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1mo ago

Let's discuss: Nintendo DS

As I have recently bought a secondhand 2DS, I thought I would change things up a bit!

Let's discuss the Nintendo DS series of portable consoles. What is your favorite version? What games are most memorable to you? What aspects do you like about it? What doesn't work for you? Feel free to share any thoughts that come up, or react to other peoples comments. Let's get the conversation going!

If you have any recommendations for games or series for the next post(s), please feel free to DM me or add it in a comment here (no guarantees of course).

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The DS series was the peak handheld generation for me. I like that the console's design encouraged creative game mechanics, and it has some of my favourite games of all time. I have a DS Lite, a 3DS and a new 3DS, though I think the original DS line had the better game library compared to the 3DS. The camera and 3D effect were rather gimmicky and didn't add much value for me.
I think the game that best encapsulates what I love about the DS is The World Ends With You, a JRPG set in modern Tokyo that used both screens at once in its action combat system - to control two different characters. The character on the bottom screen would have you use touch gestures to trigger attacks, while you needed to do button combos to control the character on the top. It was insanely fun!
Other games I liked from the early DS era are Hotel Dusk, a detective game that is played in "vertical mode" so you hold the console like a book - and Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!, the original Japanese version of Elite Beat Angels, a rhythm game.
I also played all romance/otome games that were available in English for the DS, my favourite was Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side.
The DS figured out touch-based interactions way better than smartphones which are like the main touch-based "handheld" nowadays. That is because you could dedicate the entire touchscreen to gameplay input, since you still had the top screen to show relevant game information. Smartphones on the other hand need to utilize the entire screen both for input and displaying stuff, which just doesn't work as well imo.

'Tis a shame your image left out the OG
- This is what I came here for. Can't forget about the chubby one.
  
  And it was the only one able to fully hold a Game Boy Advance cartridge!
- This was my early high school days. My friend and I would play Mario 64 DS wirelessly across the hall because we were in different classes but close enough for a WiFi connection. Great times. Also, the Metroid demo included with the console was a fun multiplayer experience.

Early in the lifetime of the DS, before the 3ds had even been mentioned, a ton of JRPGs released for the platform seemingly in a bid to become the next earthbound or chrono trigger. Most of them were very mediocre, but to this day Contact (published by atlus) and The World Ends With You (square enix) stand out as stellar titles to me. They represent opposite ends of the jrpg spectrum; contact is a grinding game with a very floaty story, whereas TWEWY has an intricate story and a penalty-free swappable easy difficulty setting to help new players cope with the (initially) awkward combat system. Both of them are stand-out in their own ways, with memorable settings and characters supporting the mechanical depth they offer.
Both of them are games that take advantage of the DS's unique features, not the microphone but the touchscreen. While Contact is pretty easy on the gimmicks, only requiring you to occasionally peel a sticker or something simple like that, TWEWY's combat flow has you use buttons to control the top screen while simultaneously doing multiple touch screen gestures, making the game difficult to master on the actual DS and unbelievably hard on an emulator.
TWEWY has since had a remaster and a sequel, but contact is seldom mentioned anywhere when I see the DS talked about. Worth a look!
- I was going to mention Contact being a unique game, glad I'm not the only one who remembers it fondly. The reviews upon release where not great but I thought it was a pretty good game.
  
  It's so hard to describe contact. It's like a more exploratory Rune Factory with no farming sim element and swappable jobs like the final fantasy MMOs. I feel like the audience for the game wasn't targeted well, as it fell in that era where "core gamers" stopped being a popular target audience (we hardly use the term at all these days).
- Yes, More TWEWY love!! I'm kind of sad that's the franchise seems to get overlooked a lot
  
  They did end up re-releasing it on Switch and mobile - but the removal of the dual screen combat mechanic seems like a dulling of the game (imo)

The only memory I have of my 3DS is being really into a game and playing for so long that I was really really hungry. Then I turned on the 3D slider to get motion sick and not hungry anymore to continue playing the game. Perfect problem solving skills here.

Completely unique and very difficult to experience with alternative hardware nowadays (compared to the PSP which can be played on nearly everything). The games library is incredibly unique because small budget games still had a big chance to succeed.

I still miss the community gimmicks of the DS/3DS - Miis being shared wirelessly, pictochat, etc etc.
We need more of that

The most memorable games of the DS era to me were Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky and Dragon Quest IX as well as Bravely Default and Fantasy Life for 3DS. Mystery Dungeons story almost brought me to tears at the end of the main story and I just love the gameplay. DQ IX felt like I could play with friends/family because you create your party how you want it from scratch instead of picking up story relevant characters. In addition I really like the flexibility of the class system. This resulted in a bow wielding paladin that can obviously protect them, but also restore the mana of others and regain it for himself with bow skills and a priest that could give party wide elemental buffs from the ranger type class. Bravely Default because of the same class shenanigans as Dragon Quest. Here I remember making a vampire priest because the vampire gets the ability to potentially revive at the the end of a turn and the priest is the one responsible for reviving everyone else, so he should not stay dead. Fantasy Life was just a cozy grinding game.

