1. well, i wold always used to say the psp is better bc internet, media, all the such, but with the opera browser next month, and max made a media block to support up to 8gig, playz vids, homebrew games, and music by uploding them onto a flash card or the 1gig memory thats included all for $40 at walmart. so now, the ds is actually media wise, better than the psp. but when it comes to 3d graphics....

Posted at 9:17AM on Apr 30th 2007 by Metroider4

2. Get an R4 and a micro SD ( a 1 gig is about 12 bucks. Then your DS is could play homebrew and media.

Posted at 9:26AM on Apr 30th 2007 by omar

3. Let's see... less expensive than the competition, new ORIGINAL games made just for it, a new control scheme that is heavily used by first party games and is starting to be used by most 3rd party games.

On top of that, some real original games that have broken the mold of the handheld as well as their own genre (Hotel Dusk, Puzzle Quest, Elite Beat Agents), and on top of that, Nintendo is marketing it to "older" gamers and casual gamers.

I work at a Best Buy, and I can tell you for a fact that the only real competition, the PSP, just kinda sits there stockpiled, because it's A) Expensive, compared to the DS, B)Pushes a movie format that nobody really wants to buy just for their own console; C) The games out for it are geared ONLY towards the 18-25 hardcore gamer. I literally had a father ask me where all the non-shooting games for the PSP were, and I had to tell him that every game we had out for the PSP was there.

The DS is a system that parents feel comfortable with, especially since Nintendo doesn't really have that many games that are rated T or M. I know when I talk to parents, they always seem concerned that the popular games for the PSP are Grand Theft Auto and other games that deal with pretty mature themes.

The DS is simply inexpensive, has a huge library of games (if you include the Advance games), has WiFi for multiplayer, and has a wide variety of games that suit a LOT of people. If you can't find a game on the DS that you would like, you just aren't really a gamer.

Posted at 9:28AM on Apr 30th 2007 by Corrin Avatan

4. I play my ds every day, its affordable and practical. Also has some of the best games in the market plus genres that others dont have.

Posted at 9:29AM on Apr 30th 2007 by CHIPI

5. Normally, I would complain about friend codes. But I find myself unable to criticize the machine that gives me my Pokemon fix. Somehow, Pokemon makes it all better. Note: the DS is currently sitting in my lap, open, playing Pokemon.

Off-topic: has anyone else noticed that Pokemon turns on the wireless at the new/load menu (power light flashes as if wireless is on)? Anyone know what it's doing?

Posted at 9:29AM on Apr 30th 2007 by ConstyXIV

6. Omg, my morning and after commutes would be hell without my DS. I got the opera browser for it and use it all the time. These days I'm playing pokemon, and my 2year old plays with pic-chat. I've always been a fan of gameboy and the DS just took it to the next level. As a mom on the go this is the only way I get my gaming fix.
Its funny I have a cousin with a psp, and she doesn't use it. After 3 months she traded it for a DS, and was happier for it.

Posted at 9:41AM on Apr 30th 2007 by Daala

7. DS
Disruption System
Demolition System
Developers' System
Dual Screens
Death to Sony
Download Station
Death's Scythe
Dual Sympathy
Derek Styles
DeuS-ex-machina
Dragon Sword
Da Sweetness
Dawn of Soul
Damn Sony
Dirty Screens

Posted at 10:44AM on Apr 30th 2007 by hvnlysoldr

8. Corrin Avatan: Thanks for your insights! Your comment alone worth many posts on the blog.

I have similar experience: PSP games are expensive. I have gifted my friend a PSP and he basically cannot find suitable games to play on it. (He is huge fan of real-time/turn-based RPGs.) Networking game options are few. Besides Tekken and NfS he has no games he enjoyed.

But he is also writing off Nintendo DS/Wii as "childish". Yet, everytime he stops by, he enjoys Wii's bowling and DS' Lost Magic. I see him playing with my Nintendos more often than with his PSP. Go figure. (He and me are both 29yo.)

Though, I still play mostly on PC, since I'm lazy to buy PS2 - really single contender in RPG space.

DS is great what it is made for - simple touchscreen based games like cards and puzzles. Such games are also very portable - and were helping more than once to survive long trips. On PSP most games are really hard core games - they require lots of attention and lots of concentration, not something you can pull for 8 hours while e.g. in train or on plain.

Technically - graphics and performance - PSP is of course ages ahead of DS. But the technical edge hasn't materialized as improved *portable* gaming experience: I will never trade touchscreen for improved resolution of PSP.

