Retrospective: Nintendo DS (2004)

An innovative little handheld.

 

  The Nintendo DS holds a special place in my heart as well as many other players who grew up playing games on it. Released in 2004, it was a huge gamble for Nintendo, whose been accustomed to the Game Boy brand for over a decade at the time. It would quickly defy expectations, becoming the company's best-selling system to date. So in celebration of the handheld turning 20-years-old in 2024, let's go over its entire life with a retrospective starting with its beginnings and capping off with its impact on the gaming landscape. 

Part One: Nitro

   Following the rapid popularity of the Game Boy Advance and underwhelming GameCube sales, former Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi—great-grandson of Fusajiro Yamauchi, Nintendo's founder—proposed a new, third system that would stand alongside the GBA and GC in mid-2002. We know it would be later referred as "Nintendo DS"— however—that wasn't its original name! The DS originally began life as Project "Nitro", a dual-screen handheld that would bring Nintendo back to being an innovator. A prototype version was revealed in E3 2004 by then-president Satoru Iwata, with a clam-shell design and "DS" chosen as the official name. 

The prototype DS showcased in E3 2004.

   The name DS caused some confusion in the gaming community as some believed it stood for "Dual Screen" while others argued that it meant "Developer's System". Nintendo itself clarified that it stood for both, according to its online support page. The future of the handheld went hand-in-hand with Nintendo's own as Yamauchi went on record stating: "If the DS wins, we will rise to heaven, but if it fails, we will sink into hell". His over-the-top statement had merit since the company was in dire straits after GameCube's disappointing numbers compared to the PS2 and Xbox. In short, Nintendo's experimental little handheld had its work cut out for it.

Part Two: Two Screens

   The DS brought with it a slew of features that were never seen before in a Nintendo handheld. Most notably are the two LCD screens that'll be used to play games and interact with other players. The upper screen is a standard one while the bottom gets all the action due to its touchscreen capabilities. Many games favored the action on one screen while the other served as your map or status screen. Some went all out with you using both screens simultaneously and even turning the system sideways! Also, every Nintendo DS came with a small stylus that helped you navigate the system menus and play games.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time used the top screen as a map while 
the action took place on the bottom screen.

 

   One of the DS' memorable features were PictoChat, a messaging app that lets you send messages and drawings to other players and Download Play, which had you inviting other players to play with you using one game cartridge. Both used Wi-Fi as a means of communication before the Nintendo Wii did it on a wider scale. The system interface had a decent amount of customization options like naming your own DS, picking a favorite color for the UI (mine was blue), inserting your birth date so that the DS would wish you a good one, a system message that'll greet you, and even an alarm clock to wake you up. 

Using two screens and a stylus may have been a big ask,
but it was fairly easy to get used to.

  

   Moreover, it had a built-in microphone that games like Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney utilized where you had to blow on it to dust-off for fingerprints in certain gameplay segments. Sleep mode was a handy feature that suspended the game when you're taking a break by simply folding the system. One interesting bit was that The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass required you to close the system in sleep mode to reveal a secret map that would advance the story, which was a clever use of the feature.

The DS used miniature cartridges to play games.
(These my copies of Kirby and Mario Kart.)

 

   As opposed to the GBA's 2D sprites, the DS was capable of rendering fully 3D models and backgrounds, a massive step up in Nintendo's handheld history. It was essentially a pocket-sized Nintendo 64—fitting since Super Mario 64 would see a DS remake. Additionally, the DS supported its older sibling in the form of Game Boy Advance backwards compatibility with a GBA slot located at the bottom of the handheld. This meant that you play GBA games on either the top or bottom screens.

Part Three: Life of the DS

   The DS had a long and eventful life before its discontinuation in 2013. Prior to launch, Nintendo claimed that pre-order numbers reached 2 million units, double of what the company was expecting. The DS launched in 2004, with North America receiving it first on November 21 while Japan followed on December 2. Europe would received it later on March 11, 2005. It costed $150 and targeted teens and young adults who'd use the device between commutes. Nintendo would target an older demographic with offerings like Cooking Mama and Brain Age as well.

Mario Kart DS ended up being the most fun game
I've played solo and with friends.

   Its launch lineup wasn't particularly strong aside from Super Mario 64 DS and WarioWare: Touched! being standouts. The heavy-hitters from Nintendo came later with Mario Kart DS in 2005 and Metroid Prime: Hunters and New Super Mario Bros. both in 2006. Third-party support was strong with Sega's Sonic Rush and Konami's Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow gracing the system. As you might guess, the hallmark titles were 2006's Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, which quickly became the best-selling entries in the Pokemon series in Japan up to that point. Following that, many games would find their way onto the DS and its library continued to grow with plenty of memorable offerings.

   Throughout the years, the DS saw multiple hardware revisions. In 2006, it received a complete overhaul with the "DS Lite", a slimmer version that came with lots of new colors to choose from. It's arguably the best iteration of the handheld as it kept the basic features of the original without stripping them away as with subsequent revisions. Another major one came in 2008 with the "DSi", an even more slimmer DS with a camera at the front and back for taking pictures while introducing an online shop, SD card slot, and increased processing power as well. It came at the cost of the GBA slot, removing the ability to play its games. The final revision was 2010's "DSi XL", a larger DSi with bigger screens, stylus, and battery. Naturally, it was the heaviest handheld in the family.

