Hardware People, just get a DS Lite!

[superspudz2000]

i know this has been stated in the sticky, but if you intend to use a 3DS for DS Flashcarts, DONT!

3DS is a horrible way to play DS Games. for one thing the display is stretched out to fit the higher resolution of the 3DS, so DS games look blurry and washed out. and if you set it to the proper resolution by holding SELECT, then it displays the same size as a DS Lite / DSi anyway.

thinking about the Analog Stick? think again. it still only registers 4-directions, DS is Digital control only. so there is really NO advantage to using it over the D-pad. and actually its even WORSE, Super Mario 64 is impossible with the slider pad, (i could not get the chain chomp off the leash after hours of trying), and even if you wanted to use the D-Pad they moved it down so far its now uncomfortable to access.

not trying to advertise, but dealextreme has DS Lites for $66. yes they are probably refurbished but they are 1:1 exactly the same as a brand new model from Nintendo.
And if you are electronically inclined you can just buy the parts from DX and refurbish an old DS Lite yourself for next to nothing!

personally i like both DS Lite and DS Phat, theres really not much difference between them, anybody that says one DS's screen is better is just a DS Snob or being picky. DS Phat works fine on brightly colored games like mario kart or clubhouse games.

What about the DSi XL?
1. theres really nothing interesting on DSi ware.
2. even the larger DSi XL screen is still the same resolution just stretched out, DS Lite looks way better because of this, and you dont have to worry about updates blocking the flashcard, and it loads without the DSi menu, and you have in-game brightness adjustment, AND it plays GBA games, AND it supports Slot-2 peripheral like Guitar Hero controller, arkanoid paddle, Rumble Pak, etc. AND you can use a DS lite to update flashcart firmware, or switch your Cyclo DSi into DSi mode.

DS Lite is like a swiss army knife of DS's, it does everything!

i have a beat-up old DS Phat and i use it just as much as my 3DS, for testing new homebrew so i don't wear out the buttons on my good DS, and if a game freezes its easier to get back to flashcart menu. or just as a guest controller, if you have a friend that's particularly irresponsible or has Cheeto-stained fingers, just hand him your old Phat and play some mario kart DS.

 

[PityOnU]

tons of stuff

As a 3DS XL owner, I can say that DS games on the console look amazing. The console is easier to hold than a DS Lite, and using the analog stick is much more comfortable for me than using the D-pad.

DS Lite's have a nice design and are inexpensive. However, they are small, crampy, mechanical flawed, and don't register touch input as well as newer handhelds.

 

[aaronz77]

i know this has been stated in the sticky, but if you intend to use a 3DS for DS Flashcarts, DONT!

3DS is a horrible way to play DS Games. for one thing the display is stretched out to fit the higher resolution of the 3DS, so DS games look blurry and washed out. and if you set it to the proper resolution by holding SELECT, then it displays the same size as a DS Lite / DSi anyway.

thinking about the Analog Stick? think again. it still only registers 4-directions, DS is Digital control only. so there is really NO advantage to using it over the D-pad. and actually its even WORSE, Super Mario 64 is impossible with the slider pad, (i could not get the chain chomp off the leash after hours of trying), and even if you wanted to use the D-Pad they moved it down so far its now uncomfortable to access.

not trying to advertise, but dealextreme has DS Lites for $66. yes they are probably refurbished but they are 1:1 exactly the same as a brand new model from Nintendo.
And if you are electronically inclined you can just buy the parts from DX and refurbish an old DS Lite yourself for next to nothing!

personally i like both DS Lite and DS Phat, theres really not much difference between them, anybody that says one DS's screen is better is just a DS Snob or being picky. DS Phat works fine on brightly colored games like mario kart or clubhouse games.

What about the DSi XL?
1. theres really nothing interesting on DSi ware.
2. even the larger DSi XL screen is still the same resolution just stretched out, DS Lite looks way better because of this, and you dont have to worry about updates blocking the flashcard, and it loads without the DSi menu, and you have in-game brightness adjustment, AND it plays GBA games, AND it supports Slot-2 peripheral like Guitar Hero controller, arkanoid paddle, Rumble Pak, etc. AND you can use a DS lite to update flashcart firmware, or switch your Cyclo DSi into DSi mode.

