DS Daily: Favorite feature

by Candace Savino { Jul 27th 2008 at 10:30AM }

We imagine many of you love the DS (or else you wouldn't be here). Granted, there are many reasons to consider the DS as your electronic soulmate, or at least we think so. Still, what do you think is the DS's very best feature? You know -- that feature that you just can't live without?

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Anthony @ Jul 27th 2008 10:34AM

The wifi, its so easy and fun to connect with friends worldwide.

stupid @ Jul 27th 2008 10:39AM

size. honestly i have a ds and a psp and i carry the ds around more just because of the size, it packs so much entertainment into that small space.

Pedroion @ Jul 27th 2008 10:50AM

It's not one specific (?) feature, but the whole pack.
The touch screen, the homebrews, the size, the style.
And Moonshell, of course.

rjm.mclean @ Jul 27th 2008 10:51AM

The 2 screens, i mean what better than having 2 screens for racing and other stuff :)

Kimiko @ Jul 27th 2008 11:05AM

The feature I can't do without is of course that it allows me to play lots of fun games ^_^

Reasons not to pick other gaming systems? Portability; doesn't require a new TV; price.

Lord Bowser @ Jul 27th 2008 11:06AM

Being able to play TWEWY anywhere I want, whenever I want.

igorponweed @ Jul 27th 2008 11:19AM

I was about to comment that, Idea stealer! :P

Yadamon @ Jul 27th 2008 11:16AM

The software

I also have a PSP, (as well as a Wii 360 and a PS3, but let's not talk about those.) but found myself spending mosting of my gaming time (portable, that is) on the DS.

The DS has an amazing games library, espcially for jRPG lover such as myself, and the ability to play GBA games just adds that much to it.

The thing I would like, but the DS did not have, was the ability to turn it off and be able to resume where I left off when I turn it on again like on the PSP again, of course there's the sleep mode, but that doesn't last days like the PSP did.

Andy @ Jul 27th 2008 11:22AM

DS's superior features:
-battery life
-back-comp library (ie GBA games)
-pokemon

PSP's superior features:
-movies, photos, music, internet
-ability to download games/demos
-graphics capabilities

Both are good in:
-small size, both fit well in my pocket
-diverse games, lots of good games
-rechargeable batteries (i hate having to buy batteries)

I've had my PSP since launch, and my DS for a few months. I still like my PSP more, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy some FFTA2 or Advance Wars.

Alana @ Jul 27th 2008 11:28AM

I'd have to say it's the touch screen and the microphone that I love the most about the DS. Plus the great selection of games, of course.

Phantom @ Jul 27th 2008 11:51AM

I like how it plays games , but next-gen , TBH , I'll get a PSP2 , since it can play games and has so many other features too(music,movies,internet) , I don't see Nintendo pulling a Sony and putting so many features on their systems that you don't know whether you use it for gaming or media .

Char6296 @ Jul 27th 2008 11:59AM

I'm glad it isn't ALL about the touch-screen and they still decided to keep the face buttons. Button/stylus games are superior to any stylus only game.

Lord Bowser @ Jul 27th 2008 12:22PM

Kirby Canvas Curse says hello.

BlackDogAssault @ Jul 27th 2008 1:25PM

Ouendan is waving to you!

Char6296 @ Jul 27th 2008 2:34PM

(Everything I say causes an argument... weird) Games like that are good, sure, but I just like switching between stylus and buttons. Sorry for my serious crime against stylus gaming. I'll rephrase; button/stylus games are superior to any LOW-QUALITY stylus game. There, better?

aj @ Jul 27th 2008 5:10PM

I like having an option.

Sometimes games go with stylus controls where it really makes no logical sense to do so. Can you imagine if there was no d-pad?

bluezy @ Jul 27th 2008 12:07PM

Several things. There's the touch screen, which lets me play games in new ways. Then the two screens remove possible clutter, and both screens come in quite handy.

And of course, the games. There is such an amazing selection of games on the DS, anyone with a pulse could find at least 5 games they'd be interested in. I mean, i own 28 games. If i had every game i wanted, i'd have 52.

paul @ Jul 27th 2008 1:09PM

I thing the way that its got a mic, a touch screen and good old buttons really give developers the oppurtunity to make a unique game or weather you want a mario, contra, or castlevania 2d type button clicking game or maybe like flashfocus or brainage which take all of them and If i could get my hands development tools I think I would have a lot of fun such features, ending note, I think that the speakers on the top half looked too pimped out for it to be that quiet. so to most people it would matter but if you've got a flashcart or guitar hero ds you would like it to be slightly louder, but it is a great system to work with.

Brad Mecoli @ Jul 27th 2008 1:16PM

the B button...

