The DS Lite feels old · 2006-04-16 00:19 by Damian
Clarification, I certainly don’t mean old as in boring or outdated, rather old as in a nice acquaintance from long ago. The other day I decided to go grab a DS Lite even though I already have a standard DS. I was mainly doing it for the better displays that everybody keeps raving about. I agree, the displays are a big step forward, just as expected. However, what really surprised me was the difference made by the slight change of shape.
Shape, what do you mean?
Well, the changes made are rather , you’ve all seen the pictures. A little lighter, a little slimmer, all in all it shouldn’t be too much to write home about. But it is! You’re not going to fully appreciate the difference until you hold it in your hands or slip it into your pocket. Demo stations in various stores usually have the units firmly tethered, so you’ll probably not have the revelation there either.
However, once you get your hands on one and unpack it, you will notice the difference. My first thought was that is feels like holding 20 year-old dual screen Game&Watch, and I mean that in a good way. Anybody who was around in those days will probably have fond memories of Game&Watch, the first true portable electronic games. The old DS certainly feels a lot more clumsy in comparison, the DS Lite is a lot more pocketable. The only gripe I have would be the new Start and Select buttons, they are way too tiny. Some games have you reaching for them regulary, that could be a slight problem.
Reminiscence
Just to reminisce a little, I dug out a dusty Oil Panic from storage. Those really were the days. Holding the two systems side by side, it’s really amazing to see how far things have come in 20 years. To see the move from pre-drawn LCD characters to back-lit, full color LCD’s showing 3D graphics is awsome, all in a package of roughly the same size.
I certainly hope that 20 years from now, Nintendo will still be alive and healthy. If they keep turning out products as good as the DS lite, I’m convinced they will be. In that case, that day 20 years on when Nintendo releases their latest creation, I’ll be waiting in line – trust me.
Get one
Not convinced yet? Once the DS Lite shows up on a storeshelf near you, go and try for yourself. Or if you can’t wait, order an imported one, for example from Lik-Sang, they seem to be in stock now.
Or if you want a little of that really old-school gaming, there’s usually a bunch of Game & Watch-stuff up for grabs on eBay.
Now, if I could find a nice Donkey Kong Jr… :)
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