My first system I could call my own (not sharing with siblings) was the fat Nintendo DS. It will always be my favourite out of nostalgia.
But my primary DS is my New 3DS, does everything want and plays everything.
For me the DS is the Pokemon machine, from the mainline series to the spin offs. Such a good time to be a fan of Pokemon. Even the knockoffs were fun like Fossil fighters.
The DS was also a good rpg power house the first system I beat Chrono Trigger on.
Then there was the slog of platformers, from new Mario bros, to license of game dubious quality, nicktoons unite anyone?
The 3DS was just an overall disappointment in comparison, game selection was limited and 3rd parties just didn’t give it the time of day. Don’t get me wrong love my 2d Zelda and Metroid revivals on it, but outside of Nintendo games, it didn’t offer me anything.
- How do you stand image scaling on 3DS? It's either poststamp sized or horribly mangled by non-integer scaling on a very low res display. It's the reason I keep DSi along NN3DS.
  
  Honestly since the New 3DS screen is so small, the slight blurring is negligible to my eyes. So long as there isn't certificating in the image, like shimmering and or screen tearing, I don't noticed it.

I got a 1st Gen 3DS second hand some time ago. What I like:
Pokemon, Zelda, and Animal Crossing.
The 3D effect and dual cameras are neat, though a little gimmicky.
What I don't like:
The heavy reliance upon internet connectivity. I can't change the details of the account on it without losing access to the downloaded games. I can't even change it anyway, because the online store is closed.
The control stick sucks. It's good for a very flat control stick, but it doesn't feel nice to use.
Proprietary power connector.
The viewing angle on the screen is pretty shallow.
I have a Steam Deck, and it's just better in all respects. I get that it's comparing a very new device against an old device, but I don't really see a reason to pull out the 3DS when I could have a better experience on the SD.
- it's just better in all respects
  It's heavier and uncomfortable to hold (at least if you have small hands)
  
  And you're entitled to your opinion. I also have small hands, and I don't find its size or weight to be a problem for me.
  
  My hands are pretty medium sized, and I think it's the most comfortable portable device I have ever had in my hands. It is however a bit heavy. It's also not a pocket device like the Gameboy was, although most DS are not very pocketable either.
- I upgraded to a New 3DS XL for Monster Hunter because I needed the control nub for camera control. The viewing angle with eye tracking is SO MUCH BETTER.
  I did rip out the control nub and replace it with a PSP joystick, improving it vastly.
  
  Hey, that's good to know!
- I bought a Steam Deck just to support the most important thing that ever happened to Linux gaming, but mine has actually just been gathering dust. It's far too big to really be a handheld, doesn't fit in my pocket, and does not fill the role that Nintendo's handhelds served for me. The main thing I do end up using it for is taking Deck + dock to FGC events for a portable setup.
  Last year I bought a Miyoo Mini Plus, a little emulator handheld, as an impulse buy because it was on sale super cheap. I ended up putting far more time into it than I ever did with the Deck.
  
  That's cool. I agree that it's not as portable as some other options, but it wouldn't be able to do what it does if it was.
  That's why there's still good options out there for everyone! It's a great time for gaming.

Maybe the best library of all time, my DS collection is massive.
The one thing that's sad though is how many classics are unlikely to ever see a rerelease. Games that were designed around the hardware just won't be the same on any other platform.

My family had about 5 of these between us by the time we started getting into lites and 3d versions. I had the original chunky boy and a 3ds. We took them on holiday and played the brain training multiplayer games. Great fun, my parents even got into them for a bit and they said off video games a long time beforehand.

2DS was a solid brick. It was genius for little kids.
- Still is. Better than giving them smartphones and it's not like there's a comparable newer device, except for maybe some emulation systems.

My first DS was the DS Lite. I bought it when the game "Contact" came out. Played various JRPGs on it, as I'm wont to do with handhelds. IIRC, the DS Lite was backwards compatible with GBA carts, which was great. I loved the look, feel, and size of it. Honestly, DS Lite is probably my favorite Nintendo handheld, with the Switch a close second.
After that, I think the next DS that I had was the 3DS. Which I still have; I even booted it up earlier this year to try to play "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney -- Spirit of Justice." I didn't end up playing it on the 3DS, since I have that anthology on Steam, but I wanted to see where I was.
Games or series that I played a lot on the DS line were practically all of the mainline Ace Attorney games, and even some of the spin offs like the Professor Layton crossover and AA:Investigations. Fire Emblem was another. I think I played Awakening, Fates, and Echoes. I played at least one Pokemon game, too.

