“Nintendo DS was stolen from me when I was a kid”

And suddenly he’s holding it in his hands again. Then the childlike heart in the man rejoices. (Image sources: New Africa via Adobe Stock; Reddit user »Ryebredrox«)

You’re digging in your family’s sandpit – and suddenly it shows up again: the much-loved games console from your childhood days.

The Reddit user »Ryebredrox« had a similar experience. He found the gaming machine under an old swing set.

What did the Reddit user find in the sandbox?

The year is 2007. The Reddit user »Ryebredrox« indulges in the joy of playing the game »MySims«. If you are not familiar with »MySims«, it is an offshoot of the world-famous life simulation »The Sims«. The little brother of the big game series was released in 2007 for the Nintendo DS and the Wii console.

But the gaming fun comes to an abrupt end when the Reddit user loses his Nintendo DS … or has it snatched from his hands by the siblings … or has been kidnapped by gaming-addicted aliens.

I’m sorry, what?

Yes, until »Ryebredrox« found his beloved game console again in 2023, a full 16 years later, he was in the dark about the whereabouts of the gaming gadget.

Even now, after the player has rediscovered his small console in the family sandbox, he is uncertain about the exact course of events. But he suspects that one of his siblings must have buried his Nintendo DS at the time.

“The Story of the Risen Nintendo” A case for Scully & Mulder and their X-Files!

What really happened to the Nintendo DS?

On the other hand, why put your dear siblings under general suspicion? Maybe it was the family dog? Reddit user “Mountain_Height6612” gets on the funnel and asks if “Ryebredrox’s” family had a four-legged friend.

The involuntary amateur archaeologist then replies:

Reflexively, “Mountain_Height6612” now responds:

Elsewhere in the course of the conversation, the retro gamer with a knack for “tech artifacts in sandboxes” makes a possibly useful reflection. He writes:

Why the Nintendo really found its descent into the sand kingdom remains unclear for the time being. But while we’re at it: What was the Nintendo DS again – and why does it trigger nostalgic feelings?

What is the Nintendo DS?

The Nintendo DS was released in 2004. That was almost 15 years ago. For its time, the Nintendo DS was a real novelty. Compared to its predecessor, the GameBoy Advance, the DS set decisive, playful innovations.

The Nintendo DS set itself apart from its predecessor in the handheld sector with two screens. A main screen at the top and a touch-sensitive screen at the bottom. The two screens are also reflected in the name of the Nintendo DS; the »DS« stands for »Dual Screen«.

Some of the most prominent games on the DS that have earned a spot in the handheld hall of fame to date include such titles as News Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, or Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow.

But enough of the history lesson.

How’s the Nintendo DS doing today?

The marks of time (and the grains from the sandbox) have not passed the handheld classic unscathed.

Burst batteries. Rust inside the device. A bad motherboard. This is what the device looks like today and is therefore unusable. After all, the module of the Sim offshoot »MySims«, which has meanwhile been somewhat forgotten, was still in the find.

Has something strange like this ever happened to you? Which (tech) toy from your childhood did you unexpectedly turn up again? Write us about it in the comments.