Should I buy a DS?

[slyder35]

I am a PC Gamer at heart, all the latest & greatest on my rig - hence I don't own an Xbox or Playstation. BUT - I do have the Wii - just because the games are so different and amusing, and also I can play some of them in co-op mode with my daughter.

The DS-Lite has been tempting me for some while though, at $199 australian, but I'm wondering if there is any gain/advantage in it considering my other 2 gaming platforms? I don't travel much. Also I find $69 for a DS game a bit of a rip.

Comments?

 

[Karmic]

But yes buy one, and MarioKart DS too.

Can't say it much better than that really.

If you don't travel much that does somewhat diminish your need for a handheld console, I agree, but you shouldn't let that stop you, I use my PSP whilst at work between lessons, I sat in my living room playing my DS with my housemates, I play them for amusement and time killing regardless of where I am or what I'm doing. Plus you'll be amazed how often a handheld comes in useful. Driving to see Grandma one weekend and your daughter is bored? Toss her your DS and a copy of Pokemon or Animal Crossing (OK, I don't know many kids, I don't know what kind of things they might like to play) and she'll keep quiet for the rest of the trip. Plus buy a copy of Dr Kawashima's brain training, the joy of being told your brain age is 20 (I'm 22 and was worried that those good old days of being a care free 20 year old were gone!) is indescribable.

 

[propertyofcobra]

Yes.

 

[Voodoo Child]

I am a PC Gamer at heart, all the latest & greatest on my rig - hence I don't own an Xbox or Playstation. BUT - I do have the Wii - just because the games are so different and amusing, and also I can play some of them in co-op mode with my daughter.

The DS-Lite has been tempting me for some while though, at $199 australian, but I'm wondering if there is any gain/advantage in it considering my other 2 gaming platforms? I don't travel much. Also I find $69 for a DS game a bit of a rip.

Comments?

I <3 my DS (well I will when it finishes being repaired) but I completely agree about the prices. At 93 AU cents to the US dollar, we should be paying around $37 for our DS games. We get charged nearly double that. But that's not exclusive to DS games, we get screwed over when it comes to every platform.

 

[slyder35]

Ok, you're getting SCREWED. I know AusDollars are less than CAD, but our DSLite is $140.00 and games range from $10.00 to $45.00, with the typical non-Nintendo made game at $35 as new release.

But yes buy one, and MarioKart DS too.

What happens when you hit 1000 posts?

 

[Voodoo Child]

Just a word of caution. The classic DS is much more durable than the DS Lite. The plastic it's made from is a lot harder than then Lite, so if you're a clutz like me, go for the classic style.

 

[irrelevantnugget]

Just a word of caution. The classic DS is much more durable than the DS Lite. The plastic it's made from is a lot harder than then Lite, so if you're a clutz like me, go for the classic style.

<3 DS Phat.

The buttons of the Lite aren't that good either, to my experience. The D-Pad just seems so flimsy, and the buttons all-round too small. Prone to finger cramp imo.

 

[Quistnix]

I've been a pc gamer for years, but since about a year ago I've got a DS Lite, and I love it. In addition to the DS I've got a CycloDS Evolution card, which basicly is a game cartridge that carries a small flash memory card. There's lots of great homebrew games on-line that can be played on that card, not to mention Quake 1 and 2. You can also put downloaded roms on it, if you're so inclined.

 

[Voodoo Child]

Wow that's nifty! How much did that set you back?

 

[Fangface74]

DS Lite, PSP slim, both excellent machines. Mario Kart for the DS, God of War for the PSP, different flavours for different demographics. I prefer my PSP for the more mature themed titles, but my DS wins for pure 'pick up & play' old school fun.

 

[Lord Krunk]

I say buy it, but you need to know what you're buying. hat games do you prefer to play? And I liked the DS Lite better than any other handheld game device made by anyone (Kill the PSP), but I have had cracking problems before, and the GBA games don't fit too well, so maybe "ye olde" DS is for you. Anyway, Happy Playing!

 

[Voodoo Child]

I say buy it, but you need to know what you're buying. hat games do you prefer to play? And I liked the DS Lite better than any other handheld game device made by anyone (Kill the PSP), but I have had cracking problems before, and the GBA games don't fit too well, so maybe "ye olde" DS is for you. Anyway, Happy Playing!

Yeah, sticky-outy GBA gmaes are no fun when you aren't playing them, and they aren't aesthetically pleasing at all.

Plus, if you do it right, you can use the DS Phat's game-spring-eject thingie to launch your game cards at your friends. They won't think you're annoying at all.

 

[BlueMage]

I am a PC Gamer at heart, all the latest & greatest on my rig - hence I don't own an Xbox or Playstation. BUT - I do have the Wii - just because the games are so different and amusing, and also I can play some of them in co-op mode with my daughter.

The DS-Lite has been tempting me for some while though, at $199 australian, but I'm wondering if there is any gain/advantage in it considering my other 2 gaming platforms? I don't travel much. Also I find $69 for a DS game a bit of a rip.

Comments?

As both a fellow Australian gamer and PC gamer, I can honestly say, you could do far worse then getting a DS Lite. I love mine, and while I don't have bear-paw hands, they're not dainty either, and the DS Lite fits quite well, all things considered.

Also, Khell, we know we're getting screwed - all the more reason why Aussie PC gamers jack up when 'mericans complain about the price of computer hardware.

Also, there are some absolutely brilliant DS-exclusive titles - Elite Beat Agents comes to mind for quick "jump right in" gaming, and there are more than a few involved RPGs available too. In terms of portable-entertainment value, I'm actually conflicted as to whether I rank the iPod higher or not.

 

[Quistnix]

Wow that's nifty! How much did that set you back?

In the Netherlands it was ?40, I heard you can get for about 50 dollars in the US. In order to play Quake II you'll also need an external RAM pack, the 3-in-1 RAM pack is one of the cheapest options, and also the one Q2 is most optimised for.

And props for the Tardis pic

 

[Voodoo Child]

Cool, I'll be looking into that when my DS recovers from being sat on by some guy.

Thanks! It came out surprisingly well for 5 minutes of playing with a screencap.

 

[gains]

It's the "console" that got my wife playing video games again. (She used to play Quake back in the day.) Now we can sit on the couch together and swap velied hints about how to solve the puzzles in Professor Layton. Almost half the games I own can download a demo level to another DS so way can play together with only one cartridge.

 

[Clippy]

If you don't travel much that does somewhat diminish your need for a handheld console

That isn't necessarily true. Right now, I tend to play on my DS Lite at home a whole lot more than when away, especially once I bring the online capable games into the mix.

In any event, there are a ton of great games to be had (first and third party) on it from pretty much any genre one can imagine, so you can't go really wrong there. It sure does say a good bit about the platform when the DS trumps my Xbox360, Wii, and computer as favorite gaming platform.