Nintendo DS Lite
Just like on the original DS, the GBA cartridge slot is flanked by the sliding volume control on the left and the headphone socket on the right. The microphone has also been moved from the front of the casing and now resides at the centre of the hinging mechanism between the two screens.
Despite being smaller than the original DS – Nintendo claims that the Lite is less than two thirds the size – and lighter by approximately 20 per cent, the stylus is larger, both in length and diameter. The stylus on the DS Lite slides out of the right side of the casing rather than the rear as with the original. The extra length and girth of the new stylus really does make it easier to hold and consequently easier to control your games.
The two shoulder buttons are of course in the same place, and although they don’t posses as much travel as the examples on the original DS, they do exhibit a reassuring click when pressed, while the originals were a little bit woolly when it came to feedback. The DS cartridge slot at the rear is pretty much identical to the older model – pressing the cartridge in locks it in place, while pressing it again will eject it.
At this point in the review all those PlayStation fan boys (and girls) are probably shrugging their shoulders in a kind of “so what?” fashion. So what if the DS Lite looks a million times better than the original, the games are still rubbish compared to the PSP right? Wrong!
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Doing what I do for a living I have no shortage of gaming hardware and software at my disposal. I see a regular stream of Sony PSP games land on my desk, but for the past six months or so I’ve spent a lot more time playing my DS than I have my PSP. The reason for this is simple – there are games on the DS that are fun. That’s right, fun, pure, unadulterated fun. I’m not denying that Grand Theft Auto on the PSP is superb, because it is and I’ve spent a lot of time playing it. But with the PSP you essentially have a home console in the palm of your hands, with games that are just as big and complicated as they are on a full size machine. With the DS things are just that bit simpler.
Look at Super Monkey Ball: Touch & Roll. If ever a game was designed for touch screen control it’s this one. Then throw in Nintendogs (the game that finally convinced me to buy a DS, even though I knew that the DS Lite was on the way) – not only is this game innovative, but it has the honour of being the only video game that has ever made me feel guilty. With Nintendogs the clock keeps ticking even when the machine is off, so if you don’t look after your puppy regularly she’s gonna feel neglected!
Despite being smaller than the original DS – Nintendo claims that the Lite is less than two thirds the size – and lighter by approximately 20 per cent, the stylus is larger, both in length and diameter. The stylus on the DS Lite slides out of the right side of the casing rather than the rear as with the original. The extra length and girth of the new stylus really does make it easier to hold and consequently easier to control your games.
At this point in the review all those PlayStation fan boys (and girls) are probably shrugging their shoulders in a kind of “so what?” fashion. So what if the DS Lite looks a million times better than the original, the games are still rubbish compared to the PSP right? Wrong!
Doing what I do for a living I have no shortage of gaming hardware and software at my disposal. I see a regular stream of Sony PSP games land on my desk, but for the past six months or so I’ve spent a lot more time playing my DS than I have my PSP. The reason for this is simple – there are games on the DS that are fun. That’s right, fun, pure, unadulterated fun. I’m not denying that Grand Theft Auto on the PSP is superb, because it is and I’ve spent a lot of time playing it. But with the PSP you essentially have a home console in the palm of your hands, with games that are just as big and complicated as they are on a full size machine. With the DS things are just that bit simpler.
Look at Super Monkey Ball: Touch & Roll. If ever a game was designed for touch screen control it’s this one. Then throw in Nintendogs (the game that finally convinced me to buy a DS, even though I knew that the DS Lite was on the way) – not only is this game innovative, but it has the honour of being the only video game that has ever made me feel guilty. With Nintendogs the clock keeps ticking even when the machine is off, so if you don’t look after your puppy regularly she’s gonna feel neglected!
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