I first got my hands on the system a few days before it came out. I was writing for GamingHorizon.com at the time and we had gotten a system a little early so that we could post reviews in time for the system's launch. My initial impression of the system was that it was terrible. It was bulky, the screen wasn't very impressive, and in my opinion it was vastly underpowered. And this was before I fired up the games. The lack of an analog stick killed my enjoyment of Mario 64 since none of the off-the-wall control schemes worked anywhere near as well as an analog stick would have. Madden was a complete mess. The graphics were awful, it was riddled with bugs, and like Mario, it controlled poorly. The only game I played that seemed to be a decent fit for the handheld was The Urbz, but that game wasn't really my cup of tea.With the ultrapowerful and sleek PSP looming on the horizon I couldn't figure out what Nintendo was thinking releasing what was essentially a Nintendo 64 with a gimmicky touch screen and no analog stick. I couldn't stop thinking about how lousy the 3D graphics were, and I couldn't imagine wanting to play games that looked so dreadful when I could play a better looking version on the PSP. I figured that there would be a handful of first-party games that made good use of the touch-screen technology, but most developers would make minimal use of the touch screen, including it only so that they could brag that their game used the functionality. And I just couldn't figure out the lure of having two screens, especially when there was a huge gap between the two. Of course, none of this stopped me from buying a DS on the day it came out.
Now before I get to the part where I admit that I was wrong, I will say that I was right about a few things. The system was kind of ugly and the screen was too dark, though the DS Lite has rectified both of these issues.There are certain games that I just don't want to play on the Nintendo DS. These are mostly sports games and racing games, both of which I feel are generally better on the PSP. I was also correct when I said that many companies would shoehorn touch-screen features into their games, with little regard as to their usefulness--it happens all the time.
But for the most part, I was wrong. I didn't think the touch screen could offer much in the way of new and compelling gameplay ideas, but it has. It has also made existing gameplay mechanics easier. Clubhouse Games and Nintendogs are simple games that could be done on any console or handheld, but it's hard to imagine them anywhere other than the DS thanks to their smart use of the system's dual screens and touch-screen control. While the system may not be a graphics powerhouse it is able to display some beautiful visuals, such as in Castlevania, New Super Mario Bros., and Hotel Dusk. Speaking of Hotel Dusk, it's a great example of what the DS brings to the table; it's a gorgeous game with unique artistic design. Turning the system sideways to play the game works brilliantly and some of the puzzles use the system in ways even its designers probably never envisioned. Nintendo has of course made some great games, but even third-party developers, most notably Capcom, have stepped up and made some excellent games for the system.Most surprisingly (at least to me), the thing I was most wrong about was that the PSP would make the DS irrelevant. I used my PSP a ton the first year it was out. I traveled every week so I'd load it up with videos and pass my time on flights watching them. I played a lot of Burnout, Lumines, Hot Shots Golf, and Midnight Club, too. I rarely used the DS at all. Eventually I ran out of videos, grew tired of the games I had, and figured I'd see what was going on with the DS. I had a blast with games like New Super Mario Bros., Phoenix Wright, Brain Age, Elite Beat Agents, and Mario Kart. Now I rarely play my PSP (more original games that play to the system's strengths please!), but I play my DS nearly every day. Heck, I even bought a DS Lite, which is something I swore I'd never do.
Yep, the Nintendo DS is a fine system. Nintendo was right and I was wrong. This wasn't the first time my initial impressions of a system differed from my later feelings and I'm sure it won't be the last time, either. I've got strong feelings about all three of the current consoles, but it's simply too early to tell how things will turn out, so I'm just going to keep an open mind and enjoy the ride.