DS stands for Don't Stop (playing). (Nintendo DS)

Member Name: Vialdana

Product:	Nintendo DS
Date:	15/06/09 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent small hand held with a lot of versatility

Disadvantages: Hinges break easily

I didn't buy my DS, I inherited it from my step dad. Mum bought it second hand for him a year or so back, but he wasn't really interested in it, and when I mentioned that I'd like to get one, he kindly gave me his. So for me this is at least third hand. I don't mind this because it means I get to rescue something from going in the bin or sitting there unused, and it works fine even if one hinge has been mended.
Actually there's an interesting point - the biggest fault with the original DS is the hinges - particularly the right hand one for some reason. Look on ebay and other second hand places and you'll find there are loads there for sale with a damaged hinge that doesn't affect play, it's just a pain. If the original DS has any faults, the poor quality of the hinges would be it. (Something they rectified in the DS Lite I believe).

My DS is silver. It's a bit scratched, and as I say it has a mended hinge on one side. The screen has had a fair bit of use by the look of it, and it's got some light scratches on it. To be honest, once you start playing a game you really don't notice this at all.

For those who don't know, the DS opens like a book and has 2 screens one on each half. It's about paperback sized as well. You turn it the other way though, so you have a screen top and a screen bottom for most things. When you play, mostly you have the top screen where you can see information, and the bottom screen which is your play screen. You have a small plastic stylus which you use on the bottom screen to move things around according to what game you're playing. The stylus does make it nicely interactive. There are minimal buttons on the DS, a few on either side of the play screen, and again they do different things according to what you are playing.

I have to say for me this is a lovely little thing. I'm amazed I didn't get my hands on one a lot sooner than I did to be honest (typical me being behind the times). Being disabled, there are some days where I don't really feel up to doing much physically, and with this, I can stay sat in my chair and have a little play. I can give my brain a bit of a work out playing scrabble or brain training, and I can even use it like an e-book reader by turning it on it's side back into book style when held which is fantastic. I've not taken it on holiday yet, but what a weight saving being able to take 100 books on a tiny little cartridge with this instead of several large paperbacks.

Cartridges.. that reminds me - this is how the DS games come. Small cartridges that you pop into a slot on the DS to play them. You can get something called an R4 card as well which allows you to use home grown software to download other things such as more e-books in my case. My step dad is in his 60's, I'm in my 30's and my niece is just 10, and we can all use it and get good use from it you know. I think Nintendo came up with something quite clever with the concept of this because it does have so many different uses. A friend of mine recently bought a bit of software that teaches you cookery for her son when he moved out of home for the first time. It's very clever, talks you through cooking quite a few different recipes and you do each step as it tells you, and then press the button to move on to the next step in the recipe.

I really am loving my DS despite it's age and looks, it's still very well used and thought of in our house.

Summary: A very versatile hand held with games/cartridges suitable for all ages and genres.