The DS Life: The coolest guy on the train

by Eric Caoili { May 7th 2008 at 9:00PM }

As a somewhat respectable grown-up who makes a somewhat living on the Nintendo DS subculture, I have to stop myself from trying to see what someone's playing whenever I spot a handheld gamer in the wild. I restrain myself for two reasons:

I like to keep up this illusion of me being a somewhat respectable grown-up
I don't want anyone mistaking me for a pedophile just because I was stealing glances at some kid's Piplup

Children, though, have no such reservations with running up to a stranger to see what he's playing ...

Check out the guy in the orange shirt -- he wishes he could watch the aging salaryman's game, just like all the other kids. Instead, he's stuck sitting next to a boring, non-DS-playing woman. He is so frustrated by this turn of events, he actually ripped his pants!

The DS Life is a weekly feature in which we scour the known world for narrative images of Nintendo's handheld and handheld gamers. If you have a photo and a story to match it with, send both to thedslife at dsfanboy dot com.

Tags: family, korea, subway, superlocal

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Verythrax @ May 7th 2008 9:31PM

Hahaha! This post was genius!

I was betting for the pic cut that the coolest guy would be the one with sneakers :)

Clarke @ May 7th 2008 9:39PM

I'd be more interested in the woman

Prettz @ May 7th 2008 9:50PM

Funny -- Just yesterday I was sitting in the laundromat playing The World Ends With You and I had a little Asian kid come up to me wanting to know if he could play. I let him play for a while. He kept scratching the stylus madly on the screen in order to kill the bad guys, "gently!" I kept telling him, "you don't have to press so hard!" I don't want my screen damaged!
After about 10 minutes his mother came in and told him they had to leave. As he handed the DS back to me, his mother had to remind him to tell me "thank you."
I dread going back next week.

Alisha Karabinus @ May 8th 2008 4:33AM

At least you got to pass on word of an awesome game?

SephFinale @ May 8th 2008 7:00PM

I have to tell my theater teacher's 7 year old son almost on a daily basis that I don't have my DS with me because the last time I let him play, he had spit on the screen a little AND left fingerprints... (He was playing Sonic Rush Adventure)

Thing is though, the kid has a PSP and just got a GBA, and both Sonic Advance 3 and Sonic Rivals (On their respective systems, Rivals sucks compared to the Rush games by the way), and he still wants to play my DS...

Madhatter @ May 7th 2008 9:55PM

hahahaha i wish australian trains were like that

Chris.- @ May 7th 2008 11:07PM

haha yeah, people just give you an 'eww' look if they see you playing a ds in the wild... i think its a bit uncomfortable, but my girl just doesn't care xD she ALWAYS plays on a train xD

hipi @ May 20th 2008 4:02AM

Ah, but you must be on the wrong trains...the aussie trains I am on ARE like that. But in that case, I am the coolest chick on the train...all suited up for my corporate job, playing my fluro-stickered DS. (currently playing professor Layton and the curious village)
I always get adults peeking over my shoulder to see what I'm playing....next one that does it will have to solve a puzzle for me!

koku @ May 8th 2008 10:32AM

I was on a bus in Ecuador last summer, rocking some New Super Mario Brothers, when a boy approached me and asked if he could play. He probably never played a DS before but he picked it up quickly, and was amazed at the touch screen reserve powerups. Just a nice experience involving children and transport.

I always strain to see what someone is playing... Only times I've managed to see were a woman pointedly playing Brain Age 2 in the middle of a mall (seemed a marketing plant, but maybe I'm just cynical), and some 12 year old girl playing Phoenix Wright (I cheered inside!).

chispito @ May 7th 2008 11:28PM

Of course if it were anywhere but Japan, you could simply ask a stranger what he's playing.

hvnlysoldr @ May 7th 2008 11:45PM

I usually played Custom Robo or Pokemon on the subway in DC.

