Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have owned both versions of the Nintendo DS system and found that I like the DS Lite much less than the older DS, to the point of actually going back and exchanging it for an older model. The DS Lite is just as much fun and the screens are brighter but I am unhappy with almost all of the changes. The old DS wasn't anywhere near as pretty as the DS Lite but it was much sturdier. I am very gentle with my handhelds and the outside of my DS Lite had several scratches after a little over a week, it also had several pixels die on the top screen within the first few days of ownership, a problem I have not had with the older DS. Overall, the new DS just doesn't feel sturdy, and I feel a little like I might break it if I'm not careful. The original DS was a system that could take some punishment, a fact that you might want to consider if buying one for a younger child. While I like the thicker stylus I have found that the touch screen on the DS Lite seems a lot less sensitive than the one on the old DS. I used to be able to use my finger for games where I would only need to touch the screen on occasion but my DS Lite would not respond to anything but the stylus or very hard and repeated finger taps. When I placed the same brand of screen protector I used on my original DS for years on the DS Lite the touch screen became completely unresponsive. The DS Lite comes with a nice piece to stick in the GBA game slot when there is no game in it, some people might not be aware that GBA games do not fit all the way into the DS Lite like they do into the original DS. Gameboy Advance packs stick out about one centimeter, something that I find very annoying as I liked to leave a GBA game inside my DS and my DS Lite would not fit into a case if I did so I had to take the game out and replace the filler piece when I wanted to put the system away. The DS Lite is considerably smaller and much thinner than the original and if you are an adult with larger hands this isn't necessarily a good thing. The buttons are also smaller and I have found them harder to work because of this, especially with some of the new button placements. I find the start and select buttons harder to use now, especially since they are so tiny. The D-Pad doesn't seem as responsive. I also miss the wrist strap that the DS used to come with and liked to carry it that way. The DS Lite doesn't have one. Overall, I think that which model of the DS to buy or whether to replace your older DS with a DS Lite is a matter of personal preference. The DS Lite's big selling point are its brighter screens. They are noticeably brighter but I never had a problem seeing anything on my original DS and I don't notice that much of a difference except on the highest brightness settings. I am very happy with the longer battery life and the quicker charge time with the DS Lite but have found that for me it's not worth putting up with the other changes.