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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.
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.
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.
Uhh...
/ 1438225
The 360 has without question flunked out of the console race in Japan.
The 360 appears to be flunking out of the console race in Europe with a pathetic 600-700k or so sold after seven months.
And most humiliating of all:
http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/06/12
Not only is the 360 selling worse than the first Xbox, it isn't even on track to match Dreamcast numbers. You have to go all the way back to the 3DO or CDi for a system that sold worse than the 360.
Zero.
And here's what you need to run Linux or other homebrew programs on your DS.
Where did you get that information? At the original DS' launch, any stuck pixel was enough to merit a replacement under Nintendo's 1 year warranty. Give them a call on their 1-800 number and see if they'll get you a replacement unit.
Ita erat quando hic adveni.
Not so, Nintendo will repair (not replace) a DS Lite with even one dead pixel. I should know, my prepaid UPS label for sending my DS Lite in for repair is on its way.
From the Nintendo DS Lite Customer Service Page:
White (or Other Color) Dot on the Screen
With a small number of Nintendo DS screens, one or two dots on the screen may appear to be "stuck" on a particular color, such as white or red. This effect is caused when a particular pixel (the dots that make up the screen) is not working properly. Even with the high quality standards set by LCD manufacturers, you will find this situation is common in many LCD devices (PC monitors, televisions, cell phones, etc.), and is within LCD manufacturers' specifications.
It's important to understand that this issue will remain limited to the pixels you have already noticed. The problem will not get any worse and you should not expect to see the problem in any other areas of the screen.
We suggest you use your system for a few weeks to determine whether this interferes with your enjoyment of game play. If, after using your system for awhile, you feel that this tiny dot is too distracting, the Nintendo DS Lite does carry a one-year warranty. We are happy to inspect and, if necessary, fix your system at no charge within the warranty period.
At the EB near my house, they have already gone through 3 DS Lites replacing broken ones. On was a D-Pad that was DOA, and the other two were cracked casings... so apparently they are fragile. The manager said that both of their in-store demo units had been cracked within hours too, which was the first I had heard of this.
I don't really like the mushy buttons and smaller size, but I LOVE the screens, the new stylus, the layout, and a few other bonuses.
So now I am torn, after hearing of some issues, and my few complaints, I'm probably going to hold out for a bit longer just to see.
http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
The only difference is color. U.S. has "polar white" only right now, whereas Japan has white, light blue, and dark navy blue, and the upcoming Euro release will be Jet Black.
At first I thought that was a reason to import one (they run about $200ish on eBay), but I'm glad I decided against it and just went for the US model. While asthetically I might have prefered black or the dark navy, the new slick finish is great but it takes fingerprints like nobody's business. Since I keep a sunglasses shami around to clean the screens anyway it's not a huge problem, but on the white you can't see them unless you hold it up to a light and really look for them. I have a friend who imported one of the dark navy ones and the fingerprints show up much more. It'd be a nightmare if you are OCD like me and would be cleaning it every time you sat it down.
That said, it's the best purchase I've made in a long time. I am so totally floored by the quality of the screens...games that I finished long ago (Super Princess Peach, Mario and Luigi : Partners In Time) look like brand new games. The colors are incredibly vibrant (the yellows and greens that were there the whole time but I never saw astounded me), and the backgrounds pop out and the detail is so much more apparent. I never really wanted to admit that I noticed it before, but the regular DS has very muddy looking screens. I'm only running on brightness level 3 (out of 4) and it's literally like night and day when comparing side-by-side with the normal DS.
Thankfully, I've found a use for my old one - it's going to keep Brain Age in my living room where I can access it easily when watching TV and such; now when people visit I'll be able to play the great two-player games (that, thankfully, only require one cart unlike the old days where everyone needed their own copy) with them instead of telling them how if they bought one we could play together.
AE
There might also be a problem with speach in games like Brain Age.. Saying the word "blue" doesn't work well, etc..
Also importing voides your warranty.
Other than that there is no difference that I know of. Every game works, and you can swtich the language back to English.
Saying the word "blue" doesn't work well, etc..
That's easy to fix. Just say, "brue."
Abaddon: An Xbox 360 Indie game
Advance Wars: Dual Strike - Totally awesome game. If you've played the previous Advance Wars titles, this is an excellent upgrade. If you haven't, then this game is a must have. It's a Turn Based Strategy game, which I personally love, so your opinion may differ if you're not into that sort of thing. I've also heard the Age of Empires DS game is really good, but don't actually own it yet.
Tetris DS - The king of the puzzle games. This is probably one of the two best installments of Tetris ever made. It does have a few quirks that hardcore players say make it "too easy" (Specifically, the need to 'lock' pieces, which means you can continue spinning them indefinitely while you try to formulate a stratgy). On the other hand, it has 6 different play modes, all of which are fun, great multiplay local or internet. Including Single Card Multiplay (which many DS games have.)
Meteos - Another puzzle game, in a similar vein as Tetris, but probably more resembling Bejeweled (if you've ever played that). Played entirely with the touchscreen, you have falling squares of different colors. You can only make vertical movements, and you're trying to match up 3 or more squares of the same color either horizontally or vertically to 'blast off' groups of blocks. The absolute greatest thing about this is that Meteos takes place across different planets. Each planet has it's own rules, including differen gravity, differnt rocket strengths for vertical vs. horizontal combos, and different colored squares that spawn. This game is great, but you may want to wait, as this game was released before WFC was set up, so it has no internet play. A new version is coming out in the coming months that will likely have new planets, as well as internet play (it's being cobranded by Disney, if that matters to you at all).
Trace Memory (Another Code) - The name is different depending on where you purchase it. Trace Memory in North America, Another Code in Europe. This is an old style adventure game, reminiscent of old text adventures, or the old Lucas Arts game (although with less humor). A warning, this game is very short. As in, 5 or 6 hours of play time max. It makes up for that by being fiendishly clever, though. It really makes some unique use of the DS' features, and is well worth a play through. You may want to get a cheap used version however, since it is so short.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - I didn't think I would like this game, but damn was I wrong. It seems pretty simple, but actually gets pretty complex as you move forward. The best thing about this game though is the humor. It has some of the best writing of any DS game I've played. If you have any sense of humor at all you can't help but enjoy it. It's a remake of a Japan on GBA game, and has some added features for the DS, including one chapter that makes much better use of the touch screen (although it is used very intelligently in the other chapters).
Metroid Prime: Hunters - First, a warning. If you are looking for an old school Metroid experience, this is not it. This is an FPS first, and a Metroid Shooter second. The control scheme has a steep learning curve, but once you get it, it is incredible. Taken for what it is, a handheld arcade style FPS (more like Quake or Unreal than like Syphon Filter), it is stellar. If you like that type of game you will enjoy MPH.
New Super Mario Bros. - If you like classic Super Mario Bros. (especially SMB3 or SMB World), you'll enjoy this game. If you're just going to blaze through the game, it's pretty short (apparently you can beat it in just 4
just some guy