Is Nintendo DS still the best gaming console to go for? Let’s check out some of its features that will help you make the right choice about having it in the year 2022.
Apart from Nintendo being in the gaming industry for ages, every console released by Nintendo is their lifeline for their whole business. Because their work is all about GAMING ONLY. That’s why Nintendo never settles and always works rigorously to deliver the best to their audience.
But is it still the best piece of gaming console to buy even after so many years have passed? To figure out, we’ll talk about what value it can offer you.
Why Nintendo DS Is The Best?
Nintendo is known for adding unique value to every gaming project that they do, using its extensive R&D resources. Here are some of the intriguing features that make the Nintendo DS one of the best gaming handhelds even in the year 2022:
1. Gaming Even For Non-Gamers
Nintendo DS games like Brain Age, Sudoku, and Nintendogs, captured the attention of non-gamers. People who wouldn’t keep a gaming console also bought it and enjoyed playing these games.
What’s more? They also introduced Animal Crossing for the younger generation. It led this console to land in the hands of kids and added valuable gaming hours to their lives.
2. Gaming For Everyone
Along with the new audience, they did not forget the all-time enthusiastic gamers. They developed the typical core RPG and classic games for this console with an enhanced gaming experience of dual and touch screens. That includes Mario, Pokemon, Zelda, and many others.
Whether it is about pet-keeping, brain activity, or typical adventure and classic games, you can find them all on Nintendo DS. The upshot of buying this console is that you’ll definitely find a game of your style.
3. GBA Games To Play On DS
The additional slot for GBA games on the Nintendo DS console makes it even more appealing. Many gamers enjoyed the huge GBA gaming library on this console more than they did on its own gaming system.
In fact, the compatibility of Nintendo DS for older GBA games made us entirely forget the discontinuation of the GBA console. It also gave a way to enjoy the hundreds of popular GBA titles on the modern style gaming system with its backward gaming compatibility and better controls.
4. Iconic Games From All Parties
Besides Nintendo’s Mario Kart DS, third-party offerings such as Phoenix Wright and Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin give the players the flexibility to enjoy the non-Nintendo games too. Not to forget, the Pokemon Plus Remake, which is bound to be impressive for any gamers.
This also adds more variety to the gaming library, which lets you stick to it for a longer time. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Nintendo is an all-rounder gaming console – all games in one place.
5. Enhanced And Social Gaming Experience
Nintendo DS offers a unique style of hardware and software that adds value to the gaming experience, even for modern-era players. This console is loaded with features that we can find in most handheld gaming devices of today.
Touchscreen with a stylus, dual display, and a microphone was not only innovative, but it was new to the audience back in 2004. Moreover, the WiFi support for the multiplayer and built-in app for chatting with other online gamers made this console futuristically sustainable.
With the Nintendo DS’s simple design, no one has to struggle in understanding its gaming controls. Except for its bulky appearance and heavyweight, you can enjoy and experience single/multiplayer games to their fullest.
6. Artistic Graphics
Considering the Nintendo DS’s low power consumption and portable hardware, its graphics aren’t that bad at all. The hardware of this console is almost 18 years old. Plus, it also depends on how the artwork of the game is designed. For most games with 256 x 192 pixels, it works pretty well.
For instance, Ghost Trick released on this console is still famous for its appealing graphics. The visual style of this game focused on its smooth animation. That is, the developers of this game made the characters in 3D and then rendered them in hand-drawn 2D sprites for better graphic performance and output. So, you’ll have to look into the game’s graphics as well when buying the Nintendo DS.
7. Durable Battery And Portable Hardware
You can enjoy uninterrupted gaming hours for up to 10 hours when it’s fully charged. Because Nintendo DS is designed to consume less power for the long run of gaming hours.
On the other hand, the design of this console is bulky and a bit heavier if compared to the other handheld gaming systems in the market. You can stash it in your pocket, but you’ll feel the console’s weight the entire time you carry it around.
Great Value At Cheaper Rates
If you are low on budget and want to enjoy old games on the go, then Nintendo DS might come in handy for you. Because you can enjoy all popular and variety of games for just under $100.
In addition, you can even get to play GBA’s top game titles on this console. So buying it is is like hitting two targets with one stone kind of thing. You can cost-effectively play more games and never get bored due to the variety of games on this console.
However, Nintendo DS Doesn’t Have…
Nintendo DS is the first console of the DS family. So, it has some drawbacks that you should know about before buying this console. Some of them are:
- First, it lacks multimedia potential if it is a competitor’s product in the market, such as PSP.
- Second, this console is slightly heavy and looks bulky in appearance.
- Third, the screen has dim lights, which makes it difficult to play dark landscape games.
- Lastly, it blurs the game graphics if it has low pixel output.
So, if you want to play high graphics games and want a lightweight handheld gaming device, then Nintendo DS is not the right option for you. This console is durable, with lots of games available at much cheaper rates than its competitors. You can go for a new and improved version of this console – DSi, DS Lite, 2DS, and 3DS.
FAQs – Why Nintendo DS Is The Best Console To Buy?
Got some unanswered questions in your mind? Here are some of the frequently asked questions about the Nintendo DS console that might help you:
Initially, Nintendo DS was criticized for being too different from other handhelds. However, it was a smashing hit in public. Because Nintendo sold over 150 million units of DS, making it the second highest-selling portable console of all time. So, the Nintendo DS was an enormous success for the Nintendo company.
The Nintendo DS gaming library is vast. You can play classics, adventure, or even brain training games. One of the reasons the Nintendo DS is different from other handheld gaming systems is it has games for every generation. As a non-gamer, you might want to try Brain Age or Nintendogs. However, you can also go for other popular games such as Pokémon, Mario, Fire Emblem, and others – depending on your preferences.
Nintendo is focused on its latest gaming console, Switch, that’s why they have discontinued the production of the DS family handheld game systems.
After the launch of the Switch console, Nintendo announced to officially end the support for the Nintendo DS family on January 22, 2022. However, you can find them and their games in many retro stores.
Nintendo DS was initially launched at $149, which later on doubled based on currency and region. For example, it costs $349 in Australia and New Zealand. While it was $249 in North America. But currently, you can find refurbished Nintendo DS for around $50 to $114.
To Sum Up
Nintendo DS console is a user-friendly, low-budget choice and has a lot of games for every generation of players. It may not have high graphics, but its battery life is promising. Back in 2004, the features of this console installed were a long way ahead of their time. That’s why this console is still valuable and has influenced the modern gaming industry.
