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DS Lite Price, Launch Date Announced

Kotaku has word on the launch date and price point for the DS Lite, the second version of Nintendo's popular handheld console. From the article: "Nintendo today launched a thousand smiles when they finally confirmed that the DS Lite, svelte brother to the bulky, yet handsome DS, will indeed be coming to the States. The DS Lite will officially go on sale here on June 11 for a mere $130. The only official color announced thus far is that finger print ready white that seems so popular among the iPod set."

53 comments

  1. Simple solution by baldass_newbie · · Score: 4, Funny

    The only official color announced thus far is that finger print ready white that seems so popular among the iPod set.

    Just wipe your hands between eating Cheetos and playing your DS Lite. Tough concept requiring self restraint, but it works.

    --
    The opposite of progress is congress
    1. Re:Simple solution by AlexanderDitto · · Score: 2, Funny

      Use the DS, wash your hands, use the DS, wash your hands...

      My poor original DS wonders why it is so ugly. It sheds a bitter tear.

      --
      No, Mr. Green. Communism is just a red herring.
    2. Re:Simple solution by BenjyD · · Score: 1

      More like "scrub hands with scouring pad and bleach before going near iPod/PSP/DS Lite"

    3. Re:Simple solution by steveo777 · · Score: 1

      But then you get those stains all over your tank top. (Eventually known around these parts as a 'wife beater' after so much beer, cheetoes, and coffee have made their marks).

      --
      This sig isn't original enough, it's time to come up with something witty...
    4. Re:Simple solution by Rod+Beauvex · · Score: 0

      Ooh...obscure....

      *Sigh* The better days of TV has passed us by. ;)

    5. Re:Simple solution by JLavezzo · · Score: 2, Informative

      > "O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends" - Koran 5.51

      Thanks for putting this line in your sig. It's an excellent example of how misleading it can be to take advice out of context. For example a few lines later the advice is repeated:
      "O you who believe! do not take for guardians those who take your religion for a mockery and a joke, from among those who were given the Book before you and the unbelievers;"

      So we can understand from the further refinement of the advice that "the Jews and Christians" referred to here aren't "anyone calling himself a Jew or a Christian" but rather "those Jews and Christians around you now who don't respect you." Good advice, don't make friends with people who mock your religion. Don't think they're going to help you out if you need it just because you've been friendly with them.

      Again, thanks for the example!

    6. Re:Simple solution by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

      "My poor original DS wonders why it is so ugly. It sheds a bitter tear."

      I read on a tips and tricks site that you can wipe that tear off with the stylus.

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    7. Re:Simple solution by Yusaku+Godai · · Score: 1

      Nonsense! I mock all religions, but regardless of whether or not my friends follow some religion I help them out equally.

    8. Re:Simple solution by PeelBoy · · Score: 1

      Except that it's also a little more sweat inducing I hear

      I want the Navy Blue. The white turns me off... I got burned out on that with iPods a looong time ago. Does anybody buy white iPods anymore?

  2. Best seller by 192939495969798999 · · Score: 1

    This will obviously be a best seller, because since it comes in white (not ugly grey or etc.), tons of girls will be able to buy it. We can expect to see iPod sales go up symbiotically as the same girls go buy a matching-color iPod. Don't think it matters? Show any girl this vs. those grade school crayon-colored ones, I guarantee they pick the white one.

    --
    stuff |
    1. Re:Best seller by sy161e · · Score: 1

      Did you forget about the iPod mini? My girlfriend bought the pink just for its color. If it came in exclusively white, I think mini sales would've been abysmal... At one point while purchasing the iPod, she quipped "Who would buy the silver one when they have green, blue and pink?" So, I can't trust your guarantee.

    2. Re:Best seller by fafaforza · · Score: 1

      Being black doesn't seem to have helped PSP sales on account of the black iPod video and nano being released recently.

    3. Re:Best seller by Amalas · · Score: 1

      No way. Black is the way to go. And I'm female. =)

      --
      I'm not bitter, I'm just unsweetened.
  3. And the crowd goes wild. by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Was there ever any doubt it would be coming to the States? This isn't exactly the PocketStation, after all. There's been a huge demand for the DS Lite here since the start. Lik-Sang and eBayers can barely import them fast enough.

