Nintendo DS
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 The original model of the Nintendo DS | ||||||
| Manufacturer | Nintendo | |||||
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| Release date(s) |  November 21, 2004 December 2, 2004 February 24, 2005 March 11, 2005
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| Media | Nintendo DS Game Card Game Boy Advance Game Pak[nb 1] Nintendo DS Option Pak[nb 1] SD card[nb 2] | |||||
| Input | Nintendo DS Stylus | |||||
| Predecessor | Game Boy Advance | |||||
| Successor | Nintendo 3DS | |||||
The Nintendo DS is a handheld video game console made by Nintendo and released in 2004. It features two screens stacked vertically, with the bottom one being touch sensitive. Animal Crossing: Wild World, the second game in the Animal Crossing series to be released outside of Japan, was released for the Nintendo DS in 2005.
A revised version of the Nintendo DS, the Nintendo DSi, was released in 2008. The DSi features a new operating system with the ability to purchase and download software (known as DSiWare) from the DSi Shop. Two Animal Crossing DSiWare applications—Animal Crossing Calculator and Animal Crossing Clock—were released in 2009.
The Nintendo DS sold a total of 154.02 million units worldwide, making it Nintendo's best-selling console.[1] It was succeeded by the Nintendo 3DS in 2011. The Nintendo 3DS is backward compatible with both Nintendo DS Game Cards and DSiWare.
Features and built-in software[edit]
Touch Screen and Stylus[edit]
The bottom screen of the Nintendo DS, known as the Touch Screen, is touch sensitive and can be controlled with the included Stylus accessory by either tapping or dragging on the screen. Animal Crossing: Wild World can be controlled either entirely with the 
and buttons, or entirely by dragging and tapping on the Touch Screen. Tapping the screen or pressing a button at any point during gameplay switches the control mode.
Wireless communication[edit]
Local wireless[edit]
Multiple Nintendo DS systems in close proximity can communicate wirelessly with each other without an internet connection. Animal Crossing: Wild World utilizes this feature for local travel between towns and Tag Mode, which allows players to receive notes in bottles from nearby players while in sleep mode. Local wireless communication was also used by DS Download Stations, which were retail-store kiosks that could send unique Nintendo-themed items and monkey villagers to nearby players who were in Tag Mode.
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection[edit]
The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection was an online service that lasted from 2005 to 2014 and allowed for online play in Nintendo DS and Wii games. Animal Crossing: Wild World was the second game to utilize the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, being released in Japan nine days after the service began with Mario Kart DS. The service allowed players to travel to other towns over the internet and receive occasional letters from Nintendo.
The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection was succeeded by Nintendo Network on Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, and by Nintendo Switch Online on Nintendo Switch.
DS Download Play[edit]
DS Download Play is a feature that allows the Nintendo DS to receive temporary software from DS or Wii games through local wireless communication. This software is stored in RAM and is only available until the system is turned off. Animal Crossing: City Folk utilizes DS Download Play in two ways. When starting a new game, the player has the option to send to their DS the Moving Van, a program that can transfer a player character from a Wild World Game Card to City Folk. There is also the DS Suitcase, which sends City Folk player data to a DS, where it can then be transferred to another Wii to visit someone else's town.
DSi Shop[edit]
The DSi Shop is a digital store for the Nintendo DSi where games and software, known as DSiWare, could be purchased and downloaded. Two Animal Crossing DSiWare applications were released via the DSi Shop: Animal Crossing Calculator and Animal Crossing Clock.
The ability to purchase software from the DSi Shop was discontinued on March 31, 2017.[2] Most DSiWare applications, including Animal Crossing Calculator and Animal Crossing Clock, remained available to purchase on the Nintendo 3DS eShop until its own closure on March 27, 2023.[3]
[edit]
Retail[edit]
| Game | Image | Release dates |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Crossing: Wild World |  |
November 23, 2005 December 5, 2005 December 8, 2005 March 31, 2006 December 6, 2007
|
DSiWare apps[edit]
| App | Release dates |
|---|---|
 Animal Crossing Clock |
February 25, 2009 May 4, 2009June 5, 2009 June 5, 2009 February 11, 2010
|
 Animal Crossing Calculator |
April 1, 2009 May 4, 2009June 5, 2009 June 5, 2009 January 21, 2010
|
Models[edit]
| Name | Image | Release dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo DS | |
December 2, 2004 November 21, 2004 March 11, 2005 February 24, 2005 |
- |
| Nintendo DS Lite |  |
March 2, 2006 June 11, 2006 June 23, 2006 June 1, 2006 |
The Nintendo DS Lite is more compact than the original model and features brighter screens. This is the best-selling Nintendo DS model. |
| Nintendo DSi |  |
November 1, 2008 April 5, 2009 April 3, 2009 April 2, 2009 |
The Nintendo DSi features a new operating system with several pre-installed applications, front and rear cameras, SD card support, and the ability to purchase and download DSiWare from the DSi Shop. The bottom slot, used for GBA games and Option Paks, is removed. |
| Nintendo DSi XL |  |
November 21, 2009 March 28, 2010 March 5, 2010 April 15, 2010 |
The Nintendo DSi XL features larger screens than the standard DSi. |
Appearances in the Animal Crossing series[edit]
In City Folk[edit]
Three bench furniture items based on models of the Nintendo DS were released as downloadable items for Animal Crossing: City Folk: the Nintendo DS Lite, Nintendo DSi W, and Nintendo DSi B.
In New Leaf[edit]
The Nintendo DS benches from City Folk were added to Animal Crossing: New Leaf in the Welcome amiibo update. The Nintendo DS Lite has been renamed to NDS Lite bench, and the Nintendo DSi B and Nintendo DSi W have been merged into the customizable Nintendo DSi bench.
Nintendo DSi bench
(White)
Nintendo DSi Bench
(Black)
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Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/hard_soft/index.html
- ↑ Nintendo of America (March 31, 2017). "Nintendo DSi Shop Service Discontinuation Q&A". Nintendo Support. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
- ↑ Nintendo of America. "Wii U & Nintendo 3DS eShop Discontinuation Q&A". Nintendo Support. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
External links[edit]
| Nintendo video game consoles | ||||||||||||||
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