DS lite vs. DSi

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daisybell
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DS lite vs. DSi

Post by daisybell »

So, my DS lite is broken, but I don't want to take over RL AaToW with discussion and it makes more sense to talk about it here.

Since I don't have a GBA (I've never had another games console) I don't have another way to play GBA games, but then I only have two (Minish Cap and Yoshi's Island, and I suck at Yoshi's Island really badly) so I guess in a way I don't need the GBA slot all that much. Unless I decide I want to play Guitar Hero On Tour. Or I suddenly have an irrational desire to play Pokemon.

On the other hand, the DSi would be £30 more than a new DS lite, and I don't care about the camera function at all. I guess there might be some DSiWare games I would be interested in in the future and I would be kicking myself for not upgrading when the opportunity arose. If the Ace Attorney Investigations special edition had something other than the Blue Badger on it (Edgeworth, for example) then I would consider importing it... but I have no love for the Blue Badger, and the best part of the console is the boxart- and I'm not *that* obsessive a fan.

Has anyone used a DSi? Is the battery life significantly poorer than the DS lite? What is the matte plastic like aesthetically? I kind of like my shiny DS lite.
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hebdenhippy
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Re: DS lite vs. DSi

Post by hebdenhippy »

I have a DS Lite, but my friend has a DSi and I've played on it a bit. I think since you have to buy a new DS, you may as well get the DSi, it is a bit more expensive, but I think it's only a matter of time before they release DSi only games, or games with features that require the DSi. I don't know how the battery life differs, but aesthetically I think it looks pretty good, and the screens are bigger. The camera and all that is a bit gimmicky, but I think since you don't have a huge need for a GBA slot you might as well pay the extra for the DSi.
Jessi
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Re: DS lite vs. DSi

Post by Jessi »

I already told you my reasons for not getting a DSi, and they're similar to what Joey posted in AATOW - If you play Pokemon, you can't make use of the Pal Park at all with a DSi since you need the GBA slot. I want a DSi only because I love the blue color they come in, haha - that's hardly a reason to give up my DS, however, and if my DS were to break now, I'd probably still get another DSLite, not a DSi - but again, for the Pokemon reasons.
Aqua
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Re: DS lite vs. DSi

Post by Aqua »

I have a DSi, and I haven't really touched my lite in a while.. The new features aren't super interesting though - the new feature I mainly use is it's music playing abilities.. Being able to sneakily browse the internet from bed is fun too. >> The DSi shop is in need of more interesting games (I'm hoping for gameboy games eventually if possible, since the DSi does take SD cards and I grabbed it an 8GB one). I think the speakers are supposed to be a bit better but not completely sure.

I like the matte because it doesn't show every fingerprint the system gets. :P The DSI feels lighter too. I don't think the battery life is too bad, but I don't keep track.
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Re: DS lite vs. DSi

Post by Huggles »

Maybe try buying a used ds lite instead of a new dsi? I'm sure there are lots of people trading up. There are probably enough to where you should be able to find one in good condition, as opposed to trying to find an older system. Amazon starts at about $75, and ebay around $50. If you live near a pawn shop, you may be able to get one for less. You might save enough to get both, or at least not feel bad about spending money for a dsi down the line.
daisybell
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Re: DS lite vs. DSi

Post by daisybell »

I don't really want to go down the second hand route because it was general wear and tear that caused the damage to my DS lite and I don't want to find in a couple of months that it breaks- especially because they're not even that much cheaper second hand here in the UK (they seem to start at around £70 on Amazon and from games shops). If there are a lot of people trading up, it hasn't made the price drop.

I think I'll go and see if there are any shops with a DSi on display when I'm in town today. At least then I'll know if I like the matte finish or not.
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Fjorab_Teke
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Re: DS lite vs. DSi

Post by Fjorab_Teke »

I have had all 3 incarnations of the DS, including still having a Lite and now a DSi. (I also still have a working but beaten-up GBA-SP with the retro Nintendo controller color scheme.)

The only thing I really miss about the DS/Lite is the GBA slot (for Pokémon and a few beloved GBA games). If you are sure you won't miss that, I say get the DSi. Here's why.

The screen is even better, and the volume control is significantly better. The camera is great fun, as is the sound stuff (unfortunately they picked a "better" music format that isn't .mp3). There's a lot you can customize. It has a slot for SD card, meaning practically unlimited music/pictures/backup space. But the main thing is the downloading capability: browser is a free download (very simple but fun and kind-of useful, mostly limited by script and size), and the downloadable games (though currently limited) are neat - I have about 6 games I like already that I don't have to even carry around cartridges for. They're not all full-capacity games compared to cartridges, but they're cheaper to purchase (and I got two for free because of the bonus points I got when I bought the DSi). If you do decide to go for that one, try to get it before the points bonus runs out in October.

The battery life is comparable. The DSi does have a shorter battery life, but that's mostly drained if you're playing with the camera a lot or doing something else than just games. I've played several hours of games without recharging.
daisybell
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Re: DS lite vs. DSi

Post by daisybell »

I didn't get my mitts on a DSi today, but I did see an open one in a display case next to a DS lite, so I could see the difference in screen size and thickness.

I also saw the volume control, which isn't a slider any more. Though the slider is a bit more difficult to get middle volumes on, it's great if you want to switch from a high volume to a low volume quickly, say if you want to mute the game to talk to someone or you really can't stand the sound of Godot swallowing his coffee and have to turn the volume down every time he does it (blech). So, how quickly can you mute the DSi?

Have they changed the stylus at all?
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Aqua
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Re: DS lite vs. DSi

Post by Aqua »

It takes about a second to mute from full volume if you hold the - button, or you can do it with 6 presses (which still isn't as fast as the slider, but I personally prefer it for being able to select a specific volume easier).

The stylus for the DSi is longer, maybe by about half a centimeter, but that's about it.

Edit: Here are a couple closed pictures.. Forgive my dirty, dusty desk. D:

http://blu-rain.net/photos/dstop.jpg
http://blu-rain.net/photos/dsbottom.jpg
Madge
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Re: DS lite vs. DSi

Post by Madge »

The thing with the DS is you can buy a rom cartridge for it and it gives it a lot of the features that seems so great about the DSi - my Lite plays movies and mp3s, for example (though the interface is crappy, I'll admit that). It can also in theory be used to download games without paying for them - the manufacturers claim this isn't the official purpose - you can use it to play games that people have coded themselves (go dicewars!) - but I am sure most people use it for that reason.

However, it can't play GBA games, and the cartridge will probably cost the extra between the DS and the DSi anyway. Plus, they're slowly coming out with DSi cartridges anyway.

All I can say, really, is if you ever get a desire to play Pokemon, it will not be irrational. And I personally never get all that much benefit form Pal Park or whatever. I just transferred my level 70s over and that was me done.
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