Nintendo DS Lite

Since its introduction the Nintendo DS gaming console has sold more units worldwide than the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PS3 combined making it the best selling next generation gaming console. With a whopping 67.91 million units sold (about 50 million for the DS Lite) it’s difficult to ignore the success of this super-slim, fun console.

From February this year South African consumers have been able to buy the Nintendo DS Lite in stores nationwide and we’ve been fortunate enough to test the console along with four of the latest games.

I can really see from the get-go why the DS Lite is such a popular device. It’s small and compact, features dual-screen technology, has a great battery life and is a highly interactive console. It’s a portable gamers delight and here’s a detailed look why.

DS Lite Specs

• Smaller and lighter version of the Nintendo DS
• Weights just 218g instead of 275g and measures 133mm x 73.9mm x 21.5mm
• Screen backlight adjustable - 4 levels like Micro
• Portable gaming console with 2 LCD screens
• ARM9 67 Mhz Main CPU
• 120K Polygons/sec
• 30M/s pixel fillrate
• 4 Mbytes RAM
• ARM7 16.8 Mhz Secondary CPU
• 2-D: 4 backgrounds, 128 sprites
• GBA backwards compatible
• Wireless multiplayer for up to 16 players
• Game stored on rewriteable media up to 1GB

Dual-Screen

The DS Lite lends its name from the two LCD screens built into the console and has impressive 3D graphics all thanks to the powerful dual processors. It is up to 10x brighter than the original Nintendo DS and the screen resolution of 256×192 pixels enhances colours and is easily visible in all light conditions.

Game play makes use of both dual screens and also uses touch screen technology by way of a stylus which allows you to interact with games on a different level. To get an idea of how the dual screen works have a look at the short video below.

Microphone & Sound

The DS Lite has a built in microphone which certain games utilise during game play. For example the Brain Training game requires you to verbalise colours into the microphone and in Zelda - Phantom Hourglass you have to use the microphone to scream at and kill enemies.

Apart from having a headphone jack the DS Lite also has rich stereo speakers on either side of the top display screen. Volume is controlled via a slider on the front of the console and I’ve found the overall performance of the speakers to be just perfect.

Wi-Fi and Multiplayer

While I didn’t personally get a chance to test out Multiplayer mode I’m told by Gregor that this is the main attraction to the device. The built in Wi-Fi allows you to connect to up to 16 DS Lite consoles and you can also chat, draw and message your friends using the built in PictoChat application.

The DS Lite also features a DS Download Play menu item which in essence should allow you to download videos and demos of the latest DS games but this feature doesn’t work in South Africa because we don’t have any stores that feature the Download Station.

Battery Life

The DS Lite takes about three hours to fully charge and once completed you get up to 19 hours of continuous game play on a single charge. This is massive performance considering the battery is powering the ever bright dual screens.

The only issues I personally had was that our review unit seemed to have a faulty battery and it played itself out in two ways. First, if you pressed the battery too hard it would sometimes switch the DS Lite off which is somewhat of an issue considering the battery is directly below the directional game pad keys.

Second, when I tried to charge the DS Lite using the power adapter I found that it sometimes wouldn’t charge. This would carry on for some time and then suddenly, after doing nothing different, the console would charge up. This is a common issue with some DS Lite units and the fix is to replace the battery.

Backwards Compatibility

The DS Lite also features a Game Boy Advance Game Pak slot in the front of the device. This means you can play all your old legacy Game Boy Advance games with your new DS Lite. I don’t know many people with Game Boy Advance games but this seems like a nifty feature to have for all those hardcore Nintendo users.

Games available in South Africa

Currently the following games are available in South Africa with lots more to come:

• Nintendogs (R449.00)
• Brain Training (R349.00)
• Mario Karts DS (R449.00)
• New Super Mario Bros (R449.00)

Pricing & Availability

Price: R1799.00
Availability: The Nintendo DS Lite is available in four colours (Black, White, Blue and Pink) from all major retail outlets as well as from online stores.

Conclusion

While I really enjoyed playing Game Boy back when I was 12 years old I have to say that the Nintendo DS Lite doesn’t work for me as an adult. It has impressive features and I can really see how the DS Lite has taken the world by storm but I’m just not sold from an adult gaming perspective.

I have evolved with gaming; I owned a Game Boy, then a PS One, then PS2 and finally a PSP and having gone through this evolution it has prevented me from really enjoying the DS Lite. I find the games to be a little childish and while they are entertaining I lose interest in them very quickly. The DS Lite is a different gaming experience but I’m not sure hardcore gamers are going to enjoy it.

To conclude though I have to admit that my 4-year old son has taken to the DS Lite like a fish to water. I’ve often tried to get him to play children’s games on the PS2 but he’s never been able to grasp game play like he has on the DS Lite. It might be the simplicity of the games or the ease of use but either way he loves it. So while I wouldn’t buy a DS Lite for myself I would, without doubt, buy one for my son.

Rate this review:

(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)

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Filed Under Consoles, Featured Reviews, Gaming, Nintendo