Texpundit @ May 8th 2008 3:14PM

I play Tiger Woods 08, Lego Star Wars (Complete Saga) and Professor Layton pretty much every day on the DC metro. It's my on-the-way-home-from-work ritual.

Dio @ May 8th 2008 5:33AM

About a year ago I was sitting in the hallway of my campus playing Ouendan 2 when this guy comes up and asks me if I'm playing Guitar Hero >:O

If I see my friends playing in public, I usually ask them what they're playing. But if it's a student I don't know (I kind of want to avoid using the word stranger, but), I've learned to stop bothering them. Because they're noobs XD It's really hard to carry on a conversation about the DS when they've only played one game. And even if you're trying to suggest some great games, it's always one-sided.

Shin @ May 8th 2008 7:05AM

I was playing Pokemon once in the mall while waiting for my grandmother and this kid sits next to me and asks if I was playing Pokemon. I said yes and he asked which version and began interviewing me about my team and.... wondered if I had Rayquaza because Rayquaza's his favourite. XD

Mike_NJ @ May 8th 2008 10:11AM

The only places I play "in full view of public" is at doctors' appointments and at work.

I have seen kids in restaurants playing Pokemon or NSMB. Watched one girl do the ghost gym in D/P while waiting for soup. I couldn't read her screen but she cleared that gym like a pro.

Alex @ May 21st 2008 2:54PM

I once played Dementium on the train. Only once, though. I didn't have any headphones and those screaming-flying heads get me some pretty wierd looks.

iruka @ May 8th 2008 12:24PM

I wish our trains are that spacious. You couldn't even see the floor when you ride the train here... @_@

I do have to agree with kids approaching whenever I play the DS. One time I was playing Phoenix Wright and a kid checked it out. I guess he got bored with all the text and left. XD

IKILLNINJA @ May 8th 2008 12:34PM

As much as i like checking out what other people are playing, What I enjoy even more i pulling out my DS on public transit and making a point of finding some lame ass guy playing his PSP(EWWW!) they usualy stop playing their game to watch me play what ever game I've got going cause when it comes down to it everybody wants a DS some people just don't know it yet!

JfreshInEffect @ May 8th 2008 2:20PM

I very rarely see the DS in the subway in NYC. The though is very popular. I've even seen a couple walking together using it as a media player. Does anyone feel weird braking out the ds on the subway in NYC. I always do but feel weird.

DS Curmudgeon @ May 9th 2008 5:43PM

I was in the Laundromat playing Mystery Dungeon two months ago, when a little kid came up to me wanting to play my game.
This happens to me a lot if I game in front of kids. If I'm on the bus and there's a kid sitting near me, I don't play my DS. I'll listen to mp3s instead.
I have to wonder, what're moms and dads teaching these kids that they feel they can jaunt over to a complete stranger and ask to play their game.

If kids are at recess and a guy comes up and asks them to help him find his puppy they're supposed to run away and tell their parents and the police, but if they see someone playing a DS it's okay to run over and hang out with them? Just because someone has a DS that doesn't mean they're a good person who won't hurt a child.

I'm a big kid myself and nowhere close to being a parent yet. I would never consider hurting anyone, but every time a kid asks to play my game I want to teach them not to talk to strangers. If a child catches me playing games and wants to play, the first thing out of my mouth is "Where are your Mom and Dad?" The next is "ask their permission first".

cheesecakes @ May 10th 2008 9:17AM

I remember when my sister was playing Phoenix Wright on my DS after school. Some kid came up to her and asked what she was playing. He just kept watching and wouldn't even leave when his mother said it was time to go xD

Protospasm @ May 12th 2008 5:49AM

I was in NYC last month and was excited to see a guy around my age playing. As excited as I was, however, I didn't rush up to see what he was playing because I didn't have my DS with me.
I didn't want to be the heavy breathing portable nerd hovering over a guy more attractive than myself... but I could take him at MarioKart I bet.