TIME.com bestows gadget honorific on DS Lite
by Christopher Grant 
{ Jun 15th 2006 at 12:27PM }
TIME.com extended its weighty hand and anointed Nintendo's latest "innovation" the coveted honorific of "Gadget of the Week." What is interesting, however, is that writer Wilson Rothman spends most of his time on the games and not the gadget they're played on. Sure, he offers the obligatory "it looks like Apple made it" comment, but devotes the remainder of his column to Nintendo's mainstream secret weapon: their Touch Generations line.
"What has captivated the attention of the gaming press has been the introduction of a new series of games geared towards older folks, dubbed Touch Generations. First came Brain Age, a surprisingly enjoyable math-and-reading game that a Japanese doctor designed to keep your mind limber - mental calisthenics."
Don't know what gaming press he's talking about. We're far more interested in the cubic volume of the bloody thing than what games it plays. Harumph, harumph, harumph. Hey, I didn't hear a "harumph" out of that guy!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JimmyHACK @ Jun 15th 2006 12:32PM
"OF THE WEEK" sounds like a lot get this then so not that prestigious... and seeing what other gadgets came out that week well....
still waiting for US black one.
lionzub @ Jun 15th 2006 12:35PM
Why is it that just cause someone makes some electronic that is white that they think it's a iPod ripoff. It looks nothing like what Apple would make.
I personally think the iPod "white" design is a ripoff of the Sony Sport line, and I'm sure Sony ripped that off something else too.
Ryan @ Jun 15th 2006 12:35PM
Harumph!
1up_clock @ Jun 15th 2006 12:37PM
Blazing Saddles FTW.
Harumph.
Ryan @ Jun 15th 2006 12:40PM
Can't you see that this man is a ni?
XD
crono141 @ Jun 15th 2006 12:48PM
you watch your ass!
C. Grant @ Jun 15th 2006 12:49PM
I didn't get a harumph out of Ryan! You better watch your ass!
sonofnone @ Jun 15th 2006 1:00PM
After reading the piece I've gotta agree with Mr. Grant on this lack of hardware info. As an asthetics junkie I found myself abhorring the original DS. It looked awful and it was way too big. Now that I've seen the Lite, though, I'm hooked. I can't wait to get my hands on one of these things. From style to size to the adjustable brightness (great games don't hurt either) I think Nintendo's done a great job with this revision. It's just too bad they couldn't get it right the first time.
Amir @ Jun 15th 2006 1:01PM
"Nobody move or the N***er gets it!"
"Help! Help!"
"Don't do it men! He's not bluffing!"
Best. Mel Brooks Film. Ever. Far better than the overrated Producers.
Mike @ Jun 15th 2006 1:05PM
I'm pretty sure people who say Blazing Saddles is a funny movie are either, a) stupid, b) afraid to say otherwise, c) haven't seen enough movies to warrant calling anything great.
Hate to say it, but the movie has aged horribly. The "Don't shoot the _____" remains the only amusing part. The rest of it, well, not so good. My guess is that most of you are under 16 years old and your dad told you how great it was so you feel obligated to say the same.
Wait, is this a videogame blog site??? DS Lite Rules (Or Rulz, whatever).
Jay @ Jun 15th 2006 1:06PM
WTF is "Harumph"
Mike @ Jun 15th 2006 1:06PM
I'm pretty sure people who say Blazing Saddles is a funny movie are either, a) stupid, b) afraid to say otherwise, c) haven't seen enough movies to warrant calling anything great.
Hate to say it, but the movie has aged horribly. The "Don't shoot the _____" remains the only amusing part. The rest of it, well, not so good. My guess is that most of you are under 16 years old and your dad told you how great it was so you feel obligated to say the same.
Wait, is this a videogame blog site??? DS Lite Rules (Or Rulz, whatever).
Ryan @ Jun 15th 2006 1:08PM
"You be my guest, and I be your host. What be your pleasure, Jim?"
"I don't know... play chess... screw..."
[quickly] "Let's play chess."
D @ Jun 15th 2006 1:12PM
Mike is a douche, Blazing Saddles is champion (I'm over 20, thanks).
Red devils...they love toys.
Amir @ Jun 15th 2006 1:15PM
To Mike:
I'm 18 and my dad hates it.
'Nuff said. Well, OK, not 'nuff said, I'm gonna have a mini-rant. I had people telling me the Producers was great, but I didn't cave in and still hold that Blazing Saddles it THE Mel Brooks movie. Young Frankenstein is damn funny too.
duscrom @ Jun 15th 2006 1:17PM
I don't think it looks like an iPod, but it does bear a striking resemblance to Apples Laptops.. namely the MacBook
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/6314000/wo/ln6yekbfdYNC2oPOqXXrfhUmwJF/2.?p=0
And the branding on the back..
