DS Lite launch partay!

by Conrad Quilty-Harper { Jun 11th 2006 at 4:00PM }

Engadget's Paul Miller and Ryan Block dropped by Nintendo's official DS Lite U.S. launch party in New York over the weekend. Their write-up features a few dozen photos of the interior of the Nintendo World Store, including the above picture of Ryan being ~~molested~~ hugged by a giant Mario. They also snapped shots of people in the queue playing with their imported DS Lites (oh, the sweet fanboy irony), the first person to officially purchase a DS Lite in the U.S. and a functional Gulf War-damaged Game Boy.

Update: Should have been "Lite", not "lite."

Tags: DS, DS lite, DsLite, Engadget, launch party, LaunchParty, Mario, New York, NewYork, Nintendo, PARTAY!, Paul Miller, PaulMiller, Rockefeller, Rockerfeller, Ryan Block, RyanBlock

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

BPM? @ Jun 11th 2006 4:21PM

ATTN: World,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Nintendo_DS_Lite_logo.png

It's "Lite", not "lite."

Thank you.

Love,
BPMOmega

Zach @ Jun 11th 2006 4:23PM

I want a DS Lite so bad.

James Sorensen @ Jun 11th 2006 4:25PM

wow, sorry i missed out on that 2 man party... looks like a real happening event

mis @ Jun 11th 2006 4:29PM

"...including the above picture of Ryan being molested hugged by a giant Mario."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

classic.

:oD

student @ Jun 11th 2006 4:37PM

Damn, that store is incredible looking. I've gotta make a note to stop by there the next time in the city. Looked like it was fun, I might go there for the Wii launch if I've got a free 13 hours :)

Dan @ Jun 11th 2006 4:41PM

Got my DS Lite this morning...
It is soooooo pretty!!
I expected more people to show up; I was the only one at the door when Gamestop opened. lol

Jay @ Jun 11th 2006 4:41PM

Clearly James Sorensen didn't click the "read" button.

Brian @ Jun 11th 2006 4:47PM

Why are people so excited to spend money on a DS again because Nintendo fucked up and made it ugly as sin the first time?

Conrad Quilty-Harper @ Jun 11th 2006 4:57PM

Brian, hardware redesigns are hardly exclusive to Nintendo. Just look at the iPod and the PlayStation (PSOne, slim PS2) for examples of redesigned hardware. It's called consumer culture.

striderhayasa @ Jun 11th 2006 5:08PM

is it me or did anyone else get a dead pixel DS lite. I took my first DSL to EB games and got a new one but this one has a dead pixel on the top screen close to the top. It's barely noticeable but it's there. WTF. My original DS is the road warrior. I had no problems out of it and I bought it on launch day. Oh well,

@brian - dude, it's about the games. What's the point in having a portable that's pretty to look at but the library is suspect? That's like having some phat rims but you don't have a car. I'm going through my entire DS library right now and let me tell you, these screens are amazing. It's one thing to see the difference on the web but having in hand is another story. I can see details in Metroid I never knew was there!

Brian @ Jun 11th 2006 5:20PM

@CQH, yeah and I hated that too.

@striderhayasa, then shouldn't Nintendo have made it right the first time? why should I have to pay again for buying a DS at launch and accepting it as well made when it wasn't. I'm not questioning the merit of the DS Lite, I'm just pissed off that I have to buy anothe rDS because Nintendo didn't do their job right the first time.

ac @ Jun 11th 2006 5:26PM

Its amazing I just got the last one @ Best Buy, playing brain age + new mario :-D w00000000000000t ROCK ON NINTENDO

Eric Bostrom @ Jun 11th 2006 5:33PM

FYI, bestbuy has a coupon today (online and in print) so you get brain age free with purchase of the DSL. i bought two DSLs and got 2 free copies just buy using two different credit cards at the register. my wife and i already ahve the ds phat + brain age, but we're going to give the old ds + a copy of brain age to a friend, and we gave a diff friend the other copy.

Kevan @ Jun 11th 2006 5:35PM

My new DS Lite has a dead pixel also. Very disappointing.

I am hoping to exchange it, but they won't let me try until all of the pre-orders have been fulfilled.

Dennis @ Jun 11th 2006 5:48PM

The Target in Somerville MA had about fifteen, all but two were gone by 11:00 a.m. (three hours after opening). No line though. The screens are amazing. Major hardware upgrade.

