I've had it lying around for a while now, but I only just got around to taking it out of the box tonight. Here's what I think so far.
The Screens
Oh my GOD. I honestly don't think I'll be able to go back. There's some good and some bad, but when I pull out my launch model DS, the screens look so pale and murky in comparison that I don't think I'll ever be able to look at them the same way again. When I first tried out a couple games on the Lite, I was struck by the vibrance...it almost seems as if the colors are *too* saturated. However, it also gives a much cleaner picture than the DS, and that makes all the difference in the world. Sadly, there is a dead pixel on the touchscreen right out of the box, so I'm going to have to call Nintendo for a replacement :/.
The Sound
My DS was better. The same thing has been true with every Nintendo handheld: version 2 has better battery life, a smaller & sleeker form factor, a better screen...and crappier speakers. It's not quite as loud, and the high frequencies are a little more muffled-sounding. Still fine with headphones, though.
The Appearance
Much, MUCH better than the DS. It's very similar to when my friend Sean bought a GBA SP; I'm used to the original, and I can't get over how *small* it is. It also folds up much more neatly, which is nice because I carry my DS around in my bag a lot. With the old model, there's a gap, and dust and grit and such sometimes gets in between the screens. I know it's an overused comparison, but this really does look like the kind of thing Apple would put out. (For the record, though--I have much more faith in the build quality of a DS than I do in that of an iPod
). Unfortunately, it is also a MAJOR fingerprint magnet. I've only used it for about two hours to play some Castlevania, and already it's covered in smudges.The Feel
I didn't think I'd like it as much, especially since there's more motion in the D-pad. It took a little bit of adjusting, but it's actually much more comfortable overall. It doesn't fit my hands as snugly as the old DS, but neither does it have the sharp edges or the hand-cramping issues that come from a combination of bad angles and short, tough buttons. And, while it's just a small change, the addition of the larger stylus is a MAJOR boon. In games like Feel the Magic and Elite Beat Agents, the old DS stylus felt really small and flimsy.
...I am still disappointed in two things (though I knew about them already). The fact that they changed the power connector irks me, because there's really no reason for it except to make people re-buy accessories. It also bothers me that--for such an otherwise sleek little device--they couldn't manage to get a full depth GBA slot in there. I have about 30 GBA games, and I use them fairly frequently. I tend to keep either Monkey Ball Jr. or Worms: World Party in my GBA slot at all times, so I can play with a friend if the situation arises. I don't think I'll be doing that with the Lite.
So that's that. It's nice to have the new system, which I ended up buying through a sort of fluke. I'm not sure it was worth an additional $130 just for those improvements, but it is still *markedly* better than the original incarnation. Everything about it is sleeker, more thoughtfully put together, and more physically comfortable. My only gripes are the fingerprints, the power connector, and the aesthetics of the GBA slot...that's really not bad. And given my usage patterns, the additional battery life alone is *almost* justification enough.
