[DS] Nintendo DS/Lite discussion thread

Unless you have a real problem with it, don't bother taking it back. The stock they have will be exactly the same as before, so there's no point exchanging one for another when you're no going to be solving any problems in the process.

Yesterday I returned my DS Lite for another. Which is surprising, because I've had it for over a month now. And IT WAS FLASHED. But they were saying that they'd send it in, and get it checked out. They didn't see the dead pixels until I managed to get one displaying on a black screen. The bright store lights didn't help either.

The new DS Lite which I have feels better, and I can tell the difference between the older Lite and the newer Lite. The sound (yes, it's just as quiet as the previous Lite) knob is as sloppy as ever, but I noticed the stylus locks into place and is harder to get out. I also noticed that the top screen doesn't "click" into place like my original DSLite did. It doesn't make any noise when it locks itself into that set position it has.

I've also noticed that there's a very, very thin layer of protection on the touchscreen. It's temporary, and it makes movement on the touchscreen slower, so the screen isn't as slippery. Once you wear it down, it's gone. It's sort of like the stuff they put on PS2 controllers, and after a few months it isn't there anymore. Except this stuff will rub off faster. They could have done this for the top screen as well but I can't be certain.

I'm happy now I've done this. There's no dead pixels on my new one, and I don't have to flash it or anything. I'm sort of sad to see mine go, but I can't tolerate dead pixels. I started getting pissed off in the store when they mentioned that they'd send it in for repairs, but eventually they swapped it flat-out when the original person I purchased it off showed up.

What sucks is, Nintendo is dealt with here by a corporation called Monaco, and Sony is dealt through Fixtronics, and they won't repair or exchange/swap consoles unless there's a significant number of dead pixels on the screen. ONE is significant enough, but they don't seem to see it that way.

When I first phoned the store and asked about their return policies, they said that they won't and can't replace PSP's unless they have 7 or more dead pixels. When I was in the store, they said 20 or more. So either they're bullshitting, or the companies are really tough on their return policies here. It's a shame because this means I'll never be buying a PSP.

And when you get a bunch of middle aged men working in a gaming store, they can easily blame their vision for not seeing the dead pixels. It's almost like a hopeless battle with some people since they're so fucking dense they're not going to give a toss whether you're pleased or not. Some do, some don't.

The dpad is always stiff to begin with. I've noticed this from the one I returned, to this one. It eventually breaks in after you've used it for awhile, so the responsiveness kicks in after a period of time. I don't mind this, since it isn't a big deal. I haven't had any problems with ghosting myself, even.

There's also apparently two different types of touchscreens for the Lite. This was also true for the original DS, where you had "grid" and "grainy" screens. I'm not too sure which mine is, but the original DS touchscreen I had was pretty poor, and it made Bomberman DS look like garbage in comparison to it's top screen. It looks rather distorted (like there's a layer of screen protecting it, yet there isn't) and isn't as good as the top screen of the Lite, but I really don't mind.

The main problem with all LCD material is the fucking dead pixels. I'm still not sure how the DS Lite I returned managed to get another vague dead pixel. Originally, it had one. I didn't notice it until about a week after purchase, while playing Phoenix Wright. I did everything to get rid of it--rubbing, pixel fixer programs, wiping--but nothing worked. Then the second dead pixel appears about half a cm to the right of the previous dead pixel. It could have been from rubbing, but I'll never know for sure.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

A dead pixel here and there may be unacceptable to you, but to some people that's a bit anal. If the guys working at the store don't really care, they just think you're nuts. I'm all for having a perfect DS, I knew about pixel problems for the PSP, and the one I got had 2, but you only see it when it's a loading black screen, otherwise it's fine. LCDs will always have dead pixels, and you can keep exchanging it if you want. I just don't think it's worth that much stress and aggravation. Pixels can die, just like how lights burn out. It's really hard to get anything that's completely flawless. It might be easier to just accept it instead of always trying to figure out why you have a dead pixel.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Ryunam

First of all, the volume, at its maximum level, is noticeably lower than how it sounded on the DS. It can be kind of solved with the implementation of good earphones, though it's certainly more of an annoyance than a welcome addition.
.

I miss being able to turn the volume up full bore and watching the top screen spaz out when there was an especially loud sound effect or something!

