[by FireEmblem 54]
Here we are, a year later. It seems like only a few months ago that we were all looking at the DS Prototype, all thinking the same thing. “This is the future of handheld gaming?” Now, millions of people around the world own a slick piece of silver hardware known as the Nintendo DS.
Going into this generation of handhelds, we all had our doubts. How would the touch screen go over? Two screens? What kind of threat would the PSP pose? Those questions, however, have been quickly answered. The touch screen has changed handheld gaming entirely. The extra screen has added a new layer to the franchises we love. And the PSP has begun to fall from the picture.
People can say what they want as far as the DS being a “gimmick”. Sales and fan response have proven otherwise. The system started with a weak library, but that has drastically changed. We’ve seen some our favorite games taken to the next level; Advance Wars, Castlevania, Kirby, and more recently, Mario Kart DS. But, we’ve also been introduced to some great new titles; Meteos, Feel the Magic, and Nintendogs.
A week ago, the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection launched looking to be an overwhelming hit. The NWC expands on December 5 with Animal Crossing: Wild Word, then within a few months, with Metriod Prime: Hunters.
We all look back, we can find the goods (Meteos), the bads (Sprung), and the uglys (Ping Pals). Yet, when looking at the big picture, it’s hard not see one thing: Nintendo doing what it does best. Changing the industry for the better. As handheld gaming expands, you can count on one thing, Nintendo’ll be there. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. So Nintendo: Thanks for the past year, and here’s to 365 more!