The Nintendo DS, released in 2004, is a handheld gaming console that incorporates a dual screen interface. The bottom LCD is actually a touch screen requiring the use of a stylus or the user’s finger. Included also are a built-in microphone and support for Wifi which allows players to both chat and interact in games that allow 2 or more players. Since the original’s introduction, Nintendo has released two updates to the system. The first is the DS Lite which has a slimmer body and a brighter screen. The second, dubbed the DSi, and due to be released during the first half of 2009, will support AAC playback, two cameras, an animation creator, and access to an online shopping center. The Nintendo DS is also backwards compatible with the older Game Boy Advance cartridges however that support will be dropped with the DSi.
Nintendo has always pushed the envelope of traditional gaming. The DS, while not as graphically powerful as its competitor, the
Sony Playstation Portable, nonetheless has beaten it in both popularity and sold units. Combined sales around the world have exceeded over 84 million units making it the 4th best selling console of all time as of 2008.
