Cabel.Cabel.

National DS Day

Dear Readers,

Sorry for the post-E3 tumbleweeds around here. For what it's worth, I spent a couple of weeks in Japan, and then got sucked back into my (exciting) Panic-related work upon my return. Returning from vacation is, as they say in China, like putting a mouse on a frog on a cat on a cock (rooster) — a delicate balancing act, to be sure!

Anyway, I'm back, a ton of stuff is going on lately, and I have a lot of topics to post about in the coming weeks — including stories, photos, and movies from Japan!

Enough about me:

Today, if you didn't know, was the Nintendo DS LIte USA release day!

So, after all my hullabaloo, I feel obligated to ask: did you get one? How'd it go? Is it everything you thought it would be? Are you disappointed in any way? What do you think of that death backlight? Etc. etc.

Let me know! Post a comment! Tell your story!

While doing a bit of shopping today I tried to poke in and check availability around the Portland area. Our local Fred Meyer was sold out, but the really bizarre Best Buy near the airport seemed to have quite a few sitting on the shelves! I guess that's... good? Did you have any trouble finding yours?

(PS: And for no obvious reason, here's my layered Photoshop File for the above graphic. Drop in your own screens! Shadows/higlights are free!)

132 Comments:

I got one! I totally got one.

The whiteness...
Anonymous joshbzin 6/11/2006 10:03 PM  
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
Blogger moof 6/11/2006 10:18 PM  
You may remember me from the "look around you reference" email...

Yeah I got one, May the 31st, the day before they were released in Australia. Love it. The only problem is it's quite distracting from my end of semester studies :(

I got with the DS: Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town, Tales of Phantasia, Zelda: Minish Cap, and Mario Kart DS.

The only thing that is annoying is that I had to make another profile for my Airport Express with lower security so the DS can connect to the Nintendo WiFi Connection. Profile support does make it easier though, thanks Apple. Thapple.
Blogger moof 6/11/2006 10:20 PM  
a store at the mall i work at got their shipment in about a week and a half earlier. they were selling them for 150 unless you got a game with it, then it would drop to 130. i used to have a ds, but it got stolen and when i heard that japan got the ds lites i wanted one. i tried to import one, but it kept not working out. so when the store got their shipment the manager told me and hooked it up!!! i'm sooooo pleased with it! i love it so badly. i've been playing animal crossing every chance i get. i want to get mario kart too, but i'm a college student working part time with a wife and kid to support... oh well. mario kart can wait..
Blogger youthinasia 6/11/2006 10:23 PM  
I picked one up today and I have to say...

I underestimated the brightness of the DS Lite. I didn't know it'd be THAT BRIGHT. I mean I can see it crystal clear in direct sunlight. Damn, man.

Anyways, currently enjoying Sudoku on BrainAge with a bit of Tetris and NSMB inbetween.

But just because the DS Lite came out doesn't mean you should stop doing videos! Review more stuff! PLEASE!!
Anonymous Gearharaden 6/11/2006 10:25 PM  
The screens are ridiculous. I've settled nicely into the the third brightest setting and am now unable to look at my original DS. It looks like the backlights are broken.

All in all, I'm quite impressed. The build is solid, very Apple-esque.

Unboxing pr0n: http://www.flickr.com/photos/60049907@N00/sets/72057594050517786/
Anonymous Ryan 6/11/2006 10:39 PM  
Wasn't able to pick one up. I might be needing to replace my poor iPod Mini soon so I couldn't drop the cash on the Lite.

I am loving NSMB, and I may pick up brain training next week.

I only know one other DS owner in PDX (well two if you count my Mom). Maybe I should hang out at Backspace or something. Where do DS owners hang out?
Anonymous jollus 6/11/2006 10:43 PM  
I got a ds lite today also and it is one of the sweetest portable gaming devises iv ever had. plus it brings me back to the old days of life...sitting at home and playing game boy all summer long.
its one of the best addictions to have.
thank you Cabel
thank you so much for reopening the door to portable gaming
and keep doing the video reviews, i love them.
(thats what made me want to buy a DS lite in the first place)

thanks again!!!
Anonymous the brown coat 6/11/2006 10:49 PM  
I'm the UK so I have to wait until the 22nd (AFAIK) to get one :(
Probably going to need a new wifi router if I want to use Nintendo wifi. Probably get it with one or two games. Anyone got any reccomendations? (I was thinking Mario Kart and NSMB)
Anonymous Tommy 6/12/2006 12:35 AM  
I picked it up today, largely because of your awesome review videos. So many other places dance around all the specs and comparisons, but you got right to the point, and had a music-montage. In other words, you win. Thanks for the rad videos.

-Jay
Anonymous Jay 6/12/2006 12:37 AM  
Being an Australian, I've had mine for a while :D

"http://members.iinet.net.au/~decryption/dslite/DSC_0905.jpg

I love it :D

Can't wait for Brain Age to come out this week too. Or maybe not, the New Super Mario Brothers is keeping me very occupied.
Anonymous Anthony 6/12/2006 12:41 AM  
dude...I'm soooo gonna digg this!
Anonymous Anonymous 6/12/2006 1:09 AM  
Well, my dad was late to taking me to Best Buy to get my DS Lite, and I was going to kill him if they had ran out.. but suprisingly, they had a ton of them in stock... so, I got that, plus AC: Wild World. It was almost everything i thought it would be. Actually... it was, the only problem/disappointment was my game choice. I mean, Animal Crossing is a great game, but thats the only game i got... and its not the sort of game you sit down and play for a long time.. but when I get more games, I'm sure that the DS Lite will be everything I ever imagined... especially once I get somewhere with an open WiFi connection.

The death backlight? Wow, that thing is strong. I usually play it on the second or third setting (the first being.. the least, and the fourth being death). I mean, I went out to feed the dogs, and since I couldn't find my flashlight, I just turned my DS to death, and I had no problem seeing (ok, slight exageration... but it was very bright.. and I had barely any problem seeing)
Blogger Dustin 6/12/2006 1:18 AM  
I picked up my DS Lite today. Was smart and pre-ordered. I also returned my old DS for a decent trade-in price.

