Nintendo DS: On a Roll

I have discussed my like of the Nintendo DS in the past (and, indeed, my general enjoyment of most things Nintendo!), but there is no denying that the Nintendo DS has built up remarkable momentum over the last few months due to an incredible string of hit games released for it, such as Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Tetris, Metroid Prime Hunters, and a new 2-D Super Mario platformer. This streak looks like it will continue through the Christmas season, what with a Harvest Moon game, the much-anticipated Final Fantasy III adaptation, and a Zelda game that will be a follow on to the Wind Waker. On top of that, there is a Star Trek game in the works, which will probably not be a spectacular game but has my attention based on the license alone ;).  The net result is that the DS is re-asserting Nintendo's dominance in the hand-held market over would-be competitors such as the Sony PSP. I remember well how many industry analysts, journalists, and even friends were predicting that the DS would have no chance against the PSP, and many were even predicting the doom of Nintendo once Sony cracked their grip on the hand-held market. However, exactly the opposite has happened; the DS has outsold the PSP worldwide so far, and seems to have a particularly large lead in both sales and popularity in Japan. While I must say I feel vindicated in this outcome, I think that the real capabilities of the DS have only begun to be explored.

The WiFi setup is interesting and fun, but very simple especially to someone like me who is used to wading through long lists of Battlefield 2 servers or creating custom games on Battle.net.  I would like to see the functionality of Nintendo's online service expanded a bit, as well as having a greater selection of games that make use of the feature. Indeed, I really wish that games like Advance Wars DS were released after WiFi was launched so that they could include internet play, but alas. The other aspect of the DS that hasn't even begun to be revealed to any degree is the manner in which it will interact with Nintendo's next generation console, the Wii. The stories I've read point to the DS-Wii connection finally delivering on the promises made with the GBA-GameCube connectivity. When this feature was first announced back when the GBA was released in 2001, there was talk of using the GBA for things like selecting plays for sports games, using it to manage RPG inventories, or display maps for action games. Ultimately, very few games made use of the feature, and even then it was usually just to unlock bonuses in either the GBA or GamCube game.

So, while the DS has done quite well so far, I feel the real story of the system is yet to be told. Certainly, the future looks bright.

By: Andy Rucker

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