DS Lite or DS Heavy?

May 25, 2006 10:30 PM

Should I buy a Nintendo DS Lite when I already own an original model DS? Is it really all that worth it?
posted by Effigy2000 to Technology (15 answers total)

From what I've heard, the difference between a DS Lite and an original DS isn't anywhere near as stark as the difference between an original GBA and an SP.

It's 42% smaller in volume and 21% lighter weight, and about twice the battery life on the lowest light setting ( and even its lowest setting is brighter than the backlight on the DS).

Here's what you should do: If you don't like the light on your DS, or wish its batteries lasted twice as long between charges, buy a DS Lite, and sell me your DS at a cut-rate price. :)

Otherwise, just stick with your DS, and I'll have to buy a DS at a cut-rate price from some on eBay.
posted by CrunchyFrog at 10:38 PM on May 25, 2006

I love my ds lite and never use the old ds. The brightness is the key -- you get five settings, starting from a regular ds screen and getting more vibrant and vivid from there. I usually play at the 3rd brightness setting and the even brighter ones are great when you're getting hit with direct sunlight and need the maximum contrast.

I also feel like the hand position is more comfortable and it may be lighter because I can comfortably play longer.
posted by mathowie at 10:43 PM on May 25, 2006

Response by poster: Yeah. The buttons are my main concern. Whenever I play Mario Kart DS for extended periods of time my thumb starts to get really, really sore. If the buttons had been changed somehow, it'd be a no-brainer for me. But the buttons on the DS Lite seem to be arranged in the exact same way as the original DS. Is that the case, Matt?
posted by Effigy2000 at 10:56 PM on May 25, 2006

The buttons are totally new. The directional pad is much smaller (and is thicker), so you don't need to move your thumb as far. Same with the A/B/X/Y buttons.

I love my DS Lite. It's an improvement over the original in every way, EXCEPT:

1) It no longer works with your original DS and GBA SP charger. Boo hoo.

2) GBA games stick out a little if you have one in -- the GBA cartridge slot isn't as deep as on the original DS. It comes with a GBA cartridge-shaped thing that you can keep in the slot that doesn't stick out, though. I never really play GBA games on my DS so this isn't a problem for it.
posted by tumult at 11:36 PM on May 25, 2006

a problem for me, I mean.
posted by tumult at 11:39 PM on May 25, 2006

I'm a sucker for new gadgetry (if the PSP wasn't so completely lacking in games I would have sold my black one to get a white one) but yeah the DS Lite looks like the way to go. Besides the good reasons listed above it looks less like a child's toy and also small enough to actually fit in a pocket.
posted by DefendBrooklyn at 11:42 PM on May 25, 2006

The DS heavy can be hard on the thumbs, but once the DS browser comes out, it will be good to have a ubiquitous Internet machine handy.
posted by sswiller at 12:11 AM on May 26, 2006

That means that metroid prime pinball rumble pack also sticks out. :(

Btw: you should all buy that game. It's really the best video pinball there is.
posted by aubilenon at 12:12 AM on May 26, 2006

If you'll pardon the self-link, here is a comparison pic of the DS vs the DS Lite's 4 backlight modes. (It's rather obvious - the Lite's lowest backlight setting matches the old DS's backlight.)
posted by IndigoRain at 12:28 AM on May 26, 2006

Also, consider that one of the DS's strengths is in multiplayer games. So get the Lite then sell your Heavy for Super-Cheap to a friend. Huzzah, instant playmate!
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:12 AM on May 26, 2006

The original DS is a bit large for my hands ot hold for extended periods, so I'm planning to get a Lite. Anyone have an idea when the blue versions will get to the U.S.?
posted by casarkos at 6:09 AM on May 26, 2006

Best answer: don't make your decision without seeing Cabel's Video Reviews!

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
posted by lotsofno at 6:37 AM on May 26, 2006

Response by poster: For what it's worth, I bought a DS Lite based partly on the reccommendations of this thread, and I agree, it's way better. So I'm marking this one down as resolved, because as far as I'm concerned, the DS Lite is way better than the original and there's no excuse for chosing the original over the Lite (not even price).
posted by Effigy2000 at 10:27 PM on June 16, 2006

Yep, the original seems almost a beta test of the hardware compared to the brilliance of the Lite.
posted by lyam at 8:50 AM on June 28, 2006

Is the Age of Empires for CS worth buying? I've read some pretty stellar review of it. Or would Advance Wars be a better choice for RPG?
posted by erebora at 1:35 PM on July 1, 2006