DS Lite launches in the US

by Blake Snow { Jun 12th 2006 at 8:00AM }

Nintendo formally launched the DS Lite in the US yesterday, June 11, 2006. Any readers pick up the system? If so, what are your thoughts?

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Stoof @ Jun 12th 2006 8:06AM

I picked this system up from Lik-Sang back in March. It was the Navy Blue DS Lite. Wonderful system! SUPER bright screens with lots of comfort.

AJ @ Jun 12th 2006 8:06AM

Tried to but the jerk at the store said he didn't get any in. I think he was lying to me. Time to do a little recon... splinter cell style.

I was actually more impressed than I thought I would be. There's a lot of small changes that add up to a lot. The longer, thicker stylus is much easier to hold and use. And until I saw the DS Lite, I didn't think the original DS had a brightness issue. It's really quite a difference; not only in the brightness itself, but the colors of the games seem richer and more vibrant. The more compact size makes it fit easily in a pocket to carry around with you. My only (minor) issue is the original GBA carts sticking out of the bottom. Instead of leaving the cart in, I've been just keeping any GBA carts with my DS games, popping them in as needed.

Overall, I'd say this is like what the GBA SP was to the original GBA...exactly how the system should have launched, with all the minor little piddling issues corrected.

Nik G @ Jun 12th 2006 8:10AM

When will the DS Lite come to Europe?

Ralph @ Jun 12th 2006 8:11AM

Picked up my DS Lite yesterday 5 minutes after my local BestBuy (I hate BestBuy, it's just that they were the closest retailer) opened. LOVE IT! Not only is the creen scrisper/brighter, buttons more responsive, but now my DS Phat has been passed on to the GF so I have a DS playmate!

Mike @ Jun 12th 2006 8:14AM

I love it. Got it at Target yesterday in suburban Philly. I bought the original DS but sold it on craigslist because I wasn't very happy with it. The new design rocks and the screen is amazing. It's increadible how much difference a screen makes. It totally turned the graphics around for the better. I was hesitant to pick it up, fearing I wouldn't play it much, but I couldn't be happier. Wii-conectivity, here I come!

Gingernathan @ Jun 12th 2006 8:17AM

FAO Nik G.European release for the Lite is the 23rd June.

GECK0B0Y @ Jun 12th 2006 8:18AM

Bought the DS lite for my girlfriend, Her birthday is just a few days away...
so...tried my local walmart....nothing.....2nd closest one....nothing...3rd one.....bingo....went there and got it....
I got it...did the setup.

keep in mind this is really the first time i touched a DS
there needs to be a button put on it that allows you to go back to your menu from like pictochat or something....having to restart the system does kinda blow...
Maybe i use my 360 alittle to much to let that one thing slide...
overall great system
5/5
only 2 compaints which were inhereint in the first ds i believe....the stupid touch screen to start and the restarting to get to the menu

Psykoboy2 @ Jun 12th 2006 8:20AM

So, uh, anyone got any good ideas on screen protectors for these things?

AlloyNES @ Jun 12th 2006 8:20AM

Oh man, DS Lite is so... so... awesome!

Only gripes I have are that the speakers aren't as loud and that it seems that the WiFi range of the system is shorter. I couldn't play online while laying in my bed upstairs on the other end of the house like I could with the old system.

But, it was well worth the money. It's a very slick and perfected device.

Jeremy @ Jun 12th 2006 8:23AM

Four letters.

WOOT

Jeremy @ Jun 12th 2006 8:23AM

Awesome

Regula Oblique @ Jun 12th 2006 8:24AM

Man I went to target yesterday, and picked up 2, one for me and one for my momma (serious). The brightness difference is amazing from the regula like we all know its like playing a new game for NSMB, Im liking the thicker and bit longer stylus, but I just have to get use to the size becuase the DS Heavy had a little grip..Only other annoyance I see right now is the white color it picks up finger prints which is kinda ok because you really dont notice it unless your in direct light, but since its glossy your hands seem to slip after longer periods of play, and the matte white on the inside and top of the ds pick up dirt quick, not that my hands are dirty, but I think that will be fixed when nintendo release the black version :)

Regula

lordbug_scs @ Jun 12th 2006 8:27AM

Was at a local Wal-Mart at midnight. They actually adhered to the launch date. I was with a friend who wanted one *right now*. I wasn't going to buy one. I was going to wait for the dark blue ones to hit the US (or import one). After seeing the new screens though, I broke down and bought one. It's SO pretty.

