Anyone own a Nintendo DS?

Animalor · Post by **Animalor** » May 31, 2006, 12:34 pm

How do you like it? / Do you recommend one?

I'm flirting with the idea at the moment cause the market is about to be flooded with folks that are going to be trading their DS's for DS Lites and it's gonna be a 30% rebate off the price of a new one to just get one of those used ones. (99$ used vs 149$ new for a Lite) At 33% off the price of a new one, the used ones are looking good and it looks like a platform thath as a solid game lineup too.

Anyhow, just looking for feedback.

Syenye · Post by **Syenye** » May 31, 2006, 1:26 pm

i love mine. and i love the matte feel of the DS lite. all of the pictures look glossy but it's actually a really nice matte finish (similar to the matte finish on the black macbooks). the form factor of the lites are really slick, i think this is what the DS was meant to be like. i won't be switching over to the lite until they release it in pink though. it took me forever to find a handbag that matches my DS exactly.

besides the fact that i'm a fangirl, i love the DS games. they might not be as pretty as the PSP games, they are half the cost and way more fun. some of my favorites:
phoenix wright: ace attorney (kind of cheesy but fun)
trauma center: under the knife (SURGERY)
lost in blue
mario kart
tetris
brain age

miir · Post by **miir** » May 31, 2006, 1:34 pm

Mario Kart on the DS is a blast!

Sabek · Post by **Sabek** » May 31, 2006, 2:22 pm

My kids have DSes (DSi, DSuses).

The WiFi for games that support it is cool.
There seems to be a lot more games available than PSP.
I enjoy playing them here and there. The touch screen gives some oportunity for different play mechanics.

They seem to enjoy Mario Kart DS, Animal Crossing, and Megaman the most. My daughter plays a lot of Super Princess Peach as well.

Haven't gotten them the new Super Mario yet, but it looks slick.

Animalor · Post by **Animalor** » May 31, 2006, 3:22 pm

Tanks for the feedback all.

What about the form factor? Is there any majr drawback to the old school DS or something very slick in the new one that would make it worth the extra 50 bucks?

Sabek · Post by **Sabek** » May 31, 2006, 3:52 pm

My 7 year old daughter has tiny hands and really doesnt have any issue with the size of the DS.
The difference that could be worth the extra money is that the lite is supposed to have a 4x brighter screen.

Syenye · Post by **Syenye** » May 31, 2006, 4:07 pm

i think the distance from the buttons/dpad to the edge of the DS is the same on both form factors. i have small hands but both seem fine to me. i believe that the stylus is fatter on the lite, but i'm not 100% certain as they were all bolted down at e3, and i couldn't see the stylus hole.

Trias · Post by **Trias** » May 31, 2006, 5:15 pm

i play my ds a lot more than i play my psp

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » May 31, 2006, 9:01 pm

I find myself playing my DS a lot more than my PSP as well. technologically the PSP is miles better, and game for game they are probably equal in quality. The major drawbacks that keep me away from playing my PSP is the load times (discs on a portable was a terrible idea, Sony), and the kinds of games.

When I am playing a portable gaming system it is because I am not home. If I am not home I am probably somewhere out in public waiting for someone or something and I don't have time to play grand theft auto or final fantasy or some other indepth game with lots of dialogue and story and what have you. I want to play a platformer or a puzzle game.

With DS games load up super fast and most are light and entertaining without requiring a lot of concentration visually or aurally. When I am done I can fold it up and stick it in my purse or jacket pocket and not worry about smashing or scratching up the expensive screen.

I would spend the extra $50 on a DS Lite. The main reason I'd do it is because it fixes all the stuff that annoyed me on the DS. Namely the shitty screens and crappy button placements.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » June 1, 2006, 11:29 am

I agree with all the points Kyoucan brings up. When I game, I'm in front of my computer or bigscreen TV. Portables are just a time filler and the DS provides that in spades. The ability to play my Gameboy Advance games on it is just a bonus. You can carry around 2 games at any given time. I usually have my chess game in the Advance slot and the new Tetris in the DS slot. I also do my Mario Kart Advance in the bottom slot and Mario Kart DS in the top slot for some serious Karting.

The DS has loads of games that play fast and are good for 10-15 minutes of play here and there.

Llaffer · Post by **Llaffer** » June 1, 2006, 2:38 pm

My 5 year old plays my DS at times, playing Mario 64DS, Mario cart, etc. and his small hands has no problems reaching all of the buttons that needs to be reached.

Animalor · Post by **Animalor** » June 11, 2006, 7:22 am

So, who'd getting a DS Lite 1st day today?

I'll most likely be swinging by Wal-Mart and getting one. Decided that the extra 50$ was worth it.

Syenye · Post by **Syenye** » June 11, 2006, 1:46 pm

i bought one for my boyfriend. ebgames has a special where they'll give you an extra $20 for your old DS.

Animalor · Post by **Animalor** » June 28, 2006, 12:09 pm

Syenye wrote:i won't be switching over to the lite until they release it in pink though. it took me forever to find a handbag that matches my DS exactly.

