The thumb strap works brilliantly.

Super Mario 64 DS got slammed because of the lack of analog controls keeping it from being the “killer app” for the DS but if you switch it into touch mode and either use the stylus or better yet the thumbs strap, it becomes a killer app because of the beautiful controls it creates.

The stylus is not nearly as good as the thumb strap when it comes to controlling this system and once third party (or possibly Nintendo) companies create new stylus thumb devices, it will become even that much better.

I am just waiting for companies to take advantage of the ability to hook up to the WiFi Internet connection so I can PictoChat with people around the world or play Madden against someone far from me.

The batteries lasted 2 full days of me playing plenty each day before the battery light went on.  Assume 4 hours each day before the batteries showed signs of slowing down but I had volume all the way up, turned the system on and off plenty of times, and never once shut off the back light.

I can use all my carrying cases for the original GameBoy Advance (not SP) so that saves me money there.  The power adapter is identical so I already have a bunch with my older GBA systems (yes, systems, I have 3 GBAs).

This is a semi review, I’ll keep posting to this thread with more impressions of the unit.

They needed to release the full Metroid with the system.  Mario, while not exactly a straight-port, comes too close to that to make me want to shell out $200 (system and game).  The stylus is way too short.  They should’ve made it slide through the system horizontally, if they were worried about storage space.  You can wait for a third-party thumb-control but that will require more money, and additional storage. 

I can’t believe Nintendo copped out, and called it the third-tier system, and not the new GBA, just so that they could cover their @ss in light of the PSP announcement.

This truly is a third tier and definitely not a new GameBoy.  No company in the world would make a successor to the GameBoy (the most successful videogame system of all time) that was as experimental as the Nintendo DS.

Besides, Perrin Kaplan and many other Nintendo executives have publically announced that Nintendo is working on the new GameBoy and I am positive it will be much more conventional and accessible to everyone.

And as far as the stylus goes, with the thumb strap attached, I have not used the stylus at all since I originally ran the set up on the DS.  You can’t complain about the stylus if you havent tried the thumb strap.

Wow, this is the stupidest man in the world

http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000870021670/

But the DS is also going to do exactly what Nintendo said it would do?change gaming forever. I guess, to be revolutionary you have to make some sacrifices. As long as I don?t have to sacrifice my lower back to the DS?s sheer heft, I?ll be happy to overlook its weaknesses.

The entire review is completely ridiculous and how did a person like this get to run a very popular blog about the videogame industry?

The DS has been universally applauded with its design, portability, graphics, sound, etc.

Ah well, hes an idiot and this review finally sealed it.

[quote author=“Joystiq.com”]500,000 is a mighty impressive number for the Nintendo DS to post. The mothership is estimating that they?ll unload a million by the end of this revolutionary year we call 2004. That would be an appropriate closing chapter on the most fascinating, exciting 365 days we?ve ever seen in the industry. With numbers like this, Sony has a lot to be worried about. It becomes clearer why they must sell the PSP for under 200 USD. If they post significantly smaller numbers, it ?ll be much harder to win the PR war. And we all know how much Sony hates to lose the PR war.

500,000 copies with 1,000,000 by the years end…

NICE!