Nintendo DS Buying Guide
Nintendo's first postGuide'>Handheld Gaming Guide to see how the DS Lite stacks up against other handhelds.
DS, DS Lite, and DSi
Nintendo released the
Nintendo Points as WiiWare for the Wii. As time passes, the DS Lite is increasingly being referred to simply as the DS, because it's more prominent in the marketplace than the original DS. The DSi is referred to by its full name to distinguish its functionality.
Specs
* The clamshell design of the
Nintendo DS Lite is like no other system. It is slim, compact, and uniform in shape all around.
* The DS Lite features two 3" backlit, LCD displays with adjustable brightness levels, 256 x 192 resolution and 260,000 colors. The lower screen is a touchscreen and can be manipulated via a stylus pen or a fingertip. The DSi's screens are slightly larger, with each coming in at 3.25 inches.
* The button layout sticks to Nintendo tradition. You'll find a directional pad and A, B, X and Y buttons along with Select, Start and two shoulder buttons. There is a headphone jack and a microphone. The DSi also has two cameras: one internal camera and one external camera on the back.
* The DS allows wireless multiplayer gameplay and communication between players within a 30-foot radius. Depending on the game, you can have multiplayer matches with up to 16 players, and even let friends temporarily download games that they don't own to play with you. Imagine competing with your friends on a crowded subway!
* More and more games are taking advantage of online play. Online games use the Nintendo WiFi Connection to allow multiplayer matches online and provide downloadable content. Visit
Nintendowifi.com for more information.
* With Nintendo's PictoChat communication tool you can draw images and send messages. Using your stylus you can write messages and send them to other DS systems within the range. Great for those who want to challenge other Nintendo DS owners to matches.
* The speakers on both sides of the hardware are loud. They can really bring the funk. There is also a standard-sized headphone jack.
* The Nintendo DS and DS Lite are backward compatible to
GameBoy Color games don't work on the systems though, and because of its smaller design, the DSi offers no backward compatibility with GameBoy Advance games.
* The graphics are a little better than the
Sony PSP handheld.
* The DSi features two cameras, one on the inside of the system and one on the outside of the system, which can be used to take pictures. The system also features a touchscreen photo editor and photos can be uploaded to the internet using Facebook or the Wii's Photo Channel.
* The DSi has an SD card slot and a music player, which allows you to rock out to tunes using the handheld's speakers or headphone jack.
* The rechargeable battery lasts for around 15 hours, depending on brightness and other usage factors.
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