Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with DSlite

DS Lite stuck hinges?

tybeet — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:50:50 -0800

Help! My DS Lite lid won't open. I'm not sure what happened. I hadn't opened it in a few weeks, took it out of its carrying case today an it seems that the the hinges won't budge. I pull up on the lid and I can tell it's not the screens that are stuck together or anything like that (I thought that might be it, since I recently installed one of those scratch-resistant screen-covers).

What are my best options here so I don't end up breaking the hinges (which I've heard about being a common issue)? Should I try spraying WD-40 around them? Or try putting the DS in the freezer (eek? would that break it?).

Advice is most appreciated.

What to do with a broken DS Lite?

oulipian — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:26:53 -0800

I thought I was the luckiest thrift-store shopper ever when I found a Nintendo DS Lite at Value Village for $10, complete with box, instruction manuals, and spare battery. Of course, it doesn't work.... The DS Lite appears to be borked. When I plug in the AC adapter, the yellow indicator light comes on and the unit appears to be charging, but the DS will not power on. Nothing appears on the screen, and no sounds come from the unit at all.

The warranty on the unit has expired, and my understanding is that Factory Service from Nintendo will cost $75, which is more than I am willing to pay to get this working. I am in Canada.

Does this sound fix-able? If not, what should I do with my DS?

Buying a Nintendo DS. Or am I?

Solomon — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:48:04 -0800

I'm thinking about buying a Nintendo DS. The last games console like this that I purchased was one of the original Gameboys. Please educate me on what's what. My questions are as follows:

I've seen reference to the "DS" and the "DS Lite" on various websites. What's the difference? Which one should I buy? Given that it's only going to be used for playing Dr Kawashima's Brain Training.
How long do the batteries, etc last, and can I buy spares?
Is the Brain Training game really all that? As in, is it a fun, enjoyable way to do various different types of puzzles?
I'm buying this as a present for 2 relatives, both of whom are over 50. Will they be able to work out what to do with it (specifically with the Brain Training game) quite easily?

The relatives in question spend literally hours playing Sudoku, doing crosswords, doing wordsearches, etc, already. One of them uses the computer, but complains she can't sit at it for too long. Is she liable to be OK with using the DS?

Bueller?

trig — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 02:21:52 -0800

Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten, a DS lite "game," is apparently really useful for learning kanji. So much so that people in this thread recommended it over dedicated electronic dictionaries. Any other DS software you'd consider that useful? At first I was thinking about things like educational software, flash card programs that let you make your own cards, &c. But really I'd like to know about any DS programs that are so useful you'd recommend them hands-down above other resources. Doesn't matter what they're useful for.*

* except time-wasting please, unless your software cures it.

Showdown: PSP vs DS lite

Grither — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:25:49 -0800

I own a PS3, and my gf has a DS lite. Should I buy a PSP or a DS lite for myself? Would it be more fun to play games against/with my girlfriend on the DS, or to be able to play PS3 games remotely on the PSP? What games are able to be played remotely on the PSP? So I have a PS3, and my girlfriend (we live together), mother, and some other friends have DS lites. I am interested in the opinions of the MeFi community on whether I should get the DS lite to be able to play with my friends, or if I should get the PSP so I have a greater variety of available games to play (since I can then borrow the DS lite from the girlfriend). Basically, does anyone use the DS with friends, and how easy is it to do, and does it greatly increase the value of the system to you? As for the PSP, does anyone use it to play PS3 games or stream stuff from the PS3, and how easy is it to do, and does it greatly increase the value of either system to you?

What sudoku game do I want for my new Nintendo DS Lite?

booksandlibretti — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:32:50 -0800

I got a Nintendo DS for Christmas! Given my logical style of solving sudoku, which of the scores of sudoku titles do I want? I solve sudoku 100% logically, so I definitely don't want a game that includes puzzles that make you guess. If the puzzles can be solved with logic alone, any difficulty level is fine for me. A variety would also be fine.

Because of the style I use to solve sudoku, in each square that winds up containing one number, I need to be able to write nine smaller numbers (or place nine dots, or whatever). For example, Brain Age did this perfectly. This is my main requirement -- it's absolutely crucial for me.

It's also important that the game have a ton of puzzles -- I solved all of Brain Age's sudoku puzzles in a week, when I borrowed my brother's DS after having my wisdom teeth removed. Obviously I won't usually play anywhere near that much (maybe one a day?), but I don't want to run out.

I'm interested in plain vanilla sudoku, and I probably won't be really enthusiastic about playing any variants that are included. Missions would be cool, though. A timer might be nice but isn't crucial -- and if there is one, pausing or saving/resuming should be simple and fast.

It would be nice if the DS were held in its usual orientation, and not like a book -- I've heard the hinge problem blamed on holding the DS book-style and flattening it out.

A DS title would be ideal, since I like the touch screen, but a GBA one would also be fine if it has the features I want. $20 or under would be awesome, but I'll go up to the standard $35 if the title has everything I'd like. As long as it's common enough I won't have trouble buying it, popularity/status/prestige/whatever is totally not a concern.

Help me fix my DS Lite?

Effigy2000 — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:05:20 -0800

I own a DS Lite. Recently, the 'R' button has started to become somewhat non-responsive. It still works, but I have to push it really hard to get a response to it at all. I suspect that the contacts need cleaning. Since I've never done anything like this before, should I attempt to do this myself? By that I mean is it a relatively simple affair or would this be incredibly difficult to do? And if I were to go ahead and do it, what tools might I need to finish the job?

Greasy DS Lite Button

icespide — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 16:07:42 -0800

Any ideas on how to remove grease and other slimy stuff off of a videogame controller's button? Namely a Nintendo DS Lite. The other day at lunch my friend started playing some new SMB on my week old DS Lite after knee deep in some nasty greasy McDonalds. I was in the bathroom at the time. Anyway, the damage is not too bad, my B button is a tad slimy and greasy. What is a good way to clean up my button without damaging the machine. Thanks