It looks like 2005 is going to be a big year for gamers and gadget fans alike, with Nintendo, Sony and newcomer Gizmondo all launching new portable gaming consoles at around the same time.

The first one we get to look at is the Nintendo DS, out this month, and while Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP) and the Gizmondo both promise multifunction capabilities, such as MP3 and movie playback, internet and messaging features, the DS concentrates firmly on the gaming side of things, albeit with a cool twist or two along the way.

DS, we presume, stands for 'dual screen', since that's precisely what you'll find once you flip open the device's sleek silver clamshell lid. Both screens are sharp, colourful, backlit 3in TFT panels with resolutions of 256 x 192 pixels each. The lower one, however, is touch-sensitive, which means that certain games can include innovative stylus and touch-screen features in their gameplay and controls.

Graphically, the DS is a big leap forward from Nintendo's last handheld, the Game Boy Advance. With proper 3D environments and models, the visuals are akin to the previous generation of TV-based consoles like the N64.

Games come in the form of small 'paks', not dissimilar to SD memory cards, while a separate slot allows for backwards-compatibility with Game Boy Advance games and, apparently, offers the opportunity for further hardware expansion in the future.

The unit features stereo sound, a headphone socket and a built-in microphone, which could, among other things, allow for voice recognition elements to be included in future games.

The only other notable feature to come built into the DS (aside from an alarm clock) is wireless capability. This allows users to go head to head with other DS owners without cables and also provides the platform for the DS's PitoChat messaging function

This is a neat spin on text messaging, which lets you scribble a quick note or picture on the touch-screen and zap it to a friend. The friend's Nintendo DS needs to be within a quoted range of 100 feet and, therefore, PictoChat is unlikely to find much favour outside of the playground.

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