    1. Re:And the crowd goes wild. by AlexanderDitto · · Score: 1

      I don't think it was a question of WHETHER the DS was coming to the states, I think it was more a question of WHEN and HOW MUCH. June 11, $130.

      Didn't you read the article... summary?

      --
      No, Mr. Green. Communism is just a red herring.
    2. Re:And the crowd goes wild. by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 1
      The one that says "Nintendo today launched a thousand smiles when they finally confirmed that the DS Lite, svelte brother to the bulky, yet handsome DS, will indeed be coming to the States," you mean?

      Yes, I did.

    3. Re:And the crowd goes wild. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Where did you get the idea that the DS Lite might not be released outside of Japan?

  4. Glad they dropped the price but... by LLcj · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    One can obtain a PSP for $160 by catching a special with Dell. PSP homebrew doesn't require more than a memory card and GTA (in some cases)And with only a little effort you can fill a memory card up with ripped DVD's... but I do like the DS games better (Mario Kart, Advance Wars, Metroid Prime...). DS lites are going to fly off the shelves. Gamers could win big as this will hopefully put some downward pressure on PSP games. I refuse to pay $50 for some of their titles.

    1. Re:Glad they dropped the price but... by J-Doggqx · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but does the PSP play New Super Mario Bros., Mario Kart DS, or the top selling Brain Age?

      While homebrew is a big plus for the PSP, the lack of decent games is a bigger minus. Add to that the fact most people don't want to hack their hardware to use it and you can see why Sony's sales are behind Nintendo's.

      --
      END OF LINE
    2. Re:Glad they dropped the price but... by monopole · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I've got both the PSP and the DS phat. My PSP gathers dust while my DS and GBA micro are constant companions. And I'm getting a DSlite ASAP.

      Two Reasons:
      The Play-Yan media player. It takes dirt cheap SD cartridges and it plays MP3/MP4 files. It works on any GBA compatible gameboy and it has spectacular battery life. Beating the hell out of the PSPs measily battery life.

      The PSP is too bulky, expensive and fragile to carry everywhere. Ditto for the Video iPod. The DS is rugged (and with the DS lite compact). The GBA Micro is utterly inconspicuous and both are much less likely to make one a target for theft.

      As for homebrew. I've had more luck with the DS and a programmable cartridge (my DS is hacked to not need a pass thru).

    3. Re:Glad they dropped the price but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't get a DSLite, then. Simple as that.

    4. Re:Glad they dropped the price but... by Guppy06 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "One can obtain a PSP for $160 by catching a special with Dell"

      Dude, I am so not getting a Dell, no matter what they toss in with it.

      "PSP homebrew doesn't require more than"

      OK, if the biggest and/or only reason you have for getting a PSP is for homebrew, why get the PSP to begin with? The manufacturer is against the PSP being used that way and continues to take steps to eliminate exploits as they come out. If all you want is "homebrew," go get yourself a GPX32 or something.

      If the published games and/or movies aren't enough to get you to buy a PSP, then there is no good reason to get one.

      "I refuse to pay $50 for some of their titles."

      They seem to be $30-ish to me.

    5. Re:Glad they dropped the price but... by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

      "They seem to be $30-ish to me."

      PSP games aren't. Liberty City Stories cost me $50. Not a bad game, but it's pale compared to the $50 I spent on San Andreas. The PSP I purchased was defective so I took it back. This little gouge in the price tag is one of the reasons I never bothered replacing it.

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    6. Re:Glad they dropped the price but... by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

      "It works on any GBA compatible gameboy and it has spectacular battery life."

      Man, my DS has had terrible battery life lately. I think my GF is playing Tetris on mine in the middle of the night.

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

  5. Re:What the..... by chrismcdirty · · Score: 2, Informative
    --
    It's like sex, except I'm having it!
  6. Re:What the..... by gabebear · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Yes, http://kineox.free.fr/DS/

    and now that they have XIP and WiFi working it is starting to be a bit useful.

