DS News
News Nintendo Files New Trademark For A DS Cult Classic
Room service
Hotel Dusk: Room 215 has racked up quite the cult following over the years. This Nintendo-published text-based adventure first arrived on the DS back in 2007 and received a sequel, Last Window: The Secret of Cape West, three years later before developer Cing bit the dust after declaring for bankruptcy. Things have, naturally, been...
News Miss PictoChat? This New iOS App Brings The Beloved DS Chatrooms To Mobile Messaging
The second coming
Anyone who owned a DS in the mid-2000s will likely have fond memories of PictoChat. Whether it was a one-off blast on launch day, or endless hours at a sleepover, Nintendo's little messaging service was a fun way to pass the time and show off your doodling skills when DS mania was all the rage. And now, in the year of our lord...
Random A Homebrew Port Of Balatro Is Now Available On Nintendo DS
Though key features are missing
Given the immense popularity of Balatro since its launch last year, it was really only a matter of time before it was unofficially ported over to other systems via homebrew modding. Well, that time is upon us, folks. Thanks to Haynster over on Github (via GBATemp), Balatro is now available to play on the Nintendo DS...
Poll Box Art Brawl - River King: Mystic Valley (DS)
The good, the good, and the uhhh...
Hello folks, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last time, we looked at Star Fox 64, and gosh, it was quite a close match. Both designs are pretty great in our eyes, but ultimately Japan won the day with 54% of the vote, while the Western design managed to nab 46%. Well done, Japan! We've got a bit...
Random This Fan-Made Render Has Us Dreaming Of Switch 2's Dual-Screen Potential
Sweet D(ream)S
Ever since Nintendo gave us our first official look at the Switch 2 (even before, if you were paying attention to the leaks), we have been wondering what that mysterious new USB-C port on the top of the console is for. Logic would suggest that it's for charging in tabletop mode — something that we haven't been able to do with any...
Video These Monitors Promise Big DS Potential, But Do They Work In Practice?
D(ream)S
Two clamshell OLED monitors that promised Switch connectivity for on-the-go multiplayer mayhem obviously brought the potential for big-screen DS play to mind, but would the Duoone OLED actually live up to these lofty goals? That's what our Alex has been investigating. The Duoone OLED cuts a pretty sweet-looking figure, we'll admit. Alex...
Opinion The Biggest Question Of The Generation: Er, Why Isn’t Nintendogs On Switch?
All bark and no mic
If there were a trophy for missing open goals, Nintendo would have a fair few in the cabinet. For example, why didn't we get a new Donkey Kong game back when the Super Mario Bros. movie launched last year? Why wasn't the Wii U called 'Wii 2'? And why, for the love of god, is there no Nintendogs game on Switch? There was a part...
Opinion Raise A Glass To The Nintendo DS' Peculiar Peripherals
Let there be cartridge
I've been noodling with my old DS in the last week. Whether it was to celebrate its 20th anniversary, reaffirm it as my favourite system of all time, or simply help me forget that it has been two decades since I first played Nintendogs, I can't be sure. But what I do know, is that I've been having a blast. Naturally, I went...
News 'Nintendo Music' Adds Another DS Soundtrack, Here's Every Song Included
Train your brain with Dr Kawashima
The latest Nintendo Music mobile app update happens to time in with the 20th anniversary of the DS, and with this in mind, the soundtrack from Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? has been added to the service. The soundtrack comes with 14 tracks all up and has a runtime of 35 minutes. You can...
Talking Point What Would Be The Ideal Way To Play DS Games On 'Switch 2'?
Dual-screen dilemma
This week saw the Nintendo DS turn 20. Naturally, such an anniversary has got us thinking about the unstoppable passage of time delightful dual-screen once again, and more than a few of us have dusted off our old clamshells for a quick blast through some of our favourites. But, being the needy gamers that we are, ever desperate...
Quiz How Well Do You Know The Nintendo DS?
Clamshell conundrums
This week, the Nintendo DS turned 20. Twenty. Honestly, that's a fact that we are still reeling from, so, assuming you're in the same boat, let's take our minds off it with a good old-fashioned quiz. Below, we have compiled a series of head-scratching questions all about Nintendo's first dual-screened device. And to be clear,...
Opinion Chrono Trigger Isn't The Only Great Time-Travel RPG On DS
Chronologically perfect
No less than an hour into Radiant Historia, Stocke – a special agent in Astiel’s Special Intelligence Unit and the game’s main protagonist – is on the brink of death. His mission to rescue a spy who has infiltrated the Granorg army has failed, and his subordinates Raynie and Marco have been killed. But it’s not...
