Nintendo DS Appreciation Thread

[Lorfarius]

8 hours ago, bradigor said:

I don't think I am that bothered about Xenoblade, but I assume the n2DS will have the little nub to play it? Plan is to get a two DSi and a n2DS so we are well covered for the three of us. 

 

Going to start shopping around for cheap games. Looking forward to the bootsales this Summer. 

 

Standard 2DS only has the 1 stick.

 

New one has both:

 

[ca18s13]

I'm in two minds now. I was going to buy two or three cheap DS Lite's (£20-30) for my nieces and gf but i'm thinking they will probably have bad batteries by now because of the age of them. I then thought about the DSi as it's the same price and being newer i thought there is a better chance of the battery lasting longer (although according to the official specs the DS Lite has a better battery life when new). The other option is a 2DS (£50 used £75 new) that will play everything but a lot bigger and i'm not sure if it will be suitable for a 4 and 5 year old. Last option is a used 3DS. Someone help me.

[strider]

4 minutes ago, ca18s13 said:

I'm in two minds now. I was going to buy two or three cheap DS Lite's (£20-30) for my nieces and gf but i'm thinking they will probably have bad batteries by now because of the age of them. I then thought about the DSi as it's the same price and being newer i thought there is a better chance of the battery lasting longer (although according to the official specs the DS Lite has a better battery life when new). The other option is a 2DS (£50 used £75 new) that will play everything but a lot bigger and i'm not sure if it will be suitable for a 4 and 5 year old. Last option is a used 3DS. Someone help me.

a 2DS or even an original DS phat would certainly be durable enough for a 4-5 year old but I'd be concerned about two things. The stylus and the games going in the mouth.

I bought my eldest daughter a DS as a gift from my younger daughter when she was born and she was five at the time. I wouldn't do it again as she'd lose the games, stick the stylus up her nose and all sorts. They're dinky things for kids to easliy lose.

Rationing the games so they can only play one at a time (which is always in the machine) is the best way, I found.

[bradigor]

36 minutes ago, ca18s13 said:

I'm in two minds now. I was going to buy two or three cheap DS Lite's (£20-30) for my nieces and gf but i'm thinking they will probably have bad batteries by now because of the age of them. I then thought about the DSi as it's the same price and being newer i thought there is a better chance of the battery lasting longer (although according to the official specs the DS Lite has a better battery life when new). The other option is a 2DS (£50 used £75 new) that will play everything but a lot bigger and i'm not sure if it will be suitable for a 4 and 5 year old. Last option is a used 3DS. Someone help me.

 

You can get replacement batteries cheap enough and as far as I can remember they are dead simple to replace (get one from here)

 

Lucas was using my DS Lite from about 3 years old and was fine with it, just made sure he was supervised when playing. As Strider says, as that age, rationing the games they can play is wise, so stick to one or two games that they can get stuck into, rather than wanting to swap them about all the while. 

[strider]

Christ. How hard is trauma centre? Hit a spike about 7 operations in where I have to defeat 5 viruses at once and my patient keeps bleeding out.

[spanky debrest]

I'm 100% convinced that the initial / launch model of 3DS suffers from terrible battery issues regardless of how used the battery itself is. They don't hold charge well and are legendary power consumers. They 2nd model released around 6-months later seemed to fix the charge holding issue, as well as slightly improve the build quality.

 

I really wouldn't buy a launch unit if I planned to ever use it away from a power source.

[Lorfarius]

1 minute ago, spanky debrest said:

I'm 100% convinced that the initial / launch model of 3DS suffers from terrible battery issues regardless of how used the battery itself is. They don't hold charge well and are legendary power consumers. They 2nd model released around 6-months later seemed to fix the charge holding issue, as well as slightly improve the build quality.

 

I really really wouldn't buy a launch unit if I ever planned to use it away from a power socket.

 

From what I recall at the time Nintendo used a pretty crappy low power battery.

[spanky debrest]

Just now, Lorfarius said:

 

From what I recall at the time Nintendo used a pretty crappy low power battery.

 

The battery hasn't changed. It's the same one found in brand new 2DSs. It's something hardware based that was revised for subsequent models, because those early units pretty much ate through batteries even when they were switched off. I can't back this up with data, but I've replaced enough batteries on OG units to know that it feels like a pointless exercise.

