Product ReviewsNintendo DS Lite Crimson Handheld System - Red/Black

Not the latest and greatest system, but still has some great games and is worth the discounted price.

If your not quite ready to buy a 3DS and/or just want to re-experience some of your old childhood games. The Nintendo DS is a good choice as a system. Just bear in mind that Nintendo no longer supports online play through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for this system, so don't buy any games that use that feature extensively.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: nikkispin

DS

The DS would be great if it would charge. Bought it for our grandson for Christmas. He played with it and loved it until it needed to be charged. Neither of the chargers work. We bought him extra games that of course he can't use. Taking it to see if the charging port can be fixed. Praying it gets fixed.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: tpwoodchuck

Nintendo DS Lite

Nintendo loves to reinvent their handheld video game consoles, and we'd probably make fun of them if they weren't so good at it. Take their new DS Lite, for example. This handheld video game console is better than the original in almost every way, and yet Nintendo is selling it for the same price.

Obviously, the DS Lite is smaller and lighter than the original video game console. But until you hold it in your hands, you don't realize how much smaller it really is. The DS Lite is nearly two-thirds the size of the original console--about as small as Nintendo could make it and still have room for both screens and both hands.

The dual screens have also been improved. There are four brightness settings available, and even the dimmest one is brighter than the original DS console. The bottom screen is still the touch screen, although the stylus is now stored in the right edge of the video game console.

The button layout of the video game console has undergone some changes as well. The D-pad is slightly smaller, but feels just as responsive, and the Start and Select buttons have been relocated below the main buttons on the right side. The power switch is now on the right edge of the video game console, eliminating any confusion between on/off and start/select.

The DS Lite is still backwards compatible with the vast library of GameBoy Advance games, but the smaller frame means that the GBA cartridges stick out of the system when they're inserted. It doesn't interfere with the gameplay, however, and the video game console comes with a filler cartridge that protects the GBA slot when not in use.

Like the original DS, the Lite features built-in WiFi for multiplayer gaming. There's no Web browser available yet, but the free online service allows for head-to-head playing of many DS titles.

The video game console is only available in white here in the U.S., although other colors are on the way. But iPod white isn't so bad, since it's been reported that the darker colors really pick up fingerprint smudges.

If you already own a Nintendo DS, you may not find the smaller redesign worth the upgrade. But if you're in the market for a handheld video game console, the Nintendo DS Lite is the one to choose.

Pros: Much smaller and sleeker, brighter screens
Cons: GBA cartridges stick outRead full review...

review from an 80's style adult. Adult owned DS

For me as an adult who LOVES those mario bros. type games. Lived through the 80's NES and Genesis systems! And used to them!

I think there's MORE things I DON'T like about the DS than I like about the DS systems

The things I can say I like are

1) Great portability! Easy to pack all the games in one small case (I have a storage case for it) Take it anywhere. The fun part! For example: play it while we wait for our meal to come when we go to sizzler etc! (2 points of 10)
2) These can play all the Gameboy Advance games! Including my favorites! Super Mario 3 Thus.. backward capatible! NICE! (1 point of 10)
3) The games like Mario 64 and mario Kart etc avalible here! (3 points of 10)

NOW WHAT I DON'T LIKE as an adult whos USED to the older systems!!!!

1) The touch screen is DIFFICULT for me to use and get used to! I always have a problem using the touch screen as a 3D stick! Even with those plastic pencils! WISH IT HAD SOME KIND OF BUILT IT 3D JOYSTICK! THEY WORK MUCH BETTER! (Minus 3 points from a 10)
2) The Gameboy advance cartrides stick out while using. Dont like it. Prone for accidently hitting that part. (No biggi)
3) Really dont like the duel screens. I can at times be distracting while playing when both are on. (No biggi)
4) Dont care that much for the touch screen feature. Its too EASY to accidently push the "wrong botton". Have to be careful while moving from bedroom to living room not to touch anything as an example! (minus 1 point from a 10)
5) games COST TOO MUCH! As much as the Xbox 360 or Wii games! Even the DS system is expensive to buy! $129 as of 10-09 (I dont care, oh well)
6) Those DS cartridges! You have to BE VERY CAREFUL with them. They're very small and really easy for someone to "snatch" one or easy to accidently "slip" out of your pocket! (hasnt been an issue yet)

So all in all. One of the BIGGEST thing I really really DISLIKE is the lack of built in 3D joysick! I just CANNOT and UNABLE to use the touch screen as a joystick. Never been able to make it work right!