So, thoughts about the new DS. Well, it's certainly shinier and prettier. And lighter. And smaller. And... well, you get the idea. It's revitalizing my interest in playing DS games. I just hope this new-found strength lasts ;)

And as for the death setting, I like it, but I'll probably knock it down one notch for regular use.
Anonymous Kevin Ballard 6/12/2006 1:59 AM  
Cabel! Welcome back! I'll be picking up the godly white box later this week with my next paycheck... thanks in large part to your kickass reviews. Thanks!
Anonymous The Flying Dutchman 6/12/2006 3:05 AM  
I got mine at Best Buy (NoHo, NYC). I showed up at about 11:30 (they opened at 11). There weren't any lines or anything, but the dude manning the special DS table said a good amount of people had been there already. Luckily, I was able to grab the last free copy of Brain Age. I don't know how many DS units were left (they were all hidden under one of the checkout counters), but I got one without waiting in line/much effort.

Oh, and as far as the DS Lite itself goes: freaking awesome. New Super Mario Bros. rules and-- despite the praise on this site-- I am still surprised at how much fun Brain Age is.
Anonymous Anonymous 6/12/2006 4:40 AM  
Being a european sucks big time, I mean like huge. These 10 days will be the longest 10 days in my life.
On the other hand though, we do get the black Lite. Wiii! What color do you like better Cabel?
Anonymous Anonymous 6/12/2006 4:46 AM  
I got to Game Crazy (Gamecrazy? GameCrazy?) half an hour after opening and snagged the last non-reserved one, with the next-to-last New Super Mario Bros. and Big Brain Academy.

NSMB is done so very well. It gets everything right about the franchise that Lucas screwed up about Star Wars. Magic.
Anonymous Drew Bell 6/12/2006 4:50 AM  
I picked up mine may 31 when the target here in town started selling them early. I picked up tetris and super mario. Both very fun, both killing productivity like crazy.
Anonymous brian 6/12/2006 5:52 AM  
Hi,
I picked mine up at Best Buy yesterday around 1pm. No lines and many in stock. Heck, the "video game guy" didn't even know they were in stock. Weird.

My wife and I have yet to open it yet; maybe tonight!!!
Anonymous Anonymous 6/12/2006 6:01 AM  
We drove up to a local Wal-Mart around 11:30 on the 10th. Of course the lady at the counter had absolutley no idea about the launch and continued to tell us they didn't have them. This was after 3 or 4 phone calls during the day to verify they would have DS lites at midnight. After waiting anxiously for 30 minutes a stock guy found the box that contained the systems so then my friends and I were happy. We took home 5 lites at midnight and stayed up play NSMB.

I was fairly suprised nobody else was waiting around for one. I imagined that the DS Lite would have had a line inside, but no. I can think of at least 2 or 3 other handheld launches that had a line during the midnight hour. Hmm.

I think all of us were very happy with the DS Lite overall. One of our systems did have a dead pixel that turned crazy colors at the wrong times which was very annoying, so that will be going back to the store soon. I was very happy with the slightly larger pen for the lite and I also noticed that the bottom screen seems to clean up nicer than the DS and also seems much less prone to scratching or marks from the stylus. The death backlight is great, and I noticed there is a lot more pink than I expected to see in Wario Ware.

Overall: Very Happy. Bring on the DS Lite colors!
Anonymous mrjones 6/12/2006 6:56 AM  
I was waiting to get mine yesterday at a Best Buy when they opened. There were three other people in line ahead of me for DS Lites. I had a Best Buy coupon for a free copy of Brain Training when you bought a DS Lite and I also picked up the New Super Mario Bros game.

This is the first portable game machine I have bought and I am loving it. The DS Lite is such and awesome machine.
Anonymous mhinton 6/12/2006 7:10 AM  
I picked one up yesterday as well. Headed to the Best Buy in Bellevue, WA and they had plenty of them. There were no lines or anything else to worry about and I even showed up about an hour after they opened.

I'm loving it so far. I appreciate Nintendo for being able to play classic games that I grew up with and love like Zelda, Mario, etc.. I had a PSP awhile ago and never really found any games that I could get in to. I'm very impressed with it so far, thanks for all the reviews.

BTW, I was in P-town the other day and thought about stopping by to see the office and say hello. Do you guys allow drop ins or is it a private office?
Anonymous Joshua Bryant 6/12/2006 7:32 AM  
I totally did!!! I could resist the siren call no longer, now that it comes in a lovely form factor with a readable screen.

So I grabbed the kids Sunday morning and went to Fry's. I gave myself only 1-in-3 odds of getting one since I hadn't pre-ordered from anywhere, but the friendly(!) Fry's clerk just gave it to me. Had to get it in a bundle with Super Mario Bros. (yay!!) and Tetris (meh); then the kids insisted on Tamagochi Connection, I insisted on Advance Wars, and I added Brain Age for its crunchy educational goodness.

We have not been disappointed =) The gizmo is lovely, I can pretend it's an Apple product. The screens are so readable, even by kibitzers. The touch-screen is nice and sensitive.

The only issue has been keeping the kids from fighting over it and demanding extra screen time. There was a certain amount of that yesterday, to be expected, but if it goes on, my wife will not be happy that I bought this thing...
Blogger Jens 6/12/2006 7:58 AM  
It's totally sweet! I absoluteley love the colors. And you're right, Cabel. It IS like a printout under the screen! The touch screen is a lot tougher than I expected, too. But the real kicker was when I turned on Mario Kart DS and Mario said "Here we Go" instead of "Yahoo!"
Blogger A.J. 6/12/2006 8:25 AM  
Does the wrist strap connect to the DS Lite though?
Anonymous w00tiexavier 6/12/2006 9:03 AM  
Luckily i reserved mine about 2 weeks before the launch. I had went to Charleston SC for the Launch Weekend and i was so scared that i wouldnt be able to purchase my DS till Monday (tommorow) becuase we wouldnt make it in time. Well i was wrong we got to Gamestop at about 3:30 and i got my DS. Only having to pay 50.00 becuase i bought the warranty and i didnt fully pay it off with my credit.... READ MORE HERE: http://dslite.blogspot.com/2006/06/journal-entry-1_11.html
Blogger Lite Admin 6/12/2006 9:21 AM  
No problems finding one yesterday in the Phoenix area. I hopped right on the Circuit City website and ordered one for pickup. Had a nice conversation with the customer service guy about the Lite; he said they'd sold 6 so far (2 hours after opening, mind you) and wanted to know what was different from the old one.

