Gaming should i get DSi?

[go-vegan]

my Revo K101 broke down before playing all GBA games i wanted.
I played most of them but, not the best ones like Golden Sun, Zelda's, Metroid's, Mother 3, Fire Emblem, Pokemon's...
So i was suggested to get DSi to finish my GBA quest but i really dont know anything about it.
I really don't care about flashy big screen or 3D or such, for me battery life is most important in handheld.
So, i would like some info about it, how's battery life, what about those flash cards, i'm also interested if there is any good RPG's for DSi?

feed me

 

[sarkwalvein]

DSi to play GBA games? No.
Get a DS Lite and some GBA backup card (EZFlash 3in1).
You will also need a DS backup card (R4 Gold and friends).
Some people would suggest you a DsTwo and GBA Emulation on a DSi/3DS, but that emulation is subpar.
DS and DSi is heaven for RPGs.
You have a lot of them, let me take a look at an old post of mine and I will quote it here.

Regarding battery life: DS Lite, around 14hs of gameplay with brightness level 1.

EDIT: Note that this is a direct quote of a message written as a reply to someone else.

Recommendations better first, based on your listed games:

All that Alpharage said
It was said before, but I can't stress it enough: 999
I loved SMT: Strange Journey, perhaps you like it
If you never played Chrono Trigger, you MUST play Chrono Trigger
Another Code
Trauma Center
The nameless game
Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow (probably not your type of game, but it is GREAT)
Castlevania Order of Ecclesia (probably not your type of game, but it is GREAT)
Soma Bringer (awesome soundtrack, great art, nice action RPG, great coop, look for the translation patch)
TLoZ: Spirit Tracks
Elite Beat Agents
Mario Kart DS is the best multiplayer I played in DS, I don't know if you want something like that anyway
Final Fantasy Crystal Chornicles: Ring of Fates (also nice for coop multiplayer)
GTA: Chinatown wars (for some reason I enjoyed it)
Osu! tatakae! Ouendan
Avalon Code
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 (it had some nice gameplay, but story is classic KH nonsense)
Tales of Innocence: It was good enough (look for the translation patch)
Umihara Kawase (if you like the weird mechanics)
Disgaea DS, if you would like a SRPG that is weird as hell (lit.)
LifeSigns: Surgical Unit. Take all the challenge from Trauma Center away, make the story a little more stupid and ecchi, and you get LifeSigns... kind of OK anyway.
Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier. I am not sure about recommending this one, it is pure fan service, but for some reason it was enjoyable... Just check it out.
Also, Etrian Odyssey, if you like to die
Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja (in the same fashion of Siren, play it if you like to be punished)

There may be a lot I just forgot to list.

Just in case I will sort out all those games in similar genres.
Warning: Very loose and easy going classification.

Graphic Adventure // Visual Novel

• 999
• Another Code
• Time Hollow
• LifeSigns
• The Nameless Game

First Person Dungeon Crawler / JRPG

• SMT: Strange Journey
• Etrian Odyssey

JRPG

• Chrono Trigger
• Tales of Innocence
• Super Robot Taisen OG Saga

SRPG

• Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
• Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2
• Disgaea DS

Action RPG (or adventure)

• Soma Bringer
• Avalon Code
• FFCC: Ring of Fates
• Kingdom Hearts 358/2
• Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon
• TLoZ: Spirit tracks

Platforms // Metroidvania

• Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
• Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

Platforms

• Umihara Kawase

Rythm Game

• Elite Beat Agents
• Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan

Hardcore oldschool dungeon crawler

• Izuna

Unclassified

• Trauma Center (very touchscreen oriented, you need a lot of skill, kind of fantasy based "surgical sim")
• Mario Kart DS
• GTA: Chinatown

To the lists of RPGs in that quote you should add:
Dragon Quest (there are many, straight and spin offs)
The World Ends With You
Radiant Historia
Final Fantasy IV
Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon
Glory of Heracles
And many more...

If you like strategy kind of Fire Emblem, play some Advance Wars.

 

[go-vegan]

thanks for the info, that 14 hours battery life of NDS Lite really sounds great.
but these flashcards confuses me, NDS Lite has 2 Slots, one for DS games, one for GBA games right?
so i need 2 different flashcards for both systems right?
i don't mind emulation as long as it's good.

