Retrospective: The Awkward Birth of the DS, Nintendo's Most Successful System

This handheld was most assuredly my first time using a touchscreen. Amazing handheld that deserves the number 1 spot.

It's tempting to call Nintendo "out of touch" when in reality, they're operating at a level somewhere beyond our individual opinions. They want to make waves, not just make a few hardcore gamers happy. Best of luck to the Switch and Nintendo's future experiments.

It really did change everything.

I had so many great times with the DS.

Touching is good!

Man, that was THE best advertisement ever!
Super hot Blonde as the spokeswoman didn't hurt either!

It was the DS Lite where it really took off if I remember rightly. That's the point at which I bought one, on launch day. It was a really clean, slick piece of hardware. The original DS Phat was ugly. And it was never a "third pillar" despite what Nintendo said. They only called it that in case it failed. It was the GBA replacement.

Am I the only one who loves the design of the Phat DS? It feels and looks solid to me.

I preferred the orginal DS over the DS lite for it's GBA slot.

As with any and all consoles, ultimately their success is determined by the quality of its games. The DS had awesome games. Simple as that.

The DS was a great system, there's no denying that, and its successor is currently my preferred portable system (and I'm mostly a portable gamer). However, the one thing about its legacy that always sticks out to me is the fact that this was the start of what I've been referring to as the "Gimmick Age" for Nintendo, and honestly I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Any reason for this today @Damo ? Seems like a great article for when, and if, Switch becomes the 3DS replacement and the DS "dual screens" goes away forever. I think touchscreen is here to stay, but even if they make portrait held dual screen games on the Switch, it still won't be the same.

The only thing this documentary was missing was a "history repeats itself" statement, trying to suggest we're seeing the same thing happen with the switch. Not likely.

I still have my original Nintendo DS. Blew my mind when I first got it

Great write up! I miss the days of the DS being at it's peak. The amount of quality games dropping was staggering. I bought so many GBA and DS games. Ah, memories.

@TeslaChippie Um, so that was the case indeed, for the DS and Wii. Not so much for the Wii U and 3DS. Or the Switch for that matter.

Switch's early success can almost be contributed to simply not being called the Wii-something or DS-something as much as any other factor.

Switch's sustained success, however, will be entirely hinged on the amount of software that hits in comparison to its competition.

@RadoGoji Gimmick age started with NES, and every gen has had something since then that has flopped. We had ROB, track and field floor pad, super scope 6, Gameboy printer, virtual boy, 64DD, some gamecube stuff I can't remember, etc. There have certainly been some gems, but more gimmicks than successes that's for sure.

@jump The DS lite had a GBA slot. It was the DSi that later removed it. ✊😎

@SLIGEACH_EIRE That's when I really remember it taking off as well. It was made fun of quite a bit prior to the Lite. I had both, but the DS Lite is one of my all time favorite systems. As for third pillar talks? I don't think anyone really believed that it would be a third pillar, even back when it was originally stated.

@gatorboi352 I'm not sure how out of touch they were with the idea of the Wii U and the 3DS. I think the core concepts of both were solid. Both of them were (And the 3DS/2DS continues to be) a marketing train wreck. I'm not sure who that calling the Wii successor the "Wii U' or creating an alternate version of the 3DS the 2DS, or tacking "New" onto the beginning of the system was a good idea... but the core idea was solid.

At this point, I do think the Switch will be successful. There's a healthy stream of games coming, and with the early buzz/excitement, I think we'll start to see more 3rd party software. I think the Switch is basically what they wanted the Wii U to be originally (And what it should have been), but technology of the time didn't allow for it.

@jump did it have a superior one or something? Lite always had the slot, too; it was DSi that ditched it (and lost several accessory-driven games from the old DS library in the process).

Nice article. Time will tell if Switch will usurp not only the Wii U, but also the 3DS, or if Nintendo will counter-behave and give the 3DS a successor after all. The dual nature of the Switch is calling for Nintendo to consolidate their business, but it's really a chapter that only Nintendo can write. Personally, I'm tired of having to shell out for two hardware systems to experience ALL of Nintendo's games, and I'm glad the technology vs feasibility has allowed Nintendo to make a system like the Switch. We'll see what happens next...