This makes for my first DS, and I'm pretty darn impressed. Brightness level 4 is terrifying.
Anonymous Colin 6/12/2006 9:33 AM  
Truely, the DS Lite is a sight to behold. Even after all the videos and pictures I've seen of it, when I turned it on for the first time I was amazed. Like you said in your video, the colors are amazing, and you can see some details you never saw were there before. I'm still trying to grasp how tiny this thing is exactly, its just mind-numbing when you think of how big of a difference it is from the original DS model.

One of the things that I love most though is the D-pad, it almost makes me want to go out and rebuy Mario 64 DS, just because ti probably won't give me handcramps anymore. Another thing thats pretty cool, the system itself is so smooth, its pretty much laminated. This means its easy to keep the exterior clean, the dirt just slides right off!

Gotta say it again though thanks for your Lite review series, it really helped me descision to purchase the system, and made the wait just a little more bareable (or unbareable.)
Blogger Zounds 6/12/2006 9:48 AM  
Yeah, I sold off my PSP and all games and picked up 2 of the DS Lites yesterday... one for me, and one for my gf. We played Mario Kart for hours last night.

How about that, a system with wireless capabilites that has online games that you actually want to play! What a novel idea! Take notes, Sony.
Blogger richard 6/12/2006 10:00 AM  
Doh!
We don't get no Lite in Ing-Ger-Land for another 11 days

The joke is well and truly on me
Anonymous Morbid Martian 6/12/2006 10:00 AM  
last monday i went to ebgames and put down $25 intending to come back and trade in my original DS. i came in friday afternoon, and i ended up getting $77 trade in credit. After applying that to the Lite, i only paid $56.17 for the ds lite, i picked it up sunday afternoon, man what a difference, your reviews were spot on.. thanks!!!

steven
Anonymous Steven 6/12/2006 10:24 AM  
The DS purchase decision hit critical mass for me after a conversation with my Mom who wanted to play Brain Age and my wife who wanted to play New Super Mario Bros. I thought to myself: "Self, there is a system that your mom wants to play video games on AND your wife, AND you. It is super sexy. And, it is affordable." It was a no-brainer for me. I picked it up on Sunday and am just now realizing that I should have saved up and got one for each of us. :)
Blogger Jay 6/12/2006 11:39 AM  
Picked up a white DS Lite yesterday!

Bought Nintendogs, Brain Age, and Advance Wars: Dual Strike.

Having a total blast playing. Unbelievable. First Gameboy system purchase in soo many years.
Anonymous Anonymous 6/12/2006 12:12 PM  
im loving mine, you cant stop Pheonix Wright!
Anonymous Dr.Zaius 6/12/2006 1:08 PM  
Picked up my pre-order at the local Gamestop and have been playing it ever since. Really digging the new screen. I had stopped playing my original launch DS about a month ago but can't put the DS Lite down right now. All my games look amazing again!
Blogger Snapper 6/12/2006 1:19 PM  
Cabel, you might remember me as "Justin Sane" a regular on Exclamation!, your old Amiga BBS back in the day...

Your comments/videos about the DS Lite got my juices flowing, and I immediately went down to my local Gamestop and prepaid for one.

Now that I have it, I'm depressed, because my wife has stolen it from me to play New SMB! Oh well, I still have my Gamecube... :/
Blogger mykie 6/12/2006 1:25 PM  
I came home from school today and there it was; sitting on my porch in all of it's brown boxed glory!

I felt like when I was ten and recieved my first gameboy... except the DS Lite has the power to blind small children. Anyways, its completely amazing, and I feel alive again. I've got NSMB, Mario Kart DS, and Metroid Prime: Hunters. Game recomendations anyone? How about accessories? Anyone happen to pick up a case for their DS Lite?
Anonymous Anonymous 6/12/2006 2:18 PM  
I haven't gotten one yet, since the DSL will be released the 23rd of June, but If I'm able to get a decent price for my old DS, I'll definitely get the Lite. Like all the others here, the video reviews dragged me over the line. So yeah, thanks for that :D
Anonymous Zhen 6/12/2006 2:19 PM  
Dude I must say, the DS lite, is the bomb.
Anonymous Anonymous 6/12/2006 2:21 PM  
I picked mine up on Launch Day at EB. They were offering a great trade-in price on the old DS ($70!) and I traded in some old DVDs at the same time and got my DS lite for free. I must say that as entertaining and informative your videos were, I was still shocked at how much better the lite was once I got it in my hands. The new backlight makes the graphics look So Much Better that it's like all my games got upgrades to new versions. Super Mario 64 DS in particular is quite stunning! And at last I can take my DS out in public without being embarrassed (the old DS was so ugly). Yay!
Anonymous Anonymous 6/12/2006 4:00 PM  
Nintendo should kick you back some money for being a one-man DS lite hype machine. I read your blog regularly as a Mac (and Panic) fan, but your DS Lite reviews sold me on the product more than any articles I read, since they gave the real "hands on" experience. And shortly after seeing each video, it spread like wildfire across the net and everyone was talking about the Cabel DS videos. I bet damn-near every person who got a lite on launch day saw one of your videos first.
Anonymous Anonymous 6/12/2006 4:06 PM  
I'm still debating about getting one of these, not sure if i'll play it alot, i owned a PSP but returned it the day before my 30 days were up so i'm not sure if i want to risk another handheld flop lol
Anonymous Dave 6/12/2006 4:53 PM  
I picked mine up here at a local Target in Las Vegas. There were probably 3 or 4 or in stock by the time I got there at 10am.

While I was picking mine up, I grabbed a copy of Brain Age and Mario Kart DS. I had to go to Circuit City to pick up New Mario Brothers though, as Target was out.

