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The Nintendo DS is the latest hand-held console from the exceptionally talented developers at Nintendo. How has the DS improved on the hand-held consoles of old?
I’m almost certain you have come across the Nintendo Game Boy - whether it’s the original Game Boy, the Game Boy Color or the Game Boy Advance you have heard of, it doesn’t matter. The success of these consoles was amazing and is why the Nintendo DS included a very handy feature which allows you to play your Game Boy Advance games on it, as well as the new DS games.
What new features and benefits will make you want a Nintendo DS?
The initial design difference from the older consoles; whether they be from Nintendo, Sega or Atari (or anyone else for that matter!), is the two screens (DS actually stands for Dual Screen!) – Not only do you get two good sized screens, one of them is a touch screen! The touch screen is what enables the enormously different and interesting spectrum of games for the DS to keep rolling off the production line. The user controls the touch screen (and the action) with a stylus, and in certain games has to draw to create pictures, or drag a character across the screen – the top screen is often used for inventory or map information, but can also be used as an extension to the platform (when climbing up a mountain for example).
The features of the DS doesn’t stop with the dual screen, oh no, it also has a microphone built-in. This can be extremely useful and entertaining in games that require voice interaction, such as an animal training game where you can teach your dog to sit by literally saying ‘sit’ into the DS! The DS and its games are forever evolving and you can even connect via Wi-Fi with certain games and utilities.
The DS is a lot more powerful than the last hand-held console released by Nintendo, the Game Boy Advance (GBA). As I mentioned above, it is backwards compatible, so you can play all your favorite GBA games on your shiny new DS.
What about the specifications?
The DS is a beast when it comes to specs (for a hand-held console!), the screens are both backlit and 3-inches, and the bottom one is a transparent touch screen. The console comes with wireless communication (IEEE 802.11) and has a range of between 30 to 100 feet.
If you’re worried about the sound, you shouldn’t be; it comes with stereo speakers which provides virtual surround sound and of course a headphone socket for when you want to play privately! One of the best things about the DS is it comes with a battery giving you between 6 and 10 hours of gaming – plenty enough for a long day of Mario Kart!
The original, with a little extra
If you are looking to get a DS, you may want to consider the two recent upgrades. One is the DS Lite and the newest is the DSi. The DS Lite has had a slight make-over, with a smaller case and a 20% brighter light than the original DS, along with a slightly easier to hold (bigger) stylus and 3 different colors. The DSi defies logic and somehow gets even smaller than the DS Lite, whilst having a bigger and brighter screen! It also includes two 0.3 megapixel cameras, better sound and a SD memory card slot.
In summary, if you’re looking for a hand-held console that offers fun and laughter whatever your age, the DS is a must! It’s not a surprise to hear that it has outsold Sony’s hand-held console (PSP) by an enormous amount, and with a few new upgrades making the DS even better than before your choice of the perfect hand-hold console is no longer a matter of which brand to go with, but simply which Nintendo DS should you choose?!
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