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[ArmsOfSorrow]

Awesome system, even if I only got like 10 games over its entire lifespan. (kids don't have unlimited money, you know.)

I remember buying it in 2004 and later upgrading to a DS Lite because I thought the screen was so much better...and of course the DSi, which, for me, is the best handheld Nintendo ever made in terms of build quality and design.

 

[BGBW]

My OG DS chipped.

 

[Dr. Buni]

Best handheld ever. I loved and still love the GBA, but the DS was so much better. Sadly the 3DS is very underwhelming if compared to any of those two. :|

 

[Chrono Helix]

I remember my first games were Advance Wars Dual Strike and Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow.

 

[Tanwo]

One of my favourite systems, with an amazing library.
I loved the GBA compatibility, as I never had a GBA SP, so this allowed me to finally play GBA games on a good screen.

 

[GrotesqueBeauty]

To celebrate everyone should play the woefully overlooked Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero. Seriously, it's awesome. And don't forget Giana Sisters DS!

Also, Super Princess Peach > New Super Mario Bros.

 

[Neo Dark]

Wow.. feels pretty recent that it came out.

I remember when I first heard of it and went, "what the heck is this thing?"
2006 comes and I see friends with them and I want one of my own and did for my birthday (shame the hinge wasn't that great and it actually cracked but I got a DSi after).

It truly is a wonderful device and personally I'm happy that Nintendo used it as inspiration for the Wii U because things like Nintendo Land really are fun and I love Off TV mode and being able to start watching videos on my TV in less than a minute.

 

[Yoshi]

Bought mine together with one for a friend on launch day (SM64DS for me, Pokémon rubbing game for him) that we had both preordered at a local shop, together with a carrying pouch one got as a bonus for preordering. Still, I use this pouch every day to carry around my 3DS (or my DS Lite, if I'm playing a DS game).

 

[Joey Ravn]

Is it still good to buy? Or will I be disappointed?

Pro tip: Play it on 3DS. That circle pad is godsend for a game like SM64DS.

 

[ArtHands]

Really the best handheld ever, with unmatched game library in terms of quality and quantity and a ridiculous sales unit record, selling just a little below the ps2.

It is a gem that really surpassed everyone's expectation, and proves that game quality matters more than graphic. I still remember the DQ9 meltdowns here.

 

[jufonuk]

Such an amazing portable game system, the software library for it was so diverse , and inventive I just Wish the 3ds was region free.

Happy 10th bday

 

[JustAnotherOtaku]

Hard to believe it was 10 years ago. I just got back into games (as in playing more than just the major releases) in early 2004 after 18 months or so and remember picking up a magazine that had a blowout of the DS, launch games etc. Decided I needed one so preordered an import US one as the UK release wasn't until March 2005 I think.

Anyway, I remember it arriving and opening the box to make sure everything worked etc and falling in love with it straight away. Original model looks horribly dated now, but the clamshell design was impressive at the time.

That first year of its life was great - Mario 64 DS, Ridge Racer, Warioware, Ouendan, Castlevania, Kirby, Nintendogs (which I imported from Japan on release), Mario Kart, Sonic Rush, Partners in Time, Animal Crossing etc. Plus a few other Japan-only releases too.

On that note, it was a joy for importers being region free, but also having a selection of quirky Japanese exclusive releases that you would expect to find on the PS1 or PS2. Rhythm games especially were in abundance but there was also the other stuff like Jump All Stars and so on.

Overall, I'm not sure if I'd say it ended up with a better library than the PSP, but for me it's without doubt the best Nintendo handheld ever released, the 3DS is doing well but will have to do a hell of a lot more to catch up as far as I'm concerned.

 

[robotrock]

Wow. This is blowing my mind

 

[Jo Shishido's Cheeks]

I remember not having that much interest in it pre-release but we got our orders in at work (Blockbuster, ahh memories) and the minute I saw Mario 64 running on it I was blown away.
Took one home with me that day.

Playing Project Rub and Pac Pix was special, the touchscreen and mic combo was unlike anything I'd experienced.

 

[Marz]

OP doesn't have any pictures? Cmon son.

 

[slit]

10 years since Super Mario 64 DS released.

Fuck.

.....and I saw a copy at the store the other day still retailing for $34.99.

 

[Infernal Monkey]

Secret best launch game.

 

[nikatapi]

I'll always remember the amazement when i first played the Metroid demo that was included with the system. I was so hyped for the touchscreen gaming, and WarioWare was one of the most unique experiences i've had with gaming at that time.

It was a very innovative system, with a great library.

