Nintendo has struck gold. The DS has really come around since early this summer, and I find myself thinking more and more that it might have more to offer than the PSP. Lately, the PSP has been relying a lot on either: A.) Ports of already-existing games for the consoles, or B.) Half-baked sequels to once-revered series of an age long passed. Just look at games like Dynasty Warriors, MediEvil Resurrection, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition, and NBA Street: Showdown. Now I'm not saying the PSP has a useless selection of games. No, there's plenty fun to be had with Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee, Lumines, Metal Gear Ac!d, and what-not. What I am saying, however, is that Nintendo just has a lot of new, fresh ideas chugging the DS along. Sure, the DS has its fair share of ports, but its also got a ton of other things going for it.

For starters, you've got incredibly unique, fun games with Trauma Center: Under the Knife, Metroid Prime Pinball, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorny, and Meteos. Then you've got the real heavy hitters like Kirby: Canvas Curse, Advance Wars: Dual Strike, Nintendogs, and the recently released Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. Most of these games initially seem very gimmicky, and look like they won't last long. False. These games, whether in the simplicity of the gameplay, interesting takes on already-established genres, or whatever else it may be, have more than proven themselves. And not only that, but they've let Nintendo remain a heavy-hitter in the handheld market, even if their console influence does seem to have waned a bit within the last - and coming, really - generation.

Things look to be getting only better. Sonic Rush, for one, has me pretty excited. Sony better start rolling out some new ideas, or their name-recognition may be the only thing that gets them through this generation of handhelds.