The DS was an amazing system had tonnes of great games. 3DS is ok but now it's been succeed by the Switch. We now just waiting on the Wii Us successor.

I think I am the only person in existence that actually paid hard earned money for a Game.com. To this day I don't know why I bought it. I think I had 2 games for it an awful duke nukem game and some other piece of trash racing game. After I had it for like 3 months I think they stopped making games for it. I found it years later and literally just threw it away, I hope it's not worth anything today ?.......... Hahaha

Superb console, with one of the most wide and hi-quality libraries a gamer could dream on. My personal favorite of all time.

@Damo Meteos is so underrated! I remember playing it to death with my little brother when it first came out, and my wife and I actually still play it fairly often. Such a great game that made perfect use of touch controls in a non-gimmicky way. Brabbit FTW!

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Yeah, I remember feeling a little swindled by that because I was a huge GBC/GBA fan. They repeatedly reiterated that the DS was not a replacement for the GBA, and yet here we are 13 years later and there's never been another GameBoy.

I never really got on board with the DS's touch controls. I played Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks and eventually wound up selling it to an in-law. I didn't like the stylus that you could use, and the cartridges were so small I was afraid to take them out of the house.

The GBA SP was my favorite handheld of all time.

@Damo Thanks. When I first saw the picture I thought it might have something to do w/ Iwata, anniversary or something. Well feel free to bring this back up when they announce they aren't making any more 2 screen systems in a few years. Well unless they make SwitchBoy in a clamshell w/ 2 screens. It's Nintedno, anything is possible.

when people understood the concept - and they were taken in by the much sexier DS Lite - Nintendo were into a winner

I remember recently seeing someone on here saying Switch won't actually be Nintendo's main console line or handheld, that Nintendo called it a third pillar (which I never got a source for), and I tried to bring up this. Even if Nintendo doesn't consider it a replacement that doesn't mean it won't be, and even if they say it won't replace a system doesn't mean they aren't considering it. I still won't be surprised if they phase out 3DS for Switch to be their sole console and handheld, provided it continues to sell well. And I'd miss the DS/3DS line but ultimately a hybrid is more convenient for me - and if Nintendo doesn't win back third parties then it frees up some of my budget for PS4 games (or a successor) while still not missing out on my favorite franchises.

@Damo - thank you for that piece, certainly brings it home that Nintendo scepticism is nothing new.

I was always a PlayStation fan, Nintendo was... for kids and passed me by. I mean Legend of Zelda, it even sounds childish - who wants to play a game as a character called Zelda when you can be playing adulty stuff?

Then I met a girl. She was a big Nintendo fan. I'd watch her play on her DS, and yeah it was OK. I'm old enough to have been amazed when the first Donkey Kong replaced Space Invaders in the table top arcade machine at the pub my parents and friends used to go to on a Saturday night, so I still had some affection for Nintendo.

Have to admit too, it was kinda handy, being able to play anywhere. So I got a DS, though I was determined not to enjoy it.

Ninja Gaiden, 999 and Grand Theft changed my mind. They were brilliant.

Then came the 3DS. I was cautious again, but a supermarket was offering a deal on a 3DS and Ocarina, I bought on the spot. And oh! It is not childish. Especially when... that thing... happens and everything changes. It was a moment.

And that is what the best games and consoles do. They give us moments. Feelings. Escapism, immersion, fun.

The 3DS went everywhere with me. My first Street pass was at a Motorsport event at Silverstone. I showed my girl... who is now my wife.

The 3DS has been a brilliant thing. Resi, DQs, the Bravelys, Animal Crossing, Castlevania, Zero Time Dilemma, Ace Attorney, Layton... so many moments.

@TeslaChippie "out of touch" on an article about Nintendo's first touch screen system. Pun intended?

I still have my 10 year old DS Lite to play DS and GBA games, so many great memories!