  7. PSP Price Drop... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I will definately pick this up unless a PSP price drop announcement is made at E3. I know that some were calling the $199 PSP a price drop but it wasn't. It would be nice to see a core unit go to the $150 mark.

    Not saying anything ill about the DS though. Own a first generation and a library of games. Just itching to play Lumines again (returned two 1st gen PSPs due to dead pixels).

  8. Second in the family by klausboop · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I am going to buy a DS Lite for myself. I frequently borrow my son's now, and having two in the house will allow us to do the local area multiplayer built into most of our favorite games. I think Nintendo is going to have some significant market success on this one, especially if lots of families have similar plans, where there's already a DS in the house and they'll use the Lite as a reason to get a second one, not to upgrade and get rid of the old one but to have more than one in the house.

    On another note, I wonder if they'll continue to manufacture the current Nintendo DS and offer it at a lower price than the Lite, or if they'll discontinue the current DS? Look at the GBA -> SP -> Micro release cycle...they did stop making the GBA but it looks like the SP and Micro might both be manufactured, with the SP at $79 and the Micro at $99.

    --
    Some of you already have those cute little shirts on that say disco sucks, right? That's not all that sucks.-Frank Zappa
    1. Re:Second in the family by Lave · · Score: 1
      wonder if they'll continue to manufacture the current Nintendo DS and offer it at a lower price than the Lite, or if they'll discontinue the current DS?

      If I recall correctly (contractions be damned), I remember an article where they said they would faze out the old DS over the next year or so. And to be honest that makes perfect sense. The SP and Micro occupy different spaces, one for portability and one for a more comfortable experience and larger screen (they both use the same screen tech now). But the original DS doesn't hold enough cards over the Lite to remain in production.

      I've had a Lite for about a fortnight now, and passed my old DS onto my girlfriend (which actually means I finally have one to play thanks to her obsession with nintendogs, and harvest moon (GBA)), and trust me when I say it is worth an upgrade.

      I never had a problem with my DS but the revelation in screen quality is as big a jump as the GBA to SP transition to me now I look back. With the DS there is banding of uneven brightness across the screen but even playing on the lowest setting of the lite the picture is so much stronger, more uniform and greater contrast. I literally played the whole of Kirby Canvas Curse again on the Lite because the better screen made it look so much better. Where as before I just thought of it having bog standard platformer graphics, upon replaying it I noticed the beautiful details of the backgrounds and was blown away. It is literally as good as any of the new "glossy" laptop screens,if not better and shows no lag or ghosting which I've noticed on GTA: LCS on the PSP (but that may be just that game - I don't want a flame war.).

      The only flaw is that gba games stick out of the bottom, this is more annoying than you think it will be - and has cut down the amount of gba games I play as I cant be bothered to take them separately when I travel.

      I know a lot of people are worried about there big hands on a small console, but don't worry if anything it much more comfortable than the DS in my opinion, and allows you to reach your thumb over to the screen to control games like Metriod Hunters and Mario 64. I would still wait till you can get one in your hands and try it, but my big hands much prefer it.

      --
      http://skeptobot.blogspot.com/ - A site for the Renaissance man and woman
    2. Re:Second in the family by goodenoughnickname · · Score: 1

      "I am going to buy a DS Lite for myself. I frequently borrow my son's now, and having two in the house will allow us to do the local area multiplayer built into most of our favorite games."

      I have some mod points, but I can't seem to find [+1 GREATEST DAD EVER].

  9. My wife and son broke my old one by Dark+Paladin · · Score: 2, Funny

    She's playing "Brain Age", my 4 year old son spills some water, and she puts it down - in the water by accident to go get a towel. Now, Nintendo is sending out a new one, but I can always use the power of guilt plus "But you always have it to play Soduku" to get myself a new one.

    Ah, the power of guilt!

    1. Re:My wife and son broke my old one by commander_gallium · · Score: 1

      Have you tried the DS since it dried out? The battery might need recharged, but it may still work.

