I talk about the success and influence of the DS, and my predictions for its future.
I remember back in 2004, when the upcoming DS was the most exciting thing in gaming at the moment, and in my life (yes, I was a weird child). Not only was it a new console to toy around with and play, it had so many new features, and in my 4th grade mind, that screamed “revolution!” The dual screens, the touch screen, and the ability to play past GBA games on it all sparked my interest with ease. Ever since its release, the Nintendo DS has influenced the gaming industry to stand out, as the unique features it brings to the table are no exception. Due to the fairly recent announcement of the 3DS, I’ve decided to take some time to recognize the DS for all of the innovation it has sparked in the gaming industry, and also how it made Nintendo more successful than they were GBA-era.
One of the ways the DS captures the essence of handheld gaming are the controls. Granted, there is no joystick like its competitors (PSP, I’m looking at you), but that doesn’t slow down the handheld’s ability at all. One of the great things about the DS is its flexibility in control schemes, giving the gamer options on how they would go about playing it (granted, this depends on the game, but most developers quickly learned to incorporate these options early on). The innovative touch controls (paired with the Wii’s motion controls) influenced the industry to explore the unexplored, and it later had Microsoft and Sony pushing out their own versions of the control revolution during the past two E3’s.
The DS also opened doors for Nintendo’s Wi-Fi network, which was launched about a month after the release of the DS for their latest game Mario Kart DS. The network proved to be hugely successful, and gave Nintendo some well-deserved recognition. Another feature that stood out about the DS is its redesigned cartridges, which were made easier to carry, and fit in easily. However, with all of the successes that the DS brought, there were some issues, and these mostly lie in the design of the hardware. One of the main problems was that the hinges connecting the top part of the handheld to the bottom couldn’t hold their own, and broke easily (particularly the top left). Almost everyone I saw with a DS at the time had theirs broken due to a clumsy step-brother dropping it or something of the like. I never thought it would happen to me, but one day as we were pulling out to go on a long road trip, it slipped out of my hands and onto the floor, and the hinge was broken. Also, the design of the system was heavily-built, and was a bit big to fit in your pocket like the GBA.
Nintendo decided to answer these problems with a redesign for the console, and did a good job doing so. The DS Lite was then released with no problems following it. Nintendo has since made significant updates to the handheld, with the release of the DSi, bringing a different system menu, and introducing photo-taking, and two new cameras which opened up new doors for the system. However, Nintendo apparently did not like the appeal of it, and followed with the release of the DSi XL not too long after the original to appeal to a larger audience (e.g. the elderly and individuals with large hands). Fast-forward to this year’s E3 Expo, and Nintendo announced the latest iteration of the system, which involves the hype train of 3D technology, entitled the 3DS. The new system doesn’t partake in the traditional 3D glasses, which is a whole new innovation in the area of 3D entertainment (which has slowly been on a rise since Avatar’s release). Whether coincidence or not, Nintendo’s plans to have a handheld in 3D seem to have had their influence on the rest of the industry, with Sony releasing PS3 games to play on a 3D TV in the future. The future of the 3DS is unpredictable at this point, but I’m going to give it a shot anyways. The 3DS will bring new ideas to the table, and open up a new portal for gaming. However, I think that it will take the path of the Virtual Boy in the sense that it will simply fall out of fashion (while the VB just wasn’t fit for it’s audience, but you get my point). Incorporating the 3D effect into the handheld without glasses is no easy feat, and certainly surprised me this year.
With all of the innovation and success the DS has brought Nintendo and gaming, it’s guaranteed to be headed in an even brighter direction.