3ds might be my favorite system, I really want a third party emulation machine that can capture that form factor so bad. It was just so easy to pop it open and play whatever I was playing and just close the lid. So many hours lost in the monster hunter, pokemon and picross 3d
- I'm really hoping someone will step up once the second-hand sales start going up, though it might be hard to emulate the 3ds itself on a small handheld like that.
  The demand should be higher compared to other systems you can easily experience on PC or even Switch emulation.

I have an n3ds xl
Its retired but it was the best handheld (besides the awful cstick Its a beautiful machine,
- If you rip out the C-Stick and replace it with a PSP-1000 joystick, it makes it actually usable!
  
  Would it still be able to close?

I still play my 3DS on bus trips all the time, and trying to find people IRL who recognise it. There aren't many here.
By far my favourite console ever, if DS and GBA libraries (and ease of modding) are included. I didn't even get through the most recommended games, let alone the obscure ones (like an Atelier-like game made by the Etrian Odyssey devs, Nora and the Time Studio I think, it was weird but interesting if somebody wants to try)
Don't actually care for the 3D effect by now, but I'm happy it's there, if only for showing off to people. Fire Emblem feels made for dual screens, and EO was literally so - I'm hoping they'll manage without them. Besides that, mostly just good game library.

E3 2004! The HYPEST
We met Reggie, who's about kicking ass and taking names.
And the DS is revealed...and it COMES OUT THAT YEAR?! Whaaaaaa
I was so hyped. I started saving my pennies right away.
The multiplayer experience was unbelievable. No cables, no square box thing to play more than 2 players. And you didn't even need multiple copies of the game! Just all play Mario Kart!
The thumb strap was a neat idea, but not the easiest in practice. Though I did find it great for aiming in the Metroid FPS game, much better than the stylus.
And OF COURSE it was backwards compatible!
Loved it. Beautiful machine. I still have 2 DS Lites that work.

I loved my DS the best of any non-PC handheld I have owned.
Final Fantasy 3 took up many many hours on car rides. Castlevania Portrait of Ruin is an all-time banger of a game, glad it finally got republished in a collection.
The first game I got on DS was Super Mario 64 DS, which, on top of having one of the finest minigame collections of any handheld game and being able to do single-card multi-player via download play, was a fine adaptation of one of the greatest platformer games ever made.
Brain Age and its offshoots spawned a whole cottage industry. Really, the DS was one of the first widely owned devices that had a decently reliable touch screen, so it got used for a lot of non-gaming stuff in addition to having such a huge library of games.
Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum are the best of the classic top-down JRPG style Pokemon games IMO, so the DS also gets credit for having the peak of those games.
The original DS was also home to some of the best point and click adventure games of its era, like 999. This was before Telltale really took off with The Walking Dead, Batman, etc and the genre was mostly dead in the west at the time, so when some quirky Japanese point and click escape room/mystery games dropped it really was incredibly refreshing at the time. Those games still hold up IMO.
When the 3DS came out, I was a little disappointed by the StreetPass features. I live in a fairly rural area so I would only get to play Mii Adventure or whatever it was called when I would go into a city for a convention or something similar where you knew a large concentration of nerds was going to exist. I suppose it makes more sense in Japan with their higher population density. Regardless, the 3DS' Gamecube-tier graphics, nicer buttons, better screen, and control stick all make it a superior machine to the DS in every iteration.
It's really just a shame that Nintendo used the 3DS naming scheme. Like with the WiiU it led to consumer confusion where parents assumed it was just an upgrade on the original and not a whole new console generation. The naming implied it was just the next model after the DSi-XL and that all it added was 3D, rather than being Nintendo's first properly online handheld and having a generational leap in raw power.
If I were going to buy a dual-screened handheld today, I'd probably go for the AYANEO Flip DS, which seems to be basically a next-gen Steam Deck but with the DS form factor. That said, it's pretty pricey.

My favorite DS game by far was Lock's Quest. It was the first game that got me genuinely emotional, I had tears in my eyes during the ending. I remember initially being disappointed, as kid me wanted a strategy game, not something where I still had to run around and repair stuff in real time. But my god, my opinion changed quickly and both the gameplay and the story captured my fully. The music was just the icing on the cake.
My most played game by far was Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades. Shredding Can't Stop by the Red Hot Chili Peppers while sitting in a restaurant with my parents is one of my favorite memories of that time (with headphones of course). I believe this game single-handedly formed most of my music interests for my teenage years.
Finally, I have to mention Bionicle Heroes. I am a massive Bionicle fan (and currently rediscovering it through finally reading the books). This game is by no means a masterpiece, but it is a surprisingly fun first person shooter with great controls and decent graphics for the time. I adored it because my parents were very strict and didn't let me play realistic shooters, but this way I could get my fps fix and play in the world of Bionicle at the same time!
My device was a Nintendo DS Lite, White with flame stickers that came with the Guitar Hero game. I loved that machine to bits.

I loved my DS Lite. It was so smooth and compact and could play GBA games. I also still play my 3ds.

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