Nintendo DS Lite Hardware Review
Obviously as this is a hardware review the above scores are 0 purposly.
New, but is it improved?
Well, it certainly didnt take long. Little than a year after its initial release in the great land down under, everyones favourite handheld, our much beloved DS is being replaced. To be replaced with what you say? After all, Nintendo would need something pretty special to shoulder the DS out of its number one position in the handheld market. Ironically this contention is by the new smaller and sexier version of the DS hitting stores come the 1st June 2006. Amicably named the DS Lite, this revision of the DS hardware you know and love has proved a smash hit in Japan, but many ask the age old question synonymous with the advancement of technology; Is it worth the investment to upgrade? Without a doubt if you dont own a DS then there is no better time to invest in the console than now, but even if youre a weary veteran of the platform, you may be pleasantly surprised by the advantages of an upgrade. Whichever category you fall into, read on for the low down on Nintendos reworked handheld.
The apple of our eye
Upon first sight of my pretty little Lite, it perhaps came as a minor surprise that I felt I had seen it before. The DS Lite emulates the style of another very popular multimedia device, that of the Apple iPod, right down to the hugely popular colour scheme of polar/ceramic white. Irrelevant to any dj vu, if youve ever owned or played a DS before the size of the Lite is one of the first things youll notice. At all measures to avoid any puns in relation to the name, the console really does feel compact and light in your hands. Upon flipping open the revised clamshell design, many will be happy to know that the design of the Lite ensures it wastes no space at all. Unlike its predecessor there is no bulky unused space to the sides of the top screen and the placement of the all buttons is compact without being cramped. Perhaps the only complaint to the design would the inaccessibility of the start and select buttons which have been moved to the bottom of the console closest to the lower right corner of the touch screen, although its a minor niggle that is more a product of owners of the original design having to retrain their habits. Also, GBA games stick out when inserted in the second slot, which can be slightly annoying, but the Lite comes with a cover for the slot so you no longer need to have a place keeper cartridge inserted to act as a dust protector, so the only real downside is that GBA games will look slightly out of place when played.
On another positive angle, the microphone has been removed from its obscure location at the bottom of the console and placed directly between the two screens, making it much more accessible and working a charm for voice related games such as Brain Training and Nintendogs. Perhaps the most welcome design revision is that of the stylus, with both the size and storage location of the pen being modified. The new version of the essential tool is a lot thicker and sturdier than its predecessor, which adds a surprising extra amount of precision to touch based processes. Storage of the stylus is also more convenient, now being stored horizontally in an insert in the right side of the console, allowing easy access to the stylus when you require it simply by sliding it out with you unused index finger. On the negative hand though left handed stylus users may feel overlooked as while adding convenience for the right handed user, its in the worst possible spot for a lefty. The DS Lite also has another advantage, with the battery life increased by several hours over the original DS. However, Nintendo have seen fit to include a new charger with the DS Lite, meaning that seasoned Nintendo handheld owners will not be able to use any of the older model chargers that were compatible with the GBASP and DS they may have lying around the home. A small inconvenience to some perhaps, but in the face of increased battery power its a minor setback that will only affect the minority.
The system is now even more portable. Owing to its favourable decrease in size, and more streamlined design it is now possible for the Lite to be carried around easily in you pocket, whereas the bulk of the original DS made this near impossible, making it much more effective as a portable entertainment device to take wherever you go. Where the DS looked more like a plastic fisher price toy than anything else, the new look showcased by the light subjects itself as the pinnacle of cool in multimedia. No longer is the DS an ugly opponent of the PSP, but completely matches it in terms of style, and in my personal opinion, even surpasses it. Undoubtedly Nintendo have done everything right in terms of the Lites design, whether it is in the mature look or the compact yet effective design, being arguably the best looking handheld in the market today and obLiterating the old DS rather effectively in this department.
Show me the light
Without a doubt one of the most frustrating things Ive found about handheld gaming is not being able to see what the hell youre doing when the lighting is bad. Most of the time this is outside in sunlight although it can occur indoors when faced with certain kinds of artificial light as well. While the DS was an improvement over its predecessors in this respect, no wonder youre still occasionally faced with situations in some games which are darker in terms of colour where you cant see what the hell youre doing. From personal experience Ive found it near impossible to play games like Metroid Prime: Hunters in open light outside. To address this problem the new DS Lite now comes with extra brightness options. The original DS only had brightness levels of 1 and 2; the Lite has those plus 3 and 4. Level 3 the brightness of the gameboy micro screen and level 4 is the brightest weve seen yet. When playing in imperfect light conditions the higher levels of brightness make on-screen action a lot clearer and easier to follow, although in some more colourful games such as The New Super Mario Bros, some colour bleeding can occur, but such games dont normally require the highest brightness levels so its a minor niggle. While not an absolute necessity, the new levels of brightness are a welcome addition, especially for those who spend time gaming on the go and cant always rely on perfect lighting conditions.
Good old same old
While already having outlined the improvements the DS Lite makes over the original DS system, for the purpose of those who havent had the pleasure of owning the first DS, Ill outline some of the common capabilities the Lite shares with its predecessor. The Nintendo DS is a new type of handheld, which Nintendo created specifically to enhance the boundaries of the gaming market, doing so by adding a variety of unique functions to create new gameplay experiences. Significantly more powerful than the Game Boy advance series, the 3D graphical capabilities of the DS by and large exceed that of the N64, one of Nintendos previous home consoles. Most obviously the DS, a term which stands for Dual Screen, sports two screens in its clam-shape design, the lower of which is a touch screen, plus the system also supports a built in microphone. These features have allowed the DS to sport such innovative bestsellers as Nintendogs and Brain Training which all use the DS hardware to create new and never before seen gameplay experiences, along with fresh new iterations of many of Nintendos other beloved franchises, such as Mario, Kirby, Metroid and Advance Wars. Subsequently the system has a wide range of titles across an immense variety of genres so that the system really does have something for everybody, such that it has proved to be the No.1 handheld on the market today.
Touching made better?
The DS Lite is very much the superior to the DS in every way, and in regards to any new gamer looking to purchase a handheld, I would recommend the revised hardware leaps and bounds above the original. (Or the PSP for that matter but thats obvious: P) Its a truly outstanding piece of hardware that corrects many, if not all the faults of the original. However, for those who want to upgrade, is it worth shelling out another $200 for a brighter light and better design? If youre a connoisseur of gaming then the answer is yes, the upgrade is very much worth it as you will get plenty of use out it. If youre a mild gamer whos not obsessed with gaming, but its still one of your more predominant hobbies, I would personally suggest getting it after selling your own DS, but if your DS is an investment you seldom use then the Lite just isnt for you. So thats it, youve heard it all. Let me tell you that I was amazed by my Lite right from the get-go and never regretted the purchase since, as what more could you really ask for besides being able to play some of the most enjoyable and innovative games around, and looking so damn cool and fashionable while youre doing it.
