August 21 marked the 20th anniversary of the DS portable console, which introduced Nintendo to a new wave of gamers.
The Nintendo DS continues to be the Japanese company's biggest commercial success as it has sold 154 million units worldwide, making it the second best-selling video game console after Sony's PlayStation 2.
Challenging smartphone gaming with its touch screen and stylus control, the DS rocked the gaming world when it was released on November 21, 2004.
"Even people who had never touched a game console before easily understood how to use it thanks to the touch screen and the fact that it could be held horizontally or vertically," said gaming expert Hiroyuki Maeda.
With its dual screen and opening design, the console is designed to appeal to video game novices.
At the time, the Kyoto-based giant was rethinking its strategy after disappointing sales of the Nintendo 64 and GameCube consoles. Nintendo's then-president, Satoru Iwata, wanted to "widen the circle of game players".
"It's no longer important whether one is good at games or not," says Maeda, explaining that Nintendo has "done something for gaming that wasn't there before."
In 2008, an updated version of the DS, the Nintendo DSi, was released, which added 2 cameras and the ability to download additional apps.
According to Maeda, the DS "serves as a link between the Game Boy," Nintendo's classic portable console first released in 1989, "and modern smartphones." | BGNES
