The Nintendo DS is one of the best-selling consoles of all time. It outsold its competition and connected gamers from all walks of life with its portability and versatility. It appealed to the casual market with games like Dr. Kawashima'sBrain Training and Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, appealing to all generations.
Nintendo continues its success with its hybrid console/handheld device, the Nintendo Switch, thanks to the lessons learned from its successes of the DS and 3DS as well as the failures of the Wii U. But what separated the classic Nintendo DS from the rest of the competition? And why do gamers still love the little machine today? This list will outline what makes the DS better than other handhelds of the time.
6 It's A Family Machine
Where competing handheld devices like the PSP and PS Vita were developed with the idea of having a powerful console in handheld form, Nintendo always seems to understand that not everyone cares about power when it comes to having fun with the family. The importance of picking up a gaming device without the need for complicated controls and fiddly buttons that may intimidate non-gamers - old and young - is evident in the Wii with its waggle controls and the DS, thanks to its Stylus pen. With games that implemented the Stylus, just about any generation can play a variety of genres, from puzzle games like Brain Training and music games such as Guitar Hero: On Tour.
Many gamers that grew up playing the Nintendo DS can recite fond memories of playing games with their grandparents. Likewise, parents will fondly recall playing Nintendogs and New Super Mario Bros with their children. It was a gaming device designed to be played by everyone, whereas its competitors focused more on intense gaming experiences. Unfortunately, not everyone can pick up and play hardcore console experiences on smaller handhelds like the PSP without suffering some discomfort in their hands over prolonged periods.
5 The DS Is Durable
The design of the Nintendo DS is leagues ahead of the PSP and the PS Vita, thanks to its durability. Even with the GameBoy, Nintendo's handheld machines were designed with younger players in mind. Every parent can contest that their kids will drop everything, whether it is ice cream cones, their parent's mobile phone, a gaming controller, and of course, a handheld portable console.
Nintendo knew this, and with their folding design that protected the screens and solid plastic outer casing, the little machines could take being dropped by gamers young and old. By comparison, the PSP, the heavier PSP-1000, or the redesigned and lighter PSP-3000, a fall to the floor often meant these machines would shatter.
4 Battery Life
Even by today's standards, the battery life on a Nintendo DS blows the competition away. They last hours so players on their commute to work or school could safely make their trips without losing their progress. Players can close the DS, and the machine would go into standby mode, then they continue their game hours, if not days later, while retaining a significant amount of battery.
Moreover, after a full charge and assuming the player has shut down their DS properly, they will often find that the handheld has retained a lot of battery months later. The same thing can't be said for its competitors at the time. The PSP and the PS Vita will lose battery life over time, even when switched off. More annoyingly, users must reset the time and date if it was left too long.
3 The Library Of Games
The Nintendo DS didn't just get by on being versatile and user-friendly. It has a vast library of games that appeal to longtime and hardcore gamers. When consoles moved into HD gaming, development costs increased, and genres considered niche at the time, like JRPGs and point-and-click adventures, were pushed aside in favor of big-budget cinematic experiences like Uncharted and Gears of War.
The DS became the home for some of the best JRPGs at the time, with mainline and spin-off Shin Megami Tensei titles, Final Fantasy remakes, and sequels. Moreover, classics like Radiant Historia helped make handheld gaming the place to go for JRPG fans. In addition to the niche market, Nintendo has some of the best exclusives available. So fans also get to play New Super Mario Bros, Mario Kart DS, and Legend of Zelda games like The Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, making it one of the best systems to play games.
2 The Cartridges
Going back to the durability of the DS console, this extends to the cartridges - which the PS Vita would adopt - when compared to the UMDs needed for the PSP. The cartridges aren't as easily damaged as UMD, which was essentially a mini-disc encased in flimsy plastic.
The little cartridges have faster loading times than the optical-disc-based UMD, making them better suited to gaming. The only downside to the small cartridges is that they can be lost if they aren't kept in their cases or a multi-cartridge carry case.
1 The Photographs
While selfies on mobile devices are common now, they were a bit of a novelty on handheld gaming devices. At the time, including such a feature was innovative and another great way to get the family to bond over the little machine.
They were low-resolution pictures but allowed players to have fun by adding Nintendo-exclusive features, like Mario hats, and more onto the user's image. More importantly, photographs are the perfect way to capture a memory, and booting up a Nintendo DSi and DSXL stored in a cupboard for years to look over child-now-grown photographs is a beautiful way to bring all these memories back.