DS Lite Hands-on
We wrap our mitts around the just-released-in-Japan handheld redesign.
Luckily, before the whole Japanese launch debacle, Nintendo hopped on over to the IGN offices to bring over the system so we could see what the big deal's about. Though the company still hasn't revealed when the system's making the hop over to the US, it's pretty obvious that the system will ship stateside eventually, and Nintendo's rightfully proud about the redesign enough to give us a preview.
When we get our final units in-house, we'll go through the usual photo shoot comparing sizes and differences between the two systems, as well as give you our final verdict if this system's more comfortable than the original or simply a handheld gaming crampfest. Until then, this early hands-on will have to do.
The unit Nintendo brought over was what the company claims is a "prototype" version, but realistically what we had in-hand was essentially what the Japanese (and the rare, lucky US importers) are currently playing. So the unit in-hand is, we're guessing, the final edition, with Nintendo playing it safe by offering the "prototype" disclaimer.
That said, this "prototype" is gorgeous, and once you see the DS Lite and hold it you'll wonder why Nintendo's going to still be producing the original Nintendo DS system -- everything on the original system has been tightened up and sleekened out, clearly aiming to gadgetize the look as close to the Revolution controller and Game Boy Micro as possible. Even the buttons and D-pad are similar to the remote control and mini GBA, right down to the D-pad style.
Most notably, the two screens are absolutely brilliant on the DS Lite, and clearly the biggest positive change to the whole system. The original LCDs on the original DS system were completely functional but they are, and always have been, a bit on the dark side. On the DS Lite, the screens can be set at four different illumination levels, and even at the lowest brightness setting the screens are brighter, more colorful, and have a wider viewing angle. The two screens work much better together on the DS Lite, not suffering from the "one bright/one dark" appearance of the original system.
The downside is the lack of brightness control on the Nintendo DS. To change the screen's light setting on the system, you tap the "sun" icon on the DS system's built-in menu system, the same one that's used on the standard DS to turn on and off the backlight. You'll have to set your system's brightness before you go into a game, and not during play - though this may be an option setting for future Nintendo DS software, similar to how many games have the "Turn Backlight On/Off" option as an in-game menu selection.
The buttons on the DS Lite move away from the cellphone style "clicky" feedback established on the Game Boy Advance SP system, and return to a softer, mushier sensation of the Game Boy Micro. Personally, I love this change, and it makes playing the games more comfortable.
The microphone, placed between the two screens on the tighter DS Lite hinge, makes way more sense up there than tucked down on the bottom left of the original unit. Here, players talk towards the display instead of away from it, which fits certain experiences like, say, Nintendogs, where you're supposed to have the impression of talking directly to the puppy.
You may have noticed in photos that the lower screen has been raised up on the Nintendo DS Lite system. The reason for this is so the two screens can collapse on themselves and prevent items -- like coins -- from slipping between the closed system and getting sandwiched in the middle...potentially scratching the displays.
The DS Lite stylus is a little fatter than the original one included with the first Nintendo DS, which means Nintendo's going to have to manufacture a different set of styluses for those who frequently lose them. And I'm going to miss using my meaty PDA Panache metal DS stylus since it can't be locked in the built in holder. Hopefully PDA Panache will be producing another line of DS Lite metal styluses for those who enjoy the extra weight…like me.
There has been a change in the AC adapter that the DS Lite uses -- the system loses the square port used on the original DS and Game Boy Advance SP system in favor of a port that looks suspiciously like the one utilized on the Game Boy Micro. But even though it shares the same look as the Micro's plug, the two are incompatible -- the Micro's AC adapter won't even fit in the DS Lite.
The smaller system structure does make the unit lighter, and the system definitely loses a bit of the Nintendo DS top-heavy feel. The shell of the DS Lite seems to be rather sturdy - the system's been designed with a clear covering surrounding the outside. The unit's color is underneath this clear shell, most likely protecting the paint job - anyone with a GBA SP or Nintendo DS can tell you that, as good as the coloring is on those systems, it's not resistant to wear-and-tear scuffs. The clear shell is rather shiny in an iPod sort of way, and it, admittedly, brings out casual fingerprints much more prominently than on previous Nintendo handheld systems. DS, welcome to the world of the PSP.
There's no question which unit I'd choose. The Nintendo DS Lite sleekens out and brightens up the system design into something that fits today's gadget-friendly society. I certainly think it's silly to find that some people are embarrassed to whip their Nintendo DS out in public, but at the very least I think this will be less of a problem when the DS Lite hits the market in the US.
We'll have more on the Nintendo DS Lite system in the coming days.