I might get one with my birthday money, depending on a number of factors. Is it worth it?
And FTR, I love my Wii.
I suppose it’s hard to say whether it’s worth it for you personally, but in general I would say definitely yes. I think you could make an argument that the DS is the best console in history. Anyone with even a mild interest in gaming should be able to find dozens of games that they’ll enjoy.
The only thing to remember is that ganmes for it tend towards the more Japanese-dominated genres, and tend to be somewhat cute. If you’re fine with that, they have some very good games and the best portable games you can buy. I certainly enjoy mine.
Yes, it is, without qualification or reservation.
Edit time limit expired, but what I mean by that is that if all I knew is that someone enjoyed video games, I would be confident recommending they buy a DS without knowing anything further. I would say the same for the PS2, PS1, and SNES, but few other consoles.
I’d add the Xbox 360 as well. There’s a lot more variety there than people realize.
The Wii too if you count the Virtual Console, but that might be cheating.
I’m a grown-up with 2 kids, 9 and 11, both of whom got DSs for Xmas. I got a chip in my stocking as well, and it was…Mariokart
I freaking love Mariokart on DS. You can play it anywhere, it takes about 10 minutes, and it’s been entertaining as hell since Xmas. I’m unwilling to get any other games, for fear they’ll be more fun and I’ll quit working on the stuff that I should. If I were traveling a lot, my own DS would be the first thing I’d buy.
I know you can get 'Kart for Wii, but then you can’t play it on the stairs, or in the bed, or while waiting for the computer to reboot, or as a study break.
The DS has it all. Including a decent modscene if you like that. Atari classics. Namco classics. The latest, the most experimental. Honest to goodness adventure games like Hotel Dusk. Puzzle games. Skateboarding games. Rocking.
I think the just released DSi is overpriced at $180 but there’s a good library of just about everything you could want available and a lot of it fairly cheap. The older model DS at $120 was a no brainer for me. I personally like having a few quick to jump into and out of games handy for the down times. Things like Geometry Wars or Clubhouse Games (which finally taught me how to play Bridge).
Thanks everyone! Looks like I’ll start saving for one!
Any game recommendations? Mario Kart looks like a definite, and I read a good review of Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride in Games Magazine. I definitely like adventure/RPG games.
If you’re after something a little different, I recommend Contact. I’m playing it right now and it’s better than you’d think from the reviews it got. A little difficult in parts, but there’s no penalty for dying. I’d give it 8/10.
Edit: It is an adventure rpg with an interesting levelling system where instead of one level, each of your stats has a level that you exercise each time it comes into play.
I think the DS has the single best library in the history of video games. And I’m not exaggerating. Brilliant little system. I have a Lite in perfect condition but am thinking of picking up a DSi because of the larger screen and better speakers.
I think the DS has the single best library in the history of video games. And I’m not exaggerating. Brilliant little system. I have a Lite in perfect condition but am thinking of picking up a DSi because of the larger screen and better speakers.
*Edit: If you like RPGs and have not played Chrono Trigger, get that. If you like Dragon Quest V, note that DQIV also recently received a DS makeover.
If you like Zelda games, be sure to pick up Phantom Hourglass. A sequel is coming soon.
If you’re at all interested in tactical games, the DS is awesome. Final Fantasy Tactics A2, Disgaea, and above all Advance Wars: Days of Ruin are all fantastic games.
Oh, also, you may like the Phoenix Wright/Apollo Justice series of games. Similar to old point and click PC adventure games. Lots of fun.
And while it’s not an adventure game, I can’t not throw out my usual recommendation for Elite Beat Agents, which might be my favorite game ever.
I’d totally want one, but I’m wary of games where they throw in the touchpad as a gimmick for its own sake instead of trying to make it fit within the context of the game.
Is there a Sim City DS? 
Yes. I haven’t played it myself, though. I spotted it for $10 the other day and was tempted…
I’ve heard that SimCity DS isn’t very good, for what it’s worth.
Also, gimmicky touchscreen use is really not much of an issue with games made past, like, 2006. There are far more games that make excellent use of the touchscreen than games that make bad use of it. I own several games that don’t use the touchscreen at all.
Yes, I find most games either ignore the touchscreen (or at least make it optional), or they only use the touchscreen and do so intelligently. There’s very few that feel like they just shoved in the touchscreen capability without thought, and those that do are generally optional.
Elite Beat Agents is a must-have game. Utterly enjoyable.
If you have a family and disposable income, prepare to have quite a bit of it disposed. Here’s my Pokemon/DS story:
About a year ago, I bought a used DS with five games, for a reasonable price. Theoretically, it was for my kids, but really, I wanted to play Pokemon Pearl, one of the games that was included.
A couple weeks later, my wife and kids left on a trip, taking the DS with them. By this point, I was addicted to Pokemon, so I bought myself a new DS to play it while they were gone. (It was almost my birthday…)
A couple weeks after they got home, Toys R Us was giving away an exclusive pokemon, one per cartridge, so I bought Pokemon Diamond for my #1 daughter so we could each get one. (It was just past her birthday…)
By then, we had been able to compare my new DS with the used one, and notice that the touch screen on the used one didn’t calibrate properly. So for my #2 daughter’s birthday, we bought a DS and Pearl for her, and a new DS for #1 daughter.
Now my wife was feeling left out, so we bought Diamond for her.
Months later, my mother-in-law bought a DS and her own Pokemon cartridge.
Then my wife decided she deserved a new DS, not the original un-calibratible one.
Then #1 daughter dropped her DS and broke it, and my mother-in-law replaced it (against my wishes).
So, Nintendo has made quite a bit from my family over the past year. We’ve mostly recovered from our Pokemon addiction now, and our income has gone down, so we haven’t bought any copies of Platinum yet. However, I see that there’s a limited-time Platinum-only promotion going on right now, so I may break down in the next two weeks…
Oh, Pokemon is an addiction you’ll never cure. A couple weeks ago I came across my old Game Boy Color with Pokemon Blue in it and started a new game. This after buying Platinum when it was released. When I already had Pearl.
Ha! I’ve got Pokèmunity! I’ve tried to play the games but I get about twenty hours into them and I wind up bored and wandering off. I think I don’t have the right mindset to connect with the games. Maybe if they had come out when I was eight…
And FWIW there’s a lot of experimentation with interface and form with DS games and I think it’s to the system’s benefit. The two screens, microphone, touch screen, and buttons have given a lot of flexibility to designers and while a few go for gimmicks there’s a lot of people who have come up with some interesting concepts.