Eric Bostrom @ Jun 11th 2006 5:49PM

I'm loathe to link to a diff gaming site, but it wouldn't be cool to link to the coupons that they dug up first. http://www.gamingbits.com/content/view/768/2/

SaintNoir @ Jun 11th 2006 5:49PM

My SP had a dead pixel... but my Lite I snagged from Target last week is perfecto. I love it.

pukerua-KiWii @ Jun 11th 2006 5:59PM

I got a dead pixel with my fist DS Lite. My replacement was fine though, seems like a few people are reporting deal pixels.

The screen is this thing is amazing! The colours so vibrant ...in doors that is.

For me the DS Lite is better to use when commuting on the train since the bright screens cut back the glare that the original DS's had. But I've noticed the original DS is actually better to use in direct sunlight, or outside in general. When the sun shines directly on the original DS screen it easy to see and looks great. But with the DS Lite you can't see the screen when the sun is shining on it. Apart from that I love it.

Exo @ Jun 11th 2006 6:24PM

Brian you don’t seem to be getting it. as time goes on technology gets better, and when it gets better more things can be done with it, in the case of consoles and handhelds it allows for cheaper production and reduction of hardware size.

Sure they could have come out with DS Lite when it launched, but it would have costed more to make and would have had a higher price.

Also you don’t HAVE to buy a new one, your DS isn’t useless now, its still the same system except its bigger and the screen isn’t as bright. So stop complaining. I bet you also go down to the car dealership and complain that they make a new model every year too.

striderhayasa @ Jun 11th 2006 6:54PM

@ brian, I was thinking the same thing as you at first but you have to realize, Nintendo had no assurances that the DSL would be a success. It could have just as easily been a complete failure. You don't invest heavily into the best technology at a higher cost on something like a DS. It's just too different and unproven to take such a gamble. So you release it in a configuration that still can generate profit if the PSP would have proved to be the better portable. That way, if Nintendo did lose anything, the losses could be minimized.
Now that the DS is a success, NOW you release one with better screens and so forth because it IS guaranteed to generate massive profits. Which is exactly what's happening. It may seem slimy but it's actually good business sense. Sometimes it's just not cost effective or sensible to but the best technology out in the first rendition of new hardware.

Anyway, I'm still going through my library of games on the new screens. I'm about to try some Metroid Online and then go on to Resident Evil, Age of Empires and Castlevania. Then later I'll try Jump Superstars and Mario and Luigi partners in time. The colors are so vibrant on this thing it's insane. Jeez, can I get a Perfect Dark on DS with these screens? Or how about a Banjo and Kazooie or a Killer Instinct?

Capcom? SNK? Where the hell is my Street Fighter and King of Fighters? I bet those old 2D fighters would look sweet on these hella bright screens. Come on developers...GET WITH IT!

Chris Jelle @ Jun 11th 2006 7:09PM

I can't believe that Gameboy is still working. I'm assuming it was the one hit by a SCUD missle and sent in to Nintendo Power way back in the day. Has he posted those pictures anywhere?

Numb Thumb @ Jun 11th 2006 7:18PM

I'd love to have one, but I'm getting along OK with my original DS for now. My hands kind of clam up after long periods as it is, I'm wondering if the problem would be worse with the smaller DS. Anyone else have that problem? Is the Lite that much smaller? I haven't actually had my grubby mitts on one yet.

btboy500 @ Jun 11th 2006 8:01PM

I waited for the DS Lite, as I didn't have the original DS, and it cost the same price as the original anyway. For those who already have DSs, if the improvement isn't worth the price(and I don't have the original so I can't say it is or isn't) then simply don't buy. Otherwise, for someone who's been holding out on this incredible gaming experience and doesn't have the original, there's no reason to, with the price being the same. The DS Lite is my first handheld since my old fat monochrome Game Boy that I got as a 7th or 8th birthday present, and so far, I'm not disappointed.

Jennifer @ Jun 11th 2006 8:13PM

@ Numb Thumb

I just got my DSL this morning, and have been playing it pretty much all day. I have small-girly hands and I'm feeling some cramps now :( It's so nice though!

striderhayasa @ Jun 11th 2006 8:31PM

it happens to me depending on how I hold it @ NumbThumb. I got used to the original DS to the point where my hands didn't cramp at all. The DSL took about 30 to 40 minutes to get used to. I just played a few matches of MPH online...(Good game @ the Shadow if you're on Joystiq. I'm PhillyYakk on MPH) the smaller form factor is going to be an issue for people with larger hands. I try and keep my left pinky (I'm a lefty) underneath the DSL to act as a brace for more stability and comfort.

