Console Guide: Nintendo Dual Screen (DS)
By far the most frequent question I get here at GamerDad is:
“What console should I buy for my kids?”
Should You Buy a Nintendo DS?
Sadly, there’s no easy answer and that’s why one-by-one I’m going to be laying out the pros/cons, value, future, advantages and drawbacks for each of the 10 platforms we cover. Yes, 10. There are 10 gaming platforms.
Let’s talk about the Nintendo Dual-Screen (called NDS from here on out).
Parental Controls: No
Overview & Features:
Nintendo continues to innovate and this is its first modern attempt to change the way games are controlled. The NDS adds a stylus (a small plastic “pen”) and an extra screen that responds to rubbing, tapping, and drawing. What seemed like a gimmick has become, arguably, the best value in gaming today. It plays all of the games available for the GameBoy Advance system, it can go on the Internet wirelessly for multiplayer play and even better, if you get two or more of them, most games will allow competitive play with only one game cartridge (the backseat on a long trip will never be the same again).
Other Models?:
Nintendo Dual Screen: This model came first and can be found Used. It works all right but the more updated NDS Lite is better.
Nintendo Dual Screen Lite: Sleeker and cooler looking than the original, the NDS Lite has a brighter screen and more compact design. This is the one to get.
Drawbacks:
The stylus can be lost fairly easily (it comes with two and replacements are cheap) and younger children might use the stylus too hard and damage the screen. The graphics aren’t a whole lot better than the GameBoy Advance and nowhere near as good looking as the PlayStation Portable. Also, this system uses tiny cartridges that are extremely easy to lose.
Kid Factor:
The NDS is very kid friendly, assuming your child is responsible enough not to lose or damage it. Lots of games require reading, so it can be used as a learning tool and the system has some very unique and clever games you can’t get anywhere else (except maybe, eventually, on the Nintendo Wii).
Value & Verdict:
The NDS packs a lot of gameplay and fun into a relatively small package. The price is right, cheap games abound, and it’s quickly becoming one of the most successful game platforms ever, ensuring that it’ll be supported for years to come.
March 18th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I would suggest to anyone buying a DS – adult or child – to get a decent case that is build to hold games and an extra stylus. Make it easy on yourself / you kids. I have a lovely one from GameStop called the G-Pak. It is pretty big but wonderful at not losing stuff.
March 18th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
My big suggestion is to make sure if you’re buying used hardware and you’re getting a regular DS rather than a DSLite to make sure you get extra styluses. They are rather easy to loose and it’s hard to find them for the original hardware anymore.
March 18th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Definitely agree – the DS ‘Phat’ stylus is looser and much easier to lose.
March 19th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I really think the “phat” had a terrible design — I thought the DS was a bad joke until the Lite came out. Now, I never part with it unless I have to. Professor Layton FTW!