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The DS Lite U.S. Launch
Yesterday Nintendo began selling the upgraded version of their popular DS handheld system, and by all accounts sales are going very well. 1up has a look at the story of the DS so far, from somewhat rocky launch up through this last amazing Christmas season. From the article: "Nintendo had lost its collective mind. At least, that's how it looked back in January 2004 when the company announced its latest system, the DS. 'We have developed Nintendo DS based upon a completely different concept from existing game devices in order to provide players with a unique entertainment experience for the 21st century,' company president Satoru Iwata stated--a bold proclamation. But few were buying it." PC Magazine has details on what was upgraded, and Engadget has pictures from the NYC launch party.
I live in Toronto and the stores here open on Sunday at 12:00 noon. Not having pre-ordered a DS Lite I left at 12:10 to go buy one. I needed to go to 4 different stores before I found a store that was completely sold out. And every store I went to had about 5 other people asking if they could buy a DS Lite.
If that's how the early morning went, I can't imagine how the rest of the day went. Sounds like a pretty successful launch for a product revision.
... for the other colors. Bright white? Come on Nintendo, come with the pretty DSLites!
This is going to be a crazy five years come November.
I don't think we have ever seen a double race like this before in the console market:
1) Sony PSP vs Nintendo DS
2) Nintendo Revolution vs Sony PS3
Now that Microsoft and the 360 are have pretty much flunked out of the console race and their handheld gaming device is just vapor, the console world is back to the good old days of two competent competitors going at it.
Sony sounds like they have some very cool PSPPS3 connectivity stuff in the works with music and games being able to be downloaded onto the PSP.
And Nintendo always is coming up with crazy ways to use their handhelds with their home systems.
It's a nice product, with some really nice bright screens. It's my first DS, so I can't really compare it to the original model, but it puts my Palm's screen to shame. Would love it to death if it weren't for the blue stuck pixel in the upper screen. I'll probably send it back to them under warranty in a few weeks, after I've had a chance to mess around with it a little.
I'm really curious what Nintendo has in store for it in combination with the Wii.
Complete GNU/Linux distribution available for the DS Lite in 3... 2... 1...
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I think I'll have to buy one of these... once they come out with more colors (*crosses fingers for black*). They're relatively cheap ($130 on NewEgg), there are some cool games for it (Zelda, Resident Evil, and of course... Tetris), it's a decent amount smaller and lighter than the regular DS, and the brightness is adjustable. Overall, it looks like a very svelte little machine -- it looks like it's a lot easier to stick in a pocket than a regular DS. I WANT, I WANT!
A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.
One of the things I like about the DS is its buttons... I like the way the buttons and the D-pad "click" when you push them down.
I tried the DS Lite at the store, and I didn't like the way they changed the buttons... they don't have that "click" anymore, that's the best way I can explain it. Maybe it's something I'd get used to, but I didn't really like it.
My wife just upgraded her DS to a DS Lite. On the DS we started out with one of the Nintendo screen protectors, but it quickly got scratched up to where you could not see the lower screen through the mess.
To solve the problem we simply bought some high quality Palm Pilot screen protectors, then cut this to the right dimensions for the DS. It works flawlessly with the DS and the stylus, and looks better after use than the Nintendo protectors do new. This pad hardly shows marks at all, even after playing stylus intensive games. They are less than $1 each at your local office supply store.
Yesterday we picked up a DS Lite and the first thing we did was throw a Palm protector onto the screen. Works like a charm.
After both my brother (PSP) and sister (DS) have apparently succumbed to the mobile craze, I'm ready to take the leap in with 'em with the DS Lite.
I fell in love with this trimmed-down tricked-out console the instant I saw one of my classmates in college playing an imported version, and the only thing holding me back now is the promise of ice blue DS Lites.
While it'll be a shame to have to pass up Ratchet: Size Matters, the point remains that Insomniac does not a console make, especially when the console in question is a $250 brick versus a console that can also default into your home media player.
This nicely coincides with Sony's unveiling of its new electronic consumer device.
I had a blue pixel on my screen too. Fortunately, I was able to exchange at Best Buy without a problem.
I just got done reading some of the comments here below about the color. I also agree that white is not exactly the "pretty color" I would choose for the new DS Lite. However it is a classic color aside from the gray that all Nintendo's start out with. I would however would be extreamly impressed if they released a black soild color version of the DS.
A sandwich would be the correct anwser.
Zero.
And here's what you need to run Linux or other homebrew programs on your DS.
I got mine last week, from a friend of a friend who works at Nintendo.
:)
Sadly, I opened it to find two stuck pixels (red and green)
Apparently, Nintendo won't replace the unit unless there are three or more.
Anyone know how to 'stick' a pixel . . ?
For some bizarre reason we don't get the new DS for another 2 weeks here in the UK: but they are advertising black as well as white versions.
Bad analogies are like waxing a monkey with a rainbow.