It's so bad...

aj @ Jul 27th 2008 1:18PM

That's a tough one. This may sound mad, but I actually DON'T like a lot of the features on the DS. The mic is sort of silly, two screens seems rather pointless, the touch interface seemed forced to me.....but I've seen all of these features implemented really well more often than I have seen them implemented really badly, or not at all.

But in all honesty, the best feature about the DS? The games. I haven't really bought a "next gen" console because there just aren't that many games out there that justify dropping money on one, but the DS has a lot of fantastic titles, not to mention compatibility with GBA games.

SSecond best feature: portability. I like gaming. But I also like gaming on the train, in the park, and having pokemon battles with complete strangers.

offday @ Jul 27th 2008 1:33PM

You don't think a Wii or 360 have enough games to justify dropping money on one?

You must be the pickiest gamer in the world.

aj @ Jul 27th 2008 4:48PM

I meant to say that there are not enough games that I am interested in on any of the "next gen" systems.

And no, I'm not picky, I just don't like "casual games" on the Wii, and I don't like shooting games, which is about 90% of what the 360 offers.

Different stroke for different folks.

Mike97 @ Jul 27th 2008 1:30PM

The games are what make any system great. I did buy a PSP and was absolutely enthralled for about 4 weeks until I ran out of games I was interested in playing. I would have kept it for movies and the occasional game if they had a downloadable movie rental service, but I sold it because Sony is giving such poor support to the PSP. The DS has such strong third-party support now that it's almost impossible to run out of good games to play unless you do nothing else.

Gennataos @ Jul 27th 2008 3:36PM

The clamshell design. If the PSP had a clamshell design I'd be hard pressed to decide on a favorite. It just depends on my mood....I love both systems for different reasons.

Can we please have a discussion in which the PSP is mentioned and NOT have someone claim the PSP doesn't have any games? Pretty please?

Sally @ Jul 27th 2008 3:51PM

Touch screen and long battery life. The "unofficial" features would be the ability to just plug a flash card in and run moonshell and comicbook DS on it - anime and manga on the go!

chibi_wings @ Jul 27th 2008 4:33PM

hmmm.....there are a few things, the extensive game library, the touch screen (without it games like trauma center would not be possible), and the fact that it has a rechargeable battery unlike the original GBA.

I think my DS is aging because the battery life isn't as long as it used to be....it can still outlast a long car ride, but probably not a airplane ride.

aj @ Jul 27th 2008 4:51PM

Does anyone know what the average battery life is on a DS?

I thought mine was starting to die after just two years, but it turns out *someone* set the brightness way up and I never turned it back down to a reasonable level.

I was thinking of getting a new battery anyway, but if I can expect another several years out of the old girl, then why bother?

tekdroid @ Jul 28th 2008 7:28AM

Funny you should mention that. I'd rather have easily replaceable rechargeables (like found on the original Game Boy Advance) than a single embedded battery. That would have to be one of the worst points of recent portable consoles (PSP notwithstanding, because they sanely designed their battery to be easily replaceable with a spare without a screwdriver).

Swapping DS's current battery for another needs a screw (and of course a spare batt pre-charged in the DS prior). It sounds like you need to just get the battery replaced. They only last for 300-500 charge cycles before starting to really not hold much charge at all. Normal behaviour.

Anyway, back to my point:
You're on the train, on a camping trip, or just in the park and you played a bit longer than expected. Whatever. You're somewhere, anywhere... battery runs out. What to do? Reach for power point. No power point nearby? Damn. Got a spare batt? Great. But you'll need that screwdriver as well. Uhhh...

Original Game Boy Advance model? You simply replace your rechargeable AAs with another set of rechargeables you brought along.

Done. Game on. And not only that you can bring several spares for longer trips, etc. No messy screwdriver. Easy pop-in and pop-out. Everyone has an AA recharger these days, I would think. If not, they are cheap enough.

chibi_wings @ Jul 28th 2008 7:28PM

I actually like rechargeable batteries because they cost less then buying the good AA batteries every couple of days and they last longer then the rechargeable AA batteries....I know it's a hassle to change the DS's battery, so I'll probably hold out till they release a new color or new model. The battery life isn't that big of an issue, it usually lasts long enough.

@aj: mine is two years old too and now that you mention it, the battery does deplete faster on a higher brightness setting. Maybe that's the reason.....

tekdroid @ Jul 29th 2008 9:06AM

Disposables are definitely a waste, agreed. I wouldn't even consider them.

Longer life of Nintendo's embedded rechargeable battery versus rechargeable AA can't be proven on the DS unless it accepts AA battery(ies) for a proper comparison. Rechargeable AAs have improven tremendously in recent years (up to 2700mAh storage capacity per battery).