And amazingly when the 3DS was announced the pundits were at it again claiming the Vita would wipe the floor with it and it was DOA. Oh what I wouldn't give go be paid in the high six figures to make up random opinions, whether I get it right or not. I mean we do that all day here FOR FREE.

"lived long enough to see the company enter a second golden age of industry dominance."
Sadly it wasn't really an age of industry dominance like the NES, but just an era of high sales that, as it turned out, were largely outside the industry. A point Nintendo didn't realize until the WiiU was out on shelves.

But the real core take-away here is that I want that New Nintendo BS. I NEED that new Nintendo BS. And I need it right this very minute. Separate displays for every in game panel? Yes please!

@Gold_Ranger oh man I forgot about the old DS ads, man Nintendo wasn't afraid to get suggestive with it, honestly was probably pretty effective advertising for my age group at the time as I was a teen. >.>

@SLIGEACH_EIRE We'll never know their true intent with the DS and whether it was meant to be a third pillar (unless we get a Nintendo tell all someday). Personally, I'm glad it replaced the Game Boy. As much as I loved the line, I find your vision and message gets muddled when you offer a bit too many products or services that potentially offer the same experience. Granted, the Game Boy didn't have dual screens and was not as powerful as the DS. But they're both handhelds and there didn't need to be two running side by side from the same company

@Vee_Flames I prefer the DS phat over the DS Lite myself. Chunkier, but sturdier. There is a certain beauty to not looking like an anorexic Fisher-Price toy. I preferred the silver and black aesthetics over the toylike color spectrum on the Lite, as well...

@rjejr Multi-screen is so retro. In the 80's we had one 9" monochrome CRT screen. In the 90's we had one 15" color CRT screen. In the 00's we had TWO to THREE 24" LCD screens and in our pocket a DS with two 2.5" screens.

This is 2017. We have one 6.2" screen that compliments our other 4.2" screen. Get with the future, man.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE "They only called it that in case it failed. "

Yep! A smart move in reality, but hilarious in hindsight. If it wasn't the new Game Boy what was it?

Of course people still say the same about Switch and 3DS so maybe it's not so obvious to everyone until it happens.

@DickeyWord The game.com is selling for $50-70 used, $100 new.

Admittedly, the dual screen feature did provide a lot of potential, as well as the touch screen being very innovative. I was pleased to finally get one into my hands back in 2005.

Unfortunately, that didn't stop the system from becoming my least favorite Nintendo system (even today) outside of Virtual Boy, which I haven't experienced. The overabundance of touch screen usage (Kirby Mass Attack and Wario Ware D.I.Y. are pretty much the only touchcentric games I enjoyed on the DS without any problems), gimmicky dual screen features (I'm looking at you, Yoshi's Island 2, Sonic Rush Bosses, and Mario & Luigi battles!), and mixed quality of its library (most of Nintendo's games ranged between bad to decent while most of the third-party games didn't seem "BUY NOW!!" in my eyes. The good ones I found were Wario Ware D.I.Y., Kirby Mass Attack, Pokemon Heart Gold, Tetris DS, New Super Mario Bros, Super Princess Peach, Bomberman DS, and Kirby Super Star DS...while the rest others Mario & Luigi games, Pokemon D/P, Rhythm Heaven, Kirby Canvas Curse, Zelda games that aren't DSi, Super Mario 64 DS, Wizard of Oz, Diddy Kong Racing DS, Mario Kart DS, and others have left disappointed at best).

However, when I got my 3DS, I was very happy to experience it and with its many games that are good in quality (at least, for me) and a better balance of both the touch screen, dual screen gameplay, and buttons, I was never disappointed in the slightest. So, whatever good the DS did for me, the 3DS did better and I will never put it down.

