Nintendo DS Lite Review

Boy Game Micro
Our original review of the Nintendo DS listed only one 'We don't like' characteristic: 'Somewhat bulky'. Whether it was because of early fan discord or because Nintendo has a propensity to redesign its handheld systems, the aforementioned complaint was addressed with a signature Nintendo remodelling. The Nintendo DS has been slimmed down and brightened up, and it's been injected with a serious shot of style.

Rechristened, the DS Lite attempts to make the same fashion statement for videogame systems that the iPod did for MP3 players. Like the iPod, the DS Lite is available in two colours, white and black, which is exclusive to Europe. For the time being the US only has the white version, while Japan boasts navy and 'ice blue' versions. For the impatient and iPod-white averse, the system is completely region-free and supports multiple languages, so you could import a Japanese navy DS Lite and have no problem playing all of your European games.

The DS Lite is released in the UK and Europe on 23 June with an RRP of £99.99. It can be pre-ordered from various online retailers now.

Design
The Nintendo DS Lite, like the original Nintendo DS, is a portable gaming system with two vertically tiered screens. On the bottom is a touch screen that allows you to use a stylus or a finger for anything from selecting options to moving characters. There's also a normal face-button layout that allows a more standard method of control.

The system plays its own proprietary cartridges (which are somewhere between SD and CompactFlash cards in size), in addition to its near-full backward compatibility with Game Boy Advance (GBA) titles -- the system will not play multiplayer modes of GBA games, unfortunately. While DS cartridges are much smaller in capacity than the Sony PSP's UMDs, they play without the often unbearable load times of Sony's proprietary format.

As its name suggests, the Nintendo DS Lite is a much more compactly designed system -- at 133 by 72 by 21mm when closed and weighing in at 217g, it's 39 per cent smaller and 21 per cent lighter than its predecessor. The rounded corners are more finely tapered, and the top and bottom sides are symmetrical, avoiding the underbite-like look of the original's oversized bottom half. It's a much more pocket-friendly system than the original DS. Despite the smaller overall size, though, the trademark twin screens have the same dimensions.

The layout of the DS Lite is largely similar to that of the Nintendo DS, with some slight, beneficial changes. The top half of the clamshell still houses the stereo speakers. They're centred on either side of the upper screen, and despite being smaller than those on the original DS, they're just as loud. The bottom screen is a little more conducive to touch, but it feels flimsier -- almost as if you've kept the protective thin-film screen that overlays many LCDs when they ship from the factory. To the left of the touch screen is the D-pad, which is about three-quarters the size of the original, but just as efficient.

The four face buttons (X, Y, A and B) are essentially the same but feel a little more pronounced than those of the original DS. No longer half-ovals on top, the start and select buttons are now tiny circles on the bottom. The power button has moved from just above the D-pad to the right side of the system. It's a welcome change, as the original looked exactly like the select and start buttons and was situated in the same area on the opposite side -- which led to the occasional turn-off-instead-of-pause blunder.

The front of the system is basically unchanged -- from left to right, the volume control, the GBA game slot and the in-line-enabled headphone port are in the same spots. Formerly slightly above the front of the system, the microphone has been moved to the hinge between screens. In instances where you need to look at the bottom screen while using the mic, you may need to retrain yourself.

The back end of the system is basically the same. The only thing that's moved is the stylus holder, which is on the back of the system, to the left of the power switch. It looks a little more discreet and the stylus fits more snugly. The left and right triggers are slightly smaller, but like the face buttons, they're more pronounced and easier to press. The DS cartridge slot is centred at the top, and the AC power port is off to the left. The system includes an AC adaptor, two styli that match the Lite's colour, and a smaller wrist strap that -- annoyingly -- does not include the thumbpad of the original.

Boy Game Micro

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Hands-On With the Game Boy Micro

Boy Game Micro
Everybody came into the 2005 Nintendo pre-E3 press conference with one word on their mind: Revolution. Although big revelations about the next generation were not in the cards for E3, Nintendo did have another ace up their sleeve in the form of a sleeker, smaller version of their line of Game Boy portables: The Game Boy Micro.

