What lies below is a listing of my Nintendo DS collection along with some history behind the system's purchase. Please note that all of the games listed below are actual DS cards. I'm not into pirating the latest games.
After it was first announced, my interest in Nintendo DS was tepid at best. It seemed like a repeat of the GameCube situation where Nintendo was coming to the market with something cheaper—but less powerful—and it wasn’t clear how it was going to be better than Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP). But something happened over the system’s first year: It established itself through its uniqueness (i.e., touch screen, built-in microphone), FREE online play, and vast library of quality games. Third-party developers had not flocked to a Nintendo system like this since the Super NES era.
Although Nintendo DS came out in November 2004, I actually did not purchase mine until January 1, 2006. What finally caused me to purchase it? Three little words: Mario Kart DS. If you’ve read other sections on this website, then you know how much of a Mario Kart fan I am. The idea of playing Mario Kart online was fabulous to me. Because I decided to buy the Mario Kart DS Bundle Pack (red, original-sized DS and Mario Kart DS for $149.99) after Christmas, I sweated a few bullets because I had shop around 4 or 5 stores before I finally purchased it from an EB Games.
Strangely, I am very fond of the DS, yet I do not have that many games for it, nor do I play it all that much. Still, the charm of this handheld lies in its touch screen functionality, which has enabled publishers to release both easy-to-play and wildly imaginative titles. Fortunately for us, this is a handheld for the ages. Unfortunately for Nintendo, it’s going to take another breakthrough for so many people to upgrade next time.
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This is the reason I finally purchased a Nintendo DS, and the game did not let me down. Mario Kart DS comprises everything that is good about the Mario Kart series, removes the things that never were quite right, and caters to the fans by including old Mario Kart tracks for online play. This mash-up of old and new is incredibly deep, polished, and balanced. Over time, its online offerings may be seen as limited (i.e., no battle mode, only two-thirds of the tracks, and just four racers), but the package as a whole always will make it one of the best DS games of all-time. Besides, who doesn’t want some handheld Mario Kart action that is as good as or even better than its console siblings? |
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Talk about a one-two punch. Between Mario Kart DS and New Super Mario Bros. Nintendo really nailed the retro-inspired, fresh updates to its beloved Mario series of games. As hard as it is to believe, New Super Mario Bros. in 2006 represents the first side-scrolling platformer starring Mario since Super Mario World in 1991. And, man, it is a great Mario game. It walks the fine line between feeling retro and fresh, using old and new technologies, and balancing fun and challenge. Ironically, it really doesn’t use any DS gimmicks, either. Time will tell, but I think consensus will rank this as the third best 2D Mario game of all-time behind Super Mario Bros. 3 and Yoshi’s Island. |
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Now this is the type of software for which I’ve grown to love and appreciate my DS. The games that make fantastic use of the touch screen functionality, such as Brain Age, represent what truly sells me on this handheld. Brain Age’s fantastic design lends itself to be captivating for all age groups during quick, mobile play sessions. Edutainment was never like this growing up. |
Honorable Mention: Tetris DS
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The following bulleted points are some random notes and thoughts about the Nintendo DS. In the list, you will find information about the system and games that I could not place anywhere else.
Currently, I own 5 games for the Nintendo DS.
I want to make these games part of my permanent collection: Clubhouse Games, Elite Beat Agents, Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy IV, Hotel Dusk: Room 215, Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Meteos, Nintendogs: Labrador and Friends, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Planet Puzzle League, Professor Layton and the Curious Village, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, The New York Times Crosswords, Touchmaster! DS, and Trauma Center.
As you can see, I have a large list of games I eventually would like to add to my DS collection. I’ve always tended to focus my time and money on home consoles, however, so who knows how many games I’ll eventually add.
Even if Nintendo DS never matches the Game Boy in terms of units sold, I think DS should be regarded as the best handheld video game system ever made.
1. Mario Kart DS
2. New Super Mario Bros.
3. Brain Age