I only got a DS in 2011 (not that its retail assortment here had been much even prior), but it was the first new console I got in over a decade and it proceeded to become one of my favourites. And it's still a good question how much of the "smartphone gaming" revolution it ironically PAVED THE WAY for - at the very least, I look at Google Play nowadays and get massive deja vus with all these crossword apps and time management games and hidden object games and... you name it, really. I've seen so many of them on DS before, but despite pocket PCs dating even further back, how many were perceived as a playable entertainment even on the go, let alone on a video game console? The touch screen mapped close even to the PC cursor which led to a number of the previously rare real time tactics games (including the Final Fantasy XII sequel).

DS library appears to be dwarfing even that of NES, its hardware embracing both the plethora of new classics like The World Ends With You and the plethora of ports and remakes. The latter was what ultimately "killed" GBA (since DS buyers were also getting a Gameboy Advance IN and on top of all the aforesaid revolutionary hardware and a virally growing game assortment; some DS games even offered perks and rewards when they detected their respective franchise predecessors in slot-2), and the former was what gave me some of my favourite game franchises to date, like Ace Attorney and Rune Factory.

PSP doesn't deserve derisive talks either, frankly. While I was less interested in it and only succumbed later when a Madoka Magica game was announced, upon purchase I was enamored by the inventive fun of first-party titles like LocoRoco and Patapon, the discovery of another generous JRPG goldmine, my encounter with what became my fave fighting game ever (I hail thee, Dissidia 012 - not too many games have clocked over 250 hours in my hands!)... and yes, the amount of home console titles I suddenly found accessible. Portability and sales have always ensured plenty of ports, but Sony does deserve much credit for trying to bring portables that much closer to contemporary home platforms. I bought my PSP when I was already past my university years and my working schedule had long invalidated home gaming options for me - and then I found myself capable of playing titles like Midnight Club LA, Disgaea 2 and Persona 3 just like that? Yes, please. Between this trend and the TV output option (even though I never used it), PSP might more or less count as the start of the gaming QOL evolution that would lead us to the Switch - or a part of it if we're to give the founding laurels to Super Gameboy (the platform had solid ports during the NES/SNES era, too, after all). XD

But DS is what helped evolve and shape and diversify video games in the end. Big time. 3DS felt less impactful because it mostly offered a new way to look at games rather than a new way to play them. I like my 3DS a lot, but it feels more like a logical hardware evolution of DS itself to me, a sort of "NDS Advance" if you will - even though it can't possibly be a negative description in my book. DS family is downright historical.

And my DS Lite accompanies me in my shoulder bag along with my other portables and Switch to this day.

@NEStalgia many still overlook the difference - DS didn't just sell better, it simultaneously offered everything GBA could (except maybe for GB/GBC backwards compatibility), including the GBA game library. And this "GBA" didn't even use AA batteries!

Meanwhile, Switch offers no backwards compatibility with nor the dual screen concept of the 3DS. It replaced Wii U instead, again not only due to the latter's underwhelming sales but also by effectively evolving and expanding the one feature of the GamePad that has been actively used and honestly praised through and through. And grabbing other features like touchscreen (and gyro sensor? Did Wii U have it?) along the way.

But as for 3DS, I'm not surprised that Nintendo continues to milk and support it thus far. The rest is for time to tell.

traded in my SP for the DS on day 1,i really didn't like attaching that thumb-stick thing for touchscreen controls,other than that it was a cool machine.

I remember my wife didnt understand the enjoyment of gaming till she picked up my DS. Like most casual gamers it didn't last but at least she understands now.

One of the best systems of all time, if not the best, especially for it's time. I still sometimes play it because it has so many good games.

When the DS was announced, I was a bit confused and worried. I was enthusiastically into the GBA and felt like its life could be cut short too soon. I wanted to see it have a long run like the Gameboy did, and see what developers would squeeze out of it after some more years. Sadly, the DS did cut the GBA short. I understand why Nintendo may have chosen then to go with the DS. With PSP looming and with it having so much power, possibly enough to emulate a GBA, Nintendo was in a dangerous position if they didn't react. I got a DS Lite years later, but I have mixed feelings. It has a good library and some excellent games, but I like the GBA library more and prefer its best games. My favorite DS games are more in the style of GBA games, with minimal to no use of touch or microphone. With that said, the bump to specs and screen resolution over the GBA was very nice and I definitely got my money's worth from the DS. I even found some nice surprises on the system, and it's how I came to appreciate Wayforward as a developer.