 

[DodgeDusk]

I remember getting this from my father on my 8th Christmas, alongside SM64DS. I think I went everywhere with that lit- err, big thing. I remember still using it even when I had my DSi, due to me preferring the older buttons. After a while, the hinges got loose, to the point where the top half could be moved slightly. Since I got the 3DS, I let one of my older brothers borrow it. I actually remembered it from time to time, and I had no idea what it was like, or if he even had it anymore. Well, I went over his house to babysit my niece a couple of weeks ago, and in one of the spare rooms, I saw it. Or what was left of it--the top half had been removed entirely. Not going to lie, I was kinda upset

 

[Log4Girlz]

Pretty soon there will be people on GAF who weren't even born when the DS came out.

I gotta go lie down.

I hate young people. .. and clouds

 

[BodiesWithoutOrgans]

Gamers always reminded there old

 

[SparksterMeta0]

Wow, it's been that long ago?

 

[BasilZero]

Oh the memories!

lol this is how my lunch table at school was like......and I was one of the PSP guys


I got to enjoy the NDS through my NDS Lite that I purchased years later.

 

[Bluth54]

Good times, I got a DS a couple of months after it came out and played a lot of Super Mario 64 multiplayer at my high school with my friends.

 

[redcrayon]

Awesome machine, I ended up with around 90-odd games, that's never happened with a console for me before.

Also, that was with me largely ignoring Nintendo's first party output outside of Advance Wars. Usually they make a large portion of the strongest games on their systems, but it was good to see so many great third party games.

 

[Impotaku]

Some people recon the Gameboy or the GBA had the best game library, but for me the DS absolutely destroys both of those in sheer number of quality games. I remember my friend queuing up on a cold winter morning in Japan so he could get hold of mine & his preorder literally 2 days later i had a original launch DS and all of the launch games sat in front of me it was an awesome xmas indeed.

The first wave of games were a bit misguided as they were still getting to grips with the new mechanisms of the 3DS, some felt like simple tech demos but they were still fun to play. May favourite launch games were sawaru made in wario, daigasso band bros & Mario 64 i loved that they actually added new levels to Mario 64 it was a lot of fun to play even if the controls were clunky and not very precise. I remember that little thing on the hand strap that you put around your thumb to turn it into a touchscreen joystick hehe i wonder what happened to those it was on the original DS and never seen again.

As the years went on the library grew and grew with amazing amounts of games but also interestingly there were a lot of useful non game pieces of software released i loved that there were other uses for the DS besides games i still use my Japanese taking cooking guide even now. Depending on what region you went for will influence how much you enjoyed it, i stuck to Japan so there were always a constant supply of quirky and fun games to get & because it was region free (sigh) any unique games that were only released in the west could be picked up too it was the best of both worlds.

That PSP pic on the first page pretty much sums up the time, when DS first came out everyone taked shit about it, ooh a kiddy handheld with gimmicky touch screen and a pointless second screen. Everone once again assumed that the handheld with the better graphics would come out on top yeah never works out like that for handhelds look at history to see that, LOL yeah the irony in that pic nowdays is very funny. To be fair the PSP did great for Sony's first handheld just the DS absolutely destroyed it.

Still play and collect games that i missed out on or never knew existed, getting to the point now that there are literally no games that i don't know about in Japan no matter how obscure they are. Maybe about 20 left to get hold of but after that i'm done. my DS collection i'll never sell for any amount. Need to get a couple of back up DS consoles to last me over the coming years, The 3DS is starting to do well with quality games been released but the library is not a patch on what i h\ave for DS.

Ah imports how i love thee

 

[RionaaM]

Never had one, so I'm slowly discovering games for it that I'm (planning on) playing on my 3DS, like The World Ends With You (it's great, but I got stuck at an impossible boss). A few months ago I also got a copy of 999, which I should play someday. Ghost Trick, Pokemon gens 4 and 5, Giana Sisters DS, Mario & Luigi, Professor Layton, all of these are games I want to get and play eventually.

 

[Thoraxes]

I remember my mind being fucking blown that we could play games wirelessly and be in different rooms to use multiplayer.

My friends and I spent like 8 hours on launch day just drawing shit (mostly dicks) to each other in Pictochat because wireless communication natively in a handheld device was a major fucking revelation.

 

[koopas]

I remember working at a retail store that was able to get the og a few days before the release date.

I remember playing Mario 64 and Metroid Prime Hunters demo on it.

*tears*

 

[Worthintendo]

OP doesn't have any pictures? Cmon son.

Sorry was posting at work before my shift finished, do want to fix it up layer tonight

 

[Impotaku]

I remember my mind being fucking blown that we could play games wirelessly and be in different rooms to use multiplayer.

My friends and I spent like 8 hours on launch day just drawing shit (mostly dicks) to each other in Pictochat because wireless communication natively in a handheld device was a major fucking revelation.

Did you ever play that game on pictochat where just like the old game where you draw a person on a piece of paper one part at a time then fold it over then when you finish the last part you unfold it all and see what they look like. We used to play it in pictochat one person would start then send the image then somone would draw the next bit, so many gross obscene people were created on car trips lol.