I've got to say, I didn't put it down for most of yesterday, and took it with me everywhere I went. Even played it while I went shopping with my wife. It was nice to have the diversion. :-)

BTW, a big part of my buying-decision was made due to Cabel's 3-part video series. He made it look so cool I couldn't pass it up. Thanks Cabel!
Anonymous DonW 6/12/2006 4:57 PM  
I got a DSlite on june 11th. I was thinking about getting one, and your DSlite trilogy just sealed the deal :). By comparing it to pretty much every system in every way, and by answering some questions, and your general over view, you really convinced me it WAS worth it. (the frootloops, and crown helped a bit too ;)
Anonymous weggles 6/12/2006 5:17 PM  
I got one on Sunday, and MAN is it awesome! Much, much better than the first, and I couldn't get over how small it was. And wow, the screens! I'm not even joking when I say I turned it on last night at 9:00 with the backlight on death and had to shield my eyes for a second. Also, the buttons and d pad are fantastic! They make playing games a non-blister-ful experience! Also, the aesthetics of the system is still really nice, and the shiny white/matte white is awesome. :D Stylus is great too. The only thing bugging me is I have a dead pixel, but my eb told me I could go in tomorrow to recieve a perfect ds lite. Also, NSMB IS GREAT!
Anonymous retro 6/12/2006 5:40 PM  
I was having trouble trying to decide whether moving over to the DS Lite from my red Mario Kart DS was going to be a wise move. After watching your video reviews and then after actually having it in my hands, I can easily say I'm happy I did pick one up. Plus, the new design fits in better with my iMac G5 and iPod.

Now I'm just trying to figure out what to do with the old DS... do I sell it or keep it?
Anonymous combustible 6/12/2006 5:52 PM  
PLEASE MAKE MORE REVIEWS!!! I love your movies, can u make one of the psp as well, cabel, please?
Anonymous Anonymous 6/12/2006 6:02 PM  
i picked mine up yesterday at the pioneer place EB. they seemed to have quite a bit in stock, but i'm sure they were all probably pre-orders.

but i was wondering the same thing as jollus earlier: where do the ds kids hang out in stumptown? none of my friends have one. it would seem like backspace would be a good place to linger around though. anyone want to get some sort of portland group together? (does one exist already?)

i was pretty skeptical about the old ds, so i got a psp instead. that was a pretty big mistake. the ds lite is indeed the ultimate winner!
Blogger Phil Gaudette 6/12/2006 6:20 PM  
I got mine today (the 12th) and it was great. Got a free Brain Age with it from Best Buy and picked up New Mario. I need to know, though: do you have to have an old DS to transfer wifi settings to? I've tried to connect but there is no wifi discovery panel in the lite and it won't connect to my router, even though it is wireless and supported according to nintendowifi.com. Please help, Cabel.
Anonymous Glen C. 6/12/2006 6:59 PM  
I got mine May 31st at Target, because I guess they didn't know that they were "breaking street date" or whatever, but anyway, I absolutely love it to death. It's made me replay a lot of my games just so I could see what it looks like with "more" colors. After using these wonderful screens, when I look at my brother's old DS, it looks messed up, and further, when I saw my sister playing on her SP, I almost puked.
Blogger Aaron 6/12/2006 7:04 PM  
I pre-ordered mine from EBgames thinking it would be tough to find one on launch day. Plus I paid top dollar for overnight shipping (because I'm impatient). What sucks is that I went into the local Target Sunday and they had a ton of 'em. So I basically paid extra to get my DS Lite one day late. Oh well...I'm still extremely happy with it and can't imagine going back to my old DS. In fact, I just sold it on eBay for $97. I love eBay!
Blogger Ava's Dad 6/12/2006 7:16 PM  
I got one and I'm already in love with it. My only dissapointment is the less-than-sturdy volume slider.
Anonymous Narjun 6/12/2006 7:23 PM  
I picked up mines yesterday too from EB. Its so small and light, certainly a huge improvement over the original. And those screens (swoon).

Actually, the screens aren't 100% perfect. The bottom one (touch screen) is a tad dimmer and has a bit of a "mushy" or "sparkly" look to it compared to the top, most likely because of the touch layer. However, I could have sworn someone mentioned that the Lite no longer had that issue. Anyone else notice this?
Anonymous Anonymous 6/12/2006 8:54 PM  
Mushy?
Sparkly... Maybe

Yours must be broke.
I'm looking at my blue Lite and I just can't see anything mushy about the bottom screen.

Maybe you should stop staring at it while it's set on death.

Could this be the first case of DS Lite Inflicted Visual Impairment?
Anonymous Tanner Merritt 6/12/2006 9:55 PM  
i got mine 3 days ago..this is my first handheld since the gameboy and i was impressed with its nice and sleek design
Anonymous Anonymous 6/13/2006 12:38 AM  
I got mine tonight at Fred Meyer on Hawthorne.

It's super cool.
Anonymous Anonymous 6/13/2006 1:01 AM  
I have also noticed that the bottom screen on the DS Lite is ever so slightly less clear due to the touch layer. I didn't notice it when I first got it, however after a few days of playing I did. It doesn't inhibit the gameplay in any way, probably more something that irks the perfectionist in us.
Blogger moof 6/13/2006 1:15 AM  
I have had to but 2 DS Lites in the last 2 days. The first one I bought had a bad pixel on the top screen, it was a blue dot. The second DS Lite I exchanged for yesterday also has a bad pixel on the top screen this time it is a red dot. I want to exchange this again. Is this a common problem, has anyone else had this problem?
Please advise.
Thank you
Anonymous Anonymous 6/13/2006 4:11 AM  
I bought one. The only problem I had was re-adjusting to the new way of holding it. For a few hours I had my forward thumb knuckle bent all the way. Other than that, I believe that it is the single most beautiful handheld I have ever seen.
Blogger Joshua M. Brock 6/13/2006 5:40 AM  
I'm stroking it now. Well, not right now, but as soon as I stop typing.

