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.