Nintendo DS: The Evolution of Handled Gaming

The minute an artist becomes a meme to society, a shoe drops causing everyone in the world to need it, or a new trend becomes popular on any social media platform is now all a part of society’s collection of cultural artifacts. In terms of cultural studies, a cultural artifact is anything tangible that holds important information about the people and culture of a society. The Nintendo DS, with the use of newer technologies features, and diversity when using it helped transform the gaming culture by allowing accessibility, new social interactions, and inclusivity.

From the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) to the Nintendo Switch, the company behind the creation of well-known consoles, Nintendo Co. is a name that gamers of all ages should be familiar with. But the Nintendo DS was one of Nintendo Co.’s most popular and iconic consoles in 2004 and that popularity grew with their new upgrades like the DS Lite, DSI, 3DS/XL, and 2DS/XL. It is a portable and foldable Nintendo Switch console with 2 screens and was used to play a variety of games anywhere you go. When opening it, there are two horizontal rectangles on top of each other, the bottom rectangle having an interactable screen with a D-pad, the buttons with A B Y, and X, and 2 buttons under that said select and start. The top rectangle had a screen that was non-interactable and had speakers on each side of that screen.

The Nintendo DS was used for gaming, so you were able to play most games that were made for the Wii but this time handheld. Within the games, there was multiplayer where you can connect with the internet or wireless play and play with your friends. Not only were you able to connect with others through games, but with the use of other applications that the DS provided. Applications like Swapnote and StreetPass allow you to send messages, the multiplayer feature where you can play with friends, being able to download YouTube and Netflix on your DS, and even having its own camera, it was almost like the Nintendo DS was like a phone. What gave the Nintendo DS aesthetic purpose was being able to make it your own. By buying this artifact, people were able to design the outside by adding stickers, customized cases, and other things that made the console your possession.

Before we were given the Nintendo DS, there were other gaming consoles just as iconic made by PlayStation, Microsoft, and even Nintendo. In the 2000s, the most well-known handheld consoles that were created were the Game Boy Advance (Nintendo) and PSP (PlayStation Portable). Now the issue with both consoles to the former president, Hiroshi Yamauchi, who didn’t even create the PlayStation Portable, was the screen. The former president at the time wanted to create a dual-screen console that would have the same concept as the Game & Watch line but more modern. In the article, The Interesting History of the Nintendo DS and Its Impact on Pop Culture, Mr. Pop Culture states “The then-president of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, wanted the Nintendo DS to be a platform where the company would be able to show its innovative ideas instead of sticking to its conservative image” (pg. 3). What Satoru Iwata meant by showing its innovative ideas was having the Nintendo DS break the bounds of gaming during that time. Trying to create newer experiences that would have a long-term impact on generations across the world through the Nintendo DS’ newer concepts and applications of gaming. The official date of the launch of the Nintendo DS is November 21, 2004, in the United States, and sold “6.65 million units of the Nintendo DS in less than one year” (Mr. Pop Culture pg. 3). The intended audience for the Nintendo DS was teens and young adults; however, it reached multiple generations including younger kids and elders showing the versatility of ages Nintendo can reach through their games.

However, if we were to think about what truly made the Nintendo popular it would be the dual screens. Dual screens are what made a huge difference in many other handheld consoles, one important factor being the interactable bottom screen. The split from the actual game and the task/home screen was a great implement Nintendo added to the DS. Being able to just look down rather than pressing a button to see the items collected in a game or what’s left of a task was something many gamers appreciated. The dual screen also helped create a handheld device that broke from the normal handheld devices. Nintendo wanted to change its philosophy from being more focused on an innovative strategy which was creating newer experiences for gamers. By creating a newer experience, it also opened the eyes of Nintendo and helped introduce touch screen and wireless online. We this in the Nintendo Wii U, they continued with the touch screen and still implied dual screen but in a new way by having the control have a screen and the TV, that could mirror what’s in your hand on their screen.

