DS Lite launches in the US

Yes, you need a screen protector. Even the plastic of these stylii are not perfectly smooth, and can scratch your screen. The hori screen protectors at EB are pretty good.

Did some guy up a few posts actually ask about SKINS for his DS lite?

Why?

So, yeah, I'm getting the protectors, but since I've already gone about a week or so without them (Snagged mine at Target on that early release mishap), what's a good way to clean the screens?

Got one and it wins SO HARD! DS Lite Day Party pics on my site! WOOT!

Still cannot decide about the new DS. The lack of screen brightness and few games I enjoyed caused me to switch to the PSP but they are dust two different animals. If they come out with one more game I like, in addition to Brain Age, I may have to pick this system up.

By they way, for really nice screen covers, check out www.shiledzone.com. I am not sure if the screen is the same size (and if not if they have DS Lite covers yet) but this place has very high quality covers that last, stay very clean and are much easie to install without all the bubbles. I use them for my PSP, GPS and my old 6700 phone..

that was.. www.shieldzone.com.

sorry for typo.

I picked up my DS Lite yesterday from Circuit City. It is such a beautiful piece of hardware. I took it home played a little Age of Empires, Tetris DS, and got killed for awhile on Metroid Hunters and finished off with a little Animal Crossing. All these games look so much better on the bright screen.

Another bonus of the DS Lite is that I don't need to be self-conscious about going to the bathroom at work with a big brick in my pocket. The DS Lite can be concealed very easily.

Any recomendations on whether or not I should get the $39.99 warrenty from Circuit City. I'm going back today to claim my copy of Brain Age and I might pick up the 2 year Warrenty Also.

Any thoughts?????

Consumerism at its peak.
Not even dead pixels can give light to a single negative comment.

I spent most of the time just drooling over my DS Lite, then playing it. Finally got to playing it last night. Hahahah.

I haven't really ever played a DS before, since I already had a PSP, but then I saw they had some fun games and thought I would get one. It's great, no problems whatsoever. Although I would like to be able to skip the health warning.

love the lite!!
my only complaint: the power switch (not a button) is now on the outside--not under the flap. i've accidentally turned it on a couple of times while just carrying it around.

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? I know people are gonna be all, "Oh but you can see so much more now" but that just proves my point that Nintendo fucked up the fat DS and if you want one of an actual quality you have to buy another one.

Fuck Nintendo, fuck Mario, fuck Metroid, and motherfuck Brain Age and anyone who played it. Nintendo is getting so elitist it makes me sick.

I got it when it was put on the Shelves at work. This Design is a God Send! I have never had a system where it fit my hands so well that it felt like it was melting into it. The Thicker Stylus is great, being that I broke 2 while playing not too long ago. I just hope they come out with a SNES Version, has to complete my Retro Handhelds Collection.

stfu troll

You can just press a button to start it, no need to touch the screen..

@56
In this case Brian actually deserves his negative star from joystiq.

Got mine on sunday from FuncoEBGamestopland (the receipt shows a different shop name depending on which register you get rung up on). I wish I would have bought it from BB or CC and got brain age, and used my pre-order from gamestop to get a game instead. It has a stuck pixel in the middle of the top lcd that stays blue when the screen goes black; rather annoying. I'm going to try to exchange it today. Other than the defect in the LCD, I couldn't be happier with it. I never bought the DSBrick, but I own an original gameboy (1989?) and a GBA. It is amazing how far the handheld nintendo has come over the years. I was really kind of blown away by the sound quality after owning a PSP. Nintendo put the speakers in the right spot (as compared to the PSP and my samsung a900 cell phone) and they sound great. The screens are bright and clear and the touch screen is awesome. I find the build quality to be great and hope it holds up to heavy use, though I do wish the screen would lock closed. I also purchased NewSMB and love it. The mini games are great, though I wonder how long they will stay fun. When I exchange the DSL today I think I will pick up another game and at minimum some screen protectors, if not a hard case for it. I agree with the above posters about the restart vs exit/return to menu quirk and having to touch past the warning on boot, really really annoying. Is that a litigious american thing or does the thing nag you all over the world?

Did everyone with dead/stuck pixels experience a smooth exchange/return? If so where and how did it go?

Any recommendations for fun minigame like action that uses the touchscreen?

Just to echo what everyone else is saying...

My girlfriend hassled me on the way to store to get the DSlite... (something along the lines of 'you already have one! what a waste of money!')

Well, I took down a stack of extra copies of the 'free Brain Age' coupons to Best Buy for others and got mine. The interesting bit is that within 20 minutes we were back at the register...and now SHE was buying one for herself! ;)

That demonstrates some very powerful allure...
What else can convert a 'non-gamer' to a DS owner with one brief impression? Incredible...


Obligitory Nintendo Quality Assurance report...

Absolutely NO dead/stuck pixels/subpixels on either one. The batteries in both came with what I can only guess was an ~70% charge. (Lasted for roughly 9 hours og NSMB 3/4 brightness)...

