Less likely to incite public ridicule – even if, that is, you’re one of the 3 million-plus people that enjoy head-to-head 802.11b wireless multiplayer match-ups at McDonald’s via Nintendo’s WiFi Connection service – the device also makes butt-bouncing walking mushrooms and blowing alien spaceships sky-high a real treat. Concentrate instead on the strides the system does make, which enhance the overall quality of the gameplay experience, beef up visibility and make the handheld a much more desirable tagalong on business trips.
NINTENDO SWITCH OLED VS NINTENDO DS LITE PORTABLE
That being said, forget what the DS Lite doesn’t do: Introduce any major interactive feature upgrades, improve game quality, augment software performance or ace out the PlayStation Portable (PSP) in terms of whiz-bang 3D graphic technology. Or, for that matter, fit the dainty little fingers of our 5’8″ or smaller frames around the unit’s d-pad, four face buttons (A, B, X, Y) and left/right shoulder triggers without cultivating the kind of grip that could crush walnuts. It’s also a guaranteed smash hit, especially for those of us petite folk looking to cram the device into a size 32 pair of men’s jeans. Therefore any hardware retooling which offers enhancements in a single area, let alone all, as does the DS Lite, isn’t just a bonus. But as anyone who’s tried to wrap their hands around the oversized doohickey and its ultra-addictive amusements – not to mention hold the 9.7oz beast for an extended period of time – can attest, simply playing them is a workout. Worse, as we all know, featured games are plenty fun and innovative.
It was, to be blunt, an issue of engineers jury-rigging a system so that it could ship in time for the holidays (November 2004), sacrificing industrial design on the altar of sales and marketing. Between sheer bulkiness, a brick-like aesthetic, an unpolished user interface and ports and parts seemingly scattered at random around the gadget’s base, it wasn’t so much a case of less form, more function. Let’s call a spade a spade, however: The Nintendo DS, in its original form, was ugly, cumbersome and a pain in the butt to pack along on road trips/vacations given its tremendous heft. Given that the device is region-free – unlike with DVDs, you can play titles from any territory – it’s recommended that the fashion-conscious consider splurging and importing a unit from overseas via eBay or retailers such as. Meaning that DS Lite, despite shipping in only a single hue, which Nintendo calls Polar White (Japanese models come in Enamel Navy and Ice Blue, European ones black), the gizmo remains travel- and jungle gym-ready as ever. What’s more, while the chrome casing that initially surrounded the console’s internal circuitry has been replaced with a cheaper-looking, almost iPod-esque, milky-colored plastic shell that easily attracts scratching and fingerprint smudges, it still offers adequate hardware protection. Nintendogs or Feel the Magic XY/XX, by speaking or blowing into it) and pair of twin screens (the bottom one being touch-sensitive) as well. You still get a microphone (players can interact with certain games, e.g. Like many of these incremental revisions, DS Lite is merely a recommended, not essential upgrade.Īs with the original Nintendo DS, the device runs all standard system-compatible carts including Brain Age and Metroid Prime: Hunters, offers WiFi-ready online multiplayer support and proves backwards compatible with Game Boy Advance software. It’s not like we’re looking at another N-Gage QD.įirst things first, though: Some good news for those already snookered into purchasing the Game Boy Advance (GBA), Game Boy Advance SP, Game Boy Micro and recently released, brighter-screened GBA SP update. But when that’s the harshest criticism current admirers can level at the unit, which will surely continue to spark sales of the deservedly acclaimed DS platform (17 million of the devices have already been snapped up worldwide), hey… Be thankful. On the downside, the machine’s enhancements are more cosmetic than anything else, simply offering gamers a less cumbersome, more stylish way of getting their New Super Mario Bros.
touch-sensitive titles experienced through top- and bottom-mounted visual displays using a stylus or d-pad- and button-based front-end – now’s the perfect chance. So if you haven’t gotten hip to the dual-screened diversion’s charms – i.e. Witness the newly debuted DS Lite ($129.99), a smaller, sleeker and generally better designed model of the popular DS handheld, which improves upon its predecessor in almost every conceivable way.įrom tangible weight and size reductions to a new button layout, sharper visual performance and repositioned stylus holder, it’s a welcome addition to the Japanese giant’s celebrated family of portable consoles. Case prone to smudging GBA games stick out Where's the light switch?Įveryone’s trying to slim down in time for summer – Nintendo included.
0 kommentar(er)