I picked up the last one in stock at a Game Crazy (Hollywood Video's game store-in-a-store) at 6pm yesterday after trying maybe three places. I picked up copies of Brain Age, Sprung (dating sim) and Worms. I haven't owned a Nintendo handheld since the Gameboy Color and I was very impressed with the build quality and the brightness of the screen. It reminds me of a miniaturized version of my 12-inch iBook G4, which I just sold, so there's already some nostalgic attachment right there. Once Opera is released for the DS, the DS lite will fill an important niche in my computing spectrum (MB Pro for work/home, XBox 360 for games, Linux fileserver & DS Lite for quick 'n easy games in bed or on the go).
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is it there any difference between this system and the DS lite version being sold in japan since some months ago? I've heard some ppl have been getting japanesse versions through the internet :)
This is the best portable console that has EVER been released. I could not be happier with it. It's cheap, there's a ton of games, the battery lasts a long time, the screens are bright, and the colors are vibrant. Nintendo really did a great job with this one.
I'll form my OWN solar system! With blackjack! And hookers!
Actually, a lot of people complained about precisely that same "clickiness" with the original DS, which is why they made the change - the new controls are supposed to be more in line with the GB Micro and past systems like the SNES.
--- Bwah?
I went to Circuit City at 10am (opening) yesterday, and picked mine up. Also picked up 4 games (Brain Age, Tetris DS, Mario Kart, Super Mario DS). I would not have bought so many, but I had a few gift cards to various stores. I was surprised when I went to Best Buy late in the afternoon that there were still a couple DS Lite's sitting on the shelves considering the number of people who were at Circuit City buying one in the morning.
Having never played the Fat DS, I am very impressed with the games, and some of the unique control methods that the touchscreen allows for. I keep having to fight with my girlfriend to get some playing time, as she is addicted soduko (comes with Brain Age).
I am probably going to end up having to buy her one so I can actually play mine.
Just saw one in Zellers here in Canada. Remember those Game and Watch dual LCD screen games (Donkey Kong)? Well, that's what the DS Lite more closely resembles in its new form factor: smaller, lighter, and crap are the new screens bright! It is easier to hold, but the buttons do feel mushier and don't "click" as much as the original DS buttons. The power button has been moved to side, thank god, where it should have been in the first place and the cosmetics are much improved. The white case is very sexy.
I can't emphasize just how bright the new screens are. I actually turned the brightness down a notch or two while playing with one in the brightly lit store. That's fairly impressive.
Just took back my DS and got a DS lite. So far I like most of the changes. However, the DS lite feels more rickity to me, the buttons are not set as much as the regular DS, and it just feels like it is more fragile. I'll just have to be a bit more careful I guess.
I got mine at Best Buy a little after opening on sunday (I dunno how many they had, they didn't even have a display set up. The guy had to go get it from the stock room) and New Super Mario Brothers. Not having played the Fat DS, I'm impressed with this little system. And I don't mind the white, matches my iPod! ;)
I'll be getting one of these for one reason only: New Super Mario Bros.! It's about time they come out with another 2D platformer Mario game.
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I picked mine up yesterday... no interesting journey stories to tell though, I pre-ordered mine the day the USA release date was announced.
One thing I like is the new brightness settings. There are four, the lowest being equivalent to the old DS's screen. On just the second highest setting colors are very vibrant. It's hard to describe, but the games just look better.
The higher settings mean I can play on the bus fine. I used to have trouble with the old DS getting too much glare, not anymore!
The only flaw is the fact GBA games stick out of the GBA slot about an inch. If like me you're one of those people who hated playing classic Game Boy games on your Game Boy Advance, this will really irk you. I suggest picking up a used SP, that's that I use to play my old GBA games and they're getting pretty cheap.
FWIW, if you want to order one, Amazon have 'em for £100. Personally, I've got a lovely black mp3 player which I carry around pretty well everywhere, so I've ordered the white DS just for a nice bit of contrast. Plus, I don't want to look like I'm playing on a PSP...
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
All these stories of sold out DS Lites make me laugh. I called one local EBGames/GameStop (of which there are four within a half mile radius of each other) and the lady that answered said that they had sold-out pre-orders for a few weeks now, for all stores within a 100 mile radius (exaggerate much?). I called up the local Target and the guy that picked up said he had a few. I got there at 3:15PM (they opened at 9AM), and I was surprised to see at least ten DS Lite's on the shelves! Target has become my new launch day source.
It's not the stylus that scratches your screen, it's the DIRT being pushed around on the screen by the stylus. The dirt is what scratches the screen. Keep the screen clean and you'll have zero need for any protective layer beyond the layer Nintendo already put on the system.
