Hardware

Nintendo DS

Touching is good

Nintendo's dual-screen handheld combined touchscreen input with traditional controls, enabling innovative gameplay that dominated handheld gaming.

ds handheldnintendotouchscreen 2004–present

Overview

The Nintendo DS seemed gimmicky at announcement: two screens, one touch-sensitive, with a microphone. In practice, the design enabled entirely new gameplay possibilities. Nintendogs used touch and voice; Brain Age made touchscreen input natural; traditional games used the second screen for maps and inventory. The DS became one of the best-selling gaming devices ever.

Fast facts

  • Manufacturer: Nintendo.
  • Screens: two 3-inch displays, bottom touchscreen.
  • CPU: ARM9 (67MHz) + ARM7 (33MHz).
  • Input: touchscreen, microphone, Wi-Fi.
  • Sales: 154+ million units.
  • Variants: DS Lite, DSi, DSi XL.

Design philosophy

Why two screens worked:

  • Information display: map, stats, inventory on one screen.
  • Touch interaction: direct manipulation of game elements.
  • Asymmetric play: different views for different purposes.
  • Backwards compatibility: played GBA games.

Defining games

DS software showcases:

  • Nintendogs: virtual pet with touch and voice.
  • Brain Age: touchscreen brain training.
  • Professor Layton: puzzle adventures.
  • The World Ends with You: dual-screen combat.

See also