The Nintendo DS mirrors the cultural landscape of its era by changing entertainment. Between the PlayStation Portable and the PSP, the Nintendo DS did better in sales and the way gaming can be perceived. Now being able to play 2D games in your hands made it easier to continue your favorite game anywhere else but your home. The ability to play games anywhere — at the park, in the vehicle, or even at a friend’s house — made them convenient and portable for the player. With creating a culture for different age groups, the DS had many different games that demographically reached each age group with having games as Animal

Crossing, Call of Duty, Mario Bros, Nintendogs and more. The games also included educational games that invited new learning development for children, brain, and mental training for Seniors to help them engage and improve brain health, and more causal games for teens. Each one of these games helped with social gaming interaction amongst the people around and helped attract new gamers to engage with the multitude of different games they had.

Diamond, Dominik. “The Nintendo DS was more than just a console — it’s part of my history.” The Guardian, 14 Sep 2022, The Nintendo DS was more than just a console — it’s part of my family history | Games | The Guardian.

It also mirrors the cultural landscape through the new concept of touch and mobilizing gaming. The Nintendo DS had mainly touchscreen-focused games which many mobilize games took inspiration from. The use of dual screens allowed the Nintendo users to use multitasking skills from looking at one screen to the next and that can be within mobilized gaming utilizing split screen on the phones. The success of the Nintendo DS also helped contribute to the portable game culture where players who use any handheld devices embraced the idea of “gaming on the go”. This created a new acceptance of gaming, where it was now allowed to be appreciated outside of the house and was made easier for gamers to continue their game. But the most important was the marketing expansion. In the article, it explains, “The Nintendo DS also showed the potential of handheld gaming, which wasn’t really seen as a profitable market before.” (Mr. Pop Culture pg. 6). With the new acceptance of handheld gaming, it created a wider market for games made to be played by all. The Nintendo DS helped influence the market and took the industry to a whole new level that allowed newer portable gaming.

Next, when looking at the values expressed by the Nintendo DS, we should at the legacy they have created from 2004 to 2014. When we look at the first Nintendo DS, it was a successful hit, but many people believed the original design was “too bulky for kids and even for some adults to use” (Mr. Pop Culture pg. 5). So, they created the next version, the Nintendo DSI, released in 2008 which was just a slimmer version of the original Nintendo DS. There wasn’t a huge difference, but the slimmer model fit more to the people’s liking, but Nintendo didn’t stop there. In the next year, they created the Nintendo 2DS and 3DS which came out around 2011 and 2013. The Nintendo 3DS gave a new important feature that caught the attention of many gamers, the 3D feature. This feature allowed some games that Nintendo created to come out of the screen, like using 3D glasses without wearing them. The 2DS was a newer design that made the DS not able to close and a bit bulkier. With both the 3DS and 2DS, Nintendo Co. came out with an XL version, a bigger and better-quality version of the old one, if many can say. The more Nintendo continued its legacy with the DS, the more they were able to promote handheld gaming and show its many versions and benefits to help change the face of gaming.

Continuing with Nintendo keeping up the legacy of the Nintendo DS, we can say they are challenging social norms by wanting to expand their audience. The more the Nintendo DS advanced, the more it was seen that they responded back to user feedback, creating diverse preferences for everyone. The advancements would help with many of its users’ personal needs, giving them the chance to love the Nintendo DS in its many forms. The first Nintendo DS was the first and original DS made right after the Gameboy line. We would see consumers buying it for originality and for the Gameboy games that transferred to the Nintendo DS. Then we the creation of the Nintendo DS Lite, a less bulky version (asked by the users) that gave lightness to the console. The new design of the DS created a better way of gaming that became a more portable and user-friendly way to play games. Only two more years later, the DSI came out, which had a slimmer design and allowed players to access things online. It also included a camera and SD card slot to help save the games. Then came the 3DS/3DS XL which allowed 3D gaming and a newer experience for gaming. Even though the price was a little higher, it had improved battery life and more powerful hardware. The last Nintendo DS console that they released was the 2DS/2DS XL which allowed a more affordable way of gaming. It also had a different design, taking away the clamshell design, but was still a portable way of playing. By looking at all the new advancements of the Nintendo DS, it helped introduce new features and designs that helped with user preference and marketing trends that helped the Nintendo DS’ legacy continue for so long.

