Nintendo DS Lite

• Platform: Nintendo DS
• Published by: Nintendo
• Developed by: Nintendo
• Release Date: 2006
• Genre: Other
• Multiplayer: Yes
• Online: Yes

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Nintendo DS Lite Enamel Navy Hands-On

-- March 28, 2006 by: Chris Remo

For a while after its release, many gamers weren't quite sure what to make of the Nintendo DS. It was a new portable system from Nintendo, but it wasn't a Game Boy despite having Game Boy Advance backwards compatibility. The launch lineup wasn't particularly strong, and the stylus, additional screen, and microphone were met with a fair degree of skepticism. Finally, the machine just wasn't that attractive. Fortunately, a few months down the line, DS solved most of those problems. The games library improved at a remarkable pace, and showcase titles for each of the system's unique capabilities were released. Unfortunately, the console itself didn't get any prettier.

That changed this January, when Nintendo announced DS Lite, a smaller, cleaner, lighter, and brighter version of the handheld. Manufactured with smooth, reflective plastic, it shares design cues with the company's upcoming console Revolution and with Apple products. When the Crystal White model DS Lite launched in Japan on March 2, the regular DS had already been selling out for months, so demand for the new unit was even stronger. What this meant to me was that I wouldn't be getting my preorder any time soon. The following week, Enamel Navy and Ice Blue models launched, but demand hadn't let up. Anyway, fast forward to this morning, when I finally received my Enamel Navy unit, all ready for hands on impressions.

Before actually digging in with the DS Lite itself, it's apparent that with its new industrial design aesthetic, Nintendo is taking a different marketing angle as well. The DS Lite packaging is much more minimal than that of any prior Nintendo console. The box is very sparse, with a closed DS Lite and its stylus set over a white background on the front, and an open DS Lite pictured on the back. Specifications and warnings are confined to one spine. Well, I assume that's what they are. I can't read Japanese.

On to the console. Upon first handling the unit, it's somewhat surprising how much smaller it feels than its first generation counterpart. On paper, the size and weight reductions do not seem particularly huge, but coupled with the significant design improvements they make a big difference. The angled look is gone; all the machine's lines are clean and concise. There are no longer gaps of any kind when it is folded, and in the event that some kind of small object does get trapped between the two surfaces, the touch screen is set in a raised bezel to prevent anything from coming in contact with either screen when closed. DS Lite is much thinner than DS, with the combined closed top and bottom sections of DS Lite measuring only just slightly taller than the bottom section of the original DS. The plastic used on the inside of DS Lite has a matte finish, somewhat like the plastic used on the bottom of the original DS. The case, however, has smooth and shiny plastic similar to that used in the PSP. Also like the PSP, it picks up fingerprints fairly easily, and has the same effect of making you feel very conscious about how you hold the thing. I find myself frequently wiping off the casing to keep it as shiny as possible. If you've owned a PSP or similar device, you know what I mean. Interestingly, the iconic Nintendo badging has been removed from the device's cover, and replaced with an embossed double rectangle motif evoking the console's two screens. I suspect this is largely due to the console's success in Japan, where it has become more of a national cultural phenomenon than a piece of gaming hardware.

In functional terms, the biggest improvement is with those two screens. There really isn't much point trying to describe how much brighter they are, you'll just have to check out the comparison shots. I remember being happy with the frontlit Game Boy Advance SP when it replaced the frustratingly unlit original GBA. Then the DS came out with significantly brighter screens than the SP. I never noticed any big deficiencies with those until I got my Lite. This thing has four brightness settings, and even the dimmest one is noticeably brighter than the regular DS screens. To see comparison shots between the DS and DS Lite on all four levels starting with the lowest, click the image to the left, and continue clicking through the next three images. It gets so bright that my camera really wasn't able to accurately record the difference between the third and fourth levels, but you can definitely see it in person. In addition to just the brightness, the contrast is significantly improved and the colors are much more vibrant. This is most apparent in brightly colored games such as Mario Kart DS. Furthermore, the viewing angle on both screens is much greater.