Poll Was The Nintendo DS Prototype Really So Ugly?
Or just misunderstood?
It's hard to believe that it's been 20 years since the Nintendo DS launched, yet here we are. It's been even longer since it was revealed too, with the newly-appointed VP of sales and marketing Reggie Fils-Aimé taking to the stage at E3 2004 to showcase Nintendo's vision for the future of handheld gaming. We know now, of...
Talking Point What Are Your Top 5 Nintendo DS Games?
Phat wad
Believe it or not, it's now 20 years since Nintendo launched the DS. Rather than getting caught up in where the last two decades disappeared to, we thought it was worth looking back at our personal top five games for a system with a staggering amount of superb software. From delightful minigame gimmicks to full-blooded games in the...
Guide 50 Best Nintendo DS Games Of All Time
The best DS games ever
Nintendo DS was an experiment, a quirky dual-screened handheld which Nintendo famously introduced as a "third pillar" alongside the GBA and GameCube. However, within a handful of years, its innovative games and wide appeal led to the Game Boy brand's retirement and the dawning of a new era of Nintendo handhelds. We've...
Feature It's 20 Years Since The Launch Of Nintendo's Most Important Console
The rise to heaven
One of the joys of Nintendo's Switch is how it marries the company's home console heritage with its equally prestigious handheld line. Ask anybody over the age of 30 to name a handheld system and "Game Boy" will likely still be the first answer; that system became synonymous with portable gaming in the same way as all home...
Random Creator Of "Mysterious" Zelda: Breath Of The Wild DS Demake Sets The Record Straight
It's just an "old ROM of a project"
A video recently popped up online about a demake of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo DS. In this demake, you can traverse the land of Hyrule as Link in all of its "low-poly" glory. While it was thought to have been created by a "mysterious Chinese dev", it seems this is not the case. The...
News Pokémon Developer Game Freak Reportedly Hacked, Massive Amounts Of Data Allegedly Leaked
Update: Game Freak releases official statement
Updated [Sun 13th Oct, 2024 15:55 BST]: Game Freak has acknowledged the leak in an official statement. A third-party apparently gained unauthorised access to a company server earlier this year - accessing personal information including names and email addresses of current and former employees. Source...
Random Chappell Roan Jokes About Fan Taking Concert Photos On A DS
FeMiininomenon
If you have had so much as a passing interest in the pop music scene of late, you likely will have heard of Chappell Roan. This is the recipient of the VMA's Best New Artist Award and the voice behind such pop belters as 'Pink Pony Club,' 'HOT TO GO!,' 'Femininomenon' and more. She's also a casual DS admirer, it turns out — at least...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Contra 4
A duel of dual spirits
Hello folks, we're back once again for another edition of Box Art Brawl! Before we get started, let's take a look back at how things played out last week. We checked out the GameCube classic Pokémon Colosseum, originally released in Japan in 2003 before making its way West in 2004. All three covers were admittedly pretty...
Rumour More Evidence Of 'MySims' Switch Revival Surfaces Online
"The Switch port of MySims is real"
Earlier this week, a rumour popped up about The Sims spin-off 'MySims' possibly making a return, after listings for a Switch version of the game appeared on two European retail websites. It seems there's now mounting evidence of the game's return, with reports EA's official Switch webpage has now been updated...
Rumour Wii & DS Favourite 'MySims' Could Be Coming To Switch Soon
A blast from the past
Who remembers MySims? The spin-off to Maxis' hugely popular The Sims series, MySims saw you play as a cute little avatar attempting to restore and redevelop a run-down town. It launched on Wii and DS in 2007 before making the jump to PC and phones the following year. Well, it sounds like MySims could be making a comeback...
Random OG Rebecca Chambers Actress Returns In Another Resident Evil Reunion
"Look at those monsters!"
Back in 2022, we reported on a long overdue reunion in the world of Resident Evil when the original actors for Chris Redfield (Charles Kraslavsky), Barry Burton (Greg Smith), and Albert Wesker (Eric Pirius) all sat down to reminisce on their time shooting the intro to the 1996 classic (or the Deadly Silence releas
Poll Box Art Brawl: Duel - Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow
BAT!
Welcome back to another edition Box Art Brawl! Last week, we matched up two covers from Capcom's Gargoyle's Quest II: The Demon Darkness and oof, it was a close one! Japan's action-packed cartoony take just about walked away with the win, taking 53% of the vote and leaving Europe and North America's shared design with the remaining 47%. We're...