I picked one up in Cambridge MA @ Best Buy about 12:30pm yesterday. I asked and they still had several left. They were running a special to get a free copy of brain age with a DS lite purchase (coupon to print out on Bestbuy's front page). I bought a DS Fat w/ a copy of mario kart days before the DS lite announcement. When I heard about this I decided to just return the DS fat and hold on to Mario Kart till the DS lite came out. Definitely worth waiting. I'm 30 and this is a much more "adult" looking unit. It's all of the things you've probably already read (blah better screen, blah sleek, blah). I really like the feel of it (for some reason, the DS Fat left my hands sore after about 30 minutes of playing). I have a PSP and a copy of Syphon filter (dell had a special @ one point where it was $160 so I picked it up on a whim). It's going on eBay. It's probably a decent system, but I just don't want that complexity. It's more than I want/need. I played new SMB, what a blast. love it.
Like a few other lucky souls here, I picked mine up when a SuperTarget in Dallas broke the release date. Not much to say that most everyone else here hasn't--the screens are clear, the redesign is attractive--but I'd like to attest to how the new system feels in comparison to the old one, which I think is still the question mark for a few people here. After 12 days of extensive gaming, here's the skinny:
Mario Kart DS: For old-school d-pad & buttons games, the DS Lite is heaven. The "mushy" buttons have gotten some flak on this strand for not having a clicky feeling, but they're a helluva lot more comfortable for 30-minute-plus sessions, and the d-pad is much more responsive, which helps in a game with a crapload of powersliding.
New Super Mario Bros.: Same improvement, but the relocated, shrunken select/start buttons are a drawback. Sure, they're not essential to normal gameplay, but it's hard to hit them quickly for those occasional emergency pauses...I suppose Nintendo's trying to encourage people to shut the clamshell for sleep mode instead.
Metroid Prime Hunters: The reduced weight helps, but otherwise, my hand cramped up just as much as it would with the old unit. The shoulder buttons are fine and the touch screen is just as responsive (though it took me a second to adjust to the new stylus' larger tip), but it's still not wholly ergonomic stuff for the stylus-aim control scheme.
Brain Age: Lighter weight is nice for the game's vertical mode, but just as I'd heard before, the new microphone dislikes the word "blue" more than the old one...any BA players know exactly what I'm talking about. Annoying.
Overall, of course, it's a thumbs-up.
The line was out the door at the retailer where I had reserved my DS-lite. When I finally got to the front, the guy running the register looked up, saw that the line hadn't shrunk at all, and remarked, "Oh no, they keep re-spawning!"
They had like 70 units and 60 on reserve, and a few people were taking advantage of that to buy more than one. "For a friend." Yeah.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is insufficiently documented.
I was wondering if anyone could list some *good* games for it
Also what are the prices of the games (preferably in CAD but USD is good too...)
--Valthan
"I called up the local Target and the guy that picked up said he had a few. I got there at 3:15PM (they opened at 9AM), and I was surprised to see at least ten DS Lite's on the shelves! Target has become my new launch day source."
Most Target stores have been selling the new DS Lites for over a week. Check Slashdot archives for the story.
Yeah. You're right, but I wish they hadn't changed it. I liked the clickyness. The GBA:SP (or atleast my newer one) has it too.
The new buttons just feel mushy in comparison. I don't like it at all. It doesn't feel as clean.
I think it's worth pointing out that the parent poster has had the bottom screen protector scratched up very badly. With everyone that I know, including a family where three people share a DS (for about a constant 7 hours of use a day between them--yes, they're gaming nerds), there has been no damage at all to the bottom screen using fingers or the stylus.
Admittedly, if you wanted to, I'm sure you could damage it if you tried, but I'm fairly sure the screen wasn't built to withstand extended play using a steak knife as a stylus, for example.
I am waiting for the DS Browser (aka Opera DS), but no release date has been set outside of Japan. *sighs* ... would make the DS one of the cheapest portable webbrowsers... now if only if it offered, also PuTTy too.
Unfortunately, it doesn't come with a wrist strap/thumb pad. Of course, they're selling one on store.nintendo.com but it looks like it's the exact same as the old DS's strap.
I've been trying to get the strap from my old DS into the lite for a while, but the holes on the DS are pretty small. Getting it in the first hole isn't that tough, but I push and push and it won't come out the other end. Think I'm going to have to find a needle.
One trade-off for another. While I miss the clickiness of the original DS, this is more than outweighed by the fact that the buttons are raised and rounded. I'm already noticing that games that require using multiple buttons are much easier to control. The d-pad on the Lite is a total blessing. The original d-pad was just mushy. I could actually play a fighting game on the new model! And lets not forget about the resin molding on the new model. Wow, I can actually grip this thing.
Wise men say, "Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza."
I could actually play a fighting game on the new model! And lets not forget about the resin molding on the new model.
Interesting. I can play Bleach DS fairly well with my old DS.
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Also don't forget all UK internet orders are returnable withing a 14 day period by law. I've ordered mine from GAME, and so the return can be done to a store if there is a problem, no questions asked.
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