There have been several changes to the layout and feel of the buttons as well. The d-pad and four face buttons have been moved slightly higher, the start and select buttons have been relocated undermeath the face buttons, and the power button has become a PSP-like power slider and moved to the right edge of the device, out of the way of accidental thumb presses. Most of the buttons on DS Lite also have a softer feel than their counterparts on DS. The biggest improvement is in the d-pad. It is a bit smaller than the original, but it also loses the shallow "clickiness" of its predecessor. As a result, it feels much more tactile and is easier to manipulate. It's a big help in Mario Kart DS, which requires the player to mash opposing directions on the d-pad to perform a power slide boost; on the DS Lite, your thumb hardly needs to move at all to accomplish this. The face buttons have been given the same treatment, having a deeper and softer feel than the short clicks of the original buttons. The shoulder buttons retain more of the original clickiness, but are still softened to some degree.

To my great relief, the stylus included is significantly bigger than the original one in both length and diameter, sliding in horizontally instead of vertically. It also loses those two annoying ridges on the hilt, which I sometimes found digging into my skin. The microphone has been moved to a more sensible position in between the two screens, as have the power and wi-fi indicator lights. DS Lite also comes packaged with a Game Boy Advance cartidge slot cover, allowing the machine to retain its smooth lines when there is no GBA game inserted. The GBA cartridge slot also happens to contain what is, as far as I can tell, this machine's only real flaw. Presumably due to having to pack the same hardware into a smaller body, there isn't enough room in the device for an entire GBA cartridge, so the cartridge protrudes about one centimeter. This doesn't affect any aspect of the device other than its looks, but it is worth mentioning. Intruigingly, the cartridge slot cover actually has a series of metal contacts, just like a real cartridge. While there is no actual data stored inside the cover, it is quite an appealing notion to imagine DS browser or PDA software shipping in one of these smaller cartridges. The chances of this happening are next to none, but it's a nice dream. Rumors do suggest, however, that the upcoming DS version of Opera will use a GBA cartridge RAM expansion to facilitate web browsing, and that will ship in two physical sizes to fit either DS or DS Lite. Oddly, the power adapter connector has a different shape than the one used with Game Boy Advance SP and DS. It looks somewhat like the Game Boy Micro adapter, but it's not quite the same. You'll just have to use the one that comes in the box.

Nintendo has confirmed that DS Lite will eventually be released worldwide, but the company has yet to announce release dates for any non-Japanese territories. Some have been speculating that it will make it to these shores in May in order to capitalize on the launch of the highly anticipated New Super Mario Bros. More than anything else, the release date probably hinges on when Nintendo can meet demand for the unit in Japan. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata stated recently that he expects the situation to be remedied in April. If you want to import a unit, don't worry about region encoding or language problems; DS systems and games have no form of region encoding, and every language option is built into every system. The only thing to note is that if you live in a territory that does not use 100V/110V power, you'll have to obtain an appropriate voltage converter. Then, of course, there's the issue of price. Since DS Lite is in such high demand, most Japanese retailers are charging a hefty premium for the unit, above Nintendo's suggested retail price. (For some perspective on the matter, used units of the original DS have been selling for more than their new retail suggested price.) I suppose that's what you get for wanting to be ahead of the curve.

All in all, DS Lite represents a significant improvement over the original DS model in just about every way. It features better design and materials, the screens are enormously brighter, the button configuration and feel is much improved, it includes a larger stylus, and it's smaller and lighter. The only conceivable downsides are the fingerprint-prone nature of the shiny plastic, and the slight protrusion of GBA cartridges. Other than those very minor points, this is a great piece of hardware. Not much more needs to be said.

For additional comparison shots, as well as details of the screens, power adapter, stylus, and more, check out our gallery.

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