Thanks for the detailed video reviews, they made the choice to buy one easy.
Anonymous Jamez 6/13/2006 5:41 AM  
I had to call half a dozen stores to find one that actually had one left in stock. It was a GameCrazy on a deserted stretch of TV Highway out in Hillsboro, and they suprisingly had a few left. I traded in my old DS, my old SP, and a few games I don't play anymore, and only ended up having to spend about $10.

It is not only suprisingly bright, but the colors are way more vibrant. The sound on my old DS was messed up also, so I was never able to listen on a normal volume or use headphones (it came out scratchy), so now I'm actually able to hear the music ans SFX for the first time!! Yay!
Anonymous Beaverton Lite 6/13/2006 8:47 AM  
I've never been a gamer, but after seeing your videos I really wanted to get a DS. When I heard some Target stores were selling them early (on May 31st), I went and bought one. I've played with it every day since. I'm loving Brain Age, New Super Mario Bros, Tetris DS, and Magnetica.
Blogger Jeremy 6/13/2006 9:09 AM  
After seeing your reviews cabel, I had to check out the lite. I've got the 360 and the PSP, but this device is amazing. There are some annoying little quirk in the DS software, but nothing that really bothers me. I got mine last night and I can see myself spending a lot of hours on this little machine... as a break from all the HD gaming I do on the 360.

Thanks for the great vids... you were right on point with how cool the DS Lite is. ;)
Anonymous Anonymous 6/13/2006 9:32 AM  
Got mine! Love it. My only problem is two dead/stuck pixels in the lower screen. Going to have to take it back and have it swapped out tomorrow. Other than that, it is amazing! I would never have thought about purchasing the previous DS, but the DS Lite is a winner.
Anonymous Adam Shiver 6/13/2006 10:03 AM  
I love pre-order, because it set it in stone that I would be playing my DS Lite on day one, which I did, and still am. An amazing system well worth the upgrade price. Your reviews where a huge buying factor! Cabel FTW!
Blogger DanTheMan 6/13/2006 11:15 AM  
I was first in line for my local Gamestop. I new it would be great but i didnt know HOW great! It HURTS to look at the screen. It make's my sister's DS look like a piece of cr@p. As Cable would say,

"I excitedly declare the DS Lite the WINNER!"
Blogger mutant piggy 6/13/2006 1:42 PM  
i had no trouble getting my ds lite i got up at 4 o cock in the morning and went to taco bell thenwent straight in line till the gamestop opened. O YEA jeremy the ds lite didnt sell early unless u went to japan and bought one or bought one from a japanese website u cant fool no one.:)
Anonymous Anonymous 6/13/2006 2:00 PM  
No your wrong, some stores were selling them early.
Anonymous Dave 6/13/2006 2:28 PM  
I was expecting to have to go to like 5 different stores to find mine, but I went to Best Buy and they had like 10 out, so I had no trouble finding one. Too bad for every else who did. One thing I noticed and the Lite is that the screens are almost TOO bright. The first time I turned it on in my house with the brightness at 4, it hurt my eyes. And I'm not joking. I'm comfortable with it at level 3 right now. My DS games have never looked so beautiful. I can't stop playing Mario Kart and Metroid. I didn't know they were so colorfull.
Anonymous Mike 6/13/2006 3:07 PM  
i have to wait till my birthday to get one!>:( cabel you should make more little movie clips!
Anonymous Anonymous 6/13/2006 4:47 PM  
I managed to convince my parents to get me one as a grad gift, but there is no way I wouldnt have wanted one if you didnt do those vlogs. Thank you soo much. I have instantly fallen in love with it and it has resparked my love for nintendo, which I am sad to say I thought they were down and out when they conisdered the GC able to compete with Xbox and Ps2
Anonymous Anonymous 6/13/2006 5:22 PM  
Picked up a DS Lite and Brain Age yesterday, and I couldn't be more impressed; excellent quality and loads of fun, as I have come to expect from Nintendo.

Your video reviews are fantastic! Lots of information and humorous as well. You made the decision to get a DS Lite easy.

I did have one question regarding charging the battery: if I leave it plugged in overnight (6-8 hours), will that damage the battery or reduce its life? I called Nintendo Tech Support and they--of course--said no, but I was wondering if you had any insights or experiences to the contrary.

Thanks again for all your help!
Anonymous mike27112 6/13/2006 5:50 PM  
Lithium-ion batteries like the ones in the DS Lite, iPods, or most Apple laptops work on charge cycles. I'd say no you won't damage the battery or lessen it's life. I also leave my DS charging overnight.

A good page with info about Li-ion batteries is Apple's battery page
Blogger moof 6/13/2006 6:35 PM  
Dude... I love it!

It's so sleek, and surprisingly, much more comfortable! The buttons, stylus, and even the size are all much, much more comfortable and all look so much better. The brightness on the screen is.. phenomenal, although I usually keep mine on the third setting.

It's seems like Nintendo has learned a thing or two from Apple with the iPod-like design and the battery. ..Awesome, because Apple owns =D

The only thing that bothers me is that the GBA cartridges stick out >.<
Anonymous M4cb0y 6/13/2006 8:58 PM  
Worth every extra penny I had to spend after trading in my old DS at Gamestop. I've been mostly playing my old GBA games, they look like new games to me now. Currently playing Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. Also a little Brain Age.
Anonymous Anonymous 6/13/2006 9:26 PM  
Man, this thing is sweet. I have a psp but I'm sure the DS Lite will get tons more play time. I live in San Ramon, CA and the only place that wasn't sold out of one was a local Target. They had about five left when I picked mine up. The Gamestop and Best Buy here were sold out. Anywho, nice site.
Anonymous Anonymous 6/14/2006 12:11 AM  
9 days to go here in the UK, and I've never anticipated anything so much in my whole life.
Cabel, could you please make some quick videos to fill up the time?/stop me from emailing the online store bugging them to send Lite out a few days early.

thanks.
Anonymous Anonymous 6/14/2006 2:18 AM  
does the ds lite play ALL gameboy games? could anyone tell me how do "old" gameboy cartridges play? (faster, better graphics..)
Anonymous Anonymous 6/14/2006 5:22 AM  
I got mine on release and I love it so far. The two things that has got me down is
A.) The bottom screen is very slightly less clear