I brought it in to work today to show off to my boss (whose son owns a DS). After seeing the new screens, she wants one too :)

Now I just need to find someone to buy my old (electric blue) DS...

Ryan @ Jun 12th 2006 8:29AM

I got on from EB... But its got 1 dead pixel, its amazing other than that, i love it

Devwar @ Jun 12th 2006 8:30AM

I'm loving it. The screen is actually so bright it hurt my eyes trying to play it in the dark, I had to turn it down to setting 1.

Regula Oblique @ Jun 12th 2006 8:33AM

TO GECK0B0Y, yhere is a option in the menu to start the default game in the DS, you dont have to always start with the touch screen, but I am hating the having to restart just to get back to the menu but that seems like something a firmware update will address.

To Psykoboy2 try lik-sang and play asia . com they sell the hori ds lite screen protectors, imported from japan which are pretty good, I had one yesterday from when I was soposed to import my ds lite from japan but never used it becuase the bumped to price from 169 to 199.

Loban @ Jun 12th 2006 8:37AM

I GOT MINE!!!! It's great, never had a DS before, I was specifically waiting for the inevitable redesign before getting one.

Went to 3 places to find one that wasn't already pre-ordered for someone else, had to get it at Best Buy.

I picked up NSMB (great game!!), Metroid Hunters, and Tetris for the wife (she loves it). I of course have to buy many more games when I have the money.

Alex @ Jun 12th 2006 8:38AM

I was putting off the purchase of a DS for awhile, and once I heard about the Lite, I couldn't wait anymore. It's just as amazing as everyone has reported, with the improved brightness and all. I agree with the previous complaint, where you have to restart the system every time after going in to change some settings, that is really annoying. Also, in response to the sound: I found that I was turning my sound down a lot more, and it being extremely loud for such a small system. There also seems to be a variance in sound levels between the two games I got (new SMB and Advance Wars), and I'm not sure whether that's the system, or the games themselves (I'm going to assume the games).

Overall, I couldn't be happier with the DS Lite, and I'm certainly glad I didn't purchase the "brick" before the new version came out.

C4PTAIN AWE5OME @ Jun 12th 2006 8:38AM

I have never owned a hand held. The look + new mario game turned me on to it. I am very Impressed, what a great little system. The look and the screen are awesome. Im thinking of buying another one for my girlfriend who hates video games, even she would like and be able to use this.

riffgod @ Jun 12th 2006 8:42AM

I guess I shouldn't have partied so hard the night before. I didn't go out to et one until later last night and I had no luck finding one. I quit after 5 stores. Hopefully I'll have some better luck at the stores I try today.

justin @ Jun 12th 2006 8:44AM

picked mine up yesterday, loving it, but for the life of me i could not figure how to change the brightness level. I am probably overlooking something simple, but could someone please let me know, thanks!

Aaron @ Jun 12th 2006 8:51AM

I got one on Sunday after a long wait for Pre-orders to start and then a long Pre-order process at EB. I'm glad that the Lite is finally out in the U.S. and think that the redesign shows all the flaws of the original(Although the original is great!). While playing my lite in the Book store, I noticed some kid brought his DS PHAT in. To me they now look like two seperate systems. Is it true that Target is getting there Wii shipment cut for breaking the street date on Lite?

chip chanko @ Jun 12th 2006 8:59AM

Change the brightness on the main menu screen (w/ calendar and clock) by tapping the icon in the lower left corner.

chip chanko @ Jun 12th 2006 9:01AM

BTW, had preordered mine from sears for in store pickup but when I went in on Sunday they didn't have any. So i cancelled that order and went down to street to target, who had them. Wish I knew about the Brain Age deal at BB, though.

Aloakhc @ Jun 12th 2006 9:03AM

Any guesses on when the other colors will launch? (please excuse if already known)

Karen @ Jun 12th 2006 9:11AM

I've waited over a year to buy a DS and It's been well worth the wait. The first thing I appreciate with the DS Lite is the price. It's within reach of most people to be able to buy this system. The size and weight are well bananced. I'm shocked at the quality of the screen and brightness. The stylus is the right length for my hands, is very comfortable and being able to just tuck the stylus away inside the machine is perfect. Jumping into and out of games is very fast which is what I need in a handheld. The other feature I love is being able to close the lid and it enters sleep mode.
I bought The new Mario Bros a few weeks ago and have been waiting to play but I've been spending all my time playing the silly mini games with the stylus.
Overall I believe it's a great piece of hadware with great software for an very attractive price.

striderhayasa @ Jun 12th 2006 9:13AM

@ Psychoboy....EB has great screen protectors. I reccomend Hori brand but EB's are good too.

