The Nintendo DS was first released in 2004, and here we are a mere 5 years later with news that the portable has eclipsed the 100 million unit sales mark. I am seriously beginning to think I may be the only person still without one (or one of each color for that matter). With Nintendo updating the hardware every few years (DS Lite in 2006, and now the DSi in 2009) it is easy to see why the portable continues to sell in mass amounts. The games have been a big part of the sales as well. Nintendo’s press release states that as of December 2008 there were 83 DS titles, of which 7 topped 10 million sold.

So what is next for the DS? The reigning sales champ Gameboy, with 118 million units sold, is in the DS’ sights. Although it took the GameBoy 16 years to reach that mark, which means we could see the DS top 300 million in the same time span if the sales stay regular. Nintendo truly has the handheld market in the palm of its, well, hand.