Here is some fun facts about Nintendo as an innovative tech company:

Nintendo DS is the most successful touchscreen device prior to the iPhone.

The 3DS is the most successful 3D device ever by a landslide.

The Wii is the most successful motion control device ever (far more successful than any VR or AR).

The Switch is the hottest tablet in tech right now, on pace to outsell the iPad if Apple doesn't get it together.

Between the Game Boy Advance and the DS there was the Advance SP which had the genuine Innovation of a backlight which finally gave the opportunity of playing all the old and new games in darkness, it also was the first having a built in rechargeable battery and you could close it to a truly portable size and hereby protect your screen..

@yasin88 all that with people hating them every step

I freaking loved my DS Lite which really marked the beginning of my Nintendo fanboyism. I'd always been a Nintendo kid, but when the DS phat came out I was out of the country on a religious mission so I wasn't gaming...but that country happened to be Japan. So I saw demo units of the DS Lite everywhere over there showcasing the Final Fantasy 3 remake and was blown away. I returned home a few months later at the end of my service, was given $500 from my dad to get on my feet, and went straight to the store and got one along with several games. Lol. The following years were golden gaming....

@NEStalgia Soon we'll all only have one 6" screen strapped to our face at all times. Though since it has to show 2 halves for the 3D effect maybe that should count as 2 screens?

@SLIGEACH_EIRE It took off when New Super Mario Bros., Animal crossing and Mario kart appeared in the market. People didn't complained that much at the design as many believe.

Software Sell Systems. It always have and alway will.

@gatorboi352 That's absurd. Switch success is because of Zelda as well as Mario Kart 8 deluxe, Minecraft and Bomberman SOFWTARE SELL SYSTEMS.

Stop finding excuses. Switch is a hit either you like it or not. Deal with it.

I loved my DS lite with all my heart .....and then 1 day my nephews visited me and wrecked my ''precious''

@nhSnork Iwata was pretty |DIRECT| about NX being about unified hardware and OS. If they produce a non switch console that would be a big retreat from the iwata doctrine. I think any other hardware would almost definitly be a Switch at its core.

The R4 cards allowing emulation (ZX Spectum, Amstrad, Mega Drive, NES, SNES) plus GBA backward compatibility can't be beat. 😍

In a way. The Switch seems to follow a similar story. An under-powered and unconventional system with equally weird controller gimmicks that was initially met with skepticism and worry from the gaming community. Only to shatter all expectations and prove it's hardware with great software. The only difference is that the Switch is an instant hit, while the DS didn't become a sales monster until the DS Lite.

@wizzgamer The Switch 'IS' the Wii U's successor. Unless your comment was simply a joke.

I feel like a freak, but I was never really impressed with the DS library. I've owned all of Nintendo's handhelds and my DS games are easily the smallest handheld library: all mainline Pokemon games and the Phoenix Wright series. That's it.

Maybe had the best Mario Kart.

@roadrunner343

Say, Meteos was a fantastic game! It's one of my favorites in the library.

Now I must play my copy.

Geolyte forever!

Who here's grandparents never owned a DS? I know mine never did.

The Phat is prettier than the Lite!

Titanium forever!

Great system, brought me thousands of hours of fun. And that's just from all the Pokémon and multiplayer I played. Also those mini games from Super Mario 64 DS and New Super Mario Bros., which got me super hooked.

@nhSnork

Well for one, the Lite's slot had the games stick out. The original's didn't.

And that's just one of the many reasons why the Phat is better.

@RadoGoji the touch screen is no more a gimmick than super fancy graphics, VR, 4k or anything that isn't great games.

@technotreegrass I think there's 100 great games you missed out on.

My little White NDS Lite with so many great games and two siblings (3DS XL & New 3DS XL) .

