3DS First thoughts on the DS when it was released

[YoshiBoy]

I remember having the SP, and when I heard about this device that was going to have 2 screens, I didn't care because at the time, I didn't think it was cool. The specs is what sold be actually. I had checked it out at a local game stop, but they didn't have live versions so I went to Frys electronics and played a demo game of Metroid Prime.

The way the game played on the 2 screens had me hooked. I really enjoyed the game play, and a friend of mines had bought it as well as the game I had played in the store, so I got to play it a little more. I bought one like a month after launch. Don't judge until you play. Do you remember your first reactions?

 

[yeppeo]

I also have a GBSP and honestly I wasn't actually really impressed by the DS, especially because I also had a PSP at the time. It wasn't until the first time I tried it, also with my friend's one, that I got hooked, but only recently (last year) I could afford one (and it was a 2DS). Honestly I bought it more to play Pokemon.

 

[rz3300]

Well I thought that it was pretty neat, and looking back I can say it was a better release than the 3DS, because that was a big miss in my opinion. They are both the finest things that Nintendo has made, but I do think that they have a good purpose and meet it well for a good enough amount of people. I am not a big on-the-go gamer as it is, so it really did not bother me too much, though, but of course that is different for everyone.

 

[Segata]

When I heard the rumors of Nitro (it's code name before DS) it was just a GBA with multiple screens. DS originally was going to to be a GBA with an added screen but rumors of PSP made Nintendo to a Sega like with the Saturn and make it a 3D system. In Nintendo's case however it was done well. A lot of people were saying this would be Virtual Boy 2.0 and fail.

I honestly had a good feeling about it. Doesn't help in 1999 I had a dream playing a 3D Mario on a Game Boy..came true in 2004. I thought the DS was going to to well not just because Nintendo handhelds always do but the touch screen was really something new then. Once the Sonic and Metroid Prime Hunters demos were shown at E3 you knew it was going to be great. Esp the wifi which again at the time was amazing. People said PSP would kill DS but they were the same people who said N-Gage would kill GBA.

I got one at launch with Mario 64 and the DS blew me away. Tho yes later I got a PSP and favored it over my DS but that's because it has my fave game ever. I don't think any handheld will ever outsell DS much like no console will ever outsell PS2.

 

[Artwark]

As soon as I saw the news that Nintendo is making a new handheld, I was more curious about it. SM 64 DS was the first game I got for the system as it just blew my mind away as a kid. I kept reading more about it and I wanted to learn more about the system. I couldn't stop dreaming about getting it as it had SM64 DS....how can I not resist such promise!?!?

Of course I had a bit of a problem to convince my dad to get it for me but it was worth it! ah such memories.......

 

[rz3300]

I don't think any handheld will ever outsell DS much like no console will ever outsell PS2.

I don't know about that. I am not sure how far out ahead of the pack these two are, but I really have trouble saying never these days. When I think about the alternatives that are out there these days though, you might have a point because things are just more spread out, but you just never know. Just out of curiosity, do you know how far ahead in sales these two are?

 

[Segata]

I am willing to bet my left nut on it. DS hit before the smartphone market his and it brought in casual players with Nintendogs and Brain Age. PS2 and DS were an anomaly of a perfect storm of a couple things. Everyone doing something wrong and hitting a new market. There really isn't any new markets to make. You can now just fight for the one you want. PS4 is not even selling as well as Wii did. It's about 10 million behind at this stage that Wii was in the same time frame. PS4 again doing well because everyone else did something wrong not because they did much right. DS did both. With Smartphones now the handheld market has shrunk. Sure 3DS has done well with 60 million sold this is the worst selling Nintendo handheld ever made.