DS Lite is like a swiss army knife of DS's, it does everything!

i have a beat-up old DS Phat and i use it just as much as my 3DS, for testing new homebrew so i don't wear out the buttons on my good DS, and if a game freezes its easier to get back to flashcart menu. or just as a guest controller, if you have a friend that's particularly irresponsible or has Cheeto-stained fingers, just hand him your old Phat and play some mario kart DS.​

^^^^ All true. I own at least one of each model DS. There's really nothing special unless you want to play 3ds games, then buy a 3ds.

 

[Luhof]

The D-Pad is more comfortable, for me.
And getting a DS lite can be expansive, on amazon I can find it for 108€ - 140$. That's if you want a new one, not used by a kid who scratched the screen or drooled on the stylus.
For that price, I don't see any reason why not buying a 3DS.

and if you set it to the proper resolution by holding SELECT, then it displays the same size as a DS Lite / DSi anyway.

Well, the actual screen looks smaller. I think it's even better to play on "stretched" mode, even if, I agree with you, it's blurry and all.

 

[reprep]

3ds xl displays fine for me, though i agree about d-pad placement. i am not comfortable with analog slider with some games and d-pad is way too below to be comfortable.

 

[schmooblidon]

A 3ds is a bit more future proof, cos you know, it plays 3ds games as well.

 

[superspudz2000]

The D-Pad is more comfortable, for me.
And getting a DS lite can be expansive, on amazon I can find it for 108€ - 140$. That's if you want a new one, not used by a kid who scratched the screen or drooled on the stylus.
For that price, I don't see any reason why not buying a 3DS.

wouldn't pay more than $90 for a new one, DSi's can still be had in the shops for $99, DSi XL's for $130 if you can find one.

but replacing a scratched screen isn't really that hard if you know what your doing. DS Lite can be a nightmare if your inexperienced, but there are dissasmbly instructions on youtube. i think Dealextreme had replacement touchscreen for like $5.

as for Stylus's, i only buy them directly from Nintendo. it costs a bit of coin, like $9 per Stylus, but the quality is top notch.

 

[Zaide]

As a 3DS XL owner, I can say that DS games on the console look amazing. The console is easier to hold than a DS Lite, and using the analog stick is much more comfortable for me than using the D-pad.

I agree with this. Yes it stretches out the screen, but it still looks fine. And the thumb pad is FAR more comfortable than the D-Pad (so is the size of the XL.. my hands cramp when using a DS Lite).

 

[Plstic]

I agree, I think DS games look awful on the 3DS XL, so I still use my DS Lite.

 

[superspudz2000]

wow, the opinions seem to be split both ways.

just like to mention that you can get a plastic Grip for DS Lite so its easier to hold. so the size isnt really an issue as much as the screen. and DS Phat feels great in the hands.

 

[Clydefrosch]

I liked when my 3ds still played a flashcard. screen was very much ok for me. maybe it wasnt perfect on games that already used pixelation like when they zoom in on your pokemon in black/white, but the rest was ok for me.
in the end, i liked a free eshop download from nintendo a bit more though. gladly i still have a phat and lite.

 

[WiiUBricker]

As a 3DS XL owner, I can say that DS games on the console look amazing.

As a 3DS XL owner, I can say that DS games on the console look like garbage compared to how they look on the DS lite.

 

[PityOnU]

As a 3DS XL owner, I can say that DS games on the console look like garbage compared to how they look on the DS lite.

How so? I mean it's upscaled and then anti-aliased so it's not as "crisp", but on an XL at least you can see the thing and all of the details. Granted, I'm pretty old so maybe you young'uns have better eyes/smaller hands, because although I loved how it looked design-wise, the DS Lite was just too small to see/use.

 

[superspudz2000]

How so? I mean it's upscaled and then anti-aliased so it's not as "crisp", but on an XL at least you can see the thing and all of the details. Granted, I'm pretty old so maybe you young'uns have better eyes/smaller hands, because although I loved how it looked design-wise, the DS Lite was just too small to see/use.

well, "Grip" wise every Nintendo handheld after Gameboy color fails miserably in that department. they all need 3rd party attachments.

but for the screen size i can say i could go either way, DSi XL is Bigger and you can see more details, but you can see each individual pixel, and games with blocky graphics seem to look worse on XL. like Need for Speed series, it makes shitty graphics even shittier. also fast games like Mario Kart seem smoother on DS Lite.

but compatibility with older flashcarts is what sells me, Lite just takes everything you can throw at it, including Slot-2 GBA carts.

