Nintendo DS

Nintendo has always been the leader in handheld game consoles before I even knew what handhelds were. In fact, I think they coined the term and it is probably patented in their name. Anyways, Nintendo in the handheld console business is not that big a deal. It is for the most part expected of them in a way.

At first glance you would think, the developers at Nintendo are just yanking your chain. They just put the old handheld Nintendo console (Gameboy Advanced SP) in a new box, tinkered with the body’s design a little bit and called it something else. The Nintendo DS does not stray from their tried and tested design. The traditional buttons are still on the same place (D-pad, Power button, A, B, X, and Y buttons, Select and Start buttons, and the L and R buttons), its still as quad-shaped as its predecessor but when you open it the big difference is on the inside. There are two screens! Not just for doubling the action, no! The other is a touch screen. Wow!

Having two screens is one thing but its functionality is another. The touch screen is on the lower part of the console, along the buttons and directional arrows. With the Nintendo DS, the user is immersed in a full experience and a wider scope of what is going on in the game never before seen on handheld consoles. A stylus pen comes with the kit, another first for handhelds. The touch screen is primarily another way for the user to experience game play in an all-new manner as opposed to just pressing buttons. Another new feature of the Nintendo DS is its stereo surround sound, off course the performance of this feature will depend on the software you are using. As opposed to the previous Game boy line of consoles, the NDS has two speakers on either side of the upper screen in comparison to the older versions, which has always had stereo sound, yet only with the use of headphones or external speakers.

As with any other consoles out in the market today, the Nintendo DS is equipped for your networking needs. It is IEEE, Bluetooth and wireless LAN connection capable, which allows game play with anyone, anywhere (broadband connection should be available). DS-DS capability is also a great feature of this console, allowing players to battle it out with a max range of 60 feet. With certain select titles, players can play a single game without everyone owning the game, a sort of file sharing amongst “DS’ers”, the DS will download the certain file needed to play the game and you and your friends can duke it out, again this is only effective in a range of 60 feet. The DS is also Wi-Fi ready, allowing for more online game play.

As with any Nintendo release, the DS is stunningly amazing, perfect performance, new innovative features both aesthetically and technically awesome. One draw back is the lack of titles for mature gamers. Most games are designed for the G rated market, a younger audience. Then again, this befalls on the game developers I think. Overall, the Nintendo DS is still something I’d rather have when I get stuck on island somewhere.

Nintendo DS Specs

CPU:	ARM946E-S - 32-bit RISC ARM7TDMI - 32-bit RISC
Clock speed:	67 MHz 33 MHz
Memory:	RAM: 4 MB
	VRAM: 656 KB
Power source:	Lithium-ion battery
Battery life:	6-10 hours (4 hour recharge)¹ 5-19 hours (3 hour recharge)
Upper Screen:	3.0" TFT colour semi-transparent LCD¹ 3.0" TFT colour transparent LCD, 4 level brightness control²
Lower Screen:	3.0" TFT colour semitransmissive LCD¹ 3.0" TFT colour transmissive LCD, 4 level brightness control²
Weight:	280g¹ 218g²
Resolution:	256 x 192 pixels
Extra features:	IEEE 802.11 Bluetooth Wireless LAN Touch screen

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