@ Alex....yeah about the sound. It seems that some companies have better sound in their games than others. Metroid Prime's sound is awesome. People watch me play on the bus or when I'm on break just because the gun sounds and missle fire and what not.
Meteos has awesome sound. I recommend headphones for some games because the sound is so good.
Puyo Pop fever has crazy sound especially when you hear two or more people making huge combos and casting crazy spells.
But Tony Hawk AS has great sound effects but the music is at a low sample rate.

@ Justin. When you boot up your DS lite there is a little sun icon on the bottom left of the touch screen. Tap that to change the brightness.

I got used to the brick but after playing with the DSL, I'm never going back to it. Best portable ever made. I just bought my gf a DS now I'm getting her a DSL. Wow. Good Job Nintendo, I guess there is life after the Gameboy.

Now Capcom....where's the love? Can WE PLEASE GET A STREET FIGHTER2. PLEASE...WTF!
SNK! Where the hell is KING OF FIGHTERS? then again...I wouldn't mind having Cabal 75, Ninja Combat or Magician Lord...

OrangeWhip @ Jun 12th 2006 9:14AM

I picked one up yesterday for my wife (or for me, I'm not sure yet). It rocks! I was a bit upset about the price though. I bought it at Target since they opened the earlier. I searched FatWallet on Saturday and found no decent deals for Sunday. I then found out after I bought it at Target that Best Buy and Circuit City were offering Brain Age for free.

So... I had to go to Circuit City, buy another + Brain Age, and then return that unopened unit at Target. Good thing Target doesn't record the serial number like Circuit City does.

EntityOne @ Jun 12th 2006 9:22AM

Nobody with dead pixels? My first DS Lite had one dead pixel on the top screen--lucky for me, Best Buy didn't give me any hassle when I went in for an exchange.

I know a few other people that got dead pixels too... luckily, the situation doesn't appear to be as big of a pandemic as the PSP dead pixel fiasco.

logikil @ Jun 12th 2006 9:23AM

Picked up my DS Lite yesterday at BB with a free copy of Brain Age. Girlfriend gets the original DS. I love the brightness of the new screens. Games like New Super Mario and Metroid are incredibly vibrant.

Anyway to those who picked them up enjoy. It's a slick little system.

Pikachelsea @ Jun 12th 2006 9:26AM

"only 2 compaints which were inhereint in the first ds i believe....the stupid touch screen to start and the restarting to get to the menu"

The "stupid touch screen"? I agree with you about the restarting just for changing some settings, but I'm having a hard time understanding a gripe about one of the system's main selling points. Try Kirby Canvas Curse or Meteos and then see if you feel the same way. It's really not just a gimmick.

Xander224 @ Jun 12th 2006 9:32AM

I like how everyone is posting, "Yeah, and I'm gonna buy one for my whole family too!!!"

You're all a bunch of tools.

kileak @ Jun 12th 2006 9:32AM

striderhayasa,

If you want a good fighting game, as you've made clear that you love, try Bleach DS. It's hard to find, sure, but it's one of the best fighting games I've played in a while. Granted, it's all in Japanese, but hey, it's made by Treasure, what more would you want?

Badtz @ Jun 12th 2006 9:33AM

The "stupid touch screen"? I agree with you about the restarting just for changing some settings, but I'm having a hard time understanding a gripe about one of the system's main selling points.

He means the start screen on the DS, the fact that you have to touch the screen to start the system up.

Bleed Blaqk @ Jun 12th 2006 9:38AM

I picked one up the other day (which I had preordered for over a month) at EB Games. I got home, plugged it into charge, and then turned it on for the first time to configure all my settings. The first thing I noticed was how much brighter the screens were and how much bigger and better the stylus was. So each time a dialog box popped up telling me that the time, name, ect. was set, I noticed a bright red pixel on the black background of the dialog box which wasn't noticeable on the white background of the main screen. I got a little scared as I booted up Animal Crossing for the first time on my Lite, fearing a stuck pixel. Unfortunately, my fears were justified as there was, in fact, a bright red pixel that didn't change color almost exactly in the middle of my touch screen. I tried ignoring it at first but it was just too noticeable. After AC, I played a bit of Mario Kart, New Super Bros., and Metroid Prime Hunters and they all looked so much better on the brighter screen (the red pixel wasn't a problem with those games since all three use mainly the top screen, not the bottom, touch screen with the pixel). So even though the DS Lite looks amazing, I'm going to have to either try and get another one from EB or send mine back to Nintendo because of the pixel. My brother, who also got a Lite yesterday, noticed a green pixel on his touch screen, although it wasn't as noticeable as my red pixel.

