Two weeks from today North America will get a new handheld. It’s a not a successor to the popular and record breaking Game Boy line. It’s something different. It looks different, it plays differently and it’s called the Nintendo DS.

Nintendo of Canada started its Too Much Fun tour this past weekend and I got a chance to go one-on-one with the Nintendo DS and the Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt demo that is included with the handheld. First I’d like to mention the DS. I was quite surprised how lightweight the system actually is; it felt about the same weight at the GBA SP. The DS was very comfortable to hold despite it being quite thing, and holding the DS with my left hand and using the stylus with my right didn’t evoke any strain at all. My hands are fairly large and sometimes using the SP after a long period of time my hands can’t take it anymore. With the DS I didn’t have this problem. The DS has two speakers compared to the GBA’s single speaker and where I was playing was pretty quiet so I was able to hear the two speakers quite well.

The Nintendo DS is designed well for both left and right-handed gamers. The DS features a D-Pad and for four face buttons and in the case of the Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt demo the controls can be adjusted for both left and right-handed gamers. The R and L buttons are longer than the SP’s which in my opinion is a welcomed addition. Using the stylus on the touch screen is also comfortable, while you can use your finger it depends on your personal preference. I felt more comfortable using my stylus rather than my finger. The Nintendo DS is a very comfortable handheld, while I never had a chance to play with the E3 version, I am glad they changed the design. The DS feels very natural and I can’t wait it launches.

I also got to try the Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt demo. The DS Game Card will be packaged with the handheld when it launches on November 21. When Metroid Prime Hunter was first shown at E3 the FPS action was on the touch screen and the map was on the top screen. That scheme met with a little opposition, as many didn’t like the stylus obscuring the action. Nintendo listened to those complaints and switched it around. Now the map is on the touch screen and the action occurs on the top screen. You can use five different control setups. Some use the touch sensitivity of the lower screen while others only use the buttons. In the “touch-less” mode the 360-degree pivot was assigned to the D-pad while the movement was assigned to the other four face buttons.

In my opinion using the new Stylus mode in First Hunt was a dream. It’s the kind of control that sounds awkward on paper; I too was hesitant at first. But when the Nintendo of Canada rep showed me how it was done, it felt wonderful. The mode used the L button to shoot, the D Pad to strafe left and right and the moving the stylus on the touch screen in any direction to move and double tapping on the screen will enable you to jump. The action was on the top screen and the map was on the bottom screen. On this map are little icons, one of which puts you in morph ball mode.

In the demo I got to play all three single player modes, I didn’t get a chance to play the multiplayer arenas because there was only one DS there. The Regulator mission was my favorite; it is the best mode to get you familiarized with the different aspects of the demo. In this mode you have 10 minutes to shoot at anything that moves, in this mission you will find plenty of things that made Metroid Prime fun to play. You will find Metroids that attack you and a boss that will surprise you. The other modes were the Survivor mode (pretty self explanatory) and the Morph Ball run.

What really surprised me were the graphics of this handheld marvel. The screenshots don’t do it justice nor do the videos you can download. When it’s in the palm of your hand, that’s when you realize how great it looks. The visuals are crisp and I didn’t notice any slowdown, it’s very fluid and plays fluid. It sounds great too; the soundtrack is just as eerie as it was in Metroid Prime. I’m not sure if it’s the same soundtrack but it sounds pretty close.

The time I spent with the Nintendo DS and the Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt demo was a great time. I applaud Nintendo for including this game with the Nintendo DS; it’s a great game to show off the abilities of the DS. A great looking demo, a cool handheld and built-in chat program, the Nintendo DS is the gadget to get this Holiday Season. I can’t wait for November 21.