There have been quite a few AGs, as I understand, that have been made exclusively for this tiny little handheld consol. I'm in a situation where I only have the opportunity to play games at home where I have the choice to play some on PS1, PS2 or PS3 on either a 19" or 38" screen, or most on PC on a 17" screen. The only other times I may want to play a game, would be on holiday when I'm in a household where we could take a laptop.

I can't see any attraction at all in buying such a small device to play games on? So I'm curious to know why the Nintendo DS is so popular & in what situations you find it useful to have one!

Chrissie, I take mine when I know I will have to wait--at Dr's appointments, etc.

It's also fun for long car trips.

I've also used it on days when I feel too icky to be up and about but want to play. I don't take the laptop to bed with me because of doggies, but I can play on the DS safely.

I also like to play on it when I'm watching something with hubby like football, but don't need to pay full attention to the game.

And there are card games etc that we can play with MIL who is 1000 miles away. She can sit in comfort in her front room and we can still interact a bit

Thank you looney4labs, that's such a good start! If you are in a Dr's surgery, say, what about sound - do they work with headphones? You also mentioned being able to interact a bit with MIL - so there's internet connection? When you say you are watching football with hubby - do you mean at an actual match? - if so I can definitely see the benefit!

I'm sorry to hear that you get days when you are confined to bed L4L.

N.B. On the long car trips - I hope you're not driving!

My DS is in my handbag at all times. Whenever I have to wait (hairdresser's, dentist's, carwash, traffic jam, take-away restaurant...) I take it out and play for a few minutes or even hours. Also, before going to bed I sometimes play for a few minutes when the computers have all been switched off and I am not ready to go to sleep yet. It has its own backlight so I don't have to keep a lamp on in the bedroom, so my husband is not bothered when he does want to sleep.

Nintendo has its own network that you can join to play multiplayer games, either with friends (you need to exchange "friend codes" first so you know exactly who you will be playing with) or with complete strangers around the world. Playing wirelessly with friends in the same room is also possible (depends on the type of game though).

You can play with headphones, although I usually just switch the sound off altogether - I often play PC-games without sound as well if there are other people in the room and don't really miss it much.

They're great if you travel at all. I use it to pass time in airports and on the plane.

A large issue in our family -- does the DS take over time that would have been spent reading? If the DS enters the family circle, will the 13-year-old who used to read (in the car, in the doctor's office, in the barbershop) ever read in these places again?

So DS is the better than the lite?

THe Nintendo DSi is the best. It has the largest screen. Nintendo DSi

I love my itouch. It's smaller and can play hundreds of games, most of them free from itunes.

Ana

Thanks.

Yes Mag. The Nintendo DSi is better than DS Lite. You can play the same games, but you also make photos. If you buy the SD card you can make till 3000 photos...very beautiful photos!! And I discovered that you can put the SD card in Wii console to watch your photos on TV! (Yes, I've Wii console,too ) It's great...really

First there was the DS.
Then the DS Lite.
Now the DSi.

Too bad the DSi doesn't have much color choice.

I don't like the DS lite . My daughter has one. I tried playing it and I did not like the little screen. The little screen gets on my nerves . I like my home PC screen and my laptop screen, nice and big, clear and colorful . I bought my laptop for when I travel and also for my summer vacation camping trips. I can't imagine playing one of my good adventure games on such a little screen, it is like lowering the standard of the game to me . That is just how I feel. I know some feel different. Everyone has the right to there own feelings . The DS works for some but I am not one of them.

I like the portability. I aslo use it on trips and in situations where I know I'll be waiting. I have both the DS and the DSi. The DSi has more features and a bigger screen( still not huge though).You can even brouse the web on it.They also have lots of great games available,including HOGS(MCF Millionair, Amazing Aaventures,Cate West, just to name a few. They also have RPG's as well as adventure games. New games are always coming out.I really enjoy my DSi and since I use reading glasses anyway, I just use them to play on the DSi.

thracia

Chrissie, they do indeed work with headphones.

They connect to others via a wireless network. It's a little clunky, but it works.

When I said watching football with hubby, I meant on tv. I can curl up beside him, keep up with the game, and play on the DS.

Becky, I would imagine the DS might take the place of the reading when waiting--it did for me, but of course, I still read in the tub. The DS is not quite right for that.

No one here plays the DS in the tub?

The DS is certainly good for playing games "on the go". However, I just as often play it at home. My girlfriend absolutely loves Phoenix Wright so we've played through almost all of those games together on the DS. Despite handheld consoles having small screens, handheld games don't feel any less engrossing than console/PC games to me. When I was playing Hotel Dusk (one of the best AG's I've ever played), I felt like I was there. It was just so captivating, and it was on DS.

My sister hooked me on the DS playing Brain Age. Since then, Jenny P hooked me on Animal Crossing where you can play alone or with people all over the world, chatting about all kinds of stuff while playing the game.
On my last trip to the US I also purchased the DSi, which I love. Haven't worked out all the bells and whistles yet.
Now I can play upstairs and downstairs.
I have been neglecting my PC games, my shelves are overloaded.
The DS is so portable and I find it great for travelling where my laptop, (which I take with me) is sometimes too cumbersome to play in or on the bed in motels. Plus the DS battery lasts so much longer than the laptops'. Some motels I find never have enough plugs and the DS will at least work for a long time on it's battery.
The small screen never bothered me as the games are designed for this smaller screen.

I work a graveyard shift,so it's great for keeping me awake all night.Jenny P also got me addicted to animal crossing and we visit
each other almost daily,which is wonderful as she is in England and
I live in California.

Orchid girl,you're back!Kiki was just talking about you this morning!