One big controversy many could think about surrounding the Nintendo DS was the gaming addiction many people thought their loved ones would sustain due to the Handheld devices. Before the handheld devices, gaming was through the TV, which caused a separation between gaming and real life. But now creating the ability to take gaming everywhere you go, destroys that separation, and possibly creates a gaming addiction. Gaming addiction can also have an impact on academic performance that can cause less productivity in a student. Gaming can be seen as a distraction that can lead to poor grades and no time for study. Everywhere around the world, you see people on their handheld devices glued to them, not paying attention to the world around them. Handheld devices can create an unhealthy relationship with their users, and many realize the negative effects it could have on a person. Many need to try and find a healthy balance between using handheld devices and learning to put them aside when it’s necessary.

When I was younger, my mom saved enough money to buy both me and my brother Nintendo DSi’s and most of the games that came out that year. The DSi during that time brought both of us closer and we would play almost every day all the most popular games — New Super Mario Bros, Cooking Mama, Mario Kart, Pokémon, Animal Crossing, and more. Later, in the years, I got a Nintendo 3DS XL and that changed the way I was gaming. I remember going to daycare and the kids at the time would connect all our Nintendo DS’ and play against each other on Mario Kart. Some of us would even swap game cards and play each other games before we all had to leave at the end of the day. The Nintendo DS showed me how gaming could be used to bring many people together. When first joined daycare, I was very nervous since I didn’t know many of the kids even though they went to the same school as me. The DS brought us together, gave us a reason to hang around each other, and showed that we all had a favorite thing to do when we were bored — gaming. Now in 2023, I have my Nintendo 2DS XL and my Nintendo DSi and when I look at both, I am reminded of all the good memories when gaming on them. Now looking back, I miss using my Nintendo DS and playing with my friends when I was younger. The nostalgia of just opening my console and connecting with all my friends gave me joy and a sense of innocence. But that didn’t stop my love for Nintendo, for now, I have Nintendo Switch and my family, and I play all the time.

In conclusion, the Nintendo DS, with its newer technological features and diversity, helped create a game culture that allowed accessibility, new social interactions, and inclusivity. The Nintendo DS, created in 2004, was made by Nintendo Co. and was one of Nintendo’s most successful and portable consoles. One of the most popular features on the Nintendo DS was the dual screen that allowed the game to be seen from the top and all the activities and tasks were seen on the bottom screen. Before the Nintendo DS, there were other more popular handhelds like the PlayStation Portable and the Gameboy, but what made the Nintendo more unique above the rest was the features it had including the dual screen, a camera, a game library with diverse games, and other features that made the DS feel like your own. Another feature it had was multiplayer which allowed you to play with others wirelessly and online. It reached many with the cultural landscape by using mobilized gaming that helped gamers with split screen and multitasking and creating games that were versatile to people of all ages from children to seniors. Yet, one controversy that was seen amongst handheld gaming was gaming addictions developed within the community. Since games were able to be taken anywhere the user could go, it destroyed the separation between gaming and real life. The evolution of handheld gaming shows an adaptation of changing technologies for their users’ needs. Every advancement of the Nintendo DS made a statement showing how they are for anyone and can bring friends and families together with the use of online gaming and connection. Nintendo Co., with the use of the Nintendo DS, helped suggest the significant role it plays in our leisure activities and social interactions. When they begin their future consoles, they’ll take the joy, connection, and meaning creations the Nintendo DS built and try to get those same reactions with the newer generations and consoles.