Feature Legendary Starfy 101 - A Brief History Of TOSE's Adorable Platforming Star
Now playable on Nintendo Switch
With all three GBA Starfy games — which were originally released only in Japan — now available to play on Switch with a Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription, we're updating and republishing this brief introduction to the little star which originally went live a whopping 15 years ago. Enjoy! Since...
News 2004 Satoru Iwata Interview Has Been Remastered And Presented In Full
Legendary CEO discusses Miyamoto, 'Revolution', and more
A previously unpublished interview with the late, great Satoru Iwata has been remasted and presented in full by Adam Doree on YouTube (thanks, Time Extension). Conducted by Doree's website at the time, Kikizo, the interview was originally only available partially back in 2004. The new...
Soapbox 'Revenge Of The Sith' On DS Is Still Top-Tier Star Wars Gaming
Heart Palpatinetions
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim celebrates Revenge of the Fifth with a DS throwback... You felt it, didn't you? A disturbance in the Force. Over on Coruscant, Darth Sidious has called for the execution...
Random Crystal-Studded Nintendo DS Expected To Reach £15,000 At Upcoming Auction
Woof!
Here's a little something to make your Switch OLED suddenly seem rather inexpensive, an ultra-rare Nintendo DS studded with 2,000 Swarovski crystals is set to go on auction this week where it is expected to pull in bids of at least £15,000. Fifteen. Thousand. Pounds (thanks, Swindon Advertiser). The super shiny handheld, commissioned by...
Random Kit And Krysta Show Off Their Immense DS And 3DS Collection
Including a few signed gems
The DS and the 3DS both had incredible libraries of games, we all know this, but sometimes it's kind of nice to just see a whole bunch of them laid out nicely so we can gaze at them in wonder. Thankfully, Kit and Kryta, former Nintendo employees and current, uh... Kit and Krysta hosts, have taken the time to show off...
Random 19 Years On, Mario Kart DS Speedrunners Are Still Finding New Shortcuts
Cutting corners
It has been 19 years since Mario Kart DS first hit the tracks. That's a pretty staggering length of time and one that we'll probably need a little sit down to fully recover from. But hey, while we freak out about the passing of the years, check this out: speedrunners have found a handful of new shortcuts on the DS' previously pretty...
Random McDonald's DSi Console Pulled From Second-Hand Sale In Japan
Ronald got mad
Well, this isn't something you see everyday. Over in Japan, a McDonald's-branded Nintendo DSi briefly went on sale in a second-hand hardware store before being promptly delisted (thanks, Automaton). For those who may be unaware, McDonald's had produced specialised DSi consoles containing software called 'eCrew Development Program'...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Super Scribblenauts
Think it. Vote it.
Welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! In last week's brawl, we checked out Mario Golf for the Game Boy Color, pitting the Western Design against the rather quirky effort from Japan. In the end, Japan won the vote at 72% - well done! This week, we're moving onto the Nintendo DS with Super Scribblenauts from WB Games and...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time
It's a MAR10 Day special
Welcome back to another clash of the covers in this week's Box Art Brawl! Before we meet today's contenders, let's take a look at what happened last time when we matched up three regional covers for Ninja Gaiden Shadow (or Shadow Warriors for those in Europe and Australia). Despite there being three options, it wasn't a...
Soapbox It's Time For Mario's Weird Minigames To Make A Comeback
The Mansion always wins
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim's after some more bitesize Mario weirdness, which he got his fix of on the DS... Super Mario Bros. Wonder was great. It had elephants, it had sweet little blobs of...
Talking Point What DS & 3DS Games Would You Still Like To See On Switch?
Dual-screen dreams
We are still receiving top-notch releases by the bucketload on Switch, but as the console enters the latter phase of its lifespan, we are well and truly in remake & remaster territory. The Wii U barrel has quickly run dry (though some remain that we'd like to see make the jump to the hybrid) and recent years have seen Nintendo...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Mario Vs. Donkey Kong 2: March Of The Minis
The Minis go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah
Welcome one and all, to another episode of Box Art Brawl! Right then... Before we get cracking with this week's brawl, let's see how we got on last time, shall we? We looked at the lovely Inazuma Eleven Strikers for the Wii, pitting Japan against Europe in a classic duel. It was a relatively close...
Memory Pak Making Contact With The "Ungoogleable" Game I Couldn't Quite Remember
What's that one with the plumber and the mushrooms again?
Welcome to the latest instalment in our nostalgia-inducing column, Memory Pak, where we deep-dive into some of the most memorable moments in gaming – good and bad. Today, Jim is reflecting on a years-long dilemma he faced over an oft-forgotten DS game, and wonders how we deal with "video...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Trace Memory
Remember remember
Welcome back to another edition of Box Art Brawl, are you ready to rank some covers? Before we head into this week's competition, however, let's check out what happened last time. We got all agricultural as we matched up two covers for Harvest Moon 64 in celebration of it landing on NSO. They were both pretty sweet options, but...