The DS Lite, which is often regarded as
the best iteration of the DS.

Part Four: A lasting legacy

   To say that the Nintendo DS was a resounding success for Nintendo is an understatement. What began as a weird idea for a handheld ended up becoming the most successful system in the Japanese gaming giant's history. It is the best-selling Nintendo system to date with 154 million units sold worldwide—an incredible feat for a handheld that's just behind the PS2's 155 million. To no one's surprise, the best-selling game on DS was New Super Mario Bros. with 30 million copies sold. Nintendogs and Mario Kart DS followed with 23 million copies each.

  Interestingly, the DS is credited for bringing more females into the gaming scene, which was primarily dominated by teens and adult men at the time. It was estimated that over 44% of DS owners were female, which can be seen with pink-colored DS systems and casual games like Nintendogs and Animal Crossing: Wild World, among others.

New Super Mario Bros. was the platformer to own on DS,
and I've had lots of great times with it.

   

  In mid-2005, a pair of climbers were climbing the notoriously demanding Mt. Everest. As they continued their trip, they stated that nearly all of their electronic equipment failed—aside from the Nintendo DS, which happily worked despite the gruelling climate. Naturally, this garnered the DS a reputation of solid durability. 

 While both companies denied to admit it, Nintendo's DS and Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP) were direct competitors back in the seventh generation. The PSP targeted a more hardcore base with sleek styling, powerful PS2-like graphics, and media playback capabilities like music and movies. While it wasn't remembered for its power, the DS manged to outsell the PSP thanks to its casual user-base, relatively low entry cost, and abundant selection of games. 

Games like Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training attracted
audiences that weren't hardcore gamers.
(Here, the DS is used sideways.)

   Most importantly, the DS popularized touchscreen controls before smartphones like the iPhone took the casual gaming market by storm starting in 2007; creating a new market where you can play games on your phone instead of relying on a dedicated gaming handheld. As such, many casuals quickly switched over to smartphones and in a way, Nintendo indirectly gave rise to the mobile gaming threat that would later dwarf handheld gaming in the 2010s. The Nintendo 3DS replaced the DS in 2011 and elevated the dual-screen concept by introducing glasses-free 3D as the main feature. While it performed admirably, it only reached almost half of the DS' total sales, signifying mobile gaming's dominance.

In the end, smartphones were the prime competition for
both DS and PSP—and remain a behemoth to this day.

Closing Thoughts

   The Nintendo DS has been an integral part of my childhood. I had fond memories taking my DS systems on road trips, flights, school, and all over the house. My first one was the Electric Blue original (which I think I got in 2006) and I heavily played on it till the top-screen hinge broke. After that, I got my Ice Blue DS Lite in 2008 and not long after, I played New Super Mario Bros., Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story—all of which I loved a lot. By 2011, I got my blue DSi and if you're noticing a pattern, I'm a big fan of the color blue. I remember spending a lot of time on it drawing comics in Flipnote Studio and making my own mini-games in WarioWare: D.I.Y.—guess I was a lot more creative back then. 

My DS Lite (L) and DSi (R). The former has seen better days
but it still works like a champ. 

   By far, the DS was the most unique system I've owned (the Wii U comes second) and aside from my original, I took care of my two DS systems since I can't imagine playing DS games on anything but two actual screens. The Wii U tried to offer many screen configurations to mimmick the DS layout in its DS Virtual Console offerings, but none sat well with me. The 3DS is the closest when it comes to offering a true DS experience, however, you'll be dealing with ugly black borders or a stretched screen should you choose to fill it out. So for as long as possible, I'll be sticking to my DS handhelds. 

My modest collection of games.

  The DS was also home to some of the best games I've ever experienced. I'm talking about the likes of RPG classics like The World Ends With You, Pokemon White Version, and Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey that felt completely at home on DS. That's also not forgetting underrated platformers like the Sonic Rush games or thrilling visual novels like 999. Really, the DS had an abundant library that stretched across nearly all genres, so it just about had something for everyone. I'm still gaming on it occasionally as there are games I've yet to play, so the handheld will remain a part of my gaming journey in the future. 

 That's all for this special and hopefully informative retrospective on the Nintendo DS' life. A unique system in many ways, here's hoping the DS will continue to be appreciated by gaming fans for many more years to come! 

Sources:

1- Nintendo DS was conceived by advisor Hiroshi Yamauchi - Interview - gameonline.jp (translated)

2- What Does "DS" Stand For? - Nintendo Support (Archived)

3- Nintendo DS targets teens, young adults - NBC News 

4- Nintendo reacts to DS demand; orders, share price on the rise - GameSpot

5- Pokemon Hits 5 million - IGN 

6- IR Information : Sales Data - Dedicated Video Game Sales Units - nintendo.co.jp 

7- IR Information : Financial Data - Top Selling Title Sales Units - Nintendo DS Software - nintendo.co.jp

8- How the DS created a new generation of girl gamers - Pocket Gamer

9- Nintendo DS Survives trip to Mt. Everest- nsidr

10- The DS saved Nintendo while destroying handheld gaming as we knew it - Polygon