One thing that I have found that I don't like is the new placement for the start and select buttons. In MPH, you have to hit the start button to see the point spread and star ranking for the players you're fighting. It's now awkard to reach for the start button in its current position. I'll probably get used to it though. I simply can't imagine how I was playing the original DS for so long. I should have gone blind looking into those dull screens.

Anyway, what other games have people tried with the DSL. I'm about to jump into Resident Evil. Metroid gets a huge thumbs up with the DSL!

idioteraser @ Jun 11th 2006 9:21PM

If you actually have a dead pixel do the smart thing and contact Nintendo and tell them what the issue is. They will send you a box you put the ds lite in it. Send it off and in three days or less you get a brand new ds lite for free.

Nintendo isn't Sony which charges so much for repairs you are better off buying a new unit at full price.

Shawn P @ Jun 11th 2006 9:53PM

I got mine early this morning at gamecrazy i was one out of six to get one and man is it sweet. My sister couldnt put it down when the dsl was put with the new super mario. Nintendo is doing something right because she is 20. Good job nin for making a sexy handheld with games anybody can play. oh she also likes brain age.

striderhayasa @ Jun 11th 2006 10:06PM

yeah but EB games gave me a new one right then and there. I just had to fork over the receipt and the dead pixel DSL and "poof" shiny new DS Lite.

Stoof @ Jun 11th 2006 10:34PM

Stop complaining about the dead pixels. You guys made a small gamble compared to mine. I pre-ordered from Lik-Sang in March. It was a Navy Blue DS Lite. I didn't get any dead pixels, thank god.

bigC24 @ Jun 11th 2006 10:38PM

Well, I didn't get a DS Lite... but my sisters boyfriend did, and he gave me his old DS.

Ka Ching.

T-BAG-Jr @ Jun 11th 2006 10:41PM

It's basically a DS but white and lighter. If any of you have a DS already and are planning on picking up this next iteration you should be shot.

The ZeroCorpse @ Jun 11th 2006 10:55PM

@ 29

It's a DS, but smother, smaller, much lighter, with four levels of screen brightness so you can play it outdoors in daylight, better button layout, better microphone placement, bigger stylus, better quality LCD screens, and a more durable and scratch-resistant touch screen.

It's a definite upgrade, not just a face-lift.

Alex Brewer @ Jun 11th 2006 10:56PM

I got a DS Lite at EB Games today; preorder. It's amazing. I'm happy, cuz my original DS that I got on launch date had a stuck, not dead, pixel (red) in the upper left section of the top screen. The light is perfect, I bought NSMB with it, and love it to death. What's great is that it's a little more challenging compared to the older SMB games, which were a little too easy at the beginning.

striderhayasa @ Jun 11th 2006 10:56PM

It's white, lighter, more responsive face buttons, more responsive d-pad, brighter/higher quality screens, better battery life, for the same price of the original DS. @ D-bag...shot for what?

oz @ Jun 11th 2006 11:29PM

#24 strider-had the opportunity to mess around with Res. on both DS and DSL. Big difference!-clarity and brightness are s-o-o-o much better with DSL! Also the graininess seems to not be so obvious with DSL. Managed to get one zombie on the updated version to do the "running man"in a corner-hilarious! Laffed my shitter off then I promptly nuked him. My advice-get the Lite!

mrBUCKET @ Jun 11th 2006 11:33PM

I just got the dsl. Never owned the first one, but i have played my friends many times and i have to say im impressed. just got hunters and meteos, love em both to death.

mrBUCKET @ Jun 11th 2006 11:33PM

I just got the dsl. Never owned the first one, but i have played my friends many times and i have to say im impressed. just got hunters and meteos, love em both to death.

Mihan @ Jun 12th 2006 12:22AM

yeah, yeah, that's great . A new console launches with great expectations and hopes(or demand). Maybe it is going to make the earth a better place. well, i'm not so sure about it, if only after 3 years nintendo announces the lauching of DS 2. well, it has become common now a days. If not then think, is it truely the time to launch a 360 or ps3. I mean, only within five years, when innovative games were coming out?? the games before were just crab. think about shadow of colossus or hitman or god of war in ps2. There is a lot left to make. though people are excited. However, ds may provide something educational. I live in bangl;adesh, and ps2/xbox/ds are new notions here. Don't fall pray to planned extinction, that is what i request. May Nintendo never take up the strategy and live long. And for other consoles.. try to create , not just business , when u have enough capital to support. i ask Ds not to think about US alone. Never forget u have potential market all over the world.

jopojelly @ Jun 12th 2006 12:43AM

"the games before were just crab"

nooo....the next-gen PS3 games are crab....right?

