The Nintendo DS was released on the following dates in various regions around the world:
North America: November 21, 2004
Japan: December 2, 2004
Australia: February 24, 2005
Europe: March 11, 2005
A seventh generation handheld, the Nintendo DS console promised to revolutionize handheld gaming with innovations like no other before it. The fact that the handheld would feature not one, but two screens – one of them a resistive touchscreen – shocked gamers around the world. The console also features other innovations like a built-in microphone and Wi-Fi connectivity.
It's so strange to remember that the DS was meant to be a “third pillar” for Nintendo platforms – Nintendo hoped that the system would coexist alongside the Game Boy Advance and Gamecube. I guess we all know which pillar stood the longest before crumbling.
As of September 30, 2013, when all models of the Nintendo DS are combined, the amount of units sold totals a staggering 153.96 million, making the the top-selling handheld game platform of all time.
One of the strongest features the DS had at the time of launch was its ability to play any Game Boy Advance game cartridge through a second slot located at the bottom of the console. By owning either an original model Nintendo DS or a Nintendo DS Lite, you are granted access to not one, but two entire libraries of handheld video games. Users are able to select the top or the bottom screen to play your GBA games on – which do you prefer?
There are four models of the Nintendo DS. The original DS and DS Lite feature a Game Boy Advance slot, while the DSi line features two cameras and an online shop interface where you can purchase DSiWare applications and games. The DSi line also features an SD card slot for application storage. The DSi XL offers the largest available screen size, featuring two 4.2 inch screens.
There are a select few DSi-exclusive white game cartridges – these will only work on a Nintendo DSi or DSi XL handheld (as well as the Nintendo 3DS/2DS).
For further information on each model, check out this handy Wikipedia chart.
Are you a Nintendo 3DS or 2DS owner? You're in luck! Nintendo's tradition of backward-compatibility lives on with the Nintendo 3DS. Grab your console and pop any Nintendo DS cartridge into the slot, and you're good to go. Or head on over to the eShop to grab some DSiWare titles! So what are you waiting for? Dive into the enormous Nintendo DS backlog and you will not be disappointed.
There are slight differences in image quality when playing DS games on a 3DS/2DS. You can play any DS game in its native resolution on 3DS by holding the Start or Select button while booting up a Nintendo DS cartridge.
Most Gamestops are still offering Buy 2 Get 1 Free on their DS carts, so now's the time to snap them up (although most of the game cases have been thrown away). Amazon also still sells a lot of games new and some truly fantastic games can be had for cheap.
Spread the word! A ton of new 3DS/2DS adopters have not experienced a single Nintendo DS game. Let's make the DS live on through backward-compatibility!
Here are some of the greats from the massive DS library, highlighting the first party offerings and including just some of the quality third party titles available.
Title – Developer/Publisher – Genre – Year
alphabetical order
999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors – Aksys, Chunsoft – Visual Novel – 2010
Ace Attorney series – Capcom – Adventure/Visual Novel – 2005-2010
Advance Wars series – Nintendo, Intelligent Systems – Turn-based strategy – 2005-2008
Animal Crossing: Wild World – Nintendo – Life Sim – 2005
Bomberman DS – Hudson Soft – Action/Puzzle – 2005
Brain Age series – Nintendo – Puzzle – 2005-2007
Castlevania titles – Konami – Action-Adventure – 2005-2008
Clubhouse Games – Nintendo, Agenda – Board/Card games – 2006
Chrono Trigger – Square Enix – RPG – 2008
Contra 4 - Konami, WayForward – Run 'n gun shooter - 2007
Dragon Quest IX – Nintendo/Square Enix, Level 5 – RPG – 2010
(Dragon Quest IV and V are also available on DS)
Elite Beat Agents – Nintendo, iNiS – Rhythm – 2006
Final Fantasy titles – Square Enix – RPG – 2006-2007
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon – Nintendo, Intelligent Systems – Strategy RPG – 2009
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective – Capcom – Puzzle – 2011
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars – Rockstar Games – Action-adventure – 2009
Kirby: Mass Attack – Nintendo - Stylus-controlled side scroller – 2011
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks – Nintendo – Action-adventure – 2007
Mario & Luigi series – Nintendo, AlphaDream – RPG – 2005-2009
Mario Kart DS – Nintendo – Kart racer – 2005
Mario Party DS – Nintendo, Hudson Soft – Party game – 2007
Metroid Prime: Hunters – Nintendo – FPS – 2006
New Super Mario Bros – Nintendo – Platformer – 2006
Pac 'n Roll – Namco – Platformer – 2005
Picross DS – Nintendo, Jupiter – Puzzle – 2007
Professor Layton series – Nintendo, Level-5 – Puzzle – 2008-2011
Pokémon series – Nintendo, Game Freak – RPG – 2007-2012
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series – Nintendo, Chunsoft – Roguelike – 2005-2009
Pokémon Conquest – Nintendo, KOEI – Strategy – 2012
Radiant Historia – Atlus – RPG – 2011
Scribblenauts series – WB Games, 5th Cell – Puzzle – 2009-10
Starfox Command – Nintendo – Shooter – 2006
Super Mario 64 DS – Nintendo – Platformer – 2004
Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure – Sega, Sonic Team/Dimps – Platformer – 2005-2007
Rhythm Heaven – Nintendo, TNX - Rhythm – 2009
Tetris DS – Nintendo – Puzzle – 2006
The World Ends With You – Square Enix, Jupiter – Action RPG – 2008
WarioWare series – Nintendo – Action/Minigame – 2005-2010
Yoshi's Island DS – Nintendo, Artoon – Platformer – 2006
There are a ton more games in the DS library - if you're looking for a particular genre or type of game drop a post and I'm sure myself or someone else here will be able to recommend something.
So that's that DS-GAF! We can breathe a second life into the DS by diving into the enormous library of titles together, Please feel free to discuss your favorite DS games, memories of the console, or even deals you might score on that desired or fantastic game. As a huge fan of the DS it was fun compiling this OT and if you have any suggestions for this post please let me know!