Anyone else have this problem?

Aloakhc @ Jun 12th 2006 9:38AM

Well, father's day is around the corner...

Regula Oblique @ Jun 12th 2006 9:42AM

Hey Xander224 i bought one for me and my mom and now imma buy one for you.

striderhayasa @ Jun 12th 2006 9:43AM

@ Entity, yeah, I got a locked pixel (?) A red pixel stuff on the screen. But EB Games exchanged it, no sweat. I actually have a dead pixel on my replacement DSL but it's at the very top of the top screen and you barely notice it most of the time. I'll ride with it.

@ Badtz, you don't have to touch the screen to start anything on the DS or DSL. You can use the buttons throughout the start up sequence.

Skins...did anyone find any great skins for the DSL? EB had Metroid Skins a couple of weeks back but they're gone. A friend of mine has some neat read Mario Skins. Personally, I not a fan of the White DSL so if anyone knows of any outlets for Skins, I'd be much obliged...

Kevin @ Jun 12th 2006 9:44AM

Buying mine next week once i'm done w/ college forever!

Jennifer @ Jun 12th 2006 9:45AM

I went to EB on the Friday before at my local mall, and they said they had 30 preorders for only 24 systems in stock. On Sunday, I went to the Zellers in the mall (it opened one hour before the rest of the mall) and got mine! It's so cute =) I went and gloated at the EB ee who was sitting behind the gated up facade.

OddsBodkins @ Jun 12th 2006 9:45AM

I got mine from Gamestop. It's nice, but I've got a dead pixel that bugs the Hell out of me. I'm going to try and return it today.

Drew @ Jun 12th 2006 9:48AM

I was stuck in traffic (it took 40 minutes to go 2 miles) and I called EB to see how long they were open. To my dismay it would close at 6 and when I finally realized there was no way I would make it in time I started to go nuts. But I calmed down, called EB again, and asked if they could possibly stay open an extra 15 minutes so I could get mine... and they did! I also took advantage of their buy 2 used games get 1 free. I love EB now!

therpham @ Jun 12th 2006 9:48AM

I'm absolutely in love. My girlfriend and I spent all of yesterday playing with it.

I wish I'd known about the Brain Age thing before I got it somewhere else, though. How sad.

forensick @ Jun 12th 2006 9:55AM

Of course the thing is awesome, so I'll list my three gripes to balance out all the positive reviews.

1) The battery life is downright horrible on the highest brightness. I barely got 5 hours on the first full charge.

2) No wriststrap. How am I supposed to play Metroid without the thumbpad attachment?

3) The speakers are too quiet.

Jonico @ Jun 12th 2006 9:56AM

I picked up one yesterday, and I totally love it. Color look beutiful, and the screen brightness is really good. Definitely get one if don't already have a DS or are tempted to get a replacement.

btboy500 @ Jun 12th 2006 10:03AM

Already explained it in the DS party post, but I got mine at Target, in a somewhat frustrating experience waiting for an occupied store employee to open the glass. I didn't have the original system, so I can't compare the two, but I'm so far really enjoying the system. The buttons and touch screen are responsive, it has a great library of titles, including 3-4 online killer apps, and costs the same as the original.

Xander224 @ Jun 12th 2006 10:07AM

@ Regula Oblique

Thanks!

Any games?

Jonathan Harford @ Jun 12th 2006 10:09AM

I preordered mine from the EBGames a few blocks away. Then I felt like a tool when I noticed that Circuit City (which I live even closer to) was open while I was waiting for EB to open. Then I saw the coupon which made me feel even stupider.

That said, I adore my new DS. I didn't have the original model, so it's extra special. I bought three games that I thought would appeal to both me and my woman (Meteos, WarioWare Touched, Under The Knife), and now I'm jonesing for some platform or shooter action. I'm underwhelmed by WarioWare (I was hoping for surreal rather than just plain ol' wacky & random) but we enjoy both the other two.

Do I need a screen protector? They seem kind of pointless. I'm never going to use my car keys or nothin'.