Game Availability:  

The bestselling game for the Nintendo DS console has been Nintendogs, which has sold more than 18.67 million copies as of March 2008. Nintendogs quickly highlighted the Nintendo DS’ touchscreen and built-in microphone capabilities, allowing users to train, pet, play with and care for their virtual pet. The game also illustrated the potential of the Nintendo DS Network, which allowed multiple users to link up and play together within an impressive, integrated network.

The Nintendo DS offers full backward compatibility with the GameBoy Advance Game Paks. As of fall 2008, nearly 600 game titles have been released for the Nintendo DS, with additional titles available online through the Nintendo DS Network. While there are dozens of games that have exceeded the million-mark in sales, the following are the top ten best-selling video games for the Nintendo DS.

1. Nintendogs (18.67 million)
2. Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (14.77 million)
3. New Super Mario Bros. (14.16 million)
4. Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! (12.98 million)
5. Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! (10.83 million)
6. Mario Kart DS (10.45 million)
7. Animal Crossing: Wild World (9.53 million)
8. Super Mario 64 DS (6.12 million)
9. Big Brain Academy (5.01 million)
10. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (4.13 million)

Online Community:  

Connection service can support up to 32 players at a time, allowing friends and those that share a local Wi-Fi region engage one another in online multi-player game play. Though the service remains free for users, Nintendo has since added additional services to its network that will carry a cost to the subscriber. These additional services include additional content downloads for selected titles and increased access to online-only game titles.

The Nintendo DS Wi-Fi Connection service connects friends using “Friend Codes,” which are unique codes that are authenticated when users first go online. This measure provides users a measure of privacy, while also enabling users unique IDs for easy location and online game play. Nintendo has also taken steps for users to transfer their friend codes to a new Nintendo DS system in the event of a new purchase or upgrade.

The Nintendo DS offers online connectivity through its built-in wireless components, enabling users to engage in online play, download content and browse the web when within range of a hot spot or using other WEP encrypted or unencrypted networks. The Nintendo DS can also send and receive Wi-Fi signals from other Nintendo DS Systems. WPA encryption is not supported due to security and compliance issues.

Multimedia:  

Though the Nintendo DS is limited in its multimedia functions, its web browser does offer some respite. However, despite the multimedia limitations of standard Nintendo DS systems, Nintendo has developed several media accessories, including a TV tuner accessory that can pick up 1seg, digital television signals, greatly increasing the Nintendo DS’ potential multimedia use.

Handheld Compatibility:
Using the same Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service as the Nintendo Wii, the Nintendo DS can be used as an additional controller for the Wii without any additional accessories. Nintendo DS users use the microphone and touchscreen as command inputs for Wii games. The Nintendo Channel also enables Wii owners access to content downloads, demos and game expansions for their Nintendo DS.

Available Accessories:
Nintendo offers a variety of accessories for the Nintendo DS system ranging from specialized controllers, memory expansion and others. The official accessories include:
• Rumble Pack
• Magnetic Stand
• Opera Web Browser
• Memory Expansion Pak
• Nintendo MP3 Player
• Nintendo DS Camera
• Nintendo DS Digital TV Tuner
• Paddle Controller
• Slide Controller
• Guitar Grip Controller
Though the Nintendo DS system does play GameBoy Advanced game cartridges, the Nintendo DS Lite does not offer compatibility for the GameBoy Advanced accessories, including memory cards.

Technical Support:  

Nintendo offers full telephone and email support for assistance with technical problems, as well as online repair chat services and detailed FAQ sections. Nintendo also offers a 12-month warranty for the Nintendo DS system, which is one of the longest in the video game industry.

Though the Nintendo DS offers less multimedia features than the PSP console, its focus on gameplay, with unique tools and features like the dual-screens, touch pad and stylus offer a unique gaming experience for users. Best of all, its battery performance sets the high water mark for the handheld video game console market. The video and graphic output certainly leave room for improvement, but with new features like built-in cameras, microphones, improved graphic output and expanded multimedia slated for future redesigns, the Nintendo DS just might give the PSP a run for its money. Unfortunately, in its current Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite forms, that time is not now.