It really does make old games feel new again. The screens are VERY vibrant and vivid! I can even play outdoors if need be!

Anyone see that they have a device that allows you to store movies, pictures, etc on your DS? .It attatches to the bottom of your DS Lite. Saw it in a Circuit City ad for $150. It's called "Nintendo DS Lite Media Playe."
Though afterspending $280 you still have a lot more then a PSP.

I hated the DS Fat when it was originally introduced for three reasons:
1) Size - it's basically the Xbox of handhelds. Practically as big as a Game Gear.
2) Looks - the DS Fat is ugly as sin. Probably the most unattractive piece of electronics I've ever seen.
3) Brightness - the screens were too dim, the lighting on them was uneven, and the viewing angle was way too small.

The DS Lite fixes EVERY SINGLE ONE of those problems, and after getting one at Target when they opened at 8AM I am officially a hardcore DS nerd who won't shut up about how awesome the system is. I took mine to a pub last night to test the WiFi with another friend who also got a DS Lite, and people kept stopping to ask what it was, and make endless comparisons to the iPod.

Overall I'm extremely impressed with the system, and more importantly all the drunks at the bar were too. A+++ SYSTEM WOULD BUY AGAIN.

correction on previous post... I saw it in a Best Buy ad... Not circuit city.

For those who are wondering: Additional colors to the Ds Lite probally won't be coming for a while. I contacted Nintendo and asked them when they were going to start selling Lites in different colors. They gave me the traditional "Nothing has been anounced yet" answer...

As tempting as getting a DS Lite is, I still want to remain faithful to my ol' DS. I might cave later this...month, but I'll try not to, unless I actually get to try one out.

yea i picked one up it does have 1 dead pixel but its at the top and very minor...

I was considering picking up one of these...
What are some good games for this, that are not made for people over the age of 16, most of the games that i have seen for this seemed to be set for the younger age group

@jay:

Nintendo systems automatically come with a 1-year warranty. All you have to is contact Nintendo with your serial number whenever you have a problem. Though the extended warranty from circuit city is more convenient, you're essentially paying $39.99 for only the 2nd year.

A pretty lackluster launch from a retail perspective. The only ones buying it are the ones who already knew about it/were going to buy it anyway from day one.
These are your hardcore ninty fanboys.
I can walk into anystore in the houston area and have no problem purchasing one. My store has about 35 on hand, and we sold about 5 on launch sunday. Which isn't great, considering that it is on the second page of our sunday ad.
It's understandable though, it's still a ds, it still plays all the same games. It's just a little smaller and brighter. Nothing to go apeshit over.
Joystiq, where's all your dead pixel/annoying posts now? Cant post anything negative about nintendo, even if there's some truth to it?

You will have to excuse my ignorance with this,
Will the DS or DS Lite play the GBA games?
And what are some good games for the DS that would someone ovefr the age of 16 actually like ? Most of the games that i have seen or geared more for the younger crowd.

Whoa, does anyone think that Brian and Darth Pixel are just a little too bitter? If I remember correctly the PSP comes standard with at least 3 dead pixels so even if every tenth DS has one dead pixel I can't see that as being too big a deal. As for Brian, the only logical reason for such cynicism is that the DS Lite ran away with his wife, stole his credit cards and is currently living the dream aboard a sixty foot yacht earning twenty percent. Oh and just so everyone is clear it's not 1998. Nobody with a clue says "tool" anymore. But to stay on topic the Ds Lite is great!

SKINS!!!! I mentioned skins before because it's a great way to protect the DS from small scratches and nicks. Also, I don't really care much for the white, I want the Metroid Skins to cover up as much of it as possible.

@69 Gunstar Super Heroes, Metal Slug, Street Fighter, King of Fighters, Golden Sun, Tactics Ogre, Final Fantasy (any of them) Metroid (any of them) Castlevania (any of them) Advanced Wars, Doom, Doom2, Astro Boy, Phantasy Star...this list is off the top of my head so please...anyone...feel free to add to this list for Chris.

The DS and the Lite both play GBA games...

Most of Nintendos games are aimed towards all ages... If you like First Person Shooters, then I can recomend Metroid Prime Hunters. It is rated T for teen.

Nintendos warranty is kind of crappy. It does not cover any damage you do to it. Only flaws that were Nintendos fault. So if you get a broken screen, Nintendo will repair it... But at a high price... Best go with in store warranty if you have the extra cash.

I AM A CONSUMER WHORE
after reading all the comments here yesterday and today, I had to go out and buy a DSL on my lunch break this afternoon. I feel dirty...

oops, sorry, that was @68 with the GBA list.

Got mine at GameStop (who is now merged with EB) and got a $70 trade-in for my old DS, pretty decent considering how little they usually pay out for used games/systems.

The DS Lite is super-sweet. It looks like the baby brother to my MacBook, design-wise. The screen is glorious and puts the old DS to shame. The stylus is a decent size, much better than the nub that came with the old DS. The DS Lite is comfortable to hold and the speakers sound great (not sure if they are better than the old DS, as I traded that in).