Your wish is Nintendo's command(at least in Japan).

Coming out July 20th there.

Syenye · Post by **Syenye** » June 28, 2006, 4:25 pm

Animalor wrote:
Syenye wrote:i won't be switching over to the lite until they release it in pink though. it took me forever to find a handbag that matches my DS exactly.
Your wish is Nintendo's command(at least in Japan).

Coming out July 20th there.

haha, just preordered one and came over here to gloat, but you beat me to it!

Skogen · Post by **Skogen** » June 28, 2006, 4:29 pm

kyoukan wrote: When I am playing a portable gaming system it is because I am not home. If I am not home I am probably somewhere out in public waiting for someone or something and I don't have time to play grand theft auto or final fantasy or some other indepth game with lots of dialogue and story and what have you. I want to play a platformer or a puzzle game.

or one could just get a good book....

Syenye · Post by **Syenye** » June 28, 2006, 4:38 pm

Skogen wrote:
kyoukan wrote: When I am playing a portable gaming system it is because I am not home. If I am not home I am probably somewhere out in public waiting for someone or something and I don't have time to play grand theft auto or final fantasy or some other indepth game with lots of dialogue and story and what have you. I want to play a platformer or a puzzle game.
or one could just get a good book....

good books are a lot more engrossing than an indepth game.

Skogen · Post by **Skogen** » June 28, 2006, 5:53 pm

Syenye wrote:
Skogen wrote:
kyoukan wrote: When I am playing a portable gaming system it is because I am not home. If I am not home I am probably somewhere out in public waiting for someone or something and I don't have time to play grand theft auto or final fantasy or some other indepth game with lots of dialogue and story and what have you. I want to play a platformer or a puzzle game.
or one could just get a good book....
good books are a lot more engrossing than an indepth game.

definitely! my gaming time has dropped signifigantly. Since I quit WoW...it is totally limited to BF1942 (oh how I love thee). My reading time has picked up tremedously! I just Finished "The Great Raid"...good book, but don't even bother with the movie!

Syenye · Post by **Syenye** » June 28, 2006, 6:04 pm

Skogen wrote:
Syenye wrote:
Skogen wrote:
kyoukan wrote: When I am playing a portable gaming system it is because I am not home. If I am not home I am probably somewhere out in public waiting for someone or something and I don't have time to play grand theft auto or final fantasy or some other indepth game with lots of dialogue and story and what have you. I want to play a platformer or a puzzle game.
or one could just get a good book....
good books are a lot more engrossing than an indepth game.
definitely! my gaming time has dropped signifigantly. Since I quit WoW...it is totally limited to BF1942 (oh how I love thee). My reading time has picked up tremedously! I just Finished "The Great Raid"...good book, but don't even bother with the movie!

did you read the book first? i actually liked the movie but i haven't read the book, maybe i should pick it up.

Skogen · Post by **Skogen** » June 28, 2006, 6:10 pm

Yeah, I read the book first....the movie actually follows fact pretty well, except for that whole love angle they took with Miss U & whats his mug the prisoner. I did like the action sequence when they attacked the camp...well done, and accurate, right down to the mortar shells raining down as they made there escape (although the actual people who fired the mortars were some soldiers who fired one volley, then fled) That volley killed one ranger outright, and maimed two. The only thing from that sequence that was totally off was the tanks...there turned out to be none in the camp, but tanks & war films go together like peanut butter & jelly, so they added them in!
The book also delves into the battle of Bataan & Corrigador itself, the death march, and camp o'donnell. Tough reading there, but important to know what happened!

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » December 22, 2006, 2:47 pm

I ended up recently getting a DSLite in additon to the PSP. I was figuring that the stylus was mostly a gimmick but it does seem to work well for some games. I'm a bit addicted to Elite Beat Agents at the moment. Although if I hear Jumpin Jack Flash one more time I may have to harm someone.

Other interesting ones are Animal Crossing. Although that seems too much like work instead of a game. Also Hamsterz Life I find a bit addicting for some reason. It's a conversion of the Japanese game Love Love Hamster. It's basically Nintendogs with hamsters instead of dogs. And they talk. But not as good overall from what I gather as I haven't tried Nintendogs myself. Here's what mine looks like (except mine is presently wearing a santa hat.. quite festive!):

(Note that the English version does not have the panda looking hamster. I was very disappointed by that!)

I have been using the DS more than the PSP lately but maybe because it's still new to me. It's obvious that the PSP is the more advanced product as far as horsepower and graphics go. Load times from UMD do suck although if you have one that you can downgrade you can always procure ISOs of the UMDs you have and just run from memory stick. A lot better access times that way and much easier to carry around a few games without having to worry about multiple discs.

Lalanae · Post by **Lalanae** » December 22, 2006, 3:48 pm

Are those pink DS's limited edition or can I still get them easily?

Too bad I didn't read this thread months ago or I could have asked for one for my birthday!