I never bought into the DS or Wii at the time. I never even bought a tablet until 2010, so guess I was never a touch screen kind of person. I did pick up a 3DS for Zelda games, but touch screen was mostly forgotten with that by then. Gaming on things like that was never gaming to me, still feel that way today. Texting is fine, gaming is not. Glad Nintendo sees that now with Switch only using it for very minor things/games.

I hada DS phat, it was "special". that's what you get for being an early adopter, but was well used until it was put out to pasture (or rather me breaking it).

Oh how things change. If only nintendo was still this good

The DS was fun, but for some reason (and it could be that I grew older), I still didn't play it as much as I did the original Gameboy, Gameboy Advance and Gameboy Color. The 3DS is great right now too, but I still find myself watching it collect dust more than playing it. For nintendo's consoles, I kind of lost touch after the Gamecube, which the Gamecube is still my favorite nintendo console to date (don't own a Switch)...but I owned an NES (loved it) skipped the Super NES for the Genesis and couldn't really get used to the N64's weird controller, to the point that I favored the Dreamcast more...hated PS1 and had a PS2 for the DVD player...played Gamecube way more though. Loved the PS3, had a Wii but grew old of it, HATED the Wii U completely, kept the PS4 and love the PS4 at the moment. Will I get a Switch...eventually, but only after I see more than just a few games for it (games that aren't also on the competitors machines), and I still want to make sure it's actually going to continue being a hit and get plenty of games that aren't just nintendo-only titles. Guess I'm waiting for E3 to see what nintendo has in store!!!! Hopefully, if not this generation, nintendo can have their stars again! Maybe Mario needs to get more stars from the Party titles!!!!

The DS catalogue was fantastic. Having a map on you at all times in games like Castlevania was a game changer. I'm going to miss the Dual Screen era in handhelds in the future.

The DS and Wii era was a great time to be a Nintendo fan. I'm hoping the Switch can make Nintendo "cool" again...

DS was the first system that brought touch games to the masses (with a stylus not a finger). When i got iphone 3gs i wanted a stylus cause finger wasn't as precise. Still apple showed multitouch on a single screen is possible. So Nintendo shouldn't repeat the second screen gimmick on 3ds. Wasn't really usefull anyway. Mobile games for 0,99 cents also proved that 40 dollars for Brain Training and Nintendogs is a steal

Ironically the best fun I had on the DS was with Mario Kart which took no advantage of touch But I did also play a bunch of touch titles as well!

The only downside of the DS IMO was it's weirdly limited Wi-Fi support. It barely worked with any existing Wi-Fi access points. I actually had to buy one of the recommended access points just to get online LOL!

Best Library.

@jump Erm, DS 'Phat' and DS Lite both had GB Advanced slots.

It was the third and fourth iterations of DS, DSi and DSi XL that removed the Advanced slot. I think this is what you're referring to.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_DSi

My cousin and some friends had a DS, the appeal of it didn't quite hit me until later, but the more I think about it, the more amazing I think the DS' feature set is/was.

Getting into the game late, I bought a cheap used DS Phat, Lite, and DSi on craigslist. Loved most all the iterations of the DS family, and seeing how Nintendo changes up the hardware.

The DS Phat is super durable, feels very sturdy, and has great volume on the speakers. The DSi was very sleek and I loved the matte finish. And in general, the dual screen combined with touch screen, with button controls, is really the best of all worlds.

Though I don't use it often, having a tiny bit of 3D on gives games a nice enhanced look, and while I haven't played through it, it blows/boggles my mind a bit when I try the AR games that come with the 3DS (like the AR that forms golf courses on your environment).

I was one that rubbishrubbished the idea, and then went and bought one. There was a caveat. I had gift cards and a demo of Metroid Hunters was included. For weeks that was all I played until Metroid Pinball and Meteos arrived. Then came Mario Kart DS...

What a time to be a gamer though!

The PSP may well my 2nd favourite console of all time but the DS was soooo good as well. I had both and for a time didn't bother with a home console at all. And why not?
I could play multiplayer games with the wife as we both had a DS or I could catch up with some PlayStation classics on the PSP at work on lunch breaks.

