Nintendo DS Lite second look
by Blake Snow 
{ Mar 10th 2006 at 6:00AM }
Back by popular demand is Cabel's production talent in the form of a second DS Lite video review. In regards to the encore, Cabel had this to say: "I did my best to cover some frequently asked questions this time around. This includes the GBA cart slot stick-out, the comfort, the thickness, and, yet again, the brightness."
Somebody get this man a job directing the lame, dry video reviews currently found on Gamespot. Watching is a worthwhile and very entertaining pursuit.
[Thanks, Bbasya!]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jay @ Mar 10th 2006 6:14AM
Best handheld ever.
Now get out in the UK! Saw this vid yesterday and it's quite spankingly good.
mike @ Mar 10th 2006 6:23AM
i would actually concider getting one of these wol dnot of concidered the old DS to far to big and the screen looks excellent
jadenguy @ Mar 10th 2006 6:33AM
i can pretend for as long as the good color doesn't show that the lite isn't better than the regular ds.
Nigeria @ Mar 10th 2006 6:44AM
Yeah I thought I was the only one who noticed that about the Gamespot video reviews, humorless and wooden are the best words to describe them.
DC @ Mar 10th 2006 7:05AM
Lovin' his video reviews. Great humor. I can't wait to use the death setting on the Lite if/once I get it.
PodMonkeys @ Mar 10th 2006 7:17AM
Man! Now I'm really jealous! Sure I don't need the lite, but oh boy do I want one!
Gonzo @ Mar 10th 2006 8:35AM
That does look sweet.
I still don't think I'm getting one though. I got my black "phat" less than a year ago and the improvements aren't too spectacular. If I hadn't though, I'd probably wait for the lite to come out.
I'm more interested in the web browser on it's way and what other crazy games they'll be coming up with.
Nossy @ Mar 10th 2006 9:16AM
Basically they sold a prototype design to many people including me when we bought it back in 2004. How sad. I'll never buy another Nintendo hardware until 4 years down the road.
AlloyNES @ Mar 10th 2006 10:05AM
HAHAHAHAHAH!
Fruit Loops 4 teh win!!!!!
I wet myself in glee from both the greatness of the DS Lite and the hysterical fruit loop ending!
AlloyNES @ Mar 10th 2006 10:16AM
QUOTE: "8. Basically they sold a prototype design to many people including me when we bought it back in 2004. How sad. I'll never buy another Nintendo hardware until 4 years down the road."
It is my opinion that what you just said is untrue. When the DS came out, Nintendo stated that if the DS did not do very well, the new Gameboy would come out in 2006. If it DID do well, the new Gameboy would come out in 2007. Now with 20/20 hindsight, I can put 2 and 2 together.
As you can see from the DS Lite, its design was heavily influenced from the design of the Revolution. When the DS originally came out, I'm sure Nintendo was still working on the aesthetics of the Revolution, so they came up with a unique look to the DS. They probably decided at some point that either the DS down the road or the next gameboy (depending on the success or failure of the DS) would need to look very similar to the next major Nintendo console in order to have a "look" that would be accross Nintendo platforms.
So, in my opinion, if the DS did not sell well, we would probably be seeing the next GameBoy in a Revolution-esque form right now instead of the DS Lite.
Lastly, I want to say Nintendo isn't the only company that redesigns their hardware. Sony did it with ps2, Nintendo did it way back when with both the NES and the SNES, and the old Gameboy. Technology and aesthetic styles improve over time, and there will always be improvements to implement. When the original DS came out, that was the best they could do with the money allocated to the risky project, and with the technology available. Since then, they decided to take the successful product to new levels by upping its style and adding in some new stuff that was unavailable before.
Neko Tsukimi @ Mar 10th 2006 10:26AM
I must say, after two videos, I've fallen in love. His hands are GREAT for a guy!
Wari0 @ Mar 10th 2006 10:49AM
I don't understand why people get so *PISSED* when Ninty redesigns their handehelds. I've been playing my DS Lite for three days now and it's SUPERB! This is a fantastic handhelp and truly remarkable when compared to phat DS. To me the DS Lite is a great product than many people are/will be willing to pay $149 for.
Are these the same people who get *mad* at Apple for announcing that all of their iPod screens are going to be color LCDs, (I still own the black and white), or get mad at Honda for launching the Civic Hybrid, or Sony for making a slim version of the PS2?
These are valuable offerings to a marketplace willing to pay for them.
The DS Lite plays the same games as the phat DS and, (as far as I know), doesn't offer any performance enhancements. It's still the same DS just in a brighter package.
Why all the rage over redesigns?
