2009... I had a red-ringed Xbox.

Nailed it. Played Zelda.

I got it at launch, with Mario 64 DS. I was a true believer! Or just pre-order crazy at the time, I did pre-order the PSP as well. How far we've come since then, the games are so much higher quality now than I think we ever expected them to be.

OK, so I had a shiny silver launch DS, but that got stolen in an LA airport

Then I had the red Mario Kart DS. That was apparantly kinda rare, so I sold it when I was tight for cash.

The one I picked up earlier this year was a blue DS lite, which I still have today.

I got a white DS lite in 2006. No game made me want to buy it; I lost my GBA that summer.

I got it launch day, with Super Mario 64. There wasn't that many launch games that convinced me to get one, personally. WarioWare Touched looked good, but I never ended up getting that. It was mostly Super Mario 64 that kept me entertained for a while. Then lots of really good game started to appear, my favourite being Another Code.

Got it at US launch with Mario 64, Feel the Magic, and Sprung (all great games IMO). Shortly after Japanese launch I also got Catch Touch Yoshi and Pokemon Dash (both not-so-great games IMO, but at least I managed to sell them at a profit).

What made me buy it? Well, I didn't have any specific games in mind, but I was expecting lots of 3D platformers and N64 ports. Of course, that expectation didn't exactly come true, and for the longest time I mainly used my DS to play GBA RPGs -- until 2006 when I stopped using it entirely. I didn't pick it up again until Dragon Quest IV was released last year, and it's been my primary gaming platform ever since.

Got a used one through an EB Games trade-in deal in  late May 2005 for the trifecta of Kirby Canvas Curse, Meteos, and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (seriously!).  And Canvas Curse and Meteos are still two of my favorite games on the system (never ended up buying Splinter Cell lolz).

I got my Phat on launch day in 2004, with Super Mario 64 DS. 

Got a DS lite back in 2006 along with Animal Crossing: Wild World, although I was holding out for the port of Final Fantasy III.

Launch day November 2004 with SM64DS. Gave me a chance to replay my favorite game of all time, and I bought into the unique promise of the touch screen. It was a dry line up at first, but luckily the Advance Wars DS/Nintendogs launch in August 05 kicked off a killer wave of titles in late 05 that solidified it as the superior handheld.

'05

Several good games.

I got one when the "New Super Mario Bros." came out, so 06.07 i think? Cant remember and im to lazy to look.

I picked one up with SM64 and WW:Touched...Both rather disappointing titles in my opinion, but the quality of the DS library (and the DS hardware itself) has grown in leaps and bounds since then.

Got my DS Lite in the summer of aught-six along with New Super Mario Bros.

2005, SM64DS

2006, a few months after the Lite had been out.  Beautiful game system, but that first one was just too ugly and I am surprised that 2004 is up there, but for me it was Mario Kart DS.

I didn't get my lite till 2008 when i knew that copy cards were reliable enough that i could start pirating since not a single other game sparked my interest of a 40 dollar purchase.

It was a game console. A handheld. Must have on of those per generation. Got a PSP later in 2007 (or 2008, can't remember) . A Wii in 2006. A PS3 in 2007.

I got my red Mario Kart DS system for Christmas 05 from my then boyfriend. Not so shockingly, I wanted one to play Animal Crossing Wild World.

The2005 lineup convinced me. Kirby: Canvas Curse, Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, etc.

Got it shortly after launch, for Mario 64

Got it on launch day at futureshop, then returned it for a PSP when I realized there was no games to play, but then I found out the PSP has nothing either.

I purchased mine in 2008, mostly thanks to Final Fantasy Tactics A2.  Honestly, though, there were a number of great looking games already released that had my interest, but that was the tipping point.

Got my original DS before it launched in the UK, via Nintendo Europes VIP limited edition thing. Came with Mario 64 DS and a Wario Ware and Metroid demo. Wasn't the most fantastic deal, but it got me the DS early and Mario 64 is and always will be awesome, so, you know.

Early 2006. I believe Metrod Prime Hunters was my main inspiration for picking up the console. I was sorely dissapointed with that game's singleplayer, so I went and picked up Trauma Center and Trace Memory. Those two are what really hooked me. 

Late 08 for Chrono Trigger remake and wanting something to do on the commute to work.

I bought my DS in 2009. I bought it with Mario Kart, and SM64DS.

07 with EBA and those two brain training games.

I get the general feeling that most of us agree that the post launch was pretty flat.  I said from 2006 it picked up, but those who pointed it out are correct, from late 2005, things really started to get going.  It was fortunate it did, as you can only wait so long on a promise.

Mario Kart DS, which came with my red DS. From when the DS was first shown off till launch, I gradually realized that I had to have that game. Online play, 3D graphics on a handheld, FLIPPING BATTLE MODE! In my opinion, Mario Kart DS is the best version of the game that exists. 

"I get the general feeling that most of us agree that the post launch was pretty flat.  I said from 2006 it picked up, but those who pointed it out are correct, from late 2005, things really started to get going.  It was fortunate it did, as you can only wait so long on a promise."

My parents gave me the DS at launch in 2004 for Christmas. I still use it to this day, but now I'm thinking of getting a DSi.
 

I got an original DS in 06. That ended up breaking.

I got a DS Lite much much later, and my brother loved to play it a lot and I also played it a lot (but not as much as him):

THE BATTERY ENDS UP FAILING. Or so I thought, seeing as replacing the battery didn't do shit to turn it on, and it's fully charged.

So, I decided to not buy another DS. If I really want to buy another, I'll just get a DSi.

The first game I got for it (shame on me...) was Yu-Gi-OH! Nightmare Troubadour, which was alright for a while, but it really got boring fast. Afterwards I got games like Mario and Luigi Partners in Time, Super Mario 64 DS, New Super Mario Bros etc. I also got Pokemon Diamond and Ultimate Mortal Kombat, then not long after, my DS lite broke.