I'm assuming that was a typo, "crap" maybe?

??? @ Jun 12th 2006 12:56AM

Maybe Mihan is crabby cus it's so slow-but that's what 747s and Ebay are for.

Matthew Rader @ Jun 12th 2006 1:09AM

GOOD TIMES. I picked up Castlevania as well and am LOVING IT!!!!!!

Pics: http://www.meowzas.com/blog/06-10-2006.html

one man @ Jun 12th 2006 1:11AM

"i ask Ds not to think about US alone. Never forget u have potential market all over the world."

I don't think that the DS has a mind of its' own so it can't think. That was the Dreamcast remenber "it's thinking"

Anyway I know that some people might not get one since there is very little improvement over the original. I like it because the screen is nicer and the white one kinda reminds me of the IPOD. I took mine to my local best buy and played it while the others sadly had to stand in line. I did the same thing with my PSP on launch day oh the fun. Back to the DS, I got the white one because I just wanted one now. I have also preordered a black one so when it comes I will give the white one to my little brother who now has my big DS.

Rare Hare @ Jun 12th 2006 3:00AM

is it worth it to trade in my old DS and spend some extra money on a Lite? keep in mind i do not play it heavily.

wii.ds @ Jun 12th 2006 3:28AM

That "L" in the lite logo sure does look like a and "l" /Update: Should have been "Lite", not "lite."/
does anyone know what font they are using for that logo?

Eric @ Jun 12th 2006 4:14AM

Got my DS Lite at midnight from walmart! Of course I am in Hawaii so due to the time difference that was around 5AM CST. There are 4 walmarts on Oahu and it figured it would only be in stock at the last one I stopped at!

I have to admit (as an xbox/pc gamer), this is absolutely the best portable i've played. I have a PSP, and I am seriously considering selling it for $$, as there are not many interesting upcoming games coming out for PSP (wheras with DS I am really looking forward to Kirby, Starfox, and Mario vs. DK 2). The DS games (especially first-party nintendo games) simply blow the PSP games out of the water. Sony definitely needs to stop caring about blocking out homebrew with FW upgrades and start focusing on making better games.

I am not all love towards Nintendo though as I agree with all above who talked about the absolute awfulness of the original DS design. I don't care how my home console looks (haha obviously since I had an xbox..), but a portable has to at least meet a minimum standard of design!

Louis S. @ Jun 12th 2006 6:14AM

"i ask Ds not to think about US alone. Never forget u have potential market all over the world."

Uh, Nintendo is doing massively impresive in Japan right now.

Seriously, DS Lite is the #1 system, with DS at #2

Not to mention New Super Mario Bros is selling like crazy there. (Also doing good in the states, too, #1 game in May!)

Semi @ Jun 12th 2006 6:39AM

i'm gonna save up til they release the Ultra Lite DS

Optimus @ Jun 12th 2006 7:36AM

I'm assuming the guy dressed as Link is dead by now...? :(

striderhayasa @ Jun 12th 2006 8:53AM

@Mihan.... Death of the current gen is premature if you ask me. Kudos, dude I agree with you 100 percent.

@ Matthew Rader...I may have to play it again just because of the incresed quality.

@ Eric, I walked into EB games on 4 different occasions with $350 to pick up a PSP and a game or two. I would go to the game wall and look at the library and go... "wipeout, Metal Gear Acid, Lumines....Wipeout, Metal Gear Acid, Lumines....maybe Burnout....Wipeout..." My biggest problem with the PSP is that there still isn't a killer app for it. There isn't a game on PSP that is A+ that you can only get on PSP. Lumines would fit that bill but it's going to XBLA. If Sony could just give me something hot on PSP that can only be done on PSP or is only for PSP, I'd fork over the cash.

Tony Hawk: American Skateland is some much more clear now, I can actually see the pixels in the textures from a longer distance. Jeez. Can;t wait to see Downhill Jam and Jumpsuper Stars 2.

Is there anyone here that has tried Bleach on the DSL?

oz @ Jun 12th 2006 10:22AM

#42- Definitely YES; that's what I did. The difference is remarkable! The quality of the screen is such that you will find yourself going back over your older games just to see what youve missed. I think Nintendo also feels they have hit the jackpot on this one. I think you will find them concentrating even more on the quality and quantity of games they put out accordingly; a domino effect, so to speak.

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