I say if you can continually impress the market with redesigns, (SP, Micro, Lite), keep em comin' Ninty.
Matt @ Mar 10th 2006 10:56AM
So all this does is prove how poor the design of the first DS was, right? Yeah, that's what I thought.
Chris @ Mar 10th 2006 11:46AM
As soon as the availability of these goes up and Liksang drops the price, I am so importing one. It just looks so Apple-esque.
Browncoat @ Mar 10th 2006 12:09PM
He sounds so much like Joss Whedon.
mike @ Mar 10th 2006 12:27PM
A little backstory on Cabel:
Cabel co-founded Panic, Inc , this really sweet Mac only software shop. They make the kick butt FTP program Transmit, a sweet Usenet app called Unison, and for a while a music app better than iTunes (There's a really great write up on their site about how their program Audion almost became iTunes at http://panic.com/extras/audionstory/).
He has a funny blog as well at http://www.cabel.name. The guy can flat out design.
Jay @ Mar 10th 2006 12:59PM
This guy reminds me of Alton Brown on Food Network's Good Eats.
Corey Weidner @ Mar 10th 2006 1:27PM
This guy is the best reviewer I have ever seen. Very good humor, but not the kind you feel shame for. he is just well rounded. And about those gamespot video reviews:
somebody get that downer version of a fat D&D nerd off the video reviews. He never shows any enthusiasm for any one game. He must be a nihilist.
Brian @ Mar 10th 2006 1:45PM
I've been really wanting to see a backlit SP vs. DS Lite comparison, but no one has made one, yet. :-(
Matters @ Mar 10th 2006 1:54PM
Wow Jay I was thinking the same thing. Alton Brown is awesome. This video does seem like it was inspired by good eats.
WizarDru @ Mar 10th 2006 1:54PM
QUOTE: "8. Basically they sold a prototype design to many people including me when we bought it back in 2004. How sad. I'll never buy another Nintendo hardware until 4 years down the road."
Forgetting a moment that you seem to operating under a misconception about what the word "never" means, I think you'd have to have a pretty short memory not to have expected this. Gameboy=>Gameboy Pocket=>Gameboy Light=>Gameboy Color=>Gameboy Advance=>Gameboy Advance SP=>Gameboy Micro.
This doesn't even include the custom models, which feature identical hardware but different colors for the case or custom labels, decals or etching work.
Every manufacturer with a lick of sense does the same thing. The original X-box launched with a fat controller...now you can only purchase them bundled with the S controller. The early revisions of the PS/2 had some hardware flaws that were addressed quickly and quietly.
The original GBA still works fine. The original DS still works fine. That Ninty has seen fit to release an improved version of the hardware that answers customer's desires (smaller form factor, brighter screens, bigger stylus, streamlined design) isn't an admission of failure of the original hardware, it's an iteration of the next generation of the hardware.
Neko Tsukimi @ Mar 10th 2006 1:57PM
This site (http://arena.nikkeibp.co.jp/col/20060301/115626/) has comparisons with a backlit SP... Although... it almost looks like the light isn't on on all the SP shots with how bright the DSlite is...
The icollector @ Mar 10th 2006 2:29PM
Saw a guy playing the lite at the airport...it wasnt bad looking at all.
Brock @ Mar 10th 2006 4:05PM
DEAR GOSH WE ALL KNOW THE FREAKING SCREEN IS BRIGHT!!! WOOOOOOOOW!
play games @ Mar 10th 2006 5:09PM
Looks soo good. I'm gonna have a little restraint and pick this up right before the Christmas season, as I just got a DS two months ago. Between the brightness, size, and comfort, this is big winner for N.
Jason W @ Mar 10th 2006 7:39PM
I bought the DS on day one and dont care that they are making a new DS. I mean come on, its better, smaller, brighter light and larger stylus. Who would be pissed about that. I would have the Regular DS for almost 2 years when the lite hits the US. 2 years for 150 isnt that bad. Damn babies stop crying because they make a better vesion. IM sure your not driving a model T car right now. Grow some hair down there and remember this is the way of tech. It chages quickly and becomes better.
Snuk the Great @ Mar 11th 2006 4:12AM
I dont get why people get pissed at new designs either... I mean whenever you buy simethng these day's, the second you step outside the sotre it is already old. So it is oke if you buy a cellphone and a new one arrives 1 week later but it is not oke if a new version of the DS arrives 1 year later... Same for pc's, radios tvs etc. And most anoyingly, when the new smaller Playstation hit the market it was cool. What is that any different then this?
Broojo02 @ Mar 19th 2006 3:50PM
Gamespot reviews arn't that bad..