All I hear at school when it comes to gaming is “Nintendo Switch” and “Smash Bros.” Great game and console, I don’t hate it, but it just seems so overrated to me at this point. And all the Nintendo Switch does is remind me of the already existing Nintendo DS, except you can take off the controller and play as if it were an Xbox with a screen, which brings me to my opinion. I believe that the Nintendo DS is still the best handheld console out there.

I still remember when I was little and recieved my first Nintendo DS on Christmas. It was the second model, Nintendo DSi, the most common that everyone still has locked away in their drawer somewhere. But the Nintendo Switch has taken up so much attention to the point where I didn’t even know that they remade it until I was looking to buy a replacement for my old 3DS.

The newer models are, quite literally, called the New Nintendo 2DS XL and the New Nintendo 3DS XL. They’re pretty much as the name implies, a combination of the XL and 3DS. The 2DS (which I am a proud owner of) is compatible with all games up to this point and is able to open and close. Don’t get me wrong, the 3D option is still pretty awesome but it always ends up hurting my eyes, and besides the new one doesn’t even come with a charger.

The New Nintendo 2DS is by far the best. It costs $150 whether it comes preinstalled with Mario Kart 7 or not. It has all the supplies and features of a 3DS without the 3D part if you can live without it. And like I said it’s basically the “outdated” version of a Switch, where it literally does the same thing. Sure they have different games, but the DS by far has more of a variety.

Doesn’t anyone remember the good old days when you battled your friends on Mario Kart? The literal betrayal if you sent a blue shell after them at the last second costing them their victory? There were ups and downs but it was still loads of fun all around with your reliable and awesome Nintendo DS. Because I remember those days, and I’m proud to own my little outdated piece of gaming technology.

When it’s the last few days of school I see Nintendo’s scattered about and played with friends still. But it just isn’t the same, people are more drawn to a Switch. I can understand, it’s new and has new games, some not available on the DS, and new ones are still in the works, but I’m still not crazy about it. It may be dead and buried to most, however my heart lies with my DS.