DS Lite on June 11th and only $129

kobylka68

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Gamespot Link

DS Lite hits US June 11 for $129.99
Nintendo's redesigned portable finally coming to North America; "Polar White" color available at launch, others may follow.
By Tim Surette, GameSpot
Posted May 4, 2006 5:00 am PT

Nintendo's DS Lite has been hot property in Japan. The second iteration of the dual-screened handheld was released in Nintendo's home country in early March, and immediately sold out. Nintendo has struggled to meet consumer demand for the portable, which is a lighter, brighter version of its mega-successful DS.

American gamers have long wondered when they too will be able to endure long lines and wait for hours on end to get their hands on the new portable, and the struggles to make enough DS Lites for Japan has done nothing to get their hopes up. However, with production of the portable recently ramped up, Nintendo fans can finally let out a collective sigh of relief.

The DS Lite will make its debut in North America on June 11. [UPDATE] The unit will be priced at $129.99, the same price as the current DS, not $149 as previously reported. (GameSpot regrets the error.) Though the DS Lite has been released in white and two shades of blue in Japan, the handheld will only be available in "Polar White" for the US launch. This doesn't necessarily mean it will be long until DS Lite owners get the blues--Japan's DS Lite launch was also restricted to one color, with the blue hues following one week later.

Many gamers had speculated that the DS Lite would be released alongside a high-profile DS game. Some targeted the launch of New Super Mario Bros., now scheduled for May 15, as a good opportunity for Nintendo to spur sales of the handheld and the game, but that isn't the case. In fact, no DS games are presently scheduled for release during the week. However, the DS Lite launch will occur one week after two potentially big sellers are released--THQ's Cars and Nintendo's Big Brain Academy.

Nintendo UK would not comment on release dates for the DS Lite outside the US.

Nintendo has not yet revealed the fate of the current DS model. But, like previous Nintendo handhelds, collectors should take note that it will likely be phased out in the near future.

Those who can't decide whether to wait or not can get some advice from GameSpot's Buyer's Guide on the DS versus the DS Lite.
 

bokmeow

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the article should have had the caveat, 'expect to pay up to twice the cost of retail on eBay.'

The lines for these DS Lites in Japan is unbelievable. All the stores I went to were sold out, those that had waiting lines for pre-orders had 30 or more for each color.
 

Phoenix Down

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Are any American retailers taking preorders for it yet? Or am I just going to have to beat up small children to get one on launch day?
 

kobylka68

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bokmeow said:
the article should have had the caveat, 'expect to pay up to twice the cost of retail on eBay.'

The lines for these DS Lites in Japan is unbelievable. All the stores I went to were sold out, those that had waiting lines for pre-orders had 30 or more for each color.

I was lucky enough to catch the second shipment on March 31st in Tokyo and picked up 3. Sold 2 of them and made a tidy profit. A great system though. I can only imagine that at the low price at retail the shortage in the US will be huge.
 

qube

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I have Best Buy credit saved up for one of these babies!

Looks like I'll be getting there at 5 in the morning though :mad:
 

Violent Ryo

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Mannnnnn, there goes another $150 out of my pocket.....

Sigh, I really wish I was rich so I could comfortably afford all this shit...

I don't get the massive craze tho?

Did people really hate the old design?

Or really love the new model?

??

And yeah bokemeow, f*k eBay sometimes....
 
Last edited:

hanafuda

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Violent Ryo said:
I don't get the massive craze tho?

Did people really hate the old design?

Or really love the new model?

??

The standard DS is good, but the Lite is better in practically every respect. It's that simple.
 

fatal fury fan #2

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just saw some pics for the lite. wow :eek_2: it looks great! I hear it was only white and wasn't too happan about that but the color isn't that bad :drool: I now need to find witch games to get with the DS :multi_co:
 

Vincere

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Amano Jacu said:
I've heard here in Europe is gonna cost 160€, that's 200$ right now... :rolleyes:

Ha ha, I was about to say that we Europeans would have to spend 129 EUROS to get that little beauty as we're usually currency-fucked up. Anyway, if they're effectively selling the Lite at 160E, what wouldn't surprise me, I won't take it by any means.