So the rating I would give as an adult whos used to the 80's NES. I would give a 6 out of 10. If the DS console had somekind of built in 3D joystick, I WOULD really love the DS (9 of 10)!!!Read full review...

Nintendo DS Lite

A leap forward in handheld gaming...but STILL a tremendous waste of time, lol.

The touch screen is very nice and easy...tyhe multiplayer no longer needing a cord is hot.

Wish there were more security settings on the CHAT, or wish it could be disabled for younger children.
WIll reach a couple of houses down...too far if you ask me.

Still, really nice screens and computing power.
No support for the original Gameboy games, only Gameboy Advanced, so don't throw away or sell your SP just yet.

Seems to be a bit tougher than I expected, also.
The hinge is reallt strong (was worried).

Charger is also much smaller, convenient on trips. The games are smaller too.
Easy to pack.

Hope this helps...Read full review...

Great gaming for visual learners

The Nintendo DS was based on a great premise: get the user involved physically in their games. By having to use both hands, mind, mouth, and ears it helps with the immersion and fun factor of gaming. I will admit that I was, at first, put off by the types of games that were normally associated with this system. Now that I am familiar with it as well as it's large array of games among all of the genres, l would and have recommended the Nintendo DS to both hardcore gamers and hobbyists as well as everyone in between.
With such a wide breadth of genres for this system, anyone and everyone in the household will be looking for someone to set it down. My advice is to buy at least 2!Read full review...

Wonderful System....Entertaining...but a design flaw

I originally purchased The Nintendo DS Lite System from Best Buy for my 9-yr-old son for Christmas last year. He has enjoyed it all year long especially with any of the Pokemon series games, in which I started to play a bit of. It keeps him entertained, especially on long road trips. He takes it EVERYWHERE except school. I highly recommend getting a carrying case that can hold the system and a few of the games, also a couple of extra styluses because they do get lost.

The only issue with the system was in its actual design. The system, maybe from being carried it his pocket, had broken on the right hinge. I found out later that many of the systems had done the same thing. So this thing has to be handled carefully and is not as durable as it appears. Another issue was that out-of-the blue the system would not power on. I was impressed with how the people at Nintendo worked with me. They saw that I had registered his DS (MAKE SURE U REGISTER ONLINE WHEN U FIRST BUY) and that it was still covered under the year warranty. So all I had to do was send it to them and they fixed it. It came back just in time--my son was going through DS Lite withdrawal.Read full review...

The best DS model to date.

The Nintendo DS is one of my favorite systems of all time, second only to my old N64 (we go way back). This particular DS I bought for my boyfriend for Christmas, and when it arrived it looked brand new.

Everything functioned correctly EXCEPT the charge port, which is sometimes unresponsive to the charger. This is the same problem I had with my old DS, which from experience I knew was fixable for cheap, so I won't criticize this too much. Part of the lack of durability in the DS is for the weightless carrying, so things are bound to get a little banged up, and I bought it used; for the price, it was an excellent deal.

A note about the DS is that unfortunately, Nintendo is moving too fast in producing new consoles (I swear there's been a new one every year, each of which was actually worse than the last) and there isn't enough time for a lot of good games to be made for any of them. The lack of backwards-compatibility in the newest ones doesn't help the situation. They did release two Legend of Zelda games from the Wind Waker timeline, but they were a little disappointing, as were the new Pokemon games. These two series are the ones I look forward to playing the most.

One game I would recommend that was really excellent was Rune Factory and its sequels. These games were a lot of fun. Overall, the DS Lite is the best DS model to date (in my opinion) and I would buy it again if I needed to. It is something I plan to introduce to my kids, like my parents introduced me to the original Nintendo.Read full review...

Good system for 7-yr-old

1. Child's point of view (7 yr old)
a. At first, he was more excited about the concept of owning it than actually playing it.
b. He started with Mario DS 64, which had been recommended to us. Neither he nor I could figure out how to play then game, which I think was the source of his less enthusiasm in playing it.
c. Then he saw "Uncle M" - a GREAT video game player, who took him out and bought him Pokemon Diamond, showed him how to play it, and then he was off. (All the games that I carefully researched as thinking he would like are completely shunned in a junk heap worth a few hundred dollars:-(.

Bottom Line: I think there should be something that makes it easier to figure out what to do in the game if you've had no video game experience before.

