UtadaBarkley
Member
The hype has reached a boiling point. Only one more day until we can officially get our hands on the uber-sexy, new and improved version of the Nintendo DS, appropriately named: DS Lite. AKA The Sun, wow that thing is bright.
Waiting in line, for the DS Lite. Sadly, most will walk away dissapointed.
Launch Date: March 2nd, 2006 for Crystal White. March 11th, 2006 for Enamel Navy, and Ice Blue.
Official Price: 16,800 yen ($140 USD)
Going Rate for Importers: $160 USD and rising...
Available Colors: The only color available on launch day is Crystal White, apparently Nintendo has had production problems resulting in quantity issues for the Enamel Navy, and Ice Blue colors. Crystal White will launch as scheduled on March 2nd, 2006, while the remaining two launch colors will be delayed a little over a week (9 Days), instead releasing on March 11th, 2006. You can read more about this slight delay, here, and here.
Size Means Everything: Indeed the DS Lite is a slim and trimmed version of the original DS. It's like Cool Whip Lite compared to Cool Whip...that is, except it's a lot cooler.
And most likely tastes better.
Original DS Dimensions: 148.7 mm wide by 84.7 mm tall by 28.99 mm thick
DS Lite Dimensions: 133 mm wide by 73.9 mm tall by 21.5 mm thick (42% smaller!)
The DS Lite also weighs a lot less at 218 grams (21% lighter!), compared to the Original DS weight of 275 grams.
Additional Aesthetics:
Stylus Size has also increased in a response to complaints that the original was ergonomically straining. The new stylus is an additional centimeter in length, and millimeter in diameter.
The D-pad has also reduced in size to accommodate the system's new slim and trim figure. The DS Lite features a D-pad that's similar to the Game Boy Micro pad.
While the face buttons (A,B,X,Y) share the same dimensions as those featured on the original DS, they do happen to be aligned slightly higher than they were on the original outing. This is presumably for ergonomic reasons. The buttons have also changed in color to whites & grays.
The microphone has thankfully moved to the center of the console, and the speakers are in a more centered position as well.
The remainder of the buttons, Select, Start, and Power have also been repositioned. Select and Start now appear beneath the face buttons, and the Power button appears on the right side of the console in a slide style, similar to that of the Playstation Portable.
Say goodbye to the thumb strap! As it's not included with the DS Lite... (You can buy one here though)
...but, the DS Lite does come with a GBA slot cover, which is useful for keeping dust out of your GBA cartridge slot. Hey, you win some you lose some I guess.
Built in software: It's the same stuff we've been using for the last year. All the languages are there, it's still region free, and Picto Chat is still useless since it still doesn't support infrastructure Wi-Fi.
A/C Adapter compatibility: For the millionth time, no. The DS Lite's A/C adapter is proprietary. That is, it won't work with any past or present Nintendo adapters. (Yes, that includes the Micro.)
Brightness: I've already mentioned it once, so I'm not going to do it again, but the DS Lite's screen is just as bright, if not brighter than you know who... It also happens to make the original DS screen look like mere child's play. In other words, if vehicle manufacturers ever mass market solar cars, I'm using my DS Lite to power mine.
The new unit features four levels of brightness, compared to the original's binary level of luminance. You know, on or off. Liksang has some really good comparison shots, so if you're not a believer, you soon shall be.
Brightness Level 1
Brightness Level 2
Brightness Level 3
The Sun
You can view the rest of Liksang's comparison shots, here.
Battery Life: This is always a huge deal when it comes to handheld platforms. Thankfully, Nintendo has once again scored big for gamers.
Lowest brightness setting: A whopping 15-19 hours
Highest brightness setting: A very respectable 5-8 hours
Wanna Pre Order?: If you didn't pre-order EARLY (meaning shortly after pre-orders were initially available) chances are your DS Lite won't be among the first shipment of units. If you absolutely must have one now and want a first shipment, you may be able to score one granted you agree to pay a premium price. So far that price is quoted at around $300 USD and rising...
Where to Pre-Order? As the popularity of gaming rises, the amount of import options continues to increase. Here's a few of the more popular options:
Liksang $169.00 USD
Crystal White
Enamel Navy
Ice Blue
Play-Asia $169.90 USD
Crystal White
Enamel Navy
Ice Blue
Yes Asia $199.00 USD w/free worldwide shipping.
Crystal White
Enamel Navy
Ice Blue
NCSX $169.00 USD (First shipment closed)
Crystal White
Enamel Navy
Ice Blue
Of course, there are also other ways to import a DS Lite. You may want to start here. Of course, having a friend that lives in Japan is always a great help, especially with low shipment numbers resulting in the inevitable price gouging. If you can go that route, your friend is dependable, and doesn't mind braving long lines, it is a recommended alternative.
Photos:
Crystal White
Ice Blue
Navy Enamel (or Black Enamel if you think blue looks like black)
More Photos:
So Fresh and so clean, clean...
The Black DS Lite.
Damn, now I'm forced to buy Princess Peach
Continuing with the whole ipod look and feel
That's not one, but TWO extremely bright screens.
Links:
Official DS Lite Website
Liksang Hands-on
I myself have pre-ordered at two locations, Yes Asia, and NCSX. Here's hoping I can score from one of the two... I'm not gonna get my hopes up too high though. Quantities are extremely limited. I'll keep this thread updated as often as possible. Feel free to add your input, launch impressions, and of course plenty of photos!