I already have one actually, and thought to buy a second brand new system to keep it as when my first one will die. We gotta check out the US market to have more friendly prices as usual...
 

bokmeow

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Tristesse said:
Ha ha, I was about to say that we Europeans would have to spend 129 EUROS to get that little beauty as we're usually currency-fucked up. Anyway, if they're effectively selling the Lite at 160E, what wouldn't surprise me, I won't take it by any means.

I already have one actually, and thought to buy a second brand new system to keep it as when my first one will die. We gotta check out the US market to have more friendly prices as usual...

I would not recommend that. Lithium-Ion batteries have a sort of electronic equivalent of a 'biological clock,' the lifespan of the battery starts ticking upon production of the battery out of the factory, and you need to keep a sort of low charge, according to most tech sites 40%, when you go for extended periods of time to keep the battery from dying off too quickly. If you wish to get one, get one now and lose your old DS, or don't buy one at all until the Lithium-Ion battery of your current DS gives out.
 

Vincere

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Hmmm, that kinda sucks. So there's possibly no way to keep a brand new and working system for the next decades?
 

Marco-big-bro

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so much waiting for this Dslite .... I like it !!! should I proove it to you ?? here is my collection :

DSgames.jpg
 

Shawn Carr2o

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Marco-big-bro said:
so much waiting for this Dslite .... I like it !!! should I proove it to you ?? here is my collection :

DSgames.jpg


Awesome! DS game collection that you have there.:buttrock: :cool:
 

Shito

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Great news, price is AWESOME.

Nice move, big N.

I think I'm getting a new DS together with the upcoming new Akumajou Dracula! :buttrock:
 

Magician

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Preordered, paid in full.

Let the countdown begin.
 

Robert

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I just got my DS so I won't pay 200€, even for an improved version (plus I don't like the color).
But I admit that Nintendo has made a smart move with the Lite. It keeps the sales high and makes the one who already bought the original one tempted to buy the new version.
@Marco-Big-Bro: Ca c'est vraiment une collection qui mérite le respect.
 

Weevus

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I'm pretty impressed with the decent price. I'm still going to hold out until a special edition one comes along.
 

Big Shady

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Do you guys think a pre-order is necessary, or will I be able to walk into a Best Buy on June 11th and just grab one?
 

turbopants

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I preordered one, don't think it's absolutely necessary, but I just want no issues. I'll also be picking up a copy of New Super Mario with it.
 

Blue Steel

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bokmeow said:
I would not recommend that. Lithium-Ion batteries have a sort of electronic equivalent of a 'biological clock,' the lifespan of the battery starts ticking upon production of the battery out of the factory, and you need to keep a sort of low charge, according to most tech sites 40%, when you go for extended periods of time to keep the battery from dying off too quickly. If you wish to get one, get one now and lose your old DS, or don't buy one at all until the Lithium-Ion battery of your current DS gives out.
bok, you seem to know about lithium-ion batteries, can you tell me whether or not it's bad for your DS to over charge it. What I mean is, I used to leave mine plugged in a lot and would sometimes even leave it connected to the Nintendo wifi network (so people could enter my town in animal crossing). So, I'm saying I would leave it plugged in a lot, and I never thought this was bad so I didn't think twice about it. What is your verdict?
 

Magnaflux

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SnairDogg said:
bok, you seem to know about lithium-ion batteries, can you tell me whether or not it's bad for your DS to over charge it. What I mean is, I used to leave mine plugged in a lot and would sometimes even leave it connected to the Nintendo wifi network (so people could enter my town in animal crossing). So, I'm saying I would leave it plugged in a lot, and I never thought this was bad so I didn't think twice about it. What is your verdict?


I think the DS is smart enough to terminate charging at a point.

My cell phone and watch both do this, I'm pretty sure the DS does also.

I had my DS plugged in for about 2 weeks straight when I forgot about it.
 

gamejunkie

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Isn't it better to completely discharge the battery and then fully charge it? That is instead of just topping the battery off whenever you get a chance...

Guess it doesn't really matter that much in the long run. We have an new system every year so there's really no way we could notice a significant decrease in our batteries lifespan. :tickled:
 
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