My original DS is ready for another round

Thirteen months ago, I posted an article praising my old fat blue DS and its incredible durability; I never felt a need to buy another portable until 3DS arrived. I was certain, at the time, that the then-new Professor Layton and the Unwound Future would be the last game I played on Ol’ Blue before I put the venerable, aging handheld out to pasture.

Over a year later, Ol’ Fat Blue still works like I bought it yesterday, my 3DS is still waiting for a great game that’s not a remake, and Professor Layton and the Last Specter is about to grace our lives with another round of classy cleverness. I intend to play Layton 4 on Ol’ Blue. Partly out of sentiment, partly because the battery lasts longer than the 3DS’s…even after seven years!

So, here’s a toast to the best, most hard-working game machine I ever bought: the original DS. Don’t get me wrong, I love my 3DS and can’t wait for the upcoming big titles, but…

Will my original, first-model 3DS still be functioning perfectly seven years from now? I hear Ol’ Blue laughing…