The software itself is included on a cartridge that fits into the GameBoy slot on the DS. Separate versions are available for the original "phat" Nintendo DS and the smaller DS Lite, the only difference being that the cartridges fit flush to the bodies of those respective systems. Both versions are currently available in Europe and Asia, and are expected to retail for $40 or less when they hit North American store shelves on June 4.

Once you pop in the cartridge and boot up, getting online is generally easy. Connections are set up through the DS' Wi-Fi Connection Menu, which can access both public and private hotspots, and DS-only hotspots created through the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector. We easily connected both to an open router and through the USB connector, and started loading Web pages within just a few minutes. The office Wi-Fi network was another story. Like many public access points, our office Wi-Fi network uses a splash page to register uses. It's nothing fancy--just click on the "I accept" button and it registers most wireless devices and lets them access the Web normally. Unfortunately, the DS Lite simply couldn't register with our network; the program would drop the connection right after clicking "I accept." In other words, if you're going to go online through your own router or the Nintendo USB connector, you shouldn't have any problem with the DS Opera browser. If you're planning to use public hot spots, however, you should be prepared for some frustration.

The Nintendo DS Browser's most obvious failing is its lack of Flash support. Without Flash, most of the Web's videocentric sites--including YouTube--are unusable, and plenty of other sites (including CNET.com and Gamespot) are incomplete. The same goes for sites that rely on Java (or any other plug-in for that matter). That may be par for the course for those who are used to reading stripped-down text only sites on their mobile phone browsers, but it's a bitter pill to swallow for anyone looking for a more PC-like browsing experience.

With its dual screens and stylus control, the DS should be a great device for Web browsing. Unfortunately, with its extremely slow performance and no support for Flash or other plug-ins, Opera's Nintendo DS Browser fails to live up to its potential.