Nintendo DS: Which system is right for you?

Choosing which Nintendo DS to buy has long been a matter of picking the color or game bundle you want. That selection process just became more complicated now that Nintendo is preparing to release the new Nintendo DS Lite.

Nintendo DS Lite

The Nintendo DS Lite plays the exact same DS and GBA games as the current Nintendo DS, but it features new hardware tweaks designed to improve the gaming experience as well as system usability. The DS Lite uses new LCD screen technology to offer four different brightness levels. At maximum brightness, the Lite will be five times as bright as the current DS. Nintendo has also slimmed the unit down to the point where it can almost be considered pocket-sized. It's thinner by a third and weighs 20 percent less than the original. New power features include longer battery life and a quicker charge time.

Nintendo released the Nintendo DS Lite in Japan on March 2. The official price and US release date haven't been announced yet, but expect the Lite to be more expensive than the original and give Mario & Co. a couple of months to crank out enough units for the North American market. Click here for the full Nintendo DS Lite specification list.

Ricardo Torres, Senior Editor

Was anyone really surprised that there's a new model of the DS coming? If there's one thing to add into the "absolutes" of our industry it's that Nintendo will always, always have a new take on its portable hardware that will inevitably improve on it just enough to warrant a purchase. The only aberration has been the GBA Micro, but it's not like they were pushing it that hard.

At the end of the day, the DS Lite is worth picking up for a number of reasons. The most obvious reason is its fantastic light settings. But the other big reason is its improved LCD screen, which is comparable to the new models of the GBA SP and the GBA Micro. The changes in clarity, color contrast, and the spiffy illumination are a quantum improvement over the original model of the DS. Not only does this make playing games on the Lite easier on the eyes, but there's also a definite improvement in the way that the games look on the system that's tough to dismiss.

In many ways, our thoughts on the hardware mirror how we felt about the GBA SP when it followed on the heels of the original GBA. Besides the aforementioned selling points, there are simply too many little design elements on the Lite--its compact design, improved stylus design, better microphone placement, a scratch resistant cover on the lid, GBA slot cover, the subtle concave-convex play between the two screens that prevents items slipping in between and causing damage--which make us wonder why no one thought to include these elements on the original system. As such, it's a marked enough improvement over its predecessor to warrant a purchase.

James Yu, Senior Hardware Editor

I remember the first time I saw a Game Boy Advance SP and how impressed I was with every single change that addressed annoying problems in the original GBA design. The smaller form factor, new backlight, and internal rechargeable battery were the final pieces that took the GBA platform to the next level. I'll tell you right now that I felt the exact same way when I got my hands on the Nintendo DS Lite for the first time.

While the original DS has a shape that only a mother could love, the Lite has a compact size and glossy finish in line with modern consumer electronics like the iPod and the PSP. Nintendo has also added a GBA slot cover and improved the seal along the outside of closed units to better protect the system's internals. The most dramatic change has to be the new LCD screens and improved brightness levels that make the graphics stand out. Nintendo tells us that battery life at max brightness will run 5 to 8 hours, but it will be able to go 15 to 19 hours at the lowest brightness level.

As someone who has accidentally turned off Animal Crossing one too many times, I was thrilled to see that Nintendo has transformed the power button into a proper switch located on the right side of the unit. Additionally, the new DS has a superior D pad. It's extremely responsive and not at all mushy compared to the D pad on the original system.

The Nintendo DS Lite and the GBA SP are similar in that they're both evolutionary steps that correct on past design mistakes and build on the success of the original system. Nintendo got the basics down with the original DS, but you should go with the Nintendo DS Lite if you're willing to pay a little more for the perfected version.

Bottom Line: Reasons to buy the Nintendo DS Lite.

It's smaller, weighs less and has a compact shape.
The system has new LCD screens with extra-high brightness. It has longer battery life and quicker recharge times. Available in new colors with a glossy finish. The Japanese are crazy for it.

Choosing which Nintendo DS to buy has long been a matter of picking the color or game bundle you want. That selection process just became more complicated now that Nintendo is preparing to release the new Nintendo DS Lite.

Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS hasn't changed much since first hitting the market in November of 2004. The DS has seen a price drop, a couple of fancy game bundles, and, in true Nintendo fashion, several new colors--but the hardware itself has remained the same. Next to the new model, the original DS seems big and bulky, but also seems to be a bit sturdier. In addition, the DS is already widely available, both a la carte as well as bundled with various games; exactly how the DS Lite will be be presented at retail remains to be seen.

The new Nintendo DS Lite looks to be a worthy successor to the original DS, so much so that it has been rumored that Nintendo will be discontinuing the current model later this year. Nintendo has told GameSpot that it has no plans to discontinue the current DS after the launch of the Nintendo DS Lite. Keep in mind that Nintendo kept the original GBA around for a couple of years after releasing the GBA SP.

Greg Kasavin, Executive Editor

When I first got my hands on the original Nintendo DS, I honestly wasn't impressed. The system felt big and clunky, and my hands got cramped after playing with it for more than an hour at a time. But the lukewarm first impression gave way, and I've grown to really like the feel of the system's controls. It has a tight, responsive D pad and buttons, like how I remember the good old Super Nintendo controller. My whole perspective on the DS completely changed as more and more great games came out for that system.

Since I'm happy with my DS, I don't particularly feel the need to drop a bunch of money on a DS Lite. The new model definitely gives a stronger first impression, with its sleek "I'm hot like the iPod" look, smaller form factor, and a much brighter, clearer screen. The screen really is impressive now, especially considering that the system's battery life is supposedly better than that of the original DS model.

I also like the new placement of the Start and Select buttons, and putting the power switch on the side rather than on the face seems like a good move (only once did I turn off my DS by accident, but it hurt). The only complaint I can muster is that I wish the volume slider had been changed, as making small adjustments can be tricky.

I still have a second-generation iPod and haven't been particularly tempted to upgrade to one of the newer, fancier models since the one I've got still works well. At the same time, I'm glad the product has continued to evolve for the sake of those getting into it later than I did. I feel exactly the same way about the DS.

Justin Calvert, Editor

I think I was one of the last people in the office to buy a Nintendo DS--I couldn't find one at launch, and by the time the feeling like I had to own one simply because it was a new gadget that came in silver had passed, I realized that there weren't actually any games available for the system that I particularly wanted to play. The impending arrival of Advance Wars Dual Strike prompted me to buy a DS early in August, and since adding the likes of Mario Kart DS, Animal Crossing: Wild World, and Ossu! Tatakae! Ouendan! to my collection, I've never looked back.

When I heard that Nintendo was planning to release an improved "Lite" version of the DS, it took all of a millisecond for me to decide that I wouldn't be buying one. Not including my blue DS, I currently own no fewer than five pieces of Nintendo hardware that play Game Boy Advance games, and even though one of those was purchased only quite recently in Tokyo (the Famicom-styled GBA Micro), I'm still a little embarrassed by what some might refer to as my GBA collection. I mean, how stupid am I? Or rather, how stupid was I?

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a new Nintendo DS Lite recently, but while I'll concede that it's an exceptionally desirable piece of kit, there's just no way that I'm going to buy one. If I were to go down that road again, I'd probably end up with more DS consoles than I currently own DS games, and that's just plain wrong. Nice try Nintendo, but I think I'll wait for the DS Ultra-Lite.

Bottom Line: Reasons to buy the Nintendo DS.

The current Nintendo DS plays the same games and is available now. The Nintendo DS is built like a tank. The Nintendo DS Lite will likely be more expensive.