-AND-

B.) My touch screen is kinda loose
Blogger Jonny 6/14/2006 8:17 AM  
The DS and DS lite do not play old Game Boy games. Just GBA games. You can play old Game Boy games on the Game Boy Advance though. In color, too.
Anonymous Mike 6/14/2006 11:58 AM  
are you supposed touch the touch screen only with the stylus or can you use your finger?
nintendo's manual says only use the stylus but i see plenty of people touching the bottom screen with their fingers including cabel
thank you
Anonymous Anonymous 6/14/2006 4:07 PM  
Hey YO! As soon as my birthday passes, I can use my b-day money and trade in my old red DS and Mario Kart DS (I've pretty much done everything there is to do). I can't wait one bit! And Cable, for Pete's sake, you are one of the best game console reviewers EVER!!! You rock, alright? I will (ya hear that! will!) also buy NSMB. YA ga ga ga gaaa.... ok, done.
Thanks Cabel!!!
Anonymous BC 6/14/2006 6:37 PM  
I got one at future shop, Sunday afternoon, they were just kind of in a small glass cabinet (Maybe 5 of them were there), and got New Super Mario bros with it.
The minigames are very addictive :)

I love the bright screens... But I already had to charge again, and I swear I didn't play that long...

Anyway, now I need more games.. But first I need more money.. But first I need a job.. But first I need time..
Hmm.
Anonymous Anonymous 6/14/2006 6:44 PM  
Cabel, I have an important question.

What camera is it that you use to do these reviews? And how exactly do you set the camera up? I'm gonna be doing video reviews for a news site I work for and I wanted to present them in your style.
Anonymous Robert 6/14/2006 11:03 PM  
Hey Cabel!

I'm new to this blog, but heck, who cares!?

I reserved my DS Lite in case they would be sold out on release day at my local EB Games. Well, luck be it! They were! I called them (since they didn't call me) and the women told me that they were sold out except reserves! I was thinking "Thank god I reserved it!"

Well I walked out into the mall and sat on a bench with my cousin (who was currently holding my old DS). I pulled it out slowly (I'm a freak like that.) and I didn't even want to play it, yet my cousin convinced me to.

Well we played a few races in MKDS and a few rounds in NSMB. Then I walked back over to EBG and decided to buy Big Brain Academy. Damn did it look good! I love playing my DS Lite. (and staring at it.)

Thanks for the DS Lite preview! (which encouraged me to reserve it)

Peace Out!
Blogger Cody 6/14/2006 11:04 PM  
Hi Cabel,

I live in Europe so I have to wait till 23rd june. But I have a question.
If I buy a DS lite, would I have to charge it first? Or can I immediately play? And if I have to charge it, can I play my DS, without damaging my battery, while charging the first time?
Anonymous Anonymous 6/15/2006 6:47 AM  
I can't remember a time were I was less frustrated for being european.
I mean, sure my awesomesque black ds lite will "pwn" any inferior american ones, but the waiting...GOD THE WAITING!
Aw well, time for another round of katamari damacy then.
Anonymous nikolaj 6/15/2006 7:34 AM  
Im' still waiting in pain for the Lite here in Denmark.
^o^
Hopefully i will forget time for a while, and one day it will realese here... I allready have 2 DS games whitout even having a system( pretty damm desprete) I sold my evil PSP a week ago to EBgames, and reserved a happy Lite. Can't wait - And come on Nintendo we need more DS games, MORE!!.. Especially some cute japanese 2D games.

Tanks for the amazing Reviewz cabel!! ^U^ love em
Anonymous Anonymous 6/15/2006 12:05 PM  
I got my DS Lite at around midnight on the 12th at a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Apparently, the stockers had just dropped the shipment off, and I think I was the first to buy.

Overall, very happy. I do wish the screens were a little closer together, but that much is a vast improvement over the original DS. Otherwise, the screens *look* amazing.

Also, I was a little disappointed Nintendo didn't bring any of the other colors. I had my heart set on the blue one. (But later I found out that what I had originally thought was a sky/baby blue was actually more of a light turqoise blue, and F that...)

I'll live with the white one. Anyone know if the white PSP is going to make it to the states?
Anonymous Will 6/15/2006 3:49 PM  
Well, I pre-ordered one...but when i got it after it shiped, I relized that their was a dead pixel on the screen. All it showed was red, I was shocked this happened having a original ds and nothing going wrong with it. So I returned it and got a brand new one, so alls swell that ends well :).
Anonymous Anonymous 6/15/2006 7:28 PM  
Your video reviews (and the frightningly solid lineup of new DS games) convinced me that a DS Lite was really worth buying. (I did not have an original DS.) I picked one up (along with Mario Kart DS) much to the chagrin of my bank account, and am loving it.

To my surprise, the "Death Bright" setting was actually stilly hardly bright enough to use when I was outside, during late afternoon. When I used it again inside, later, there were details and colors all over the place that I hadn't noticed. Nonetheless, I could see well enough to play by, which was nice.

My big disappointment and frustration, however, is the WiFi USB Adapter. I spent $40 on it, and I have yet to get it to work. (I think it has to do with running it through my wired router, but Nintendo's help guides are not really useful in my situation.)
Anonymous mDuo13 6/15/2006 8:33 PM  
Damn, there all sold out here now, can't find any store that has them in, this sucks :(
Anonymous Dave 6/18/2006 9:31 AM  
I got mine on release and its amazing! I went to BestBuy and the guy practically jumped me and was saying stuff like, "we got the new one in", "look at the screens", they had about six of them and there was no line so i picked one up. The guy also printed off a coupon for a free Brain Age, and got me to sign up for a magazine that has some great coupons in it, this month i got a free True Swing Golf, and 5$ off my NSMB. Over all Im loving my lite, playing it and looking at it. Everyone thats seen it wants one, I very pleased.
Anonymous Anonymous 6/18/2006 11:24 AM  
I love it. I can't believe how easy the wifi is. It found my airport network right away and all I had to do was tap it.

New SMB rules, too.
Blogger Wiley 6/19/2006 2:09 PM  
I hope you actually read this, but I have a question about the ds lite, I recently was playing my friends second generation GBA Sp, with the lcd screen, and the regular brightness is good on it, but theres a button where the front lit button was on the old sp, and when touched the screen gets SUPER BRIGHT. Like amazingly bright.

