puts The Last of Us to shame.
It’s absolute chaos. Right now, as we speak, a coordinated effort by the internet’s most dedicated trolls and meme-lords has pushed Cory's rating to a staggering 9.4. That makes it the second-highest-rated game on all of Metacritic, sitting just behind the 2025 RPG powerhouse Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
The Surreal Reality of Cory in the House DS
To understand why people are losing their minds over this, you first have to understand what the game actually is. Basically, it’s a stealth-action game. Yeah, you read that right. You play as Cory Baxter, living in the White House because his dad is the head chef, and you have to sneak past Secret Service agents to sell bobbleheads.
It’s bizarre.
The "Evil Toymaker" has hypnotized the citizens of D.C. with these bobbleheads, and Cory is the only one who can stop it. Most of the gameplay involves:
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- Creeping through the halls of the White House using a top-down perspective.
- Throwing pastries at hypnotized teachers (seriously).
- Playing rhythm-based minigames that feel like a budget version of Elite Beat Agents.
- Engaging in dialogue so poorly translated or weirdly written it feels surreal.
Honestly, the game isn't "good" in any traditional sense. IGN famously gave it a 3/10 back in the day, calling the controls "clunky" and the presentation "insultingly stupid." But in 2026, "good" doesn't matter nearly as much as "memorable."
Why the Internet Calls It the Best Anime Ever
The whole "Cory is my favorite anime" thing started on 4chan over a decade ago and just... never died. It’s the ultimate inside joke. People started filing the show under the "anime" category on various sites, and the video game became the vessel for that irony.
When you look at the user reviews today, they’re poetic. One user wrote that the game "saved their marriage," while another claimed it’s a "Sisyphean effort of navigating institutional systems." It’s a riot. But the funny part is that this irony has created real-world value. Because of the recent January 2026 "review bomb" to dethrone Expedition 33, the supply of physical copies is drying up. People are actually paying hundreds of dollars for a game they’ll probably only play for ten minutes before the clunky controls make them want to throw their DS across the room.
Hidden Secrets and "Developer Calls"
If you actually manage to get your hands on a copy (or, let’s be real, an emulator), there are some weirdly cool things hidden in the code. Handheld Games, the developers, actually hid their own phone numbers in the game.
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If you use Cory’s in-game cellphone and dial specific numbers, you get actual dialogue with the creators.
- 555-5527: You talk to Josh Sterling, the lead artist. Cory is shocked to find out he's in a video game.
- 555-6342: This connects you to Jonah Hoskins, the lead programmer, who tells Cory the game is sold out because it's the "hottest thing on the market."
It’s a level of self-awareness you don't usually see in a licensed Disney title. It’s almost like the developers knew exactly what kind of weird legacy this game would eventually have. There's even an unfinished French translation still sitting in the files where every line just says "(Need Translation)." It's the perfect encapsulation of the game's chaotic energy.
The Speedrunning Scene
Believe it or not, there is a legitimate Cory in the House DS speedrunning community. The current World Record for any% sits at 57:48, held by a runner with a name I can't even repeat here. The game is notorious for its "Busta%" category, where the goal is basically to break the game’s logic as fast as possible. The first transition from one room to another is famous for glitching out if you move at just the right angle, which is pretty much the only way to make the stealth segments bearable.
Is It Actually Worth Playing in 2026?
Look, if you’re looking for a deep narrative or tight mechanics, stay away. Go play Metal Gear Solid if you want stealth. But if you want to witness a piece of internet history—a game that has somehow survived through sheer irony for nearly 20 years—it’s worth a look.
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The dialogue is genuinely funny in a "how did this get approved?" kind of way. The laugh track that plays after every second line of dialogue is grating, yet somehow hypnotic. It’s a time capsule of 2008 Disney Channel culture trapped inside a very mediocre stealth engine.
Next Steps for the Aspiring Busta:
If you're curious about the madness, don't drop $400 on eBay just yet. Instead:
- Check Metacritic: Go read the latest user reviews. They are some of the most creative pieces of fiction written in the last five years.
- Watch a Speedrun: See how runners manipulate the guards' patrol patterns. It’s actually more impressive than it looks.
- Hunt Local Shops: If you find this at a local thrift store for $10, buy it immediately. You're sitting on a meme-fueled goldmine.
The saga of Cory in the House DS is proof that the internet can turn literally anything into a masterpiece if they try hard enough. Whether it's a "masterpiece" of game design or just a masterpiece of trolling is up to you.
Actionable Insight: If you own a physical copy, keep it in a protective case. The volatility of meme-based markets means the price could hit $1,000 or crash to zero by next month. If you're buying, stick to digital "preservation" methods unless you're a hardcore collector of internet artifacts.
Check your old DS carrying cases—you might be holding a $400 bobblehead-selling simulator and not even know it.