I bought every iteration of the DS at launch but missed the tail end of its life. I still need to play Okamiden and Golden Sun III

I remember when it was being advertized, huge poster in gamestop with Super Mario 64, on a HANDHELD, that changed everything for me. Waiting at a doctor's office? SUPER MARIO 64! Waiting anywhere at all? SUPER MARIO 64! having the original 3d Mario platformer game on a handheld was probably the first time I started taking handheld systems seriously.
Not even mentioning the Metroid Prime Hunters demo that came in the box. Now-a-days they look like a retro inspired Unity game but back then it was one of the most amazing things to come out for a handheld system.

I love the DS so much there were so many good games to play on it.

@wizzgamer The Switch is the Wii U's successor, not the 3DS's. Nintendo markets the Switch as a "home console you can take with you on the go"...hence it's the Wii U's successor. Currently Nintendo is insisting on keeping the 3DS alive and they act as if the Wii U never existed. Not to mention, two of the three first party games currently on Switch are also Wii U games. I think that's a pretty clear indicator as to which console the Switch is replacing...

@subpopz
Eye Candy = Colorful for NDS ?

@Robotron2084
One of the best on the system is The World Ends With You - if you've not already got it. Might want to invest in a plastic screen protector first tho.

I spent ages playing on my DS Lite. I have 200 hours in Dragon Quest IX, many of which were spent with my cousin, exploring the extensive world and the deadly grottoes. Good times.

@Yoshis_VGM It may be one of those situations, much like (presumably) the GB/DS situation in which the idea is on the table and they are just waiting to see what the market says.

@ProjectCafe It's one of those few games that is still very unique to this day. There's never really been a puzzle game quite like it since then. It's such a blast multiplayer too. I went on a vacation last year with my whole family, so I actually picked up an extra copy of Meteos and took my 3DS, DS Lite, DSi, and my wife took her 3DS, just so we could get some multiplayer going with my brother and his wife. It's still incredibly fun, I just wish we'd get a proper sequel. Though, now that Switch dropped the stylus, maybe it would be the best.

@roadrunner343

Wasn't its commercial the greatest?

I got a Dsi later in the ds' lifetime. As much as I love it, it was kind of disappointing to. Miss out on all the good gba games out there

I had that Silver Frankenstein Monster, it was ugly as hell.

To be honest, I never liked the DS that much. I never felt the need of a second screen, in my opinion all the features of this console are rather weird and useless. Of course it has a lot of interesting and fun games but the console itself was nothing special for me. I don't even like touch screen controls. The best handheld ever made imho is the original Gameboy / Gameboy color. Even Game Boy advance was slightly disappointing compared to the original Gameby in my opinion. DS and 3DS have great games but they would have been even better devices with better "plain and simple" graphics capabilities instead of things like double screen and 3D effect for me.

@NEStalgia quite probably, but I can also imagine it remaining a dual screen platform.

@ProjectCafe not a big deal for me personally, but point taken.

@nhSnork with nintendo you never know. But its hard to imagine them continuing to divide resources across two platforms, with separate incompatible software when an upgraded 2 screen device with more compute power...so a 2 screen incompatible device that works similar to a switch but weaker which would sell worse outside Japan than switch and better in japan than switch. Nintendo is nintendo so you never know. But that would be a wiiu mess.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Your first post is factually incorrect.

@NEStalgia it might not be a mess if you just released a power and interface update of the 3DS (which itself already felt like DSi Advance if you weren't into 3D). Make its hardware Wii U tier so it can run DS games from eShop (game cards still have their life expectancy and older games are more accessible when you don't have to pay 200 bucks for an eBay copy because it's long out of print everywhere else), and I'd say we're all set. I'm not even really concerned about stuff like new Mario, Zelda or SSB games making it to both platforms or not; I'm concerned about a range of DS games which can't be emulated comfortably without DS form factor and their respective franchises some of which were geared towards DS features specifically. Can every blatant DS exclusive be reimagined in a single screen form like TWEWY was? Can every series built around using two screens switch (pun intended) new entries to a single one? Or will we see some franchises die off and more games become vaporware outside NDS romsets and DeSMuMe? Wii's legacy at least doesn't seem equally troubled by these questions since Switch inherited its motion controls. But DS legacy has one capacitive screen to bank on in the Switch heritage regard - and while it should thankfully suffice in many ways, that's what makes me wonder about the future.

