From what I have read Nintendo plans to discontinue the original DS. They have already marked down the Animal Crossing bundles by $20.

You know what my favorite feature of the DS is? Hardware sleep mode. No more hoping a game supports this (if it doesn't have a save-anywhere feature, that is).. no more having to be at the right spot to go into a menu to access it.. just close the DS and you are good to go.

So I just bought a DS on Saturday why I didn't wait for the lite... cause I'm impatient :) But the price on the AC bundle was still $150... oh well, if the price drops I'll get a price match.

Agreed - this is a really nice feature. The PSP has a similar feature, although I notice more of a battery drain doing this on the PSP, compared to the DS.

The AC bundle now sells for $130. http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?c...ct%5Fid=020269

Bastards. On Saturday it was 150... is the non bundled version lower in price too?

So I just watched a video review of the lite and there is no way I'm buying the original now. That screen's brightness is like a solar flare.

SNK vs Capcom Card Fighters Clash for the DS!!!
http://ds.ign.com/articles/704/704066p1.html

This was without a doubt my favorite Neo Geo pocket game and is a must buy on the DS. Guess I can finally sell my Neo Geo pocket.

I'm convinced the DS uses no battery life in sleep mode. A couple of weeks ago we were at Best Buy and they have the download stations; well my girlfriend usually has her DS in her purse so we took it out to grab the Pokémon Trozei demo and she was in "red hate" mode.. so we grabbed the demo and closed it to put it in sleep mode.. thinking we'd just plug it in to charge overnight. We didn't remember we had downloaded the demo until early evening the next day and it was still good and running.

So I'd been on the fence for a while and the announcement of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass finally pushed me to seriously search ebay for a DS. I managed to get one for about $70, have had it for less than a month and have already picked up 8 games, some because I really wanted them and some were because local shops had them really cheap. So far, my favorites are Super Mario 64 DS, Phoenix Wright, Metroid Prime Hunters, and Brain Age.

The following are on my future purchase list: Mario Kart DS, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Resident Evil: Deadly Silence, Trauma Center: Under the Knife, Tetris DS, Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass.

Based on the types of games I have and what I'm getting, are there any games I'm totally overlooking? I have to say, I've gotten a faster enjoyment out of the DS than I have any system since the SuperNES.

maxfisher, off the top of my head (okay, I looked some up too): Tetris DS, Mario & Luigi, Advance Wars Dual Strike, Meteos, Kirby Canvas Curse, Wario Ware Touched, Yoshi Touch & Go, Animal Crossing, Nintendogs, Rub Rabbits, Super Princess Peach, Electroplankton and Bomberman. Of this list, Yoshi is my favorite.

Maybe Animal Crossing, definetly Castlevania, and then there's Kirby Canvas Curse, Mario & Luigi: PIT, Metroid Pinball, Sonic DS, Super Princess Peach and Wario Ware Touched! I've got to say between my wife and I we have 28 DS games, far more than our 18 GBA games and my big 3 PSP games. It's just an awesome conole and I can't wait for the Lite.

I love Nanostray. I need another shooter for the DS!

I'm playing catchup here, but has a US release date been announced yet for the Lite?

Check back tomorrow.

Hell yeah. Nanostray rocks. Nintendo seems to be the only one supporting these kind of games anymore. I would love to see another R-Type for the DS or Wii.

HELL YES!

Cooking Mama is coming to the US! AND IT WILL BE SHOWN AT E3! Wheeeee!

http://1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3150223

Awesome. Cooking Mama has looked very interesting ever since I first saw it. Maybe this'll be the one to drag my wife in.

By definition it has to, to be able to maintain the contents of the ram. Also there's that flashy green light using a small amount of power no doubt. Still I've regularly left my ds in 'save state' mode, with no issues, and the battery life on the ds is great. My dream would be a ds that could 'save state' gba games.

Yeah I've noticed that too, the DS lasts forever when in sleep mode. In fact my brother when he got his DS would never turn it off, he'd just close the lid and open it back up when he was ready to play. He told me it never turned off on him due to battery loss.

By the way, for those of you curious bout the DS Lite battery power, cabel has his 3rd and final end video of his review series where he discusses it(note there are 2 previous reviews other than this one with more questions and answers):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzXQI...blinding%20sun

Alright. Today's the day. Bring on the news about the Lite.

Majesco is showing off Mech Assault DS at E3 as well.. I'm confused because I though that was a Microsoft Game Studios franchise?

may 04, 2006

by: Ray Almeda

BREAKING: Everyone's been waiting for it. Now WE spill the beans. Check out the release date, pricing, and color.

The wait is over... at least for gamers living in North America.

Several weeks ago, Nintendo of America confirmed to AMN [at a Pre-E3 event] disclosed information regarding DS Lite's eventual release in the United States. And without further ado, the time has arrived so that we can finally lay out all the details on the world's fastest selling portable game system.

According to Nintendo marketing representatives at the event, the DS Lite will be releasing on Sunday, June 11th at a MSRP of $129.99. The portable system will only be available in Polar White, with other color palette options to follow in the coming months.

DS Lite comes just in time for playing with The New Super Mario Bros., Nintendo's dual-screen Mario platformer.

"DS Lite and New Super Mario Bros. represent a double shot of gaming excellence," says Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales & marketing. "We've got something for both lovers of beautiful, new gadgets and fans of old-school gaming."

The release date of the DS Lite also marks the 5th Anniversary of the Game Boy Advance launch in the United States, and ironically follows Nintendo's tendency to release several of their systems on a Sunday. The price point also remains a mere $20 more than the original Nintendo DS system, which apparently will continue being sold at retail outlets at the suggested price of $129.99. Rumored bundles have yet to be announced, but informants have told AMN that other DS Lite launch options may be available as the June 11th release draws closer.

It will be the first time the DS Lite will be sold at retail stores outside of Japan, which are still seeing hardware shortages since its astounding release earlier in January of this year.

The DS Lite is 42% smaller in volume and 21% lighter than the original DS. Also differing from its bulky brother are the start and select buttons, which are now placed underneath the A/B/X/Y buttons. The sturdier and thicker DS stylus now attaches to the system sideways, and the microphone has been relocated to the hinge on the center of the system. The power button, now relocated to the right side of the system, is now a switch to address gamers' complaints regarding the accidental presses during gameplay.





The official USA launch color of the DS Lite


More importantly, DS Lite's screens have been significantly upgraded, allowing up to four different levels of brightness to increase battery efficiency. Amazingly, the lowest setting on the back-lit DS Lite still outshines the original DS. According to report estimates, the battery life for the system is 15-19 hours on the lowest brightness setting, 5-8 hours on the highest. The screens also now touch when the system is closed, which now appears in a more secure clam-shell design (similar to that of the GBA SP). Of course, backward functionality is maintained with the DS Lite, as GBA cartridges can be played from the bottom side of the system by opening the "placeholder cartridge", which can be used to maintain the system's sleekness.

The DS Lite will be fully showcased at E3 2006 next week, and might be available for pre-order at select retailers as early as today.

You heard it here first. Pre-order your DS Lite... NOW

Thanks etrigan.

June 11 is a bit late to make it with me on my vacation. :( Oh well. I'll still head out today to pre-order it. Good to see they aren't going to overcharge for it despite demand.

Great news!! I'll be at Target first thing in the morning as with the original (of course, this time I'LL be buying one).