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

At least they fixed the lower volume settings. On my old DS if you turned it down low enough the music would sound terrible and distorted. Now I can actually turn it down without any problems.

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So...yeah. You know the sound when you first turn on your DS, if you don't have it set to start a game immediately? It's changed on me all of a sudden. It went from the low-sounding bell noise, to something that sounds more like a wind chime. I thought it was a setting I must have messed around with at first, but there aren't any other sounds you can use. Then I saw there's an option to put your birthday in, and today is mine. Is that the special thing the DS does when it's your birthday? That seems kinda...weird. O_o

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Happy birthday, Max.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

So yeah, Are there any good DS games out right now that will last me a while? I just completed everything there is to do in Mario Kart DS (not completed, but unlocked everything). So, let's see, I was looking at the New Super Mario Bros. possibly or Advance Wars DS. Is there anything else that anybody can recommend? I need something that will last a while and will not tear up my screen too badly.

This is not to say Mario Kart DS is not fun anymore, but I'm down to just racing in VS mode or battling it out. Regardless, I need a new game to get away from Mario Kart DS for a while. I've got 3 GBA games already so no GBA recommendations. (Those are, BTW, Tales of Phantasia, Golden Sun, Golden Sun: The Lost Age)

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I can tell you right off the bat that, while an excellent game, New Super Mario Bros. isn't a long-lasting game. It took me less than a week to completely beat the game (three stars by the save file), and I only really played the game for about an hour each day. You should definitely play it some day, just don't get it if you're in need of a long game.

If you want games that will last you a while, but only because of their ongoing nature, then try out eother Animal Crossing: Wild World or Nintendogs. They'll both definitely last you a while, but there is only so much you can do in each game, and they get repetitive after a while. If you're anything like me, you'll probably wind up playing them a lot for about a month or two, and then go to almost never playing them.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is a pretty good length game, and it offers up some extra stuff you can do after you beat it. I don't know how long a time you need this game to keep you occupied, but this one could keep you busy for a good while, depending on how often you play it.

Other than that, if puzzle games is your thing, pick up either Tetris DS or Meteos. They're pretty lengthy for puzzle games, and I would say they are some of the best games the DS has to offer (I personally liked Tetris DS better than Meteos, but they're both great).

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Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time is a nifty RPG that took me around 20 hours to complete. It's pretty fun, and has the same great humor as Superstar Saga if you played that on the GBA.

Trauma Center would last you a long time as well. It's got plenty of levels, and the entire game is incredibly difficult. There's a real sense of accomplishment when you complete some of the surgeries, since you'll often want to drive the stylus through your screen out of frustration. Despite the difficulty though, it's still very fun.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Max Biggs

Then I saw there's an option to put your birthday in, and today is mine. Is that the special thing the DS does when it's your birthday? That seems kinda...weird. O_o

Yeah, slightly different boot up noise and a little birthday message if you jump into PictoChat. Nintendo sure knows how to throw a party!

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Originally Posted by Omnislash124

So yeah, Are there any good DS games out right now that will last me a while? I just completed everything there is to do in Mario Kart DS (not completed, but unlocked everything). So, let's see, I was looking at the New Super Mario Bros. possibly or Advance Wars DS. Is there anything else that anybody can recommend? I need something that will last a while and will not tear up my screen too badly.

This is not to say Mario Kart DS is not fun anymore, but I'm down to just racing in VS mode or battling it out. Regardless, I need a new game to get away from Mario Kart DS for a while. I've got 3 GBA games already so no GBA recommendations. (Those are, BTW, Tales of Phantasia, Golden Sun, Golden Sun: The Lost Age)

Render bought NSMB over Advance Wars. He's regretting it. Everyone told him otherwise, too. Don't make the same mistake.

Advance Wars is probabyl the longest game on the DS. You can't go wrong with it, unless it just isn't your thing whatsoever. The problem with the DS is tht the games it has lack replayability (NSMB is a perfect example) and lack length (like Project Rub) and some games you just aren't going to play for awhile once you've completed them, such as Phoenix Wright.

That said, I'm going to recommend Ouendan, for it's obvious replayability.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I dunno, I can see myself replaying New Super Fabio Brothers a few million times. IN MY ETERNAL WAIT FOR MORE DS PLATFORMERS. Where's New Sonic Rush, or New Wonderboy? They're nowhere.

FELIPE NO

Or, where's Yoshi's Island 2.

