We all become a little more body conscious in the summer months. As beach holidays and drunken barbecues beckon – and we discover that once again some devious swine has shrunk half of our clothes – we herd, en masse, to parks and gyms to attempt to sweat off the excess poundage.
Evidently Nintendo felt the same way. Whilst Sony was content to simply splash out on a white outfit for its PSP, Nintendo has put
the lardy DS through a rather more punishing workout, forcing it to shed 60g and a third of its size. They've also invested in a shiny new wardrobe, or at least borrowed one from Apple.
The resulting DS Lite (available in black or white) is a quite simply gorgeous piece of gaming gadgetry that's guaranteed to draw amorous eyes from fellow travellers whenever you're out in public together – a stark contrast from the questioning looks that accompanied the use of the original silver brick.
Where the DS always felt more Tonka toy than high-tech kit, the DS Lite really does look like it could have rolled off the Jonathan Ive production line somewhere between iPods and iBooks. Folded shut, its shiny exterior (complete with subtle DS monogram) positively begs to be picked up. And sure enough, the compact unit feels reassuringly solid and comfortable in your hands, although the larger-palmed among us will be glad they didn't lop any more off, or it could have become uncomfortable.
Of course, the real fun begins when you flip the DS Lite open to reveal the dual screens set into its matt interior. Here you'll find all the original features that made the DS so innovative and approachable not only present and correct, but in most cases subtly enhanced too.
Flick on the sliding power switch and the dual screens really do beam out at you (they're certainly markedly brighter than the DS – with four settings you can turn them down if you're blinded) ensuring that you'll be able to play in various light conditions. Slide the longer, slimmer stylus from its right-hand berth and you'll see that even an extra centimetre makes the lower touch screen more of a joy to interact with, ensuring that petting
Nintendogs, drawing platforms for
Yoshi and Mario to jump upon or just avoiding accidentally hitting the D-pad and buttons is a notably easier.
Likewise games that use the microphone (such as lawyer-sim
Phoenix Wright) are more approachable now the said microphone is slotted between the screens rather than hidden below the bottom one, enabling you to control onscreen events with your voice without taking your eyes off the action.
If we had to criticise, we'd say the D-pad and control buttons still look and feel a little too cheap and plasticky at first, and that the shoulder buttons are maybe a little too soft, but this seems to be more of an effect created by the high build quality of the rest of the case rather than any intrinsic problems – once you've got to grips with the system you don't notice it again.
All the other features are pretty much as you were, which means built-in wi-fi for playing multiplayer games against friends nearby or across the world via a net connection (of which there are many
free points in the UK) or simply sending messages and pictures to friends with the
Pictochat messaging software.
In terms of raw grunt, the DS Lite still has the same processor power as its predecessor,
which places it below the mighty PSP when it comes to 3D gaming. It still has more than enough power to impress visually, however, and the upside is that the battery life remains awesome (we got to around 11 hours on one charge, although 6-10 is quoted on the box). This playing time should be extended further by the fact the battery indicator is in a more obvious spot, enabling you to easily see whether you've left the machine on or if it's running out of juice, even when the case is closed.
All in all, the DS Lite fits an awful lot of good things into a small package. Combine this with an
awesome gaming line-up (including backwards compatibility with
Game Boy Advance carts that fit rather awkwardly into a hidden front slot), which genuinely has something for everyone (with possible exception of sports fans) and a price tag of less than £100, and the DS Lite is an absolute essential buy, even if you have the original.
Reserve yours now.
Update October 2008: Since been upgraded with the
Nintendo DS-i.
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