The Nintendo DS System

When I first heard about the Nintendo DS I was excited. I was playing the Gameboy Advanced SP at the time. It sounded so cool that the Nintendo DS would have duel screens instead of one like the SP. I couldn't wait until it came out and I hoped I would get it for Christmas since I knew I wouldn't be able to get it at launch or right after. The DS ended up coming out on Nov. 17 2004. I am not sure exactly when I got the system it was either Christmas 2004 or Christmas 2005. I was real excited when I got the DS for Christmas and I even got Super Mario 64 DS along with it. When I first started playing the system I was so happy and I was having so much fun especially because the game I got was Mario! To find out why this system is the best handheld game Nintendo has created just keep reading.

What does it look like?

The DS is as long as the Gameboy Advance and it opens and closes like the Gameboy Advanced SP. The DS has duel screens, which are backlit LCD screens. The bottom the screen is touch sensitive where you can tap it to do different controls. The Power button is located in the top left corner of the bottom half of the DS and bellow the Start button is the d-pad. The DS has a built in microphone and it is located near the bottom of the DS. The DS also has two LED's, one is the Recharge Indicator and the other is the Power Indicator. The one on the left is the Recharge Indicator and when the light is orange that means it is charging and it will go off when the DS is done charging. The other one is the Power Indicator which of course indicates if the power is on or off. When the power indicator blinks rapidly that shows that wireless communications is in progress, and if the power indicator blinks slowly that means the DS is in sleep mode. On the right side of the touch screen is where the A, B, X, Y, Select, and Start button are located. The A, B, X, and Y buttons are grouped in the same formation like the d-pad. The Start and Select buttons are located in the top right corner of the bottom half of the DS. The speakers are located on either side of the top screen. The L and R buttons or the Shoulder buttons are located on the left and right side of the top side of the DS. The Volume Control is located on the bottom side of the DS. The Volume Control is located on the left end of the bottom side of the DS. Also located on the bottom side of the DS is the Game Pak Slot is where you can put your Gameboy Advance game paks or Nintendo DS accessories. The Game Pak slot is located right in the middle on the bottom side of the DS. Also located on the bottom side of the DS is the Headphone/Microphone Connectors where of course you can connect a set of headphones or a external microphone. It is located at the right end of the bottom side of the DS. The DS game slot is located in the middle on the top side of the DS. The stylus holder is located on the side closest to the R button and the External Extension Connector which lets you plug in the AC Adapter is located on the side closest to the L button. The only thing on the bottom of DS is the batter cover which you can actually remove to replace the rechargeable batteries that are in it. The DS comes in many colors and this DS is the color platinum.

Features

PictoChat - PictoChat is allows you to send messages and pictures to other DS users. There are a total of four chat rooms in PictoChat and you can have up to 16 DS users in one chatroom at a time. You can either use just the stylus on the on-board keyboard or use the d-pad and the A and B buttons to type out messages. You can only use the stylus to draw pictures though. The PictoChat was a little fun at first but it got real boring after using it for a bit especially when there are not a lot of other DS users to connect with.

DS Download Play - This allows you to play two player but with only one game card. In DS Download Play only one DS needs a game card and that is called the host system. The number of players that can play at the same time depends on the game. I haven't really used the DS Download Play that much so I don't really have a good opinion on it.

Built in Wireless Communications - The DS has built in wireless communications so you can connect using wireless communications to play with other DS users. The distance between two systems can be up to 65 feet when connecting using wireless communications.

Touch Screen - The touch screen is another new feature Nintendo added to the DS. You can use the Stylus or even your finger on the DS but its a lot better to use the Stylus so you don't get finger prints or smudges on the touch screen. Honestly I don't use the touch screen much, I only use when the game makes me use the touch screen. I prefer to use the regular controls. When I do use the touch screen it is pretty fun but I just like to use the controls whenever I can.

Built in Mircophone - The DS has a built in Mircophone which comes in handy in certain games. I have used the this feature quiet a bit while playing my Nintendogs Chihuahua and Friends game.

Game Library

Some of the more popular games out for the DS are: Super Mario 64 DS, Pokemon Diamond, Pokemon Pearl, Final Fantasy III, Nintendogs Chihuahua & Friends, Nintendogs Labrador & Friends, and Nintendogs Dachshund & Friends. There are many DS games out there but I am not going to name every single one since that would take too long.

Durability

The DS is a really durable system and it sure looks like its really durable. I have dropped my DS numerous times and it still works just fine, and my brother's DS actually had water spilt on it and his DS still works.

Display

The graphics on the DS system are quiet a bit better than the Gameboy Advance SP system. The graphics are better than the Nintendo 64 but they aren't as good as the Nintendo GameCube. Just because you can play the Gameboy Advanced games on the DS the game graphics will still be the same they were on the Gameboy Advanced SP.

Comfort

Its a lot easier and comfortable to hold the Nintendo DS then it was to hold the Gameboy Advanced SP. When holding the DS your hands are more spread out instead of being so close together like when holding the Gameboy Advanced SP. Its easier to grip the DS then it is to grip since the DS's corners are more rounded and where all the controls are positioned on a surface that is a little lower than the rest of the top surface of the bottom half of the DS.

Battery Life

The DS's battery life is about 6 to 10 hours but it normally depends on how much you play the game at one time. The battery can be recharged about 500 times and after its been recharged 500 times your DS may not have as much battery life as it had when you first got it. If you leave your DS in sleep mode it won't use up no where near as much battery power if you leave it on to go to something else.

Overall the DS is a real great handheld system and a lot better than the Gameboy Advanced SP. I recommend this system to anyone who is looking for a great handheld system.