    2. Re:My wife and son broke my old one by Dark+Paladin · · Score: 1

      It works as long as you don't move the screen at all - something in the hinges is shorted out, so if you move it at all (which is hard when playing "Ouendan" and you start spinning it) then it thinks it should go into sleep mode. It plays the GBA games fine (since the don't have a "lid closed sleep mode".

      But yeah - I tried that. Thanks for asking!

  10. Form and Function by dancingmad · · Score: 4, Informative

    The DS Lite is an amazing little machine. It combines the sexiness of Apples machines along with the sturdiness of Nintendo's.

    I have a white I bought here in Japan (it matches my cell phone, iBook, and iPod), but the Navy Blue seems to be far and away the most popular color. However, I keep the white one in a case and while it does get a little smudgy, it hasn't got really dirty by any stretch of the imagination. And while it sees far more physical use than my iPod (which is in a pretty sturdy case) or my iBook (which is not moved very often and hooked up to an external keyboard and mouse) it is scratch free.

    Compared to the phat DS it's amazing (I had one of those before selling it on Yahoo Japan's auction site shortly before the Lite came out) and while the former felt like a hand abortion, this one is light and absouletely a blast to use.

    I have no doubt that at least Navy Blue is coming out in the U.S.; it's far too popular not to. The only issue is that when the Lite launched here, the two blue models were delayed by a week or two, because of manufacturing errors, so they launched later than the white machine.

    Moreover, the brighter screens are great. Games that I only played on the phat DS, like Kirby, Jump Superstars, and Dragonquest Slime look really vibrant on the new screen(s).

    Anyone looking to get one should defintely invest in a semi-decent case and screen protectors (especially for the bottom touch screen).

    --
    "There is no time, sir, at which ties do not matter," Jeeves, (Jeeves and the Impending Doom)
  11. I'd buy a DS if it cost twice as much as a PSP by LKM · · Score: 1
    One can obtain a PSP for $160 by catching a special with Dell.

    I'd buy a DS Lite even if it cost twice as much as the PSP. It's quite simply the better console, all things considered.

  12. I wanted the blue one. :( by MaWeiTao · · Score: 2, Informative

    I hope they plan on introducing the other colors in the US shortly after the release of the white one.

    For whatever reason there seems to be this habit companies have of only releasing bland, uninspired colors for products in the US. Nearly all mobile phones in the US are the same crappy silver color and apparently it's manditory that all portable electronic devices have the same look and feel of the iPod.

    1. Re:I wanted the blue one. :( by Hannah+E.+Davis · · Score: 1

      In Japan, they released two shades of blue about a week after the white. I suspect that they'll do something similar in North America, especially when you consider how successful that strategy was in Japan.

      Personally, I'll be getting a white one -- I have a regular blue DS right now, so I want something a little different :)

  13. PSP vs. unlocked DS by tepples · · Score: 3, Informative

    PSP homebrew doesn't require more than a memory card and GTA (in some cases)

    "Some cases" that involve GTA, an M-rated game, require the user to 1. live in an area where GTA is not banned and 2. be at least 17, which leaves high school underclassmen out of the PSP homebrew scene. Besides, "some cases" are rapidly ending with the new 2.70 firmware that makes the GTA bug no longer exploitable.

    For the price of a PSP Value Pack, you can mail-order a completely unlocked DS with a memory card 8 times as big and with one game. However, some batches of DS Lite units have had problems with bridging SL1 to flash the DS's equivalent of the Xbox TSOP. Or if you're more interested in Hollywood movies than homebrew, you can still get a $130 DS and a $120 portable DVD player (with a bigger screen than the PSP) for that price.

  14. "Mere" $130 by SilentChris · · Score: 1

    I already paid $150 for my silver one. Yes, it's bulky, but at least I can stick the GBA games in all the way.

    At this point, considering the PSP library is getting better and there's rumors they'll be launching one with better battery life and a hard drive, you'd think Nintendo would drop down to $99. $130 is a lot of cash for a parent to drop on a kid's system.

    1. Re:"Mere" $130 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are you on crack?

      Everyone expected it to launch at $150. $129 is a perfectly reasonable price, and no one gives a crap about the price of the PSP - I'll give you a hint, it's not the price that's keeping me from buying a PSP. I'm sorry you think that having a GBA game protrude 1cm is a deal-breaker.