2. From Mom's point of view
a. Help out us 40+ year old clueless parents who want to learn this stuff but don't have the 6 hours a day that our kids do to play it!
-Where is the Pokemon for Dummies book? (I'm being serious)
-Where is the Nintendo DS Lite for Dummies book? (I'm still being serious)
-Where is the Nintendo DS (or any other video game system) for idiot parents who were almost graduating from high school when Atari first came out? (Still being serious)
- There needs to be books out there (books understandable by clueless parents) to help parents become involved or at least ask or answer the right questions.

b. there need to be picture guides out there for how to play the game(s) - I know that there are some. My brother, the really cool "Uncle M" gave me one for the Pokemon book and I bought one for another of my shunned games. But these books need to be even more basic at the beginning that you experienced or even beginner players may realize. I can understand the law, physics, chemistry, classical Greek, Rome and European literature and other such subjects a heck of a lot easier than I can figure out what to do with Mario after he first appears on screen (I'm sure having him fall into the river/ocean constantly was not the correct move) - give me a road map - tell me where I'm supposed to go - have a starter's game/series so people can get used to the different moves in a sequential order, etc.!

c. Okay, now I'm speaking as a mom - given its price, the thought of that thing falling and breaking terrifies me. I almost had a heart attack when he ran around a large kitchen while holding on to the DS Lite even though it was protected by the Nerf cover - what good is the cover if the DS itself is open when it falls? The least accessory companies could do is make a good bag that will hold everything (including a DS in a Nerf Cover - not just a DS without the nerf cover) but not be as bulky as a large camera bag or as bulky and inflexible as a metal lunch box. There also need to be thin (not thick) plastic game cases that each hold about 6 games that can just be thrown in the pouch. And come on, we may be in our 40s-50s but we don't want to carry around ugly looking bags either.

3. my compaints
a. it's too hard to figure out ahead of time if your child will like the game or not - there needs to be greater descriptions of the games within the boxes and the covers themselves
b. There needs to be more information contained in the flyer/literature on how to play.
c. there needs to be a crash course in learning
d. My 7 year old son should let me play with it - afterall I bought it :-)

worth getting - DS Lite is better than DS - cf side by side.Read full review...

Nintendo DS Lite

Nintendo DS Lite is arguably the best of the DS upgrades. XL being preferred to some by its bigger size, it is in the versatility that the Lite shines. Nintendo DS Lite is the smallest out of all the DS handhelds and in effect is easier to travel with. It fits comfortably in most adult pockets or purse. The system is also the lightest in weight.

The biggest advantage the Lite has compared to the newer DSI and XL is that it includes a Gameboy Advance(GBA) slot. DSI and XL removed that slot to put in a camera. Has a result Nintendo DS Lite is compatible with older games from the GBA series. Camera may sound appealing to some, is hardly worth the removal of backward compatibility with older generation system. This particular slot is also used in various new DS games. Band Hero, Guitar Hero, and the Pokemon series come to mind. Pokemon DS series allow the importing of Pokemons from the GBA series. Band Hero use the slot to play guitar, so on.

However, even with all the benefit there is one flaw the console has that cannot be overlooked. The hinges of the dual screens are likely to break. Putting a hard casing and taking proper care of the console does help prevent that. Hard casing is almost mandatory if you wish to prevent it from breaking for a child. Nerf or Hori Brand hard casing are my recommendation however any works.

That being said, the real reason any person should consider buying a console is for the games it can play. Nintendo DS has some of the best Role Playing Game(RPG) and Puzzle games this generation. RPG like Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and Pokemon Series have remakes of old classics as well as new version exclusively for the DS. Puzzle games like Professor Layton, Brain Age, 9 Hours 9 Doors 9 Persons, and Phoenix Wright are among the best the DS has to offer. The system also has traditional Nintendo games like Mario, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Metroid, Zelda, and so on. There are many other great games, I merely named some because there tend to be a few people who buy the console but don't know what games to buy.

Overall, the Nintendo DS Lite is superior to the DSI and XL in that it allow the owner to play a bigger game library. DSI and XL have built in camera, if prefer that to more game options, then should consider buying those instead. The console must be treated with care or with extra protection(Hard Casing) because it does have a decent probability of breaking from the hinges if abused. Other then that the game selection is superb and I highly recommend trying any of the Nintendo DS consoles.Read full review...

A great vintage gaming experience

A great vintage gaming experience, assuming you were born after 2000. This product is a 2006 redesign of a 2004 DS. The screen is larger but the device is smaller than the 2004 version. Runs both game boy ans ds cartridges. The next version (Dsi) does not have a game boy slot which makes this a very versatile device with more choices of games, assuming you can find them.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: heart_and_seoul...