Two Decades Ago, Nintendo Transformed My Gaming Experience with Dual Screens

Do you ever feel like gaming consoles have lost some of their magic? I totally get that. Gone are the days when consoles had quirky and unique designs, with perhaps the Nintendo Switch standing out a bit because of its hybrid nature. But, let’s be real, that mostly just changes where you can play, not how you play. It’s classic Nintendo: a bit odd but extremely influential. Still, I find myself craving something… more.

Here’s the interesting part: Nintendo already nailed what I’m talking about two decades ago with the DS. What a masterpiece that console was! As soon as I saw it in my younger years, I could sense it was something exceptional. Clearly, I wasn’t alone. The DS line ended its run as the second-best-selling console ever, proving its widespread charm.

Technically, the dual screens of the DS weren’t a brand-new concept for Nintendo; they’d toyed with this idea in the Game & Watch series. But of course, the DS was miles ahead, offering more power than both the Game & Watch and Game Boy Advance, opening doors to bigger and better gaming experiences. The second screen was the highlight, instantly piquing curiosity—what could it do?

That additional screen opened up all sorts of exciting gameplay opportunities, especially with its touchscreen capabilities. There are countless examples of games that cleverly used the DS, many from Nintendo itself. Take Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time as an instance. It creatively used dual screens for puzzles, alternating between adult and baby versions of the characters in a way that was pure genius.

Then there’s the original The World Ends With You, which had you coordinating battles across both screens with different characters. Hotel Dusk got creative, too, turning the DS sideways like a book—perfect for its narrative style. Even just shifting important UI elements to the bottom screen in Pokémon games made the top screen’s action more engaging.

Over the years, the DS really shifted my perception of games, shaping my understanding of what they could be—or rather, how we can experience them. Having another layer of interaction made me feel more connected, expanding the virtual worlds in a way no console has quite replicated since. It made games feel grander, with more to uncover than ever before.

The DS transformed how I viewed gaming environments, encouraging playful exploration. As a kid, I didn’t realize it, but it cultivated a deep appreciation for interactivity that’s hard to find now, with modern consoles becoming so standardized. Today, every controller seems like the same tool with a new design, and the consoles themselves are all about speed over charm, racing you to start a game without any intriguing home menu experiences.

I don’t use my original DS as much these days, with my 3DS filling in more often, yet the sense of whimsy remains and fuels my current gaming preferences. Thinking about a 20-year-old console that was so ahead of its time might seem odd, but it speaks volumes about its legacy as one of the greatest handhelds ever made.