      "Kid's system"? Are you even paying attention?

    2. Re:"Mere" $130 by vertinox · · Score: 1

      I already paid $150 for my silver one. Yes, it's bulky, but at least I can stick the GBA games in all the way.

      I know what you mean, but I realized the other day that I haven't played a GBA game this year because of the new rush of good DS titles.

      $130 is a lot of cash for a parent to drop on a kid's system.

      I remember the SNES was +$100 when it first came out. Ah yes... From wiki article: "Initially sold for a price of $200 US, the North American package included the game Super Mario World."

      And I distinctly remember my parents purchasing this for me around 1990 something... Considering inflation and economic concerns back then, I'd say $200 back then was worth a lot more than $200 today (and even the DS is $130 today).

      So now we have hard ware that is cheaper and quite exponentially more powerful than the old consoles. Its cheaper than the new consoles and so are the games. It is quite a deal.

      --
      "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
      -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
  15. It's best to wait by the+dark+hero · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If it's one thing i've learned about Nintendo it is to wait. I bought tbe original GBA. I sold that and got a GBA SP. The DS Comes out and soon after the updated GBA SP. Now the DS Lite hits the shelves in June. After all of the Gameboys, Pockets, Colors, Advances and SPs that I have gone through I'm ready to just sit back and wait for the Black DS Lite that will match my cell phone and iPod nano. Perhaps a price drop will be in place by then.

    --
    You constantly struggle for self improvement - and it shows.

    Hooray for bad Engrish on fortune cookies

  16. What I don't get... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What I don't get is why we're not seeing both DS Lite colors at launch stateside. Could somebody explain what the logistical problems here are?

    1. Re:What I don't get... by squiggleslash · · Score: 2, Funny
      It's all about trying to maximise available stocks. As most people know, red is about twice as heavy as white, so it makes sense to delay red units as you can ship twice as many white ones for the same price.

      As for black DS Lites, you don't want to know how heavy they are.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  17. Finally by outSource · · Score: 1

    That's great news that it's finally reaching these shores, particularly since my brother's been holding off on buying a DS until the Lite was released. Although I'm not sure if I'll pick one up since I already own the "clunkier" version, I'm anxious to get my hands on the new stylus! I recently picked up Trauma Center, and while its a blast to play, I have a hard time due to the small regular stylus not being compatable with my monster hands (let me put it this way: the original Xbox controller pwnzers!). All in all, I almost wish they would have done this off the bat. Improved clamshell design (top screen is stronger, and less "squash-resistant", so are the speakers), impressive lighting (which, although decent enough on the original DS, could use some work), more stylish design, and of course, longe stylus! I've already considered grabbing a Lite when I have the money and then put Linux on my old DS, but I guess we'll see how much my brother likes his Lite. Good thing we live in a pretty remote area...hopefully there won't be too many supply problems over here.

    1. Re:Finally by dave1212 · · Score: 1

      Try using a Palm stylus. I grabbed one off a friend, it works way better than the included stylus. Might help you.

  18. Let's not forget the gender issue... by ofcourseyouare · · Score: 2, Funny

    The DS Lite is the "svelte brother to the bulky, yet handsome DS"?!?! Hello!? Like totally everyone knows it's the svelte sister to the orginal DS. Still not sure about my pink original DS, though, in this area it seems somewhat conflicted...

    1. Re:Let's not forget the gender issue... by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      You've got a Birdo DS. Now it's still male but during the next few games the manual will start calling it a she.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
  19. The DS can play mp3 files by dbIII · · Score: 1
    go buy a matching-color iPod
    Why get an iPod? The GBAMP (gameboy advance movie player) is cheap, is white as well, fits in the GBA slot, and can play as many mp3 files as you can fit onto a compact flash card. The native player only works on one screen and only plays converted files, but the free Moonshell player will play any mp3 I throw at it - as well as boot dslinux and some demo games that don't need much memory.
  20. OZ gets it b4 the USA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Australia are getting the DS lite on the 1st of june...

  21. Australian DS release date is the 1st of June by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    From the horse's mouth.