 

[AlanWeird]

On the original ds, a decent flashcart can set you back less than 5 euros.

The GBA flashcarts are cheap too. An Ezflash IV will cost about 30 euros.

Plus, DS lites are dirt cheap too.

And for gods sake, the difference between a DS and a 3DS is not "3D". That's like saying the difference between a PS2 and a PS3 is just bluray.

 

[sarkwalvein]

thanks for the info, that 14 hours battery life of NDS Lite really sounds great.
but these flashcards confuses me, NDS Lite has 2 Slots, one for DS games, one for GBA games right?
so i need 2 different flashcards for both systems right?
i don't mind emulation as long as it's good.

Yes, you need one flashcard (SLOT1) to play DS games, and a different flashcard (SLOT2) to play GBA games.
But take into consideration that some GBA flashcards for DS, as the EZ3in1, can't work on their own as they don't have an SD slot at all.
They need you to use a DS flashcard with a particular homebrew application that lets load the game from the DS flaschard microSD to the GBA flashcard in order to play.

For more information click here

 

[Dotmore]

A PSP is also a good option, in my opinion. Its cheap, and it has a decent gba emulator. + You don't need anything extra, besides the psp

 

[sarkwalvein]

A PSP is also a good option, in my opinion. Its cheap, and it has a decent gba emulator. + You don't need anything extra, besides the psp

The PSP is good, the emulators there are great and it's controls are wonderful for emulators.
So, pros and cons.

Cons:

• Battery life (6hs at best case scenario when you don't ask too much of it)
• No DS games (and they are great)
• The "scanlines" on the screen can be bothersome.
• Memory Stick Pro
• No touch controls.

Pros:

• No need for a flashcard.
• Great controls for emulators.
• Great emulators.
• PS1 emulation.
• PSP games (there are not many that are as good as the many great DS games, but there are good games nevertheless)
• Except for the scanlines, the screen looks brighter and better.

I would go with a DS if you want to play DS games.
If you don't care about DS games, perhaps PSP is a better option.

 

[roastable]

3rd vote for a PSP.

Ironically, playing GBA games in a portable fashion is probably best on the Sony handheld. Plus, you've also got access to the PSP/PSX library and some other emulators as well.

Edit: Ninja'd by sarkwalvein

 

[TemplarGR]

Just get an Archos Gamepad 2 or similar tablet/handheld hybrid and use emulators for both the DS and the GBA... The best solution...

 

[pustal]

If you have an Android device, My Boy! is pretty neat. You can even get some image filters to improve image quality.

 

[go-vegan]

ok, thank you all for suggestions,
i think it will be NDS Lite
it will probably be hassle to get it (since it is 9 years old console) and to get those flashcarts (still need to dig up which is the best and where to get it) and to set it all up.
but i think, it's stellar battery life is unbeatable and i really appreciate that, plus beside GBA games, there is alot of good old style retro RPG's for it.

 

[Gyron]

ok, thank you all for suggestions,
i think it will be NDS Lite
it will probably be hassle to get it (since it is 9 years old console) and to get those flashcarts (still need to dig up which is the best and where to get it) and to set it all up.
but i think, it's stellar battery life is unbeatable and i really appreciate that, plus beside GBA games, there is alot of good old style retro RPG's for it.

Wise choice if it's battery life you're after. The old DS Lite is pretty much unrivaled when it comes battery life. I think only my Pandora gets near it. It won't be a hassle to find one. They are ten-a-penny on that auction site. My local second-hand stores always have them in. Check somewhere like that first, so you can check the condition of the screens.

 

[Deleted User]

For running a flashcart? Most flashcarts don't support DSi enhancements so no
For GBA to DS link? No, there is no Slot 2 ports, you also can't play Guitar Hero
For DSi enhanced games and DSiware? 3DS is a better option
For the camera? NO!!!!!!!!!!!! (at least the 3DS can take 3D pictures)

 

[sarkwalvein]

For the camera? NO!!!!!!!!!!!! (at least the 3DS can take 3D pictures Every Nintendo camera is just a PoS)

Fixed.