Hopefully the early shots of the are prototypes, as aesthetically they are an absolute dog, and remind me of those nasty handhelds you used to be able to buy from Argos and Dixons for twenty quid that held a few crappy games on them. Put up beside the and we have the gaming equivalent of Donnatello Versace standing beside Carmen Kass the supermodel. And while one may come up with interesting designs it is the other that everyone wants to get their hands on.

Nintendo have opted for an old wireless standard - like with its reliance on .801.2B, (although the DS will supposedly have built in WiFi as well). The performance of both is roughly comparable, but the compatibility of the DS with Bluetooth enabled phones and PDAs may be of some use to in selling the DS. You see, I believe that the DS is going to be more then just a quirky and gimmicky handheld gaming console. Remember the camera and printer attachment that were released for the original Gameboy? They were marvellous examples of cleverly engineered devices that added functionality to an existing device in ways that the original designers would never have anticipated for. With its two screens and touchy-feely displays the DS may well blossom into a true multifunction device. While it is unlikely that it will ever take on the roles of a video player or even an MP3 player, the integration of telephony and the display technology of the DS could lead to some very interesting forays into unexpected territory. How about the DS becoming a keyboard for SMS that has a lovely big screen for displaying your phone's contents? Nintendo have a habit of coming up with unusual add-ons for their consoles and while most of them have sunk without a trace they have been an indication of the company's willingness to innovate and take risks.

Is the DS Nintendo's biggest innovative gamble so far? Its potential certainly is leagues ahead of items like the Robot for the Famicom and the goggle system of old. Rather than an add-on to an existing console this is Nintendo's newest recruit in the console wars. In an attempt to allay any fears customers may have of it being too "out there" and left-field for them to consider a purchase, the DS has some sensible features along with its more Willy Wonka abilities. As it will run GBA cartridges the DS can claim to allow cross platform gaming, allowing GBA owners to migrate from their old machine to the new platform. And as PSP owners will have to shell out for UMD versions of games they may already own, Nintendo has a distinct advantage in its battle to retain its user base during the trip from one generation to another.

Nintendo's own storage media will be able to hold up to a gigabyte of data, so like the PSP there's the potential for the DS to take on other functions - if the media doesn't cost too much. The price difference may also be considerable. If the PSP debuts and retains an exorbitantly high price then no swathe of impressive features and capabilities will persuade the sensible customer to pay up to three times more for one of Sony's devices than for the DS. The PSP will be able to do a lot more then just play games, but if extra cost such as buying UMD media are added onto an already premium price then the PSP could find itself struggling against the uglier and less powerful DS.

Nintendo's biggest asset has always been its games. Unfortunately, the titles that have been announced so far are somewhat uninspiring, but as this is currently the situation with the PSP the big N will be justifiably confident for the DS's initial prospects. Nintendo knows that it has some of the best game designers on the planet to call upon, and in the past these guys have created games that are innovative in their gameplay. Combine these talents with the novel features of the DS and the possibility that we may see some games the like of which we have never considered before may well prove to be the cap-feather that Nintendo irritates the beejesus out of Sony with.

Nintendo's ugly duckling really has the edge when it comes to dynamism. The PSP will initially be limited to an impressive portable gaming system and as such its only strength will be the ability to play high tech games on the move. Whether or not this will be enough to warrant the price tag in the eyes of enough consumers will only be answered next year, but Nintendo must be really hoping that their original little machine will win over enough users to keep the system, and Nintendo the gaming company, a viable going concern.

It is still early days in the gestation of these two consoles, although now we have had the first images of the machines we can better appreciate what the two companies have in mind for their new babies. Things will no doubt change as both Sony and Nintendo attempt to steal some of the wind out of the sails of their rival's console, but as long as the prices are sensible and the hype backed-up with substance I know that 2005 will be the year that I buy my first handheld.

By Sam Gibson