 

A DSi has at least about triple the battery life of a launch 3DS, and switches on after being left in a drawer for a year. A 3DS from 2011 inexplicably dies after being switched off from full charge in about a couple of days. That aint no way to live man.

[ryodi]

1 hour ago, strider said:

Christ. How hard is trauma centre? Hit a spike about 7 operations in where I have to defeat 5 viruses at once and my patient keeps bleeding out.

 

All of the Trauma Center games are rock hard but the first game is definitely the worst for difficulty spikes and I never managed to complete it. I think the second game is slightly more forgiving but not by much

[ryodi]

Had a quick look in my local CeX after seeing @strider hauls on here. It was mostly shovelware, Pokemon games and a copy of Chrono Trigger for £38 that has been there for ages but I did manage to pick up a few games

 

 

I've been after Sonic Rush Adventure for a while but it's always been priced over £10 but for £8 I couldn't say no. Gunpey was one of the first games I played on the original fat DS years ago and I had completely forgotten it existed so for me it was definitely worth picking up even if it hasn't aged that well. Touch Darts feels like it should be an iOS game and for me £1 is exactly what I am willing to pay for it. 

[strider]

5 minutes ago, ryodi said:

Had a quick look in my local CeX after seeing @strider hauls on here. It was mostly shovelware, Pokemon games and a copy of Chrono Trigger for £38 that has been there for ages but I did manage to pick up a few games

 

 

I've been after Sonic Rush Adventure for a while but it's always been priced over £10 but for £8 I couldn't say no. Gunpey was one of the first games I played on the original fat DS years ago and I had completely forgotten it existed so for me it was definitely worth picking up even if it hasn't aged that well. Touch Darts feels like it should be an iOS game and for me £1 is exactly what I am willing to pay for it. 

Nice pick ups. I went into the boscombe and they had so much rubbish in there. I got a few things though...

[strider]

Latest addition thanks to @gossi the dog

I sold a snes game and bought this instead. It's as hard as I remember it to be.

 

[strider]

Noooooooo

i appear to have lost my copy of ouendan

i carry five or six games in my pocket and it wasn't there this evening when I fancied a game. Bugger.

 

Looked everywhere and can't find it so I've just had to spend £13 on a replacement

[Qazimod]

22 hours ago, strider said:

Noooooooo

 

I think you mean

 

[ca18s13]

Just got a DSi. I really like the matt finish and it feels more comfortable compared to a DS Lite. The slightly bigger screens are nice and the games still look good unlike on my 3DS XL where they're super stretched in comparison. I know it doesn't have a GBA slot and the battery life is not as good as the DS Lite but it's a nice little upgrade. I need to play it for an hour or so to test it properly but first impressions are very good.

 

Is anyone using a DSi XL? It looks like it has a gloss outer shell and matt inner and an increased battery life but is it like playing on 3DS XL but with better battery life?

 

I'm going to end up with every model 

[buizel]

6 hours ago, ca18s13 said:

Just got a DSi. I really like the matt finish and it feels more comfortable compared to a DS Lite. The slightly bigger screens are nice and the games still look good unlike on my 3DS XL where they're super stretched in comparison. I know it doesn't have a GBA slot and the battery life is not as good as the DS Lite but it's a nice little upgrade. I need to play it for an hour or so to test it properly but first impressions are very good.

 

Is anyone using a DSi XL? It looks like it has a gloss outer shell and matt inner and an increased battery life but is it like playing on 3DS XL but with better battery life?

 

I'm going to end up with every model 

 

DSi xL is good for me, i like playing in bed so the larger size means it props up easier against pillow/whatever. Also i like the big screen size and decent speakers.

 

Id say its lighter than N3DSXL, and i prefer holding it for whatever reason

[strider]

Just had my replacement copy of Ouendan turn up and spent the morning playing it (I'm covering it in issue 169 of Retro Gamer). It's sooooo good. Bloody hard mind.

I foolishly deleted the save as everything had been unlocked and I'm probably never going to see those American cheerleaders again. Oh well...

I also had a nightmare taking screenshots on an emulator. Don't expect any high scores in the mag

[gossi the dog]

10 hours ago, ca18s13 said:

Just got a DSi. I really like the matt finish and it feels more comfortable compared to a DS Lite. The slightly bigger screens are nice and the games still look good unlike on my 3DS XL where they're super stretched in comparison. I know it doesn't have a GBA slot and the battery life is not as good as the DS Lite but it's a nice little upgrade. I need to play it for an hour or so to test it properly but first impressions are very good.