 

[WiiUBricker]

How so? I mean it's upscaled and then anti-aliased so it's not as "crisp", but on an XL at least you can see the thing and all of the details. Granted, I'm pretty old so maybe you young'uns have better eyes/smaller hands, because although I loved how it looked design-wise, the DS Lite was just too small to see/use.

The thing is, even when you play DS games in their original resolution, the screen is still way bigger than the DS lite screen due to bigger pixels. They just doesn't look as good as on the lite.

 

[Seph54]

The D-Pad is more comfortable, for me.
And getting a DS lite can be expansive, on amazon I can find it for 108€ - 140$. That's if you want a new one, not used by a kid who scratched the screen or drooled on the stylus.
For that price, I don't see any reason why not buying a 3DS.


Well, the actual screen looks smaller. I think it's even better to play on "stretched" mode, even if, I agree with you, it's blurry and all.

You can probably find cheaper ones on amazon that's still in good condition for less then $100

 

[Rayder]

I'll tell you why I like the DSlite.....no firmware updates to block flashcarts. They just keep going and going.....

 

[Arm73]

...................
What about the DSi XL?
1. theres really nothing interesting on DSi ware.
2. even the larger DSi XL screen is still the same resolution just stretched out, DS Lite looks way better because of this, ....................

............
but for the screen size i can say i could go either way, DSi XL is Bigger and you can see more details, but you can see each individual pixel, and games with blocky graphics seem to look worse on XL...........

I think you are both wrong on this point.
The DSiXL is amazing, is definitely the ultimate DS/DSi system, both for ergonomics and the quality and size of the screen.
Colors and viewing angles are clearly better then the DSL, the size makes it more comfortable to hold, and the giant stylus that comes with it is the best !

And saying that " is still the same resolution just stretched out " is completely wrong as in this case, the screen is still 256x192 and it's 1:1 pixel mapping, therefore "no streching " involved.

It's true you can see the individual pixels, but only if you hold it a palm away from your face !
Remember being the DSiXL bigger, the beauty of it is that you don't have to hold it so close to your nose and still see what's going on.
I for example set in on the table and I'm perfectly capable of playing it with the stylus while sitting straight up by my computer desk.
After playing with it, the DSL becomes to cramped out and you really need to hold it close to your face at all times.

The only benefit I can see with the DSL is the GBA port, but then I also have a GBA SP2 and I still play my GBA games on it for the same reason that I don't play DS games on the 3DS..........enough said

 

[gamefan5]

I'll tell you why I like the DSlite.....no firmware updates to block flashcarts. They just keep going and going.....

Ikr? It's the ultimate flashcart system. Compatible with both GBA and DS flashcarts. XD

 

[superspudz2000]

I think you are both wrong on this point.
The DSiXL is amazing, is definitely the ultimate DS/DSi system, both for ergonomics and the quality and size of the screen.
Colors and viewing angles are clearly better then the DSL, the size makes it more comfortable to hold, and the giant stylus that comes with it is the best !

And saying that " is still the same resolution just stretched out " is completely wrong as in this case, the screen is still 256x192 and it's 1:1 pixel mapping, therefore "no streching " involved.

It's true you can see the individual pixels, but only if you hold it a palm away from your face !
Remember being the DSiXL bigger, the beauty of it is that you don't have to hold it so close to your nose and still see what's going on.
I for example set in on the table and I'm perfectly capable of playing it with the stylus while sitting straight up by my computer desk.
After playing with it, the DSL becomes to cramped out and you really need to hold it close to your face at all times.

The only benefit I can see with the DSL is the GBA port, but then I also have a GBA SP2 and I still play my GBA games on it for the same reason that I don't play DS games on the 3DS..........enough said

GBA SP is definitely better for playing GBA games, because the DS Lite displays GBA slightly smaller than a real GBA.

But.... there are other advantages to having a Slot-2. lots of peripheral attachments like Guitar Hero, Arkanoid paddle, Rumble pak, and Motion Pack. also some games link GBA to DS for extra content (like transferring Pokemon).

and theres the EZ 3-in-1 Extra Ram cart, this allows you to play GBA games from the Slot-1 DS flashcart. and unlike GBA flashcarts which only allow Maximum 2GB SD card, running from the slot-1 with Ram pack allows you to use a 32Gb Micro Sdhc.

also i don't understand the Comfort issue people are having, because i found the DSi XL is too thin to hold comfortably without adding a plastic grip. both the DSi and Lite Need a 3rd party grip to be comfortable anyway.