Alternatively - and to humour the recurrent "Switch Mini" fantasies along the way - I can picture a CLAMSHELL Switch Mini with two screens, now that people insist it wouldn't use a docked TV mode anyway. Being a sturdy unter-PS4 it is, Switch certainly should be able to emulate DS titles where Wii U could; a possible power bump by then could even make 3DS VC titles a reality. YMMV how crazy this idea is, but hey. XD

@nhSnork hmm i see where you're going now. I want thinking about vc and ds oriented series, just new software. Thats an interesting conundrum N put itself in with short lived hardware ideas. Wiiu could have salvaged that.

DS is actually dirt simple. A TV or 6.6" switch screen can easily host both "screens" side by side. 3DS otoh is a lot more problematic. And any game that required stylus precision has no hope. There's no chance of a resistive display in Ns future. So squishy capacitive stylii would have to do, and only in handheld mode.

Yet even if they DID do a new non-Switch based handheld, i cant see them doing 2 screens. The DS gimmick wore itself out a while ago and it's been around forver. N would do an all new gimmick and REALLY distance it from switch.

@nhSnork
Switch with Clamshell ?
Did you mean like this ?

@NEStalgia
Bring new games for Switch from NDS era kinda tricky. Example, how to play Cooking Mama on Switch while docked ? Should I use my Joy Cons to point at TV like a mouse (imagine Cooking Mama on Wii) ?

@Anti-Matter yeah if it allowed tv mode that would be tricky. Pointing would work like in world of goo...but it doesn't sound too fun. But they could make smaller games like that as a handheld only game. They v allowed Voez so it's possible. But i could be eShop only....yuck.

154 million. I remember when Sony said that they feel sorry for Nintendo, after announced the PSP. And the DS turned out to be the best selling video game system of all time.

One of my all time favorite systems and my favorite handheld. Soooo many fantastic games, some of which I'm still discovering today.

I loved my original DS, planned on getting it at launch but I had to search around for about a week before I found one. The metroid Hunter's demo and having Mario 64 ds at launch definitely helped sales too. Then when they announced WiFi connectivity and that Mario kart ds would be the first game to use it, I think that made a massive change too.

On a side note I did prefer the original DS to the ds lite. It was much more comfortable to play metroid hunters on ( I used the thumb thingy) and I preferred the clicky feel of the dpad while playing Mario kart. Used to drive my mom mad at night though lol if you got good at snaking it made a right racket lol.

@Anti-Matter WOULD. BUY.

@pAq Yeah, the backlight seems such a simple idea now but it was fantastic at the time. I've spent so many happy gaming hours on my Gameboy Advance SP.

There's so many games on the DS I still haven't even got around to playing yet. There was such a variety of different games to try too, some using touch controls, others sticking to traditional controls, what a fantastic system!

Really loved the Sonic Rush games and it's a shame they haven't made any more 2D Sonic games like it. The missions Mario Kart DS was great and I wish they'd bring it back.

Still like to play good old Brain Trainer every now and then.

DS brings back good memories for me, I've never really bonded with my New 3DS for some reason - I mean it's a great console but something seems to be missing

Just wish Nintendo would kill the 3DS faster confess that the Switch is the 3DS successor as the Switch is a handheld that can connect to the TV not a home console and not the Wii U's successor. They just don't want to own up to the fact they have dropped out the home console market.

The last line about working on the nuts and bolts of gaming, instead of being in a graphical arms race is one of the reasons why Nintendo keeps its head comfortably above water.

The DS is a great handheld series with a great library.We play games to have fun, not to turn our noses up at its graphics as though we were snobs, critics and connoisseurs at an art museum.

Still having fun with the DSi.