Episode 652: Nintendo DS is 20?!
Added 2024-11-15 12:00:13 +0000 UTCJeremy: Hey. So. This episode... it's a lot of middle-aged people realizing suddenly that they are pretty old because of a small piece of consumer electronics. We didn't intend for Retronauts to double as a memento mori, but sometimes it happens.
Don't let that deter you from enjoying this podcast, though. Because this podcast is great. How could it not be? It's two hours of discussion centered on the greatest handheld of all time—and, I would say, one of the greatest gaming platforms. This is a loose, unstructured conversation, similar to our Dreamcast episode from a few weeks ago, but that doesn't mean it's rambling or unfocused. How could it be? It's five people talking about one of their favorite game systems of all time.
Join me, Diamond, Stuart, Nadia, and Kevin share our memories and love for DS. That's more than enough regular Retronauts hosts to establish a quorum! So when we declare the DS an all-time great, that proclamation is backed by law. Enjoy.
Art by John Pading.
12:23 - Animal Crossing: Wild World "8 p.m."
24:45 - Mega Man ZX: "Misty Rain"
44:59 - Etrian Odyssey: "Labyrinth IV - Sandy Barrens"
101:51 - Hotel Dusk: "Amber Sunset" / Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia: "Rhapsody of the Forsaken"
1:15:13 - The Dark Spire: "Floors 1 & 2"
1:29:55 - Miles Edgeworth: "Logic ~ The Way to Truth"
1:38:08 - Lunar Knights: "Hunting Mansion: Forecourt"
1:59:14 - The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks: "Overworld Adventure"
Comments
I’m in my big Retronauts catch up mode but I loved this episode, I didn’t get a DS until years later when my cousin gave me one and frankly I used my 3DS a lot more, but that was how I finally played the DS Chrono Trigger which I was happy to hear get a shout out and is truly the definitive version of an excellent excellent game. Maybe I didn’t hear this in the episode but I was surprised there wasn’t more talk about New Super Mario Bros only because I remember that game being a massive deal, as massive as Mario with those gigantic mushrooms! It got my aunt back into games for a bit just because she was sold on new 2D Mario! Anyways, loved the episode and it made me itchy to get my 3DS back out!
James Krusling
2025-01-11 11:23:01 +0000 UTCAlso, bring back 2 screen gaming already. The always on map screen alone is worth the price of admission
Nuno Amaral
2024-12-13 13:37:19 +0000 UTCThis past year, through various means, I significantly added to my DS collection and honestly I'm just as excited to play Rocket Slime as I am Disney Princess Magical Jewels. Afterall as a wise man once said(and I can't recall who), "All games are good."
Nuno Amaral
2024-12-13 13:34:57 +0000 UTCI got my kids each a DSi XL for Christmas 2020, (or maybe it was 2019?) and they still play them. They have access to a Switch, PS4 and tablets, but they have not put aside these great games in the DS. I love that my old DS games give them access to titles from even older consoles, like Chrono Trigger and Diddy Kong Racing.
Christopher Hughes
2024-12-09 22:17:45 +0000 UTCI was waiting SO patiently for this wireless communication to bring us something fantastic... I 'm with you, still sad nothing happened.
Christopher Hughes
2024-12-09 20:27:33 +0000 UTCI'm going to kick the DS Lite's head in, watch this. All within two years, its casing yellowed worse than a SNES would in 20. Its left hinge snapped. Its right speaker broke. I would have to wedge paper in the slot to keep cartridges in the broken catch. Eventually, it would only display the colour red on the top screen. And no, I was a good lad and took care of my stuff. Anecdotal? Obviously, but for my money that was the death of 'Nintendium'. My OG DS handily outlived it. Possibly still does, somewhere out there.
Shrunken Shrine
2024-11-25 23:24:55 +0000 UTCBought it on launch day and the GameStop was empty haha
chris cashmoney
2024-11-22 12:07:33 +0000 UTCAs much as I loved my DS, I am sad that the GBA was effectively killed for it.