I swear when that game is released I'm going to perfect it like I almost did with the first. The only reason I didn't get everything in the first was because I'm lazy, and I'm lazy. It's a surprise they're even considering a sequel.

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Oh shit I totally forgot about Yoshi's Island 2. The Blinx team better not bugger that up or I'll punch a wall and start crawling in my skin.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Elixir

The dpad is always stiff to begin with. I've noticed this from the one I returned, to this one. It eventually breaks in after you've used it for awhile, so the responsiveness kicks in after a period of time. I don't mind this, since it isn't a big deal.

What you say, Elixir, is very relieving to me. After all, it's not like I can't input diagonal directions at all. It's rather that such movements require a harder pression, so it actually feels tighter and, at the same time, uncomfortable. I hope I'll get used to said configuration, since as I stated I love the visual and aesthetical quality that my DSLite displays.

Originally Posted by Elixir

The main problem with all LCD material is the fucking dead pixels. I'm still not sure how the DS Lite I returned managed to get another vague dead pixel. Originally, it had one. I didn't notice it until about a week after purchase, while playing Phoenix Wright. I did everything to get rid of it--rubbing, pixel fixer programs, wiping--but nothing worked. Then the second dead pixel appears about half a cm to the right of the previous dead pixel. It could have been from rubbing, but I'll never know for sure.

I fully concur with you on that. Dead pixels constitute an unstandable flaw. Had that been the case with my system, I would have got it to be replaced immediately. So far I've been lucky, but who knows, these unfortunate matters are always around the corner with this kind of technology, as you clearly pointed out.

Originally Posted by Infernal Monkey

The Blinx team better not bugger that up or I'll punch a wall and start crawling in my skin.

I'm admittedly ignorant when it comes to these terms, but... who's this Blinx Team exactly?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Ahaha, I just called them that because I couldn't remember their actual name at the time. It's Artoon, the developer that made the pretty average Blinx games on the Xbox.

They also developed this;



Which is a pretty horrible game. I don't know why Nintendo's giving them another chance with such a high profile game. ;_;

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I see. Having heard of Universal Gravitation (or Topsy-Turvy, like it's named in U.S. regions) and its abysmal quality, I can only confide in Miyamoto and the other big names' supervision.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by RockgamerXIII

I can tell you right off the bat that, while an excellent game, New Super Mario Bros. isn't a long-lasting game. It took me less than a week to completely beat the game (three stars by the save file), and I only really played the game for about an hour each day. You should definitely play it some day, just don't get it if you're in need of a long game.

Get back to me when you've maxed out the score.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Okay, but what the hell is that gonna achieve?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Nothing. But that's not the point. It's a personal achievement, only meant to extend the gameplay.

FELIPE NO

Eh, I have way too many DS games I still need to play, so I doubt I would be doing anything like that anytime soon. I still need to play or beat about half the games in my collection, so I really don't concentrate on extra stuff like that when playing games.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I was thinking about how the NSMB is a great game but too short to last for a while. I guess I'll be looking at either Advance Wars, Meteos, or Ouendan. Thanks.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by RockgamerXIII

Okay, but what the hell is that gonna achieve?

What is getting 3 stars gonna achieve? Nothing, it's just another artificial accomplishment. The REAL reason i'm still playing is because its' fun! This will actually last me until November when Hotel Dusk is out, and whenever Mario vs DK 2 comes out.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

It's fun, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna keep playing it when there isn't anything else in it to do. The fact that you're still gonna be playing it doesn't change the fact that it is still a short game. What am I gonna do, keep playing the same levels again and again? I feel I beat the game to its fullest extent (that's what the three stars mean to me, by the way), and since I have other games to play, that's what I'm gonna do instead of playing the same one over and over again.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by RockgamerXIII

It's fun, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna keep playing it when there isn't anything else in it to do. The fact that you're still gonna be playing it doesn't change the fact that it is still a short game. What am I gonna do, keep playing the same levels again and again? I feel I beat the game to its fullest extent (that's what the three stars mean to me, by the way), and since I have other games to play, that's what I'm gonna do instead of playing the same one over and over again.

Don't worry, Grubdog will be playing said Nintendo title until next Nintendo title is released. You're really not doing anything wrong by not completing it and obtaining every single thing they've put into this game. It's not a perfectionist's game.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?