To date I've played the following games on the system - the Metroid Demo, Mario 64 DS, The Urbz and Ridge Racer DS. Each is significantly different than the other and showcases different abilities of the system. I've not yet found anyone in my (very) small town to test the multi-player or Pictochat functions with. Although, I have played with the Pictochat,and it seems like fun!

The first thing I noticed about the DS is the "heft" of it. It doesn't feel either heavy or fragile - more like carrying a comfortable PDA. The wrist strap can be used to carry the machine but it doesn't give the confidence of simply holding it - besides, as you'll come to find, the wrist strap is important in actually playing the games.

The key set up is much like Nintendo's hand-helds of the past - a d-pad on the left and right and left top buttons - but it takes a departure from the standard by putting 2 more keys on the right (giving you X, Y, A and B) and due to the touch pad, moving start and select above the right keys. There is a distinct advantage to having the 4 keys on the right: games can now (and are), designed with right and left-handed configurations in mind. Lefties of the world rejoice!

Ok, I'll move on to the "cool" stuff - dual screens and the touch pad. I have to admit that I was not particularly excited about either, but then I've never been excited about a hand-held. The Metroid demo does a particularly excellent job of showing off how much more screen you gain. However, most games will not be played using the dual screens as one larger screen. What the touch pad ultimately becomes is the previously obtrusive UI that used to cover the rather diminutive screen of the GBA and GBA-SP. Maps and race tracks are now viewable on the bottom screen while the top is left clear of clutter to play. You can open up inventories, mission objectives, hint screens, etc. without closing the play screen. Even the best of console and PC games can't say this.

The touch pad is everything you could want a touch pad to be. It's extremely sensitive, easy to use and ergonomically works very well. The stylus works with precision - you can use your finger and often this is both fun and necessary - but for complete accuracy nothing beats the stylus. My only complaint is that it is a little small and has nothing to keep it connected to the system (a second one does come with each system).

Holding the system, manipulating the d-pad, right keys and using the touch pad could cause some serious hand cramps. This is where the wrist strap comes in. The good news is, the games I've viewed to date have designed very intuitive UIs that don't cause conflict. The strap, however, when tightened around the wrist gives the necessary leverage to hold the machine without the aforementioned hand-cramp. And, at times, can make playing a game more simple.

Let's talk about the pretty stuff.

Graphics. No handheld has come close. If the Metroid demo doesn't convince you then pop in Ridge Racer DS and another of the most recent GBA racing games (did I mention it plays GBA games?). The canvas to build on is only slightly larger but the graphics engine is a significant improvement. And as mentioned, it does play GBA games and they have never looked better. They are truly backlit now - not side lit as in the SP. We now get to see GBA games as they were intended to look. As an aside, a friend who is playing Spider-Man 2 DS popped in his GBA cartridge on a whim. Suddenly, all of the special moves he'd unlocked in the GBA version became available. There's a reason there's a place in the DS box to hold both the DS cartridge and the GBA….

It's interesting that the game that gave me the best example of the sound was the ported Mario 64 DS. I was playing late at night in a silent room and noticed something - birds, water, footsteps in stereo. Not flat left/right stereo but depth. It was easy to determine what sounds were in the distance and what weren't. My first headphone experience was no less dramatic. As games are developed I can't wait to see how sound is used in this system to add to the immersive experience.

Not all things are perfect, as is the case with the DS. I do have one complaint and it concerns the battery. No longer dependent on standard batteries, it comes with a 10-hour rechargeable Lithium battery with about 500 uses to it. Over time, the full recharge of the battery will reduce. This is not my complaint. My complaint is 1) 10 hours is simply not long enough. This won't get my kids through a trip to their grandparents - unless of course I buy 3rd-party adapters for my car and both of my kids don't need to charge at the same time. 2) The visual cue for when the battery is not obvious enough. There is a small green light on the bottom panel. When the battery life starts to reach critical, it turns red. That's great assuming I'm not looking at the top screen or playing in bed and the bottom of the screen is being held against my comforter and hiding the light. Because, when the battery runs out - it shuts off. No grey-out to warn you to save. Just "poof!", game gone.

Over time, I'll be reviewing the games listed above and give a better indication as to how I came to the opinions stated above. With continued good design on the part of the developers and the excellent conception of the DS itself, this is one handheld I will be playing for some time.