 

Is anyone using a DSi XL? It looks like it has a gloss outer shell and matt inner and an increased battery life but is it like playing on 3DS XL but with better battery life?

 

I'm going to end up with every model 

 

Yes I'd agree, it's probably the best way to play DS games. Definitely better than using a New 3DS or DS Lite in my opinion.

[ryodi]

10 hours ago, ca18s13 said:

Is anyone using a DSi XL? It looks like it has a gloss outer shell and matt inner and an increased battery life but is it like playing on 3DS XL but with better battery life?

 

The XL has a gloss finish on the back of the top screen but the rest of the machine is matte. I'd recommend picking one up because I think it gets the form factor just right, I've always found the standard DSi to be awkwardly sized.

[ca18s13]

Cheers guys i might as well try one.

[ca18s13]

I have never had an original DS or phat as some people call them but they're supposed to be the most comfortable. I remember the screens not looking too good but supposedly the last models they released had the ds lite screen with the brightness settings. Is this a myth and has anyone seen one? I'm falling in love with the DS again, so many great games.

[OogyBoogy]

More damage incoming:

 

Chrono Trigger

Contra 4

Kirby Squeek Squad

LEGO Indiana Jones

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean

Rhythm Heaven

 

I agree with the DSi XL being very comfortable to play. I have a 3DS XL as well, but unless I am playing a 3D title the DSi is my go-to handheld. Maybe the 2DS XL will change that.

[strider]

I do think the phat is the most comfortable. The screen is really washed out though on the model I have.

[Not Thread Owner]

4 hours ago, strider said:

I do think the phat is the most comfortable. The screen is really washed out though on the model I have.

 

That's what they're all like.

[spanky debrest]

18 hours ago, ca18s13 said:

I have never had an original DS or phat as some people call them but they're supposed to be the most comfortable. I remember the screens not looking too good but supposedly the last models they released had the ds lite screen with the brightness settings. Is this a myth and has anyone seen one? I'm falling in love with the DS again, so many great games.

 

Yeah, the original DS was great to hold (and had fantastic buttons and d-pad too) but it's hard to go back to because the screen is so dull. The last revision of the machine did indeed have better screens but I think they're rare (rarer than the 101 SPs)..

[strider]

More trades. Really enjoying amassing a stupid collection with very little actual paid cash.

 

aliens infestation - a solid metroidvania clone by the way forward guys.

diddy Kong racing ds - always enjoyed this. Both games were tradeins at cex

ace Attorney miles edgeworth - loved the first one and heard good things about this.

last window - recently completed the original so looking forward to this.

professor Layton and unwound future - liked the first one so this was a no brainier.

 

big thanks to @Alexlotl for swapping the above three for some board games

 

 

[Alexlotl]

More trades. Really enjoying amassing a stupid collection with very little actual paid cash.
 
aliens infestation - a solid metroidvania clone by the way forward guys.
diddy Kong racing ds - always enjoyed this. Both games were tradeins at cex
ace Attorney miles edgeworth - loved the first one and heard good things about this.
last window - recently completed the original so looking forward to this.
professor Layton and unwound future - liked the first one so this was a no brainier.
 
big thanks to [mention=490]Alexlotl[/mention] for swapping the above three for some board games [emoji4]
 
 

Ace Attorney Investigations is a bit uneven - it's sometimes excellent, but sometimes it drags. The (fan translated) sequel is considered a big improvement.

I'd recommend playing all of the original Phoenix Wright trilogy first, both for character motivation and in-joke reasons.

[DarhkFox]

12 hours ago, strider said:

 

diddy Kong racing ds - always enjoyed this. Both games were tradeins at cex

 

Have you played the DS one? 

 

I finished the DS one ages ago but there is a lot of changes made from the N64 game which is a bit lame.

[Not Thread Owner]

Great as the US boxes are, I really can't abide the US titles for the Layton games.

[buizel]

15 minutes ago, Darhkwing said:

 

Have you played the DS one? 

 

I finished the DS one ages ago but there is a lot of changes made from the N64 game which is a bit lame.

 

The only thing that bothers me afaik is rubbing the wheels before a race to get a boost.... so dumb.

 

I hate how nintendo forced developers to implement touch screen shit, ruining parts of games