On Nov. 21, 2004, I gladly handed over $150 (or maybe that was my parents?) to the guy standing behind the register at my local GameStop in exchange for the original Nintendo DS. I was 14 years old and excited to have the brand new, dual-screen handheld.

In 11 days, I will be much more skeptical.

On March 27, Nintendo is launching the 3DS, a successor to the Nintendo DS with 3-D capabilities as well as some other cool tricks up its sleeves like two outward-facing cameras, one internal camera and even an analog control stick (or as Nintendo calls it, the “circle pad”). You don’t even need glasses for the 3-D! I’ll be 21 years old, and I won’t have the brand new, dual-screen handheld.

Well, why not?

Let’s start with the games. The launch titles aren’t particularly attractive, especially knowing that Nintendo is involved. The big “N” will be launching three titles — Pilotwings Resort, Nintendogs + Cats and a new property, Steel Diver, alongside its 3-D handheld. None of those has the power of, say, a 3-D Super Mario or a 3-D Legend of Zelda.

But Nintendo does have a huge stable of properties that are coming to the 3DS in the months ahead, many of them remakes of classic Nintendo 64 titles. I can’t wait for those games.

Third parties will also be on board. Capcom will have Super Street Fighter IV 3D and Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D; Electronic Arts will be releasing a Madden for the handheld; Namco is launching Ridge Racer 3D. That’s only some of the games, but they’re the more exciting ones.

The point is, the 3DS doesn’t have a strong launch lineup. The hardware looks great, but if I won’t have anything to play on it except for my old DS games until May or June, I can see myself holding off until Kid Icarus: Uprising and Star Fox 64 3D come out.

There’s another thing that concerns me. I bought the original Nintendo DS. It came in one color, silver, and the stylus was about the size of my pinky finger. I loved it (and still do), but I can’t say there wasn’t a tinge of envy when a smaller version called the DS Lite came out in June 2006.

It boasted multiple levels of screen brightness, better battery life, a longer stylus and the ability to fit in your pocket without looking like you stole something.

I never bought another DS system because I didn’t think the upgrades were that big a deal. Others disagreed — future iterations of the DS would go on to be some of the best-selling handhelds of all time. This must mean the 3DS will have some minor upgrades during its lifespan, too.

Is it worth leaving behind what may be a great collection of games to wait two years for a newer model? Probably not.

But Nintendo has a history of releasing slightly better versions of its hardware, and part of me wonders how I’ll feel when that next version comes out. Many have become skeptics when it comes to Nintendo’s first iterations of new hardware.

It may also be fitting to point out the machine costs as much as the Wii did at launch, $249.99. Since the Wii only costs a penny shy of $200 now, this handheld is actually more expensive than the cheapest home console out there. For another $50, you could afford a high-end Xbox 360.

Granted, the 3DS packs a ton of features that may warrant the price. Surely glasses-free 3-D isn’t cheap, not to mention internal memory and expandable storage, the ability to take 3-D pictures, an Internet browser, an accelerometer and a gyroscope — and that just scratches the surface.

Also, for the first time in a long time, Sony seems to have a worthwhile competitor in the wings with its Next Generation Portable. That’s not to say that the PlayStation Portable isn’t a fine system, but it didn’t hold a candle to the innovative qualities of the DS.

The NGP will also offer touch screen gaming, two analog sticks, a rear touchpad (for what, I don’t know) and will supposedly be a little less powerful than the PlayStation 3. While it’s mostly rumors and speculation, the system should be out this holiday season, which may be worth the wait for some gamers, especially if it launches with some quality games and at a reasonable price point.

None of this is to say the 3DS is not a spectacular device. Some journalists who saw it at trade shows running demo versions of Star Fox 64 3D and Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D said the 3-D screen really made games pop.

First impressions coming from Japan have been largely positive on the hardware front. The system looks great, and the 3-D is allegedly really cool (though not always necessary).

With a high price tag and no games to really justify it at launch, I can see myself saving for a few more months.

Games are coming eventually, but I find it hard to have a $250 investment collect dust until the middle of the summer or later. For those who still aren’t sure, they can always wait for the inevitable refresh.

I’m not a betting man, but if I were, I would put money on that happening by the 2012 holiday season, if not earlier.

As for me? I’m still not sure exactly what I’ll do. I’d like to say I’m sticking to my guns and waiting until the end of the year, but I doubt that will happen.

Chances are I’ll buckle under my hankering with some birthday money and hopefully be playing the Phoenix Wright and Professor Layton crossover sooner rather than later.

So my old DS doesn’t have to worry about the next big upgrade just yet. The same way I was skeptical about the last three DS upgrades, the 3DS is going to wait, too, if only for a little while.

afreedman@umdbk.com