There's also Eneloop low self-discharge batteries too... so IMO whether or not they would last longer is very much up in the air. Dunno about the the capacity of the internal battery of the DS, but if bored enough will look it up :)

m-p{3} @ Jul 27th 2008 4:34PM

Battery life
Touchscreen
Moonshell !

BlackDS @ Jul 27th 2008 5:45PM

The Touch Screen is revolutionary, everything else about the DS Lite is evolutionary IMO.

Peace.

Wiinterfang @ Jul 27th 2008 5:48PM

Alarm clock.

Zealot @ Jul 27th 2008 6:07PM

I think I have to agree with the people who are stating that it's not any particular feature of the DS but its games that have made it the amazing system it is. Every genre is represented to some extent, and those genres that have been all but forgotten on consoles this generation (RPGs, rhythm, quality puzzle games, point-and-click adventure, 2D platformer) thrive on the DS. It's truly inherited the "something for everyone" mantle passed from the SNES to the PS1 to the PS2. Without the DS, I would have likely given up gaming for good by now, considering that all three consoles are pigeonholing themselves and attempting to appeal to specific types of gamers rather than stressing creativity and inclusiveness. My DS library is 750% the size of my Wii library, and between the 360 and PS3 there may be five games I'd like to play. It's a bleak age for those who aren't fans of shovelware or shooters, and I'm so thankful that we have this one system that dares to be different (and prints money doing so, even.)

TJF588 @ Jul 27th 2008 6:45PM

The size of the current DS hurt my hands to hold it, but the screens being as they are (that is, two) make for more access to more information while you play. Eliminates such things as map pull-ups or HUDs.

tekdroid @ Jul 28th 2008 7:41AM

older ds had better dpad (larger and clicky, not soft and small), and better shoulder buttons (more comfortable, less blocky).

I think the current one is also lacking in these areas.

bombchu @ Jul 27th 2008 7:10PM

I could honestly do without th' mic... but I happen to love when developers think of new ways to utilize the double screen thing. Well... I love when they find new ways of utilizing everything... and do it well! Like Zelda. That game absolutely blew me away with innovation... and stuff. It's just an experience I couldn't have on any other console (if i had them >.>) and 'tis actually affordable.

So, innovation... and stuff.

elsng @ Jul 27th 2008 8:39PM

It's ability to play great portable games.

algarcia @ Jul 28th 2008 1:52AM

best+nintendo+portable= best device ever!

tekdroid @ Jul 28th 2008 7:36AM

This is boring, but the clamshell design certainly counts for something. Of course the touchscreen makes many many enjoyable games possible that just can't be done on the PSP.

I'll mention this because it hasn't been mentioned (that I saw):
the Nintendo-designed speakers were the first thing that surprised me; they had an uncannily good stereo image for their size and particularly their short distance apart (at least those on the Lite, and if memory recalls the original was not as good, though I could be wrong). Under the circumstances, I think they did a fanstastic job on those onboard speakers!

Nadril @ Jul 28th 2008 8:49AM

My R4DS card and homebrew.

Maybe not an offical feature par-say for the DS but certainly the one I enjoy the most. Being able to carry around the entire NES library on a small handheld is too awesome for words.

Ng0zT @ Jul 28th 2008 3:13PM

my favorite feature is the fact that Jack and Daxter and Ratchet and Clank cant even touch it *shivers in disgust*
other than that i like the mic
now it just needs an option pack that makes cookies.

giannacl @ Jul 28th 2008 10:44PM

The fact that i just throw it in my purse and carry it around 24/7. car jams, doctors office, anywhere I have to wait still, is a nice place to solve a puzzle, a crossword or kirby!!!

DarkAssaszin @ Jul 29th 2008 10:13PM

ummm it would prob be games! but the DS sucks at giving you good quailty games! There are only a couple good DS games! Animal Crossing, Legend of Zelda and Metroid. but for my PSP i have a alot more games for it cause they are funner! Untold Legends, Monster Hunter Freedom, Metal Gear Solid, Loco Roco, Burnout, Crisis Core:FF7, God of War, and many more!

mint08 @ Jul 29th 2008 10:35PM

If only the DS had superior graphics as the PSP, then I wouldn't ever look forlornly over at my friend's arcade games on his PSP, wishing Naruto: Ninja Destiny didn't suck as bad as it did, graphics-wise, and gameplay-wise. Shoulda bought Bleach: Blade of Fate instead. T_T

But touch screen rocks it. And I suppose adding a second screen was inevitable with touch screen; playing might have gotten too stressful touching extra buttons for maps, char. stats, plus the stylus crowding the screen just a little bit..