I have both a PSP and DS, and I have to say the DS is a much better value. I'd estimate that about 20% of PSP games are good, while 60 or 70% of DS games are good. With a couple exceptions (like Sega Casino) my DS library is a string of hit after hit. Sure, the DS doesn't play video, mp3s, or browse the web (yet - Opera's coming) like the PSP can, but it's not plagued by the lenghty load times of the PSP, making the gaming experience overall more pleasant on the DS.

Now that the DS Lite is out, the DS can compete with the PSP on looks as well as games.

So if you don't have a DS, now that the DS Lite is out it's the time to get one. And if you have an old DS, now is the time to trade it in for a DS Lite.

All EB Games are sold out in the D.C. area! can anyone confirm this??? I have like $300 in EB Credit I need to use. If you know of an EB Games in the area that has one let me know!

mine has a dead pixel, i bought it from my local target. i hope they let me exchange it for a new one. other than that its awesome.

I pre-order the DS the EBgames a few weeks ago. I picked it up yesterday and have been enjoying it very much since.

Once particularly suprising thing to me was how nice the screen is. I've been working my way through FFIV on GBA, and the screen makes that game look such much better. To compare apples to apples, I took my GF's pokemon sapphire and put that in a GBA SP, and compared it to pokemon ruby in my new DS. It's difference in brightness is like night and day.

BTW: everyone should go and pick up a copy of kirby: canvas curse. It's been very enjoy so far, and it still feels like an actual game (where Animal Crossing, Brain Age, etc. feels more like collections of simple games).

Got mine from Target. Picked up some used games and a new copy of Mario Kart. I'm working on making a case for it out of old jeans. The fact that the thing is SO small and the cartridges are SO small frustrates the fact that there is NO way to really transport the thing with extra cartridges. Hence, why I'm making a case.

I'll likely submit the design to MAKE in a few days if anyone is interested.

As an update:

I mentioned that the DS Lite I picked up Sunday had a stuck pixel that stayed blue when the top screen went black. Well, I took it up to GameStop to exchange it. No problem at all. They were more than happy to trade it out for another one. They even reassured me that even though I just took the last one they had, if it had any problems, just bring it back when they had more in stock and they would take care of it.

The new DSLite I got today is perfect! No dead or stuck pixels at all. I also picked up some screen protectors (generic gamestop/pelican repackage) and Brain Age. (yeah, I know about the BB/CC coupons)

GameStop was great about exchanging the dead/stuck pixel DSL for a new one. And I am overall very impressed with the Lite. Well worth the money, especially after how much I dumped into the PSP vs how much I actually play it.

So far everyone I have exposed the DSL to has given it two thumbs up. NewSMB seems to be quite the hit as well.

Brain Age is neat too. I wish I would have had it when I was in school as a kid. I would recommend parents check it out if they are looking for an excuse to pick up a DS Lite for their teens, if not for themselves.

@70, well, I live in Houston also and the Gamecrazy that I live by (on Woodforest Blvd.) has only 1 in stock after having 11.

i got it. it's pretty good. took some getting used to.. i was used to the meaty giant size of the ds :-p

but it si very nice... i was at a pool party with my friend that afternoon and we tried a few matches of metroid hunters against each other but you still werent able to see the screen... :( bummer.

it was too bright outside and impossible to see the game.. o well

I got mine yesterday at EB. Sooo shiny. I'm having a little trouble holding it for a long time, just have to get used to it I suppose. I really need a strap with the thumb loop - the EB guy let my try the old DS with hunters with it while they were trying to get the credit card readers working. He was surprised when I told him the Lite didn't come with one.

This thing is really bright. I didn't think I would like it as much, but now I find that I can't put it down. I like the way that you can share the games with others.

I want a difrent color...I don't think I can wait though. I'm going to pick one up on Wednesday hopefully after I'm done with my finals.

I'm going to be so jealous when they come out with special edition ones in better colors.

picked mine up today at best buy and got brain age for free...I LOVE IT!!

i didnt get the original ds for a couple reasons...fugly, im poor, and i knew they were coming out with a new one.

but one of my friends has a ds phat and never uses it so he let me barrow it for like 3 months and i really liked the games and the inovative gameplay so i had to get the light after seeing cabels video reviews and i must say its better in real life than in pictures or video.

oh and the brightness and the colors are AMAZING!

i picked up a copy of metroid prime hunters and i am loving the game...campaign is kinda repetative though...cant wait for the multi-player. oh and like i said, it looks AMAZING.

great game

great system

it is so choice! if you have the means, i highly recomment picking one up.

FIRST PERSON TO NAME THE MOVIE I JUST QUOTED GETS A COOKIE!!

ya...great system, i love it, and its beautiful.

oh ya, and i tried out brain-age and its surprisingly fun...

just got my DSlite... everything is in order. no dead pixels, no wifi problems... no problems at all.

*phew*

nintendo is always so good to me...

-"superfan" tactics.