So I was wondering how the lite and the lcd sp stack up to each other.
Anonymous Anonymous 6/19/2006 11:25 PM  
yeah, i got one and i luv it!!!
Anonymous L1nk 6/20/2006 2:41 PM  
my "R" button broke on the second day! :(
good thing i bought the extra warranty geez....
Blogger Jon 6/20/2006 5:34 PM  
i'm gonna get one for sure!
Anonymous Anonymous 6/21/2006 8:52 AM  
Cabel, you should make more video clips!
Anonymous Anonymous 6/21/2006 8:53 AM  
Hi there, yawl. I just got me some black DS-Liite, and i'm luvvin' it. It's so perty and shiiny, anywho, I hope yawl get one as well, and enjoy it like i do, cause you know I am. Yeehaw!
I'll check you boys later now, byye byye!

By the way, Cabel. Your reviewses is a hell of a-lot a fun. Keep it up, little cowboy of mine.
Anonymous Anonymous 6/22/2006 4:23 AM  
Got it today. and it's as awesome as you and everyone else said it'd be :D

Thanks for the video reviews, really pulled me over the line here :D
Anonymous Zhen 6/22/2006 12:21 PM  
I, so very sad as it is,did not get a ds lite yet :( does anyone know if the ds lite has an internet browser on it? I know all about the WiFi gaming, but will I be able to browse the web as well? (I got this idea from a video on youtube, you know, the japanese news video) maybe its only available to the japanese. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!
Anonymous Anonymous 6/22/2006 6:40 PM  
It looks like most people haven't had a problem, but I have a complaint about the D-pad. At first it might seem less straining on your finger/joints, but I've found it actually might make things worse in games that require diagnal inputs.

The original DS D-pad clicked in 8 directions, and it seems each of those directions had an equal amount of divided space for input. This made it very easy to find the diagnal directions and to hold them indefinitely.

The pad on the Lite, however, seems to give a lot less room for diagnal inputs, and I've had a very hard time finding and holding the diagnal directions. I've found this to be a real pain in playing Children of Mana (imported) when I attempt to attack diagnally, and sometimes in Castlevania when I try to do specific crouching + forward moves.

Those two are the only games I've played extensively since I've gotten the Lite, but I'm guessing this might also cause a slight problem in Animal Crossing.

That's my major complaint, but here are some other minor ones:

-This isn't the Lite's problem, I suppose, but it seems as if developers for games before the Lite came out tried to compensate for the original DS's dim screen by making their colors extra bright. This makes Animal Crossing look grossly neon instead of pleasantly pastel, and certain black screens (eg. Castlevania title screen) look purple.

-The start/select buttons are difficult to press.

-I haven't been able to decide whether it's better or worse, but the sound is definitely different.

Besides the D-pad, however, I'm really happy with the Lite, and I sincerely thank you for your great video reviews. But I guess I'll have to stick with my old DS when playing certain games.
Blogger kim jaemin 6/23/2006 1:09 AM  
Hey Cabel! I was probley one of the first people in Kansas to get one! I woke up at 7:30 just so I could go to Target right when it opened! (it opens at 8:00) Your right! The DS Lite does ROCK! Its so awesome!!!! The "Death" brightness mode is awesomely bright! Now picking up my old Red DS seems soooo big/clunky...and the screens dont seem anywhere as bright! I do agree with Kim Jaemin though, in Metroid Prime Hunters, its a little difficult to go in diagnol directions....but if gotten use to it..... Thanks for all the reviews, i probably wouldnt of gotten one if it wasnt for you! Thanks again!!!!
Anonymous Jake 6/23/2006 10:13 AM  
YEAH!!! I have the d-pad problem too. It's really hard to play Super Mario 64 DS with it. The old one's much better. In Mario Kart the new one is better though. But I'd still take the old d-pad :-( Other than that, DS Lite is fabulous. It's all you said it was, Cabel. But the most striking thing was the feel... It's so exclusive. I'm an owner of the most exclusive videogame console ever created.
Anonymous Se[BBB]e 6/23/2006 2:54 PM  
How come you haven't been posting much at all Cabel? =(
Anonymous Dave 6/26/2006 3:03 PM  
Yeah, its really, really, cool.

http://smithmannow.blogspot.com/http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/Sueve/CIMG0986.jpg

Thats from my blog.
Blogger .Smith. 6/26/2006 11:22 PM  
My wife and I got a regular DS as a wedding present from two gaming friends of ours. We're probably going to pick up a Lite pretty soon so that we can play against each other...erm...with each other.
Anonymous Benjamin Stiglitz 6/27/2006 8:51 AM  
I got one on the release date! I was the first one in line at my local EB Games :P

The only problem I have with it is the D-pad. It is extremely hard to make a diagonal movement in, say, Animal Crossing: Wild World. Overall, though, I am very satisfied.
Anonymous WildWorld 6/29/2006 9:13 PM  
I also was frustrated with diagonal movements on the DS Lite.

Fortunately it becomes second nature to compensate for the diagonal difficulties caused by the small size of the D-pad.
Anonymous Tanner 6/29/2006 10:04 PM  
For Anonymous of 22 June, the DS doesn't have a built-in web browser, but Opera have announced a browser for the platform, and I believe it's due to start shipping in Japan in July.

http://www.opera.com/pressreleases/en/2006/02/15/
Blogger blech 6/30/2006 2:28 AM  
Hmm any1 know if and when theres going to be new colors for the DS lite that will come to the U.S.?
Anonymous Anonymous 7/01/2006 12:34 AM  
As of right now, there's no plans to release any colors other then white in the U.S. I think white's the best color anyway. I'm not a fan of the blue ones or the black European one. Perhaps grey would look cool. I love the white though, it looks a lot more adult then the others do.
Anonymous Mike 7/01/2006 11:50 AM  
Dude, I'm gonna wait a couple days and get rid of my original DS, Brain Age, MKDS (if I can find it), and yeah. All so I can get NSMB and a DS Lite. And, Cabel, it's good to be a fruit loop every once in a while. (get it???) Anyway, uh, thanks for the great videos. 3rd was the best! May I mention though, that you forgot to go over the newly designed buttons. There clickier and rounder. More like a Gamecube feeling. Ok, not a Gamecube, but the buttons definitely are clearer and better. And GO TURKEY SANDWICHES!
Anonymous Anonymous 7/04/2006 6:12 PM  
Well, i got the DS Lite, what a wonderful piece of equipment, the original DS looks like a gadget out of a Irwin Allen movie or something.

