Nintendo DS plus...what?

[Time Guardian]

Don't bother getting another stylus since I don't see how you could break it during gameplay unless you smash it onto the screen and you probably won't lose it since there's a gap on the side of the DS to hold it.

Maybe it's just me, but my DS never held the original stylus that it came with real well, they would just keep on falling out of the holder, even if it was practically brand new. (Although after I bought a couple of fancy, half metal half plastic, off-brand stylus. They stayed in pretty darn good, so I think it's just the way nintendo makes their official stylus that makes them not stay in the hole very well)

I have no idea how the stylus holder with the lite is in terms of holding the actual stylus and if it stays there. So I'm just mostly speaking from my own experience with mine.

 

[Apostrophe]

I think I want a Lite since I think it goes for the cheapest. Since I have a GBA SP, it shouldn't matter if the DS can play the 3rd generation games, should it?

From personal experience, I am going to say beware the Lite, and if you ever have the choice, choose the original DS over it. Nintendo made the DS Lite out of cheap, crappy plastic, and many people have had problems with hinge cracks and screens going out.

The hinge cracks start out as just that --- a crack on the hinge that appears almost randomly (you don't exactly have to treat your DS badly, just own it for a while), but then some plastic cracks off, and before you know it, your top screen is just dangling there. That's what happened to both me and my friend's Lite.

My brother also had a DS Lite, and his top screen randomly just stopped working. No visible defects, there wasn't a scratch on the DS, the top screen just doesn't work anymore. So if you're planning on getting a DS Lite, just get an emulator --- you'll probably be using it within a couple of years.

 

[fenyx4]

From personal experience, I am going to say beware the Lite, and if you ever have the choice, choose the original DS over it. Nintendo made the DS Lite out of cheap, crappy plastic, and many people have had problems with hinge cracks and screens going out.

The hinge cracks start out as just that --- a crack on the hinge that appears almost randomly (you don't exactly have to treat your DS badly, just own it for a while), but then some plastic cracks off, and before you know it, your top screen is just dangling there. That's what happened to both me and my friend's Lite.

My brother also had a DS Lite, and his top screen randomly just stopped working. No visible defects, there wasn't a scratch on the DS, the top screen just doesn't work anymore. So if you're planning on getting a DS Lite, just get an emulator --- you'll probably be using it within a couple of years.

Yikes...are they short on Nintendium or what? :'( My GBASP has had durability to survive several drops and falls, even while on and open...

The only problem I had with the DS Phat is the placement of the power button because you have a higher chance of accidentally pressing it instead of the D-pad and resetting the cart. Otherwise I think it looks better than the DS Lite, especially since GBA cartridges don't protrude from it, it can use the GameBoy Advance's charger, and it has a more durable feel to it.

I'd only warn against a DSi due to the lack of a GBA slot, and you might as well wait for the 3DS since it's basically DSi 2.0 (no offense intended to the 3DS; just saying that the DSi seems inferior as the GBA slot was removed and its camera isn't good in quality, from what I've heard. Since the 3DS basically does what the DSi does with an improved camera, 3D effects, and 3DS capacity coupled with backwards compatibility with DS games, might as well wait for that one). As for myself, I do not own any system of the Nintendo DS line right now, so I'm just waiting for the 3DS to be released.

 

[Necrø]

Well DS lites are really good and fit the job really well but out of the two DS lites that i've had both of them have a broken hinge which then makes the game play really hard since the top screen keeps dropping down :/ But i dunno maybe that's just me? Oh and if your looking for accesories get a few extra stylus's the ones that you can attach to your DS on the back of those machine are pretty decent since you can't really lose them. Also you could get a skin you wanted to a pokemon related one?

 

[Elite Overlord LeSabre™]

My DS ite has one of those "half broken" hinges where the top screen/lid feels loose and doesn't "lock" in place. The choice between the DS/Lite and DSi really depends on how much you think you'll need the GBA slot. The DSi doesn't have that capability.