Akanae · Post by **Akanae** » December 22, 2006, 3:51 pm

I actually prefer Harvest Moon to animal crossing. While they both have their flaws one of the winning points on Harvest moon to me is how they did the inventory switching system. In animal crossing whenever you want to switch between different tools (shovel, fishing pole etc) you have to go into a menu and drag and drop with the stylus, with Harvest moon you just press down one button, while hitting another to scroll through which tool you want. That feature alone makes it more enjoyable to play.
Also it seems like there is more to do with the farming and wife wooing.

The DS's are also sold out pretty much everywhere right now - I haven't even seen any phats in stock anywhere I have been.

Akanae · Post by **Akanae** » December 22, 2006, 3:52 pm

You can get the pink DS's pretty much anywhere I got mine at Target. As far as I know they aren't limited edition. But you may not be able to find one in stock until after Christmas.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » December 22, 2006, 5:29 pm

Pink isn't a limited edition but you probably can't get it that easily this close to Christmas unless you get lucky. In addition to white and pink there is also a black version.

I haven't heard of Harvest Moon before.. I might give it a look but I'm not sure I like games where I have to do chores!

Also forgot to mention Meteos. It's a decent enough puzzler. Fairly fast gameplay if you don't have much time. Unless you're good at it. Typical game for me is about 5 minutes

Lalanae · Post by **Lalanae** » December 22, 2006, 5:33 pm

Ok cool. I don't mind waiting since it would be a gift for me

Animalor · Post by **Animalor** » December 22, 2006, 5:45 pm

I'm headed out for a trip over the holidays (My wife and I's hometown) and I picked up a few DS games to pass the time on those duller moments (Like when I wake up 3 hours before anyone else).

Picked up Metroid Prime Hunters, Final Fantasy 3 and Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. All of em real fun to play. I looked at Elite Beat Agents and decided against it. Never played a beat game like that before and can't bring myself to drop money on it.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » December 22, 2006, 6:56 pm

DS games looks to be around 30.00 for the DS. Do they seem to have the content to warrant the pricing? Is there home brew and hacks out for the DS?

The DS looks a lot more interesting than the PSP to me.

Syenye · Post by **Syenye** » December 22, 2006, 9:01 pm

there are homebrew and hacks for the ds. i've had a lot of fun with the games i have though. i liked lost in blue and phoenix wright. contact was fun too, and so was the starfox game. none of them really have had any replayability though.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » December 23, 2006, 3:22 pm

People claim piracy is one of the reasons that the PSP isn't getting the amount of success it desrves but I don't know... The ease of pirating on DS is much easier than on the PSP. There are multiple cards you can buy that all you do is plug in, place a copy of the ROM on there and you're good to go. For the PSP Sony has been updating the hardware and firmware to make this difficult. I'd say the majority of PSPs are unable to play homebrew (or pirated) software so you really can't blame that for low software sales. It's just that overall most of the PSP games aren't all that great. A lot of times they are crappy ports from other consoles.

I haven't really messed with homebrew on either the PSP or DS but the PSP homebrew is generally better from what I've seen simply because the machine is that much more powerful.

Tuddi2 · Post by **Tuddi2** » December 27, 2006, 3:21 am

/tell haste plz huggumz.

Lalanae · Post by **Lalanae** » December 29, 2006, 4:51 pm

tee hee! I got a pink DS for Christmas!! Eric's brother works for Best Buy and called Eric when they got a couple in 2 days before Christmas!

I LOVE IT! I knitted a super-cute cozie for it too (with 2 tiny pockets inside for extra games)!

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » December 29, 2006, 5:04 pm

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » December 29, 2006, 5:05 pm

omg I double posted and didn't even know it. I blame repops.

Syenye · Post by **Syenye** » December 29, 2006, 6:01 pm

wow, that's an adorable case for it... you should market those!

i got the ds-x mod chip for christmas. it doesn't require that you flash the firmware of the DS (thus voiding your warranty), which is nice. it connects via USB and you can load all your homebrew apps on it. i haven't had time to play around with it much but it is quite sweet. the only drawback is that it only holds 512MB.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » December 29, 2006, 6:05 pm

Lalanae · Post by **Lalanae** » December 29, 2006, 6:11 pm

Winnow wrote:

lol, now if I can get my cozies to vibrate like the tribbles sold at the Hilton in Vegas, I'd be a millionaire!!

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » December 29, 2006, 9:46 pm

Syenye wrote:i got the ds-x mod chip for christmas. it doesn't require that you flash the firmware of the DS (thus voiding your warranty), which is nice. it connects via USB and you can load all your homebrew apps on it. i haven't had time to play around with it much but it is quite sweet. the only drawback is that it only holds 512MB.

The slot 1 solutions are nice as most don't require you to flash firmware. Supercard just came out with one too ( http://216.119.88.100/s/scardgb/products/scarts/s0.php ) . It doesn't have USB but it's also only $50. I guess USB may be nice but card reader seems to do well enough for my needs. 512MB does seem rather limiting. The Supercard one has a MicroSD slot so... Much more capacity as 1GB MicroSDs are pretty cheap. 2GB are under $100 most places.