Prior to its release, the Nintendo DS was marketed as an experimental 'third pillar' in Nintendo's console lineup, meant to complement the Game Boy Advance (GBA) family and GameCube. Its main competitor was Sony's PlayStation Portable during the seventh generation of video game consoles. Alternatively, they could interact online using the now-defunct Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. The Nintendo DS also features the ability for multiple DS consoles to directly interact with each other over Wi-Fi within a short range without the need to connect to an existing wireless network.

Both screens are encompassed within a clamshell design similar to the Game Boy Advance SP. The DS, an initialism for 'Developers' System' or 'Dual Screen', introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tandem (the bottom one being a touchscreen), a built-in microphone and support for wireless connectivity.

The Nintendo DS is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 20. New Super Mario Bros., 30.80 million (as of September 30, 2016 ) 154.02 million worldwide (as of June 30, 2016 ) ( details)