Aside from the hinge issue and the shoulder buttons sometimes not responding like they should, my DS Lite is fine for my purposes.

 

[DARKSHADE]

DS lite, that way you can "migrate" your Pokemon from GBA onto your DS games.
This will not work with the DSi

 

[Jeikobu]

The only accessory I would suggest are some headphones. Turning the sound down a tad helps your battery life quite a bit and with headphones you'll be able to hear your DS at half volume louder than you would without the headphones and the DS at max volume while it sucks out more battery power.

I can't just use normal all purpose headphones (like I would with listening to music)?

I wish the GBA SP at least had a spot to plug in headphones. Can't find one anywhere.

From personal experience, I am going to say beware the Lite, and if you ever have the choice, choose the original DS over it. Nintendo made the DS Lite out of cheap, crappy plastic, and many people have had problems with hinge cracks and screens going out.

I just don't know what to think, since from what I can tell by checking Amazon as a source, all the DS Lites I've seen have about 4 1/2 of 5 star average reviews, and there are over a thousand of them. If it's so cheap, why do so many appeal approval of it? (I'm not calling you a liar or anything like that, I'm just confused) I take very good care of my stuff, so do you think even with that in view it'd still break in a short amount of time? It does make me concerned that so many of you who have posted have mentioned problems with the screen hinge breaking and the buttons not lasting.

The other thing though that makes the DS Lite appealing is I like to carry my handheld with me on the go, and for easy access I keep it in my pocket. I do this with my GBA SP. The DS Lite seems a lot more compact than the original DS, so it seems getting the Lite would make this a lot more convenient.

 

[Sammi]

I just don't know what to think, since from what I can tell by checking Amazon as a source, all the DS Lites I've seen have about 4 1/2 of 5 star average reviews, and there are over a thousand of them. If it's so cheap, why do so many appeal approval of it? (I'm not calling you a liar or anything like that, I'm just confused) I take very good care of my stuff, so do you think even with that in view it'd still break in a short amount of time? It does make me concerned that so many of you who have posted have mentioned problems with the screen hinge breaking and the buttons not lasting.

From my experience? My DS Lite also has a cracked hinge and a weird R button. However, this took three years to show up. Amazon reviews usually aren't written that long after the fact.
Can't speak for all DS Lites, though. Some will get issues before then, I'm sure.

Honestly, the cracked hinge is only a problem for me if I'm tilting my DS at an angle where gravity sets in and the lid will start to close. If I play it while sitting upright, it doesn't fall, but playing in bed is an issue. It's not the best thing in the world, but it's certainly workable.

If you buy new and take good care of it, a Lite should last you a few years. Like I said, my cracked hinge and R button have only started working up recently for me. Before then, my Lite was perfect -- and I dropped it in water the first week I owned it. But do keep in mind these problems exist.
If you think you can handle a cracked hinge and crappy buttons if/when it comes up, then go for the Lite. If not, go for the original. Don't be too worried about the size difference; if you have big pockets, both will fit. My little brother carried his original DS in his pockets all the time.


As for accessories, maybe a pack of styluses if you lose yours. Just make sure they're for the DS you own! The DSi styluses are different from the Lite/Original styluses. Maybe not a big deal if you carry the stylus in your pocket, but a big deal if you want to slip it into your stylus slot in your DS.

 

[skppy1225]

I have a DS Lite and I love it. The main reason I chose a DS Lite over a DSi is because it was considerably cheaper when I bought it. Not to mention, the only new features on the DSi were already available on my iPod, and the only benefit I would be getting is a bigger screen. So I just went with the DS Lite.

The only accessories I have for my DS Lite are the Pokémon Essentials Kit and an imported case protective case, since mine lost paint in a few places. Other than that I don't really see any that you would need.

 

[Prometheus]

Its a tough choice, I'd buy a DSI but thats my opinion.