A friend of mine then transported me to another dimension with something called a M3 Adapter. It uses a MiniSD card where you put GBA Roms, NDS Roms, Movies, Pictures, MP3s, gosh, i even put a homebrew PDA!!! A 1 Gb MiniSD will be able to store roughly 50 games, hmmmm, talk about portability, and avoiding the risk of losing the original carts, i already lost my spankin' new New Super Mario Bros. Cart.

Now, before anyone jumps in awe saying " OMG, what a pir8!", no, is not because of putting roms you can download from the internet, but the other uses that are really astonishing, MP3 Player, EBook reading, Movie Player (only drawback is you need to use an application to convert the videos to compliant files), Emulators (NES, SNES, PCE, Sega Genesis), Picture Viewer, carrying a backup of your games and keep yor originals safe at home, well, you get the picture. I simply put my PSP in a drawer never to be used again (even though i flashed the firmware to play homebrew games). Nintendo, are you listening?!?!?! The PDA and MP3 player alone would be great additions to this amazing handheld.


Well, let's just say the DS Lite has become the most useful and awesome gadget in my life, heheheh...
Anonymous Anonymous 7/07/2006 3:16 PM  
Awesome review of the DS Lite on youtube...I'll link to ya in my new blog at DSLiteReview.com
Blogger James 7/08/2006 2:40 PM  
You people seem to be filled with euphimisms for the DSL. I got one yesterday. Everything is amazing except the d-pad. I have extreme difficulty going diagonally, and it is almost impossible to play SM64. I don't know if my DS is defective or not but im exchanging it today just to be sure. I'm really angry about the d-pad. I hope that it was an isolated case and that my new one will work.
Anonymous Anonymous 7/11/2006 8:04 AM  
Actually, everyone seems to be having that same problem. It's just something you're going to have to learn to live, because most likly, your new DS lite will have the same problem.
Anonymous Mike 7/12/2006 8:31 AM  
I Preorded mine in like the middle of may and it could not come fast enough anyway it is a must get. 1 we have a dog so we're outside alot and unlike the old ones you can acutually play this thing outside. 2 it alot smaller maby not in percentages but in the feel i could have it in my pocket all day and not feel a thing. and 3 there makeing a internet browser and portable tv adapter and if its not half bad it will blow the psp away
Anonymous Anonymous 7/14/2006 5:23 AM  
Cabel you should do more video reviews for some games.
Anonymous Anonymous 7/14/2006 5:25 AM  
Hey,
Thanks to your gret review(s) i'm totaly getting a DS lite next week. Great review!

so i must agree with anonymous, you should do more of them.

Greetings from holland
Anonymous Orbitty 7/16/2006 1:26 PM  
hey i got mine jus a few days ago trading in my psp. i LOVE the DS lite it is the sweetest thing since the GBA sp. i got NSMB, big brain, and the addicting meteos. and i cant stop playing my ds lite! thx for teh awesome vids man.
Anonymous Anonymous 7/17/2006 9:17 PM  
I remember watching your ds lite video reviews last week I think (seems like it's been months since then XD) They were awesome <3 Didn't think my parents would let me get it though, even though they're less stingy than me XD lols. I recently received two $100 gift card for best buy and decided to use them for DS Lite.... BUT my sister's boyfriend bought one for us (and mario kart O_O_O)and he's flying back home here thursday night so I'm really excited. Which also means an extra $130 to spend on more games. Spent the other $70 on DS games..I was out today ready to use the gift cards but my best buy was all sold out >_< that's a good thing though.. I guess. The DS Lite looks so hot <3 I can't wait to play it~
Anonymous Anonymous 7/17/2006 11:03 PM  
i got 1 but i keep exchanging it b/c it keeps having defects!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! dam it!!
da one i have has another defect 2 n its my third 1!!!!!!!!!!
da defect is dat my top loooks a bit grayeish wenever it is white such as da warning screen i get rly annoyed!!!
Anonymous Anonymous 7/25/2006 9:12 AM  
I absolutely love my DS Lite. New Super Mario Bros., MarioKart DS, ev'rything looks SO MUCH better. And I actually did a small mini-review for some family members. Thanks Cabel! The screens are much better than the original. It feels better in my pockets. I also have a neat DS Lite emoticon cuz I'm crazy about it!Ev'ryone should get a DS Lite!
Anonymous BC 8/03/2006 9:48 AM  
I have a question. When your playing Nintendogs/Metroid or something like that, does the screen get scratched up?
Anonymous Anonymous 8/07/2006 11:47 AM  
I got the DS Lite about 2 weeks after it came out because I needed to get some money, I thought I would never have to work so hard for a handheld videogame system. Other than that, I like it. Yay!
Anonymous Marco 10/17/2006 7:41 AM  
Ummm If I have Brand new NDS Not Lite If i traded it for the new one how much would i pay?
Anonymous Anonymous 12/19/2006 5:03 PM  
i got a ds light after having a ds phat for a really long time, but i gotta say... on the light it is really hard to make your character go diagonally on 3d/overhead games. I dunno if i just got a defective one, but i am seriously pissed.
Blogger jeremy 1/30/2007 8:51 PM  
hey i used to like the ds and the ds lite. but now i like the psp. how do you upload flash on your psp?
Anonymous suprernova 3/03/2007 10:26 AM  
http://www.nintendodslite.org is a nice site for all the latest Nintendo DS Lite games and accessories as well.
Blogger Agomas 6/30/2008 7:17 AM  

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Name:Cabel Maxfield Sasser
Job:Co-Founder, Panic Inc.
Location:Portland, OR
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