https://pressplay.at/2013/05/09/zum-abschied-des-nintendo-ds-15-games-geheimtipps/
In my last two posts I started out on a quest to find out which was the best year, in terms of software releases, for (almost) every Nintendo system.
If you want to check out which year was the best for the Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64, then please click on the link to get to part 1 of this series: https://steemit.com/gaming/@iamk/best-year-nintendo-systems-pt-1-snes-and-n64
Want to know which year was the best for Gameboy Advance and Gamecube? This link provides you with the answer: https://steemit.com/gaming/@iamk/best-year-nintendo-systems-pt-2-gameboy-advance-and-gamecube
To keep the blog posts a little bit shorter, I have decided to, from now on, focus on just one system at a time. Today's candidate? The most successful Nintendo system in history - the Nintendo DS. This dual-screen handheld managed to sell about 155 million units in its lifetime. It launched just before Christmas time in the year 2004 in North America and Japan. A launch in Australia and Europe would follow in Q1 of 2005.
The touch-screen enabled portable was a controversial system. With it and its bigger brother, the Wii, Nintendo had adopted their so-called "Blue Ocean Strategy". The goal of the company was to expand its audience with both systems by offering unique experiences that would appeal to everyone. And by everyone they really meant EVERYONE. From small kids to grandmothers, they wanted the whole family to enjoy videogames. What followed was a release schedule packed with casual games and shovelware. Looking at the sales numbers of the system, the strategy definitely had paid off for Nintendo. But core gamers were disappointed. They felt left out, as Big N's attention had seemingly shifted away from them. Of course, this is only partially true. If you peel away the thick layer of casual games, you will find some true nuggets in the DS's extensive software library.
From stellar ports like Chrono Trigger and reboots like Contra 4 to brand new experiences like The World Ends With You or old franchises being graced with stylus controls like Zelda or Ninja Gaiden, there was actually a lot to play for core gamers. Even after its successor, the 3DS, had arrived in 2011, the original DS continued to receive some strong AAA titles like Pokemon Black & White 2 or Kirby: Mass Attack.
But which year was the best for the dual-screen powerhouse?
Image source: https://www.ebgames.ca/Nintendo%20DS/Games/306881
Best year for Nintendo DS: 2005
The little handheld had strong releases in almost every year. But 2005 barely edged out the competition. It was the year where online started to become a thing for Nintendo fans, beloved Gameboy Advance titles got stellar sequels, some truly unique casual titles showed up and where old heroes shined with new controls.
Going online
Nintendo had previously dabbled with online play on the Gamecube. But besides the Phantasy Star Online games, no other title was playable over the Internet. This would all change on November 14th, 2005 with the release of the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection on the Nintendo DS. And what better way to show off the online capabilities than with a brand new Mario Kart title?
Mario Kart DS launched day and date with the online service. The newest entry in the kart racer series was showered with praise by critics. And the sales matched the glowing reviews. To this date the title has sold over 23 million copies worldwide.
The game didn't just amaze with its online play. With 32 tracks it also featured the most race courses to date in any Mario Kart title. Half of them were brand-new designs, while the other half included slightly altered tracks from previous entries. Thanks to the two screens of the system, the title was also able to introduce a map feature. During the course of a race the players can glance at the lower screen to see the positions of their rivals and what items they are holding.
Another Nintendo title that made use of the new online service, was Animal Crossing: Wild World. The village-simulation game allowed players to visit towns of other gamers. Up to four players could be in one town at a time, showing off their highly customizable characters. The whole title ran in real-time, meaning that when it was night in the real world it was also night for your villagers. Just like Mario Kart, the title was a financial success for Nintendo. With over 12 million copies sold, it is still the most successful in the franchise.
Mario Kart DS
Animal Crossing: Wild World
Image source: http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2015/04/25/mario-kart-ds-now-available-on-wii-u-virtual-console.aspx
Image source: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Bells-in-Animal-Crossing-Wild-World-Without-Cheating
Advanced sequels
At launch Nintendo introduced the DS as a "third pillar". They wanted the system to co-exist with their Gameboy and home console line, but by the end of 2005 it became apparent that the newly released handheld was here to replace the Gameboy Advance. Sequels to popular GBA titles were released exclusively on the DS and software releases for the older brother started trickling down.
Among these sequels were Advance Wars: Dual Strike and WarioWare: Touched!, which benefited greatly from the touch controls. Thanks to the stylus both troop management and slicing nose hairs became a breeze. Of course, not all sequels were so dependent on touch inputs. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and Sonic Rush delivered more conservative experiences that didn't stray too much from the formulas that were already laid out on the GBA.
Advance Wars: Dual Strike
WarioWare Touched!
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Image Source: https://www.nintendo.de/Spiele/Nintendo-DS/Advance-Wars-Dual-Strike-269945.html
Image Source: https://www.emuparadise.me/Nintendo_DS_ROMs/WarioWare_-Touched!(E)(Wet_'N'_Wild)/46089
Image Source: http://operationrainfall.com/2014/02/11/retro-review-castlevania-dawn-sorrow/
New experiences for a new audience
As mentioned previously, the DS was a part of Nintendo's strategy to capture a wider audience. To do this, they had to release titles that catered to a different type of player. One of these was Nintendogs. A game that could be described as Tamagotchi with dogs, this casual title became a massive hit, selling over 24 million copies. Similar to Pokemon the cartridge was available in different versions. Depending on which one you'd pick up, you had a different starter breed ranging from Chihuahuas to Dalmatians.
While Nintendogs is a purely casual title, 2005 also had releases that appealed to both casual and core gamers alike. Whether it was finding evidence for a case in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, performing a surgery in Trauma Center: Under the Knife or launching falling blocks back into outer space in Meteos, the year offered plenty of experiences that every type of player could enjoy.
Nintendogs
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Trauma Center: Under the Knife
Image source: https://www.amazon.de/Nintendo-45496736439-Nintendogs-Chihuahua-Friends/dp/B0009YDS0Q
Image source: http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/174602-phoenix-wright-ace-attorney
Image source: https://www.emuparadise.me/Nintendo_DS_ROMs/Trauma_Center_-Under_the_Knife(E)(Legacy)/46499
Old heroes with new controls
With a system as unique as the DS, developers were challenged to come up with new ways to play old games. Two prime examples that successfully implemented touch controls as their main way of input were Kirby: Canvas Curse and Pac-Pix. In the former you don't directly control the pink puffball. Instead, you make him dash by tapping on him or reach higher planes by drawing rainbow lines. You can even stun enemies with your stylus. Pac-Pix also uses the capabilities of the DS in amazing ways. In the game you have to clear every page of some ghosts. You do this by drawing your own Pac-Man that moves in the direction it faces, gobbling up ghosts along the way. Puzzles get more complex in later stages and you can even draw lines to change the direction of Pac-Man and bombs to destroy obstacles.
Kirby: Canvas Curse
Pac-Pix
Image source: http://ds.gamespy.com/nintendo-ds/touch-kirbys-magic-paintbrush/625375p2.html
Image source: https://gamespite.net/2014/12/05/pac-pix/
As you can see 2005 was a banner year for the DS. It provided experiences that were fresh and unique but also stellar titles that stayed true to their formulas. And with the launch of the online service, it provided mulitplayer like never seen before on a Nintendo system.
I hope you enjoyed this post. If you did, don't forget to like it ;). I am also grateful for any comments, constructive feedback or disagreements down below.
Next time I will focus on the other system of Nintendo's "Blue Ocean Strategy", the Wii.
Until then have an awesome time!
Yours truly
I Am K