Old DS to DS Lite - worth it or not?

[Mr Buckshot]

My friends have been pestering me to upgrade my DS to a Lite (I'm the only DS owner in my school who still plays on the old model).

I did a bit of research on the Lite, and some features appear compelling, like the thicker stylus (easier to hold), longer battery life, and brighter screens. Not to mention the sexier and sleeker form factor that makes the old model look fugly.

But I also thought about the downsides of this upgrade. First, all my GBA games and Slot-2 peripherals will protrude out of the system and it just ain't nice, plus it gets in the way when I'm playing Brain Age and have to turn the DS sideways. But more importantly, I'll have difficulty selling the old system to recoup the expense. In fact, the demand for the old one is so low that it may not be worth the hassle of finding a buyer. Well ok $100-$200 isn't that much money and I can earn it back in less than a month but it means a lot to me - it is the price of 3 or 4 brand new games after all.

So before I grab $140 Canadian and head to Futureshop, I would like some honest opinions. Should I blow $140 on the new DS, or should I stick with the old one and continue to look all old-fashioned and retro during wi-fi matches at lunch time?

/offtopic Toys R Us has a special offer that allows you to buy 2 DS games at reduced price with every purchase of a DS Lite, so Canadians who don't have one yet may want to check this out.

[ExAm]

I actually prefer the old model's design, but I do want the thicker stylus and brighter screens. Now, if only they made them like that. :(

[DEElekgolo]

ah, a question i had to be delted with. Heres something i noticed Mr.buckshot. Older versions of things LAST LONGER. Look at the game boy advance vs. the SP. I droped my game boy advace 100+ times and it doesnt have a scratch and it work PERFECTLY. But the gameboy advance SP is more fragile because of its flip open top and more delicate screen. When it comes to the NDS same matters apply. I droped my DS only about 7 times and it still works PERFECTLY. Ive even seen about 5 people with there DS beat up and scratched and it still works fine. I say stick with the old DS and watch your friends at school break their DS lights.

[itszutak]

Retro=good, in my eyes. It works, keep it.

[Jay2645]

I have the same problem, except my Retro DS is barely functional. Screen isn't cracked (Yet), but one of the hinges broke off, so whenever I open it, it ALMOST breaks the other hinge, but it stays on. The Lite fixes this by only having 1 hinge, but it goes almost the whole length of the DS.

[Zeph]

keep the old
you're clearly not an enthusiast, so it shouldn't matter whether you use the old or new.

[CN3089]

I'd say keep it. I prefer the old model, and would keep mine, but my shoulder buttons don't work, so I'll probably have to buy a DS Lite before Advance Wars: Days of Ruin comes out. http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/CN3089/Emoticons/07-19-06-smith.gif

[Cortexian]

Keep it, I had to upgrade because my friends little bro broke the touchscreen on my "brick"... I liked the "feel" of the older model more as well.

[DEElekgolo]

Wow i just got de-reped by CN3089 for spelling a word wrong.

[Zeph]

Wow i just got de-reped by CN3089 for spelling a word wrong.

And now you get an infraction for being unconstructive.

[p0lar_bear]

But the gameboy advance SP is more fragile because of its flip open top and more delicate screen. When it comes to the NDS same matters apply.

Not always. I left my DS Lite on the top of my car, came to a normal stop from doing about 20 MPH, and my DS flew off my car and hit the ground; it flipped open and the game and stylus popped out. I put them back in and turned it on; worked just fine.

Oh, and I've dropped the thing numerous times on all sorts of surfaces, and the only thing wrong with it is that my touch screen is starting to be less accurate; probably a result of the days when I played Elite Beat Agents and Metroid Prime Hunters nonstop. :haw: My friend, on the other hand, dropped his DS Lite once and the hinge broke; no upper screen. Got it replaced quickly, though.

Nintendo seems to have a knack of making usually-hard-to-break hardware.

[Cortexian]

Not always. I left my DS Lite on the top of my car, came to a normal stop from doing about 20 MPH, and my DS flew off my car and hit the ground; it flipped open and the game and stylus popped out. I put them back in and turned it on; worked just fine.

Oh, and I've dropped the thing numerous times on all sorts of surfaces, and the only thing wrong with it is that my touch screen is starting to be less accurate; probably a result of the days when I played Elite Beat Agents and Metroid Prime Hunters nonstop. :haw: My friend, on the other hand, dropped his DS Lite once and the hinge broke; no upper screen. Got it replaced quickly, though.

Nintendo seems to have a knack of making usually-hard-to-break hardware.
I threw my Gamecube down two flights of stairs, it still works.

Throwing reason: Failed last level of Star Wars: Rouge Squadron on easy.

[Mr Buckshot]

Well I guess that sticking with the retro DS may be the better option.

But I also noticed that a lot of Slot-2 accessories are now being made specifically to fit flush with the DS Lite - meaning that they won't fit inside the deeper slot of the old DS. I had to order a used RAM expansion kit (for the internet thing) from Amazon because at my local stores, only the Lite version is sold. The same thing happened with another flash cart (those things that let you load ROMs, music, and movies and spare the hassle of carrying 10+ carts) - I stupidly ordered a Slot 2 flash cart with 5 GB of built in memory (my R4DS with its 1 GB micro SD was a tad slow and small) and it turned out that it wouldn't fit so I had to sell it to a friend.

Yeah, Nintendo products are renowned for reliability, but unfortunately that sturdiness doesn't go well with high performance tech.

So with all the Slot 2 accessories now covering only the Lite, sticking with the retro version might not be that good. It's a hard decision, but thanks anyways.

And out of curiosity, how many of you owned the old DS and then switched to the Lite?

[TPE]

I still have my old DS and don't plan to upgrade since I probably use it only like 4 hours in a year.

Only problem with it is it has a whole row of pixels on the touch screen are dead. I would much rather spend the money on something for my computer, or some games.

[X3RO SHIF7]

i prefer the lite, but hey depends what you like, its up to you not us, if your happy with the old DS keep it

[PlasbianX]

I was considering upgrading too. Ive had my DS since the day it came out. Couple scratches on it, but it seems like the touch screen is becoming less reactive (noticed when im trying to play Phantom Hourglass). Another big problem with me in the design of the old. If im holding it with my left hand, the case from the DS cuts into my hand.

[MNC]

Keep. The brighter screen and different stylus isn't something to write home for.

[STLRamsFan]

I like the older one a bit better. The new one feels a bit cheap to me. I always thought it felt like plastic.

[CN3089]

I always thought it felt like plastic.

It isn't?

[Sel]

I liked the first DS over the Lite.

It was bright enough for me, and I have had no problems with the stylus at all.

[PlasbianX]

Like I said though, my only prob is that It feels like my stylus is cutting into my screen, and the left bottom corner cuts into my hand.