On this day exactly 20 years ago, the Nintendo DS was released. It was a revolutionary console, one of many that Nintendo has used to reshape the gaming world. There have been a few different iterations of this dual-screen, hence the name, handheld since, but the original came out on November 21, 2004. From that point on, handheld gaming was never the same, and gamers as a whole were given some wildly impressive titles. To this day, it’s still one of the most unique consoles out there and is worth revisiting on its birthday.
The Nintendo DS is Officially 20
The Nintendo DS was not the first handheld console that the company produced. In fact, there were quite a few before it. The GameBoy, which was followed by the GameBoy Advance and GameBoy Micro (which was the first console I ever had thanks to my grandmother), introduced Nintendo’s handheld obsession, but the DS arguably perfected it. It introduced a touchscreen for gaming and a view-only screen to see what was happening. Playing these games was suddenly a lot more involved. It was also a lot more fun. The best games on the DS, and DSi after it, utilized the touchscreen to perfection.
The DS’ mechanics were revolutionary. Touch screens were far less common then, and this was the first gaming thing to really utilize it. The addition of a stylus and the fact that the console could be folded over for easier carrying was also pretty revolutionary. To this day, there just aren’t that many consoles like it, making the DS one that is both iconic and timeless. It deserves its spot among the greatest consoles ever, and it might be the greatest handheld ever.
Best Games from the Nintendo DS Era
Some of the best video games Nintendo has ever released came from the DS era. Of course, Nintendo has absolute bangers on every single console, but the DS had plenty of standouts. New Super Mario Bros., Animal Crossing: Wild World, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Mario Hoops 3-on-3, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, Nintendogs, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, and more still hold up as excellent games today. There were also top third-party releases like GTA: Chinatown Wars, Final Fantasy IV, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor, and Bleach: Dark Souls, too.
These games are largely (sadly) locked behind the console that is, as we know, now two decades old. They’re currently not on the Nintendo Switch Online because there is no DS version. There are versions for the NES, SNES, GameBoy, and N64, but not the DS. This is likely for two reasons. First, the Switch is on its last legs, so any new NSO platforms will likely be saved for or launched with the Nintendo Switch 2. Second, it’s harder to port games that require touchscreens and have two screens to something that has one screen and a controller. It’s not as easy as porting something off the GameCube or N64 which Nintendo has done plenty.
Happy Birthday!
The Nintendo DS should always be remembered for being iconic and for pushing gaming further as an industry, but it’s important to remember it on its 20-year anniversary/birthday. So many people had them, and many still do. If you’ve got one, be sure to pull it out today for some retro gaming to celebrate and remind yourself why this console was so good in the first place. You may also be struck by how much you’d like these games to be available today, but that’s a story for another day.