Yoshi Likes Boys @ Jun 15th 2006 1:30PM
Did you just speak for the gaming press again? Calling yourselves members of that and trying to speak for it might be the most laughable thing I've ever heard. Now go post more fanboy-flame-bait.
C. Grant @ Jun 15th 2006 1:46PM
Oh Yoshi Likes Boys, always appreciate these drive-by trolls. Let's not ever change, k?
Hoffer @ Jun 15th 2006 1:50PM
I'm loving my DS Lite.
Yoshi Likes Boys @ Jun 15th 2006 1:59PM
Is it really trolling to call out the hypocritical nature of hiding behind the "blogger" moniker as a line of defense against criticism of poor journalistic work and then claiming to speak for the gaming press?
Mitch @ Jun 15th 2006 2:07PM
Sorry to bring back the movie points to the gaming blog, but History of the World Part 1 is my favorite Mel Brooks film. It's good to be the king ;) And of course Space Balls is right behind it.
Sabre @ Jun 15th 2006 2:22PM
@ Mike:
People who belittle others for having an opinion are (see 'a' from previous post.)
As for the 'journalism' vs. 'blogger' thing? I'd say pick one of the 2 guys...b/c half of you think you are real journalists yet another think you are just 'bloggers'. It's not bashing...it's called criticism (and theirs nothing wrong with constructive criticism.)
The ZeroCorpse @ Jun 15th 2006 2:23PM
It's OK. You'll appreciate The Producers when you're older.
Blazing Saddles is awesome when you're younger. Once you're my age (35) and have seen it a few thousand times, it gets a little tired, much like Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
I now think Life of Brian is superior to Holy Grail, just like I think The Producers is superior to Blazing Saddles. All are great, but some are slightly overrated. The end of Blazing Saddles is just a mess.
But whenit comes to Mel Brooks, "Life Stinks" is one of my favorites.
Oh... Yeah. Gaming!!! I don't see why people keep saying "iPod style" or "Apple style" when they talk about the DS. What, exactly, is Apple styled about it? It's WHITE? Is that it? It sure seems like it. I mean, the buttons are nothing like the controls on an iPod, the screen is not like an iPod screen, there are no flip-open iPods, there's nothing that looks like it belongs on an iBook or MacBook, and Apple hasn't produced anything with a stylus since the Newton!
Now, I'd buy it if people said "This is what the Newton might look like if Apple were still making them." but that's still speculation.
There were lots of white things on the market before the iPod. I love my Apple products, but I really don't see any style theft here beyond the white surface and clean lines, and those are just simple design ideals that should be universal.
Sabre @ Jun 15th 2006 2:31PM
I think peopla are saying "Apple style" b/c of the way the system 'looks', the way the box 'looks' (US and JPN), etc. To my knowledge, Apple is really the only electronics company that makes all of thier projects very asthetically pleasing to look at (both boxes and the actual product...and I for the most post 'dislike' Apple.)
striderhayasa @ Jun 15th 2006 3:19PM
hey Hoffer, I'm loving mine too.
Judd @ Jun 15th 2006 3:19PM
You know I do like Blazing Saddles and there are definitely a lot more funny scenes in the movie then just the "Don't shoot the _____" scene. However, the question of the funniest Mel Brooks movie ever is always a tough one as History of the World Part 1, Spaceballs, Robin Hood Men and Tights, and Young Frankenstien are all hilarious as well. But Life Stinks? I hope you're kidding me. Not only was that movie stupid in its obvious message about acceptance but it just wasn't funny. Silent Movie had only one line and it was not as boring as Life Stinks.
C. Grant @ Jun 15th 2006 3:32PM
Oh YLB, do I have to explain this to you. I'll give you the blogger/journalist thing, but "Now go post more fanboy-flame-bait." That's called trolling. Which makes you a troll. See?
Jago (no, I'm not calling you Sabre) and YLB, is it possible, perhaps, maybe that one can be a blogger and be part of the gaming press? I submit that it is. I would also submit that most of what you would consider the gaming press (reviewers?) aren't journalists either.
This argument is always so clear cut/black&white in the hallowed comment halls of this blog, but I think it's a bit larger than that. We are journalists insomuch as we produce "written material of current interest or wide popular appeal" but we also do it in a completely different way. That's why we're bloggers. Potato, potato (that really doesn't work in this medium either).
cringer8 @ Jun 15th 2006 4:08PM
Semantics. People get up in arms over WORDS?
Get a life. Go categorize things on your own time.
As for me, I take things as I see them and judge accordingly. I don't need a "word" to tell me how to view things.
*Side Note: Joystiq is one of the "news" sources Google News includes in their search database. That doesn’t mean much, but it does show that SOME people realize this blog site has some “journalism” to offer.