 

[Honey Bunny]

Incredible system. Deserved all its success.

F

 

[ethelred]

It was an amazing system, and probably Nintendo's best.

And it still rocks.

 

[JordanKZ]

The DS was a really important system for me personally. It was the first I remember buying on my own, with my own money from America. I remember going to college with it and playing games between breaks, when no one had any idea what it even was.

I discovered a tonne of new genres that I never knew existed, whilst completely reinventing existing Nintendo franchises and allowing me to discover new ones. It's just a shame that we never saw a 2D Metroid game on it. I bought almost all the hardware revisions, and they all kind of felt important.

The 3DS is a fantastic handheld, but I don't think it'll hold a candle to the DS, at least in terms of what it achieved for the industry.

 

[Harlock]

DS is a troo classic! Touch controls and PS1 era graphics. Was already nostalgic in your prime, much more now.

 

[Chris B]

Secret best launch game.

Hell yeah.

 

[superNESjoe]

Still waiting for that new Game Boy. Third pillar my ass.

 

[Occam]

The original DS was quite ugly (and expensive for what it was, imo), which is why I waited until DS Lite was released to jump on the DS train. And what a ride it was!
Region free gaming is awesome, I bought many cool DS imports. Shame on Nintendo for locking the DSi and the 3DS.

#regionfree3DSnow!

 

[NumberThree]

Still have my original fat DS (my first handheld, actually). Unfortunately my niece dropped it a few months ago and broke the hinge so it's not very usable at the moment. But it's her loss, since it was just she and her brothers who were playing it these days.

 

[gerudoman]

DS Lite serious contender for GOAT handheld. What a machine.

DS Lite is probably my favourite gaming system ever. Incredible battery life and backwards compatibility with GBA games, which look pretty good. The only significant flaw it has is the poor quality of its materials, I've owned fout Lites and three of them ended up with its hinges broken.

 

[Letep]

Based DS.

Got me back into video games full time.

 

[batrush]

Still waiting for that new Game Boy. Third pillar my ass.

Yep.

 

[FleetingFlowAir]

The OG DS is so bulky, but the DSi on the other hand was just perfect. The DS had an amazing list of games for a handheld.

 

[sublimit]

I bought my DS Lite a bit late (April 2007 i think) and my first game for it was FF Fables Chocobo Tales.I had a blast with that game!

 

[Harlock]

Anyone?

 

[Spieler Eins]

Great system, 3DS can't hold a candle. It's alright because of 1st party support, while DS 1st party was shit mostly, but it didn't really matter, because 3rd party was god tier on it. 3DS has a bunch of sequels, but it's not even in the same league.

And as usual a special shoutout for my favorite game on the platform:

Never localized in EU and now it's really hard to find a decent import... :/

 

[jufonuk]

.....and I saw a copy at the store the other day still retailing for $34.99.

£25.44 on Amazon, though there are other lower priced copies,
still, I find that Nintendo Games to not devalue so much as other games..

 

[fushi]

You two, is there somewhere a good, sufficient list of import recommendations? I am particularly interested in more under the radar games, like the excellent Ganbare Goemon game or Coropata for example.

Spieler Eins, wish I could help you. The game was really cheap for a good while at VGP, but I see it is out of stock now.

 

[thelatestmodel]

I picked mine up in Japan in '06, such great times.

I had to look everywhere for a place that even had DS Lites in stock, and I happened to get lucky and be in BIC Camera right at the moment when they put a fresh delivery out on the shelves.

Some of the best gaming I've ever had was on that little machine. I spent free periods at work working my way through Phoenix Wright, Final Fantasy III, the Castlevanias, Puzzle Quest, and Animal Crossing, to name just a few. It went everywhere with me, just a little leather case tossed into my shoulder bag.

I don't think I'll ever get rid of it!

 

[SegaShack]

I was a huge Nintendo fan at the time and saved up like 1 and a half years worth of GS gift cards from birthday/Christmas for this system. I remember it being sold out everywhere and I would call places every day or so to check if they had it in stock.

One day I come home from Jr. High and my dad tells me "The x Gamestop called and told me they have one in stock, if we leave now we might be able to grab it, go get your giftcards and I'll drive you. I go upstairs and open the drawer where my giftcards were and in there was the DS. He had already gotten it for me. Awesome day.

Software wise I was really disappointed by the Zeldas and Pokemon games. My favorite games would have to be:

Contra 4
Dragon Quest Rocket Slime
Retro Game Challenge

Nice coincidence. I just recently dug out my DS lite to play some Picross 3D and maybe to finally finish Mother 3 after dropping off so many times.

I am positively surprised by the fact that the battery is as good as ever despite heavy use over all those years since I bought it. Can't say the same for most modern pieces of electronics.

And as usual a special shoutout for my favorite game on the platform:

Awesome game.