Nintendo DS review

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What is it: Touchscreen portable games console

What we think: Nintendo's innovative DS is the next must-have portable gaming console

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User Rating

8.6

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What you need to know

Reviewed by: Robert Dubbin

Reviewed on: 19 November 2004

Tags: Nintendo, Nintendo DS, screens, performance, gamers

We like:

Dual-screen design; backlit screen; higher resolution display than Game Boy Advance SP; backward-compatible with older GBA games; built-in support for wireless gaming; standard-size headphone jack

We don't like:

Somewhat bulky

You might also need:

Headphones

CNET UK judgement:

The feature-packed Nintendo DS is a worthy successor to the Game Boy Advance

Full review:

What a difference a year makes. When Nintendo announced the DS handheld to mixed reviews in January 2004, all we knew was that it had two screens. Over the next six months, reports of a touch screen, a stylus, 802.11b wireless capabilities, a post-E3 redesign, and Voice over IP compatibility trickled out from Nintendo, culminating in the announcement of the DS's easy-to-swallow £100 price. There are more expensive Swiss Army knives that do less, but at times, it seemed like Nintendo was adding features for the sake of features. So how does the final product measure up to the hype? Continue Reading...

Nintendo DS History

6 Oct 2006 in Crave

Mario vs Browser: Battle for the Nintendo DS

The lovable plumber has a bold new foe in the battle for DS owners' attention: the Internet. Opera's Wi-Fi browser has been specially designed for the handheld

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12 Dec 2005 in Digital Living

Gear Envy: Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS is about the same size as the original Game Boy Advance -- but it offers just a little bit more. Would you stick one in your rucksack?

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17 Nov 2005 in Crave

Nintendogs: Welcome to the doghouse

Nintendogs is a new virtual pet game, but being from Nintendo there's depth to this little gimmick. You interact with your new puppy through the touchscreen and teach them tricks via voice commands. Altogether now, "Aww..."

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11 May 2005 in Reviews

Handheld consoles head to head

A number of recent high-profile releases have seen a resurgence in the handheld games market. The race has only just begun, but if you're looking purely at a games console, it's going to be between Sony and Nintendo...

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