DS

The Nintendo DS is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP. The Nintendo DS also features a built-in microphone and supports wireless standard, allowing players to interact with each other within short range, or online with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. The Nintendo DS is the first Nintendo console to be released in North America before Japan.

The Nintendo DS is the successor to the Game Boy Advance series of portable consoles, with the original and Lite models featuring single-player backwards compatibility with Game Boy Advance games. The console's name officially stands for "Developers' System", an expression of Nintendo's hope that the system would inspire innovative game design from developers. "DS" also stands for "Dual Screen", the system's most obviou

s and distinctive feature. As of December 31, 2010, all Nintendo DS models combined have sold 144.59 million units, making it the best selling handheld game console to date, and second best selling video game console overall, behind the PlayStation 2.