Nintendo DS Lite

Nintendo's decision to divert from their Gameboy branding, a name that was synonymous with the company, was shocking and indeed unexpected. The simply-titled DS, in its first incarnation, was a rather bulky, ugly thing; however, when Nintendo instated a newer iteration of the system, the wheels were set in motion for one of the greatest sucess stories of all gaming history. The DS Lite is a svelte, chic, stylish unit that is half accesory, half function. It doesn't boast new-fangled media playback or convolluted extra features that are tacked on for the sake of it. It DOES sport a highly diverse, innovative range of games, and what developers have come to discover is that ingenuity lends itself well to the incredible stylus-touch control that is core to the experience.

The DS trumpets gameplay over graphical prowess, as has always been the Nintendo philosophy - this is why one might scoff at the technical specs when comparing with the PSP's powerhouse innards. Roughly about as powerful as a Nintendo 64, the DS' specs may not fare too well in terms of processing power when contrasted against its rivals' - however, the titular 'dual screens' are the drawcard, and can be leveraged for a variety of gameplay applications, as has been the case (and rather succesfully). 

The DS Lite has become host to a selection of releases that run the gamut of genres from FPS, to guitar simulator; and I have no quarell with definitively stating that there are a few true gems in the pack. New Super Mario Bros. ressurects the spirit of the eponymous plumbers with crisp graphics, refined gameplay, and a challenging game world to tackle. Advance Wars exposes the stragesist in you, having you deploy and maneouvere your forces about the battlefield with the touch screen. Castlevania pits you against the minions of dracula, whilst Meteos boasts slick tunes with satisfying, frenetic puzzle action that is the DS' answer to Lumines. 

Overall, the DS has been a phenomenal coup for Nintendo - it is not only subject to great design and home to some of the industries most recognisable mascots, but it achieves the demographic-breaking innovation that Microsoft and Sony can only dream about. A true prodigy of gaming.