Over at Next-Gen, Ben Reich has penned an article on the worst ideas to hit gaming, with two Nintendo creations in his choices. The first, Friend Codes, we can kind of roll with. They're unwieldy, awkward, and let's face it: there are better solutions.Perhaps they deserve to be there, but the DS's microphone? Not so much. See, we quite like the mic. OK, it's not as widely used as other parts of the handheld's unique feature-set, but we're struggling to swallow the argument that it's one of "gaming's worst ever ideas." Not in a world where the Roll & Rocker exists.
Two things seem to irk Reich about the DS's mic: that it can be embarrassing to use in public, and that not enough game developers have used it well. We partially agree with his first point -- e-nun-ci-at-ing "Buh-loo!" into your handheld while on the bus to work would make most people feel like a bit of a nugget. Then again, nobody is forcing you to play such games in public. It's all a question of choosing an appropriate location.
Secondly, plenty of games find a good use for the microphone. Being able to yell "Objection!" just before you start dismantling your rival in the Ace Attorney games is a fantastic touch! Summoning your hound in Nintendogs with a whistle or a shout of their name is equally nifty. My French Coach, which Alisha is covering all this week, makes terrific use of the microphone, allowing users to record themselves, in a bid to achieve greater fluency.
In other words, Mr Reich, we're going to have to politely disagree with you.
Yesterday, over on Wii Fanboy, we spent a little time discussing some of the best control schemes we've seen so far on the new console. We thought that today might be a good time to get the DS readers in on the action, since after all, the handheld has really brought a lot to the table. What games do you think have really made the best use of the touchscreen? How about the mic? Best games overall? No real rules or categories here -- just talk up what you've liked best about what the DS has to offer.
With the US release of 
Nervous Brickdown breathes new life into the Arkanoid-Breakout genre, updating its basic template with ten distinct gameplay modes. This might be Arkedo Studio's first game for any console, but the charming soundtrack and highly-stylized environments -- ranging from 70s mod to playful 
The DS has a myriad of unique features, and as developers quickly learned, it isn't necessarily wise to throw them all into a game as cheap gimmicks. Many titles have used these features as essential elements of gameplay (see: Trauma Center, Kirby's Canvas Curse), but in many cases, we can't help but feel that developers are missing out on the some of the opportunities afforded them by the DS.
Confirmed by the big N, this external microphone/earpiece (we'll just call it a headset) will be releasing to the Japanese gaming public come September 14th for roughly $10 American. Rumor has it that the headset is going to be utilized by the upcoming 