Michael Castleberry
2024-11-18 17:20:33 +0000 UTCOh yeah - Broken Wings is over the opening mob discussion too in GTA: VC.
Beefington von Barnstorm
2024-11-18 00:33:34 +0000 UTCPost EBA Saints Row 3 did that really well, too.
Beefington von Barnstorm
2024-11-18 00:30:51 +0000 UTCOh yeah - a game that used licensed music to highlight emotional moments pre Elite Beat Agents would be Vice City, that had specific songs score moments, sometimes diagetic like getting into a car for the first time and Billie Jean playing (only in the very first printing of the PS2 version) but I believe at some points it's just used as a score too
Beefington von Barnstorm
2024-11-18 00:30:36 +0000 UTCSo Jeremy, no DS Works then?
littleterr0r
2024-11-17 23:54:08 +0000 UTCNintendo was making lots of money then. They didn’t need an extra gimmick.
Brian Silvers
2024-11-17 21:10:14 +0000 UTCMy favorite thing about Retronauts is how nobody tries to be funny. It's just great discussion, history etc. But Nadias tom nook story made me spit out coffee !! Rofl
Griffin Youngstrum
2024-11-17 19:42:51 +0000 UTCSega owns Atlus because their previous parent company (Index) exploded and had to sell them. Atlus themselves never had serious problems afaik.
MVB
2024-11-17 13:20:20 +0000 UTCI got a DS as a gift from my boss at the time, right at launch, with a copy of Sprung, which might be one of the worst games in my collection. I did play a lot of the Metroid Prime demo at least, but it mostly was a GBA player for me until games I wanted to play started being released, like Animal Crossing, the Dragon Quest games, Final Fantasy IV, and then the weirder RPGs that popped up like Nostalgia, Radiant Historia, and Sands of Destruction. I never pirated games since I liked collecting the carts and I figured picking up all the JRPGs could be good collector fodder for the future.
Beefington von Barnstorm
2024-11-17 06:46:24 +0000 UTCDibs on his lucky red hat!
Wood Duck
2024-11-17 01:12:19 +0000 UTCThis thought has been bored into my brain for nearly 20 years and will never leave me. Nintendo during GC/GBA era - Wow we can do some neat stuff with these consoles together, please everyone buy another cable to facilitate it! Let's get creative! Nintendo during the Wii/DS era - Both of these consoles are wireless and the handheld can even play via a local download. So let's do NOTHING between them!
Wood Duck
2024-11-17 01:08:26 +0000 UTCJust poking a bit of fun. With all the content you and the nauts give us you can broadcast through a view master for all I care. 👍
Craig
2024-11-16 18:27:48 +0000 UTCYeah what the heck. Sorry about that, I had no idea. I don't know why. Usually I'm OK sounding I think. In terms of fidelity I mean, not the dreadful things I say
Stuart Gipp
2024-11-16 17:24:33 +0000 UTCI got DS near launch so I bought way too many questionable games in 05 (I cooled off by 06). For every unexpected gem like Meteos or Phoenix Wright, there was crap like Yoshi Touch and Go or Pac Pix. DS was also the first system that came out after I was working so I had to be a consultant on shopping for coworkers getting games for their kids.
Patrick McClafferty
2024-11-16 16:49:37 +0000 UTCNadia, it wasn't just some shack. It was Game Shack.
Raven
2024-11-15 18:59:01 +0000 UTCSound quality be damned. We need our Stu.
Craig
2024-11-15 14:41:10 +0000 UTCStu sounding like he’s broadcasting from the Box Factory. Not the one where they assemble them though, that’s in Flint Michigan.
Craig
2024-11-15 14:37:38 +0000 UTCStu sounding like Ghostbusters on Atari. 😂
Raven
2024-11-15 14:02:40 +0000 UTCI am so old that I have turned into a skellington.
Stuart Gipp
2024-11-15 13:36:40 +0000 UTC
