The Nintendo DS was more than just a console – it’s part of my family history

As the games writer's house move drags on, he seeks solace in old handheld consoles. But one held a surprise ...

As a result of a house move that grew more complicated with every passing day, I have spent another couple of weeks in the barbaric situation of not having a gigantic TV to play games on. So I have continued to seek solace in storage boxes containing handheld consoles of the past - specifically, this time, an old Nintendo DSi and assorted cartridges.

This machine was mainly used by my kids more than a decade ago, when they were aged between six and 11, so the bag is full of loose games such as Nintendogs, Eco Creatures: Save the Forest, Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop and Catz - games that hold no interest for a man in his 50s, and whose spelling offends me.