News 3DS Japan-Exclusive 'Touch Detective 3' Gets Official English Localisation In 2024
Touch Detective 3 + The Complete Case is coming to Switch
The Touch Detective series is making its grand return to the West thanks to publisher Nicalis. Touch Detective 3 + The Complete Case Files is coming to Nintendo Switch physically and digitally on 28th March, 2024. (Thanks, Gematsu!) Physical editions have only been announced for No
Talking Point Would You Like To See A Professor Layton Collection On Switch?
A true gentleman never gives up on a dream
Somehow, it has been 15 years since Professor Layton and the Lost Future (or 'the Unwound Future', depending on your region) made its debut in Japan. As with every entry in the mainline series to date, it took another couple of years until the third entry received a Western release, but when it finally did,...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Contact
No, it's not Mother 3
It's time for another clash of the covers as we dive into the latest edition of Box Art Brawl! Last week, we matched up a duo of box art from the 3DS' Hey! Pikmin and, let us tell you, it wasn't even close. The friendlier European cover walked away with a whopping 73% of the vote, leaving North America and Japan in the...
Random Pokémon Gold & Silver's Male Protagonist Was Apparently A Ninja In The DS Remakes
Hyaaah!
Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver are widely considered to be one of the greatest entries in the long-running franchise, but did you know that the games' male protagonist was actually altered to look more like a ninja for the DS remakes? That's according to a magazine translation discovered as part of DidYouKnowGaming's comprehensive dive...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Kirby Mass Attack
They... they're multiplying!
It's time for another edition of Box Art Brawl, are you ready to judge a game by its cover(s)? Before we dive into the proceedings of today's match-up, let's check out what happened last time. It was a good old one-on-one duel for The Lion King on the SNES, with Europe and North America going head-to-head. After you...
News Newly Discovered Nintendo Filing Shows Off "Dual-Screen, Detachable Device"
Sending Switch successor rumours into overdrive (again)
Switch successor rumours have got louder in recent months and now some new Nintendo filings have been discovered. New ideas and designs from Nintendo, which were originally filed by the Japanese video game company on 11th November 2022, have been discovered on the 'World Intellectual Property...
Video The Mario Sports Game On DS That's A Slam Dunk
Shooting hoops
Mario Golf. Mario Tennis, Mario Strikers. When people talk about Mario sports games, these are the ones that are most commonly brought up. But we're here to change that. Today, over on our YouTube channel, the lovely Felix is celebrating one of the most underappreciated Mario sports games: Mario Hoops 3-on-3, known as Mario Slam...
News Ayaneo's New Handheld Looks Like A 2023 Nintendo DS Successor
Yep, that's nice
Tech company Ayaneo is pumping out more hardware iterations than we can possibly keep up with, but its latest effort is of particular interest thanks to its remarkable resemblance to Nintendo's own DS line. Yes, the Ayaneo Flip DS is on its way (thanks, The Verge) and boasts a 7-inch 120Hz display screen with an additional screen...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Professor Layton And The Unwound Future
What would a true gentleman do?
We are back for yet another edition of Box Art Brawl, are you ready to rank some covers? Before we introduce this week's challengers, let's take a look at what went down last time. We pitted two cover variants for the SNES classic ActRaiser against each other and the results were very close indeed though the...
News Another Code: Recollection Remakes Two Cult Classics On Switch in January 2024
Tracing memories
Cing's classic point-and-click adventure series Another Code is getting remade on Nintendo Switch in the form of Another Code: Recollection, which launches on Switch on 19th January 2024. This remake contains both Another Code: Two Memories (known as Trace Memory in North America), which launched on the DS in 2005, and the 2009 Wii...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: New Super Mario Bros.
Let's-a vote
It's the weekend and that can mean only one thing — yes, it's time for another edition of Box Art Brawl! Before we dive into this week's contestants, let's take a look at how things played out last time. Celebrating the release of Sabotage's excellent RPG Sea of Stars, we took a look at the cover variants from around the world, with...
News Retro Game Challenge 1 & 2 Are Getting Switch Ports In Japan
No word on a Western release yet
Bandai Namco has announced Retro Game Challenge 1 + 2 Replay, a remastered collection of two DS cult classics for Switch (thanks, Famitsu). At the moment, the collection has only been announced for Japan, and a release date hasn't been confirmed. Retro Game Challenge is a series of video games based on the Game...