Prior to E3, most hadn't even thought of wanting anything smaller than the SP, which itself was a significant upgrade from the original Game Boy Advance. The Micro is the fifth device manufactured by Nintendo capable of playing the Game Boy Advance line of games launched in 2001; the second of which to release since November 2004.

Size is the name of the game for the Game Boy Micro, and it's actually quite a feat of engineering. Holding the device in your hands, it's hard to believe it's a real, working game system; it's just so unbelievably small. It begs to be slipped into the pocket. The unit itself feels well constructed, and can not be easily twisted, and feels like it could withstand the adventure of one's pocket all day. The centerpiece of the portable, of course, is the backlit true-LCD screen, which while albeit smaller than previous Advance systems, is sharper, brighter, and has a better viewing-angle radius. The screen performed well through our tests. Even outside under the bright glare of the sun, the display was legible, and color depth remained sharp. We tried Mario Golf, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, and Castlevania: Circle of the Moon on the Micro, and compared it to the Game Boy Advance SP. Surprisingly, although smaller in size, all text was just as legible on the Micro to anyone with good-to-moderate vision. The colors almost always looked deeper and more detailed on the Micro, although this is a subjective comparison. The screen is protected by several layers of thick transparent plastic, the top layer of which feels sturdy and scratch resistant.

Accompanying the screen on the front is the d-pad and the standard "A" and "B" action buttons, which feel and perform as you've come to expect from a Game Boy system. We actually prefer the feel of the action buttons on the Micro to the SP, as they sit taller, have rounded tops, and depress alot smoother than the SP's, which feel stiffer by comparison. Also on the front are the staple "Start" and "Select" buttons, the lettering of which light up blue when powered. On the bottom you'll find a small power toggle switch on the left corner, and a headphone jack on the right corner (which means no adapter needed!). The rest of the bottom's surface is occupied by the cartridge slot in which you enter your games. There is a volume control on the right side of the unit, which as you'd expect, controls the volume of the in-game sound. The speaker itself is housed on the front bottom right corner, and is modestly sized. It doesn't pump quite as louldly as the SP, but it is hearable under any sort of normal situation. On the top edge you'll find the "L" and "R" shoulder buttons. These buttons are about one inch long, but require you to push the side closer to the center of the unit to register the button press. Pushing the outside edge, as we often accidentally did with the grip we naturally assumed, will not do anything. Although it only requires a change in grip to remedy, it does stand out on something that otherwise appears to be remarkably well-built. Also on the top edge is a small interface port which is labelled "Exp. Port", which does not appear to be the same interface we've seen on other GBA systems; which makes it safe to say that without the use of some sort of adapter, you will not be able to use your existing GBA accessories on the Micro.

The Micro will come in two different flavors at launch: black and silver; each with their own set of cosmetic faceplates. The unit we demoed was black with the silver face. The face is relatively easy to remove with any modest thumbnail or a small coin, however once in place, the plate is pretty snug, and does not seem like it could accidentally come off or loose during play or during travel. The plastic used to mould the plate seems pretty thick, and within reason, doesn't seem easily breakable. The whole package is powered by an internal lithium-ion battery which, according to the Nintendo representative which demoed the unit, lasts approximately 15 hours on a charge.

Overall, the Micro makes a fantastic impression. Its sleek, simple appearance will appeal to the gadget-crazed who like to make a statement with their gear. However, its appeal isn't just aesthetic, and having such a small gaming system with hundreds of games available for it definitely has its appeal. Unfortunately, the very things that make the Micro special are also things that will steer people away from it. Anyone with impaired vision, larger than average hands, or someone who just doesnt like playing on a small screen may feel more at home on an SP or Game Boy Player. But, for nearly everyone else, the Game Boy Micro is deserving of its namesake.

Boy Game Micro

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