Responding to what Typ said...

I really think what we are seeing is the whole "It's the next gameboy" mentality even though Nintendo tried to avoid this. I think the unit would have been all the more popular if Nintendo didn't have this mentality.

Honestly though, kids see me playing my DS and beg to try out THEIR games on it.... Thats just nonsensical, but the truth.

DS games are almost impossible to acquire...at least, for right now.

Now if only Nintendo could get this kind of reception for the Revolution. Unfortunately if any next gen console is going to be a hot seller despite a lack of games it would be the PS3.

"last minute shoppers"? Ha, more like shoppers who couldn't find any DS's ANYWHERE. I couldn't find one store, even online, that still had units in stock....

Actually, sometimes playing a GBA on the DS IS a new experience. I revisited Konami Krazy Racers the other day--being able to SEE the game makes it much more enjoyable.

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1 Million Systems Already in Consumers Hands in North America

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As for what the kids want to play....I don't know about anyone else here, but as a kid I didn't have great taste in games. I was disappointed if they were too short or too easy, but I didn't bother to do much research ahead of time. Back then I would have been very interested in both racing games, Super Mario 64 and Spider-Man, and I would also have wanted to play my old games on the new system.

As for the early lineup for next year...seriously, when has a system released at Christmas ever had a good selection of games in the following year? I'm not sure about Dreamcast, but I know that N64, GameCube, PS2 and Xbox all faced several months of weak releases in the new year after their launch. And two first-party games from Nintendo in the first quarter is actually good for Nintendo, even on systems that have been around for a couple of years. It's the third parties that need to catch up (which is fair enough considering they've only had about a year to work on the system).

Yoshi's Touch and Go and Wario Ware don't scream "Blockbuster!", but what I've seen of them so far suggests that they make more interesting use of the DS' capabilities than most of the games available now. My only fear is that Yoshi will be rushed, I'm looking forward to that one.

Edit: I saw a ton of DS's when I was shopping on Monday night, now I know where they came from! I wonder if Nintendo will sell all of these before Christmas? There seemed to be a lot left on the shelves.

"As for the early lineup for next year...seriously, when has a system released at Christmas ever had a good selection of games in the following year?"

That's true but usually it doesn't matter that much because there are some great launch games. The DS launch lineup is REALLY weak especially if you don't want to buy Super Mario 64 again. The Cube was pretty much killed off from the get-go by a post-Christmas drought and it had four launch period first party games. The DS has ONE first party game and it's not even a new game. Of course the DS already is off to a better start in terms of sales so it may be okay because of the "new Gameboy" appeal. Plus even if Yoshi and Wario don't sound like major killer apps they still are games being released which is better than the Cube which had literally no worthwhile games for six months.

Still regardless of anything the DS needs a killer app before the PSP has one. The DS is selling on hype and fan loyality right now. The N64 initially had a lead on the PSX because of hype and fan loyalty and in the end it lost big time because of the games. So this head start the DS has could mean squat if the PSP gets some major system seller and the DS still just has a few Mario themed gimmick games.

Unfortunatley, big games like Animal Crossing DS, Four Swords DS, FF: CC DS, Advance Wars DS, Mario Kart DS, and the new Super Mario Bros game won't be out for a while =\

Wow, all of those games are pretty much just the same games that are on other consoles. But they're all going to be cool because of all the DS's new features =o (Four Swords is absolutley PERFECT for the DS. It's like they built the system around that game =p)

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Originally posted by: KnowsNothing
Unfortunatley, big games like Animal Crossing DS, Four Swords DS, FF: CC DS, Advance Wars DS, Mario Kart DS, and the new Super Mario Bros game won't be out for a while =\

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"Wow, all of those games are pretty much just the same games that are on other consoles."

You're right. Rather ironic considering the DS is supposed to be all about innovation and "new types of gaming".

I hope Nintendo doesn't take the same approach with the Revolution. Sequelmania didn't do sh!t for the Cube sales (if anything it HURT Cube sales) and the Revolution will never go anywhere if it's just more of the same franchises. Hell I don't think these will help the DS either if the PSP gets some hot new original game (though the announced lineup so far doesn't suggest that happening too soon). Sequels are all fine and good but brand new games, or franchise games that are so different they pretty much are new (GTA3), are always the system sellers. Sequels sell well with the existing userbase but fail to attract newcombers.

The DS will continue to have "Sequelitis" throughout much of its existance. It's not that dev's dont want to take advantage of the system's abilities, its the fact that the DS is a portable system. Handhelds have terrible hardware to game tie in ratios because many would rather spend their money on the home consoles. The Game Boy gets so many sequels and movie/television games because they're easy to make and in all honesty...no one markets Game Boy games. They sell on previous recognition alone. How many original GBA games can you name that have become successful franchises that were not made by Nintendo? It doesnt matter how many Game Boy's or DS's Nintendo sells, handhelds in general will be seen as a small market in the gaming populous. This is the same reason I feel the PSP will fail, but that's a whole different can of worms

While I agree that AC, AW and MK are all very similar to their previous incarnations that's hardly a bad thing, all three were awesome games to begin with, all that is needed is online play to make them killer and the DS versions will likely have that.