The Lite at the end of the tunnel...

4.25/5 (8.5/10)

There's no question that when it comes to handhelds, Nintendo is dominate. They've come out with the GameBoy, the GameBoy Color, the GameBoy Advance, and now the DS (and DS Lite). The DS brings many new innovations, but is not perfect by far.

The Good
Of course, the main innovations of the DS are the dual screens and the touch control. The touch control has been used to give a new spin to games that we know so well. For example, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass uses complete touch control, making the game unique from the other ones in the series. The dual screens were also a brilliant idea by Nintendo- there are many different ways that they can be used. Hell, in some games the DS is even held sideways! There's no doubt that the DS can provide a gaming experience that you can't find anywhere else.

The DS Lite definitely improved on the original DS, design-wise. The DS Lite is much thinner and easier to use, and is much brighter than the original DS. I give props to Nintendo for stepping up and fixing what needed to be fixed.

Besides the touch control and dual screens, Nintendo also added a microphone, features such as Pictochat, DS Download Play, complete backwards compatibility for all GBA games, online multiplayer, sleep mode (in which you never have to turn off your DS while it saves power), and even kept the traditional d-pad and buttons (very wise on Nintendo's part). All of those features are welcome additions, and only add to the DS experience.

The Bad
As I mentioned before, the DS is not perfect. The graphics are not very updated since the GBA, falling far behind the PSP. For people who prefer tip-top visuals, the DS might not be for you.
Maybe it's just me, but even with the sleek design of the DS Lite, it's still not very portable. Unlike previous Nintendo handhelds, the DS don't fit very well in my pockets. I've noticed this especially with jeans. I just can't seem to fit the DS into those tight pockets. Then again, other people may not have the same problem as me.

The In-Between
Unlike the PSP, the DS does not allow you to surf the internet, watch videos or listen to music. However, it is a matter of opinion whether that makes the DS inferior to the PSP. Usually when I buy a gaming handheld, though, I buy it to play video games, not watch videos.

The Bottom Line
All in all, the DS Lite is another great handheld from the people at Nintendo. If you just want to play great games in a new and unique way, I highly suggest the DS Lite.