Table of Contents
Nintendo DS Review
Have you ever thought that Nintendo is a paradoxical company? When its console is more powerful than all competitors, no one needs it, an example of this is the GameCube. And when it is much weaker, it sells millions. The PlayStation 3 was 5-10 times more powerful than the Nintendo Wii, but the latter sold 21 million more consoles.
When Nintendo was working on Project Iris, they almost made a huge mistake; they wanted to release something similar to the PSP, only weaker and worse. And it was Sony who saved them from this by announcing the development of the PlayStation Portable. Nintendo returned to what they do best - surprising players: "maybe we can't be more powerful, but we will still find a way to interest players around the world!".
This is how the concept of a console with two screens and other innovations was born, which allowed Nintendo to remain at the top of portable gaming. If you are interested in how the Nintendo DS came to be, what events preceded it, then read the article: «History of Nintendo DS».
Sales of the Nintendo DS began on November 21, 2004. The console itself was sold in 18.79 million units. And such "small" sales are solely due to the fact that Nintendo very quickly developed and launched the Nintendo DS Lite - a console that they believed was superior to its predecessor in every way. But is that really the case? Let's figure it out.
Console Package
The Nintendo DS came in a beautiful white box with an image of the console itself.
Inside were:
1. Console;
2. Instructions and other paperwork;
3. Charger;
4. Strap to prevent dropping the console.
I would like to separately note the strap (NTR-009 Wrist Strap). Usually, it is needed to prevent accidental drops of the console. That is, during the game, you put it on your hand, and in case of a fall, the console hangs on it.
But this strap is not simple; it has a plastic piece at the end. It fits on your finger and is designed to make it more convenient to play some games.
For example, take the game Super Mario 64 DS; in my subjective opinion, running around the map with this thing is more convenient than with a stylus.
Console Dimensions
Dimensions of the Nintendo DS console.
Width: 148.7 mm
Height: 84.7 mm
Thickness: 28.9 mm.
If we talk about the overall size, this console is second only to the Nintendo DSi XL.
Console
On the back of the console are:
- L and R buttons;
- cartridge slot;
- strap hole;
- charging port;
- stylus.
On the front are:
- volume slider;
- Game Boy Advance cartridge slot;
- headphone jack.
I don't really like that the GBA cartridge slot is completely open and there is no cover like in the Nintendo DS Lite.
There is nothing interesting on the sides.
On the back, at the bottom, there is a battery slot and a label.
On the front are the power button and the microphone hole.
Cons
The biggest drawback of the Nintendo DS is its screens. On one hand, they were significantly improved compared to the Game Boy Advance SP AGS-001.
On the other hand, their brightness and viewing angles were much worse than those of the Nintendo DS Lite.
Also, the screen had only two backlight levels: either on or off. Because of this, many (including me) had an interesting misconception that the Nintendo DS had a front light (bad) rather than a backlight (good, which we are all used to).
The well-known Makho decided to test this theory. It turned out that the Nintendo DS has transflective hybrid screens with a backlight.
But let's be honest, viewing angles are not the most important thing in games. And if we talk about the backlight in general, in the Nintendo DS it does not cause any discomfort. And in some cases, for example, in bright sunlight, the ability to turn off the backlight is only a plus.
A huge drawback of this console is its thickness. Just imagine a portable console with a thickness comparable to a matchbox.
On the other hand, even the smallest Nintendo DS Lite is not convenient to carry in jeans pockets, so an extra centimeter on top won't make much difference.
The biggest drawback of this console is the battery. It is only 850 mAh, which gives a total battery life of 6-10 hours. For example, the Nintendo DS Lite has a total battery life of 15-19 hours.
Pros
When Nintendo published a press release about the release of the Nintendo DS Lite, they stated that this console would be of a higher class. Who knows what they specifically meant, but the resulting product, although better overall, was inferior to its predecessor in many small details. And this is the biggest oddity. Despite all the positive changes, the overall feeling from the Nintendo DS Lite was worse.
First, it's related to the materials of the case. The Nintendo DS Lite has a glossy plastic that gets dirty and is not as pleasant to hold.
Second, the buttons on the Nintendo DS are made using a different, improved technology.
Read more about this in the Nintendo DS Lite review.
A small plus is that the Game Boy Advance cartridge does not stick out of the console.
Also, the Nintendo DS is compatible with the Game Boy Advance SP charger.
How to Play on the Console?
Read more about this in the Nintendo DS Lite review.
Regional Restrictions of the Console
Nintendo DS consoles have no regional restrictions.
You can run Nintendo DS cartridges from any region. If we are talking about Game Boy Advance games, there are also no restrictions.
For example, on my Japanese Nintendo DS, European cartridges of Pokemon Diamond, Pokemon White, and Pokemon Sapphire run.
Regardless of the region of the console, for example, from Japan, you can set the language to English.
If you try to run a Nintendo DSi cartridge on this console, nothing will happen, and this window will appear:
iQue DS
In July 2005, iQue released the iQue DS. You can read more about this in the article: «History of Nintendo in China - iQue Company. Part 3. iQue DS».
Epilogue
The Nintendo DS family of consoles is a phenomenon. This console answers the question of how, with an unremarkable design and mediocre technical characteristics, it can take first place in portable console sales. If you ever have a PSP and a Nintendo DS in your hands, compare the graphics in the game Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars on both consoles. The difference is simply colossal and not in favor of the Nintendo DS. But the gameplay... The gameplay, thanks to the touch screen and other features of the console, is much more interesting on the Nintendo DS.
So it turns out that the confrontation between these legendary consoles was about whether you would choose graphics or additional features.