Posted at 11:34AM on Apr 30th 2007 by Ihar `Philips` Filipau

9. I don't think success like this *can* be a fluke. The DS is winning because of the quality experience, targeted games, engineering - it's just a homerun from start to finish.

Posted at 11:54AM on Apr 30th 2007 by Dave Chartier

10. Let's see, in the house we have 1 genesis, 1 playstation, 1 xbox...but 3 DS's. The kids got them for Christmas and I ended up getting one for the wife because she turned into a Phoneix Wright junkie.

So yeah, the DS is *a little bit* addictive. A fluke, nope.

Posted at 1:03PM on Apr 30th 2007 by Kevin

11. Off-topic: has anyone else noticed that Pokemon turns on the wireless at the new/load menu (power light flashes as if wireless is on)? Anyone know what it's doing?

I was wondering about that too. Yesterday, my kid was playing Pokemon and when it started raining outside, it started raining in the Sinnoh Region. Think there's any connection? We're in Arizona and it probably won't rain again for another three months.

Posted at 1:17PM on Apr 30th 2007 by Bill

12. I just bought my DS and there really was no competition between it and the PSP. The DS is cheaper, the design is more streamlined, and the games are actually made for a portable. With the PSP, it feels like they're just rehashing old games that don't work well in portable systems.

I've also got a PS2, but I rarely play that anymore. I've been enjoying the Nintendo games much more recently.

Bill & ConstyXIV: I noticed that, too. It could be that it's just testing the connection. Maybe getting some local info? Who knows.

Posted at 1:36PM on Apr 30th 2007 by Sylf

13. The DS is clearly a fluke. I think it has gone way too mainstream. The games for the system are forgettable. How the hell does a shallow game like nintendogs sell so much? MPH was hard for all the wrong reasons. Tetris DS was ruined (for me)by IS.

Don't get me wrong. I played Mario Kart, Meteos, and Castlevania to death, but the system is still lacking in games WORTH being played over and over.

I thought I would be playing games like Phantasy star Online, Smash Bros, or Starcraft, but with its diminutive screen size hindering games like Worms and Simcity from being played properly, I will graciously wait for what Nintendo has planned for the DS2 (hopefully larger,wider screens).

Posted at 2:04PM on Apr 30th 2007 by ThaiFighter

14. Most DS US titles are forgetttable. Unfortunately the DS is still seen as a toy rather than a tool and will probably never venture into that realm in the US.

Posted at 3:08PM on Apr 30th 2007 by NDSkid

15. I don't think it's much of a fluke, myself. I think it's very simple: the pros outweigh the cons. Sure, there are flaws -- every game system has its problems -- but friend codes and WiFi droppage is a small issue to me. This could be because I rarely play online, but from what I hear from others (read: you guys), those issues can generally be overlooked.

The strength of the DS lies in its games. Sure, the touch screen is awesome, and it's widened the market, but it's just a stepping stone. The versatility of games available on the system is what makes it. The PSP had an uphill battle from the start, fighting against the Nintendo handheld war machine, and what hamstrung it was the lack of great games. Certainly nothing else, except perhaps the price, because the PSP remains a beautiful piece of hardware. But to challenge Nintendo, they needed the games, and the PSP still struggles in that regard. Which is a shame, really; the two systems complement one another well.

Posted at 3:34PM on Apr 30th 2007 by Alisha Karabinus

16. @Consty,

the wireless is in the main menu so you can recieve a manaphy egg from pokemon ranger

Posted at 6:42PM on Apr 30th 2007 by Jhongerkong

17. Does anyone actually think that getting a DS lite is worth upgrading from the Original DS? I like my DS, but I like how the lite is almost completely flat, none of that hump on the back. I like the black, but I don't like that the GBA games stick out of the slot, like GBC games did with the Advance, I think it's kind of annoying.

I dunno, just looking for some opinions.

Posted at 9:33PM on Apr 30th 2007 by Dragod

18. I'm really considering a DS. My sons have GBA's.... and we havea GC. Any suggestions on the top 5 games to get for it? Mario Kart is a definite... we've played the GC version to death. I'm thinking of some other ones - especially some not so famous yet very enjoyable ones.

Posted at 11:17PM on Apr 30th 2007 by Paul

19. Thaifighter: how is a video system "going mainstream" a bad thing? It means more people buying the system, which is going to keep it around longer and encourage more developers to make good games for it.

As a casual gamer, I love the DS. it's got a wide selection of addictive games (I'm hooked on FF3 and Animal Crossing, personally), and it doesn't have that off-putting "if you're not a hardcore gamer, don't bother with it" approach that so many other current-generation systems have to their design, games, marketing, etc.

Posted at 10:02AM on May 2nd 2007 by Morose