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We bought this for our 6 year old daughter to replace the old version she "inherited" from her brother. The rest of us (brother, mom & dad) already have the DS Lite and LOVE linking up wirelessly and playing games as a family. Highly recommended.
card and download games to try before buying. My seven year old bought this with money she saved. The DS arrived as promised and works perfectly. We bought a Pokemon game which was too frustrating for my daughter--can't just get in and play. Although she doesn't have a lot of time to play it, when she does she enjoys the interactivity of the product. Check out buying a corevolution (). We downloaded Pokemondash which was a lot more fun and easier for a first time user. Haven't tried out the WiFi capabilities yet.
The only competitor is the Sony PSP, which is slightly more expensive, but comes with a larger range of features for general media, such as music and movies. Normal use of the stylus can scratch the bottom screen, so you may want to purchase protective filters to take the abuse instead. However the PSP and DS aren't really in direct competition, since they seem to be targeting different audiences. You can connect to the Internet if you have a wireless router or access to a Wi-fi hotspot, although the available features vary on a game-by-game basis.
The clamshell design helps protect the two screens from damage when the console isn't being used, although obviously it's a bad idea to throw or intentionally drop it. The Nintendo DS/DS Lite is the most popular game console and it's pretty clear why.First, about the hardware: the DS Lite is, as its name suggests, small, light, and easily portable. The built-in speakers are okay, but if you find their quality to be too low you can always plug in your own headphones. Because the hardware capabilities of the DS are roughly equivalent to the Nintendo 64, a lot of classic games from Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 are being ported to the DS (often with new functionality), so there already is a large built-in library of excellent games available.
Some of the games I've played so far on the DS are as good as the best games I've played on the computer or any consoles, period, so game developers are clearly taking DS development seriously. Both screens are well-lit, and you can actually adjust the brightness of the screens, if you want the battery to last longer, or if you find the brightest setting to be too bright. There is also a built-in microphone, as well as a microphone jack. The system is backwards compatible with Game Boy Advance games, but not Game Boy color or classic Game Boy games. (A quick proviso: I don't own the original Nintendo DS so I can't compare that to the DS Lite).Unlike Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo has definitely taken some risks in its hardware design over the past few years, and now that all the next-generation consoles have been out for a while it's clear Nintendo has made some winners.
There have also been a number of new games which take advantage of the touch-sensitive screen, some of which do so in truly innovative ways. The games are also quite affordable, usually costing between twenty and forty dollars. The DS Lite also has built-in Wi-fi and local wireless connectivity with other DS consoles, which really extends the playability of many games on the system. (For those of us old enough to remember Game Boy, the days of fiddling with link cables are thankfully over). Fortunately, the available selection of games for Nintendo DS is high-quality and varied. The bottom screen is touch-sensitive and is rather accurate; you'll want to use the included stylus (or a Nintendo licensed stylus) to make sure you don't inadvertently damage the screen. Some games feature true Internet play, while others have more limited Internet/multiplayer features.
Also, unlike Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo has deliberately decided to keep the focus of its systems on playing games. You can find games for more "casual" players, games for young children, "games" for learning languages or vocabulary, and, of course, more traditional video games. In summary, if you're looking for a handheld with a variety of fun games, look no further than the DS Lite. I would also say that the overall quality of games available on DS is slightly higher than the PSP, and of course the types of available games are much, much more diverse on the DS than the PSP.
So i sold it, bought PSP. I thought it'd satisfy my mind w/ fun games. Turns out, I couldn't keep my mind on playing it for more than an hour each game. Now I'm happy. Games are free for me since I modified both of those systems.
No problems yet (only have had it a month). It does all that it says it can do. Seems durable since it is for my 7 year old daughter.
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