Need some quick Nintendo DS help!

[alphamommy]

After weeks of indecision, DD8 has finally decided she's going to ask Santa for a Nintendo DS. This means that I've got to learn about them and find one quick!

First, what's the difference between a DS and a DS Lite? Second, what accessories do we need/want to go with it? Does it come with a game? Finally, are there any particular games that you can recommend?

Target has them on sale this week, and I'm hoping to find one tomorrow.

Thanks!

[RedSoxFan]

DD12 has the pink DS. I think the Lite is smaller and weighs less and I don't think the regular DS is available anymore. They do not come with any games. DD likes the Nintendo Dog game the best, but she also likes Mario Kart and Brain Age.

[hokies4life]

I don't know if Target has it but at certain stores you can get "bundles" that will come with one or two games and maybe some accessories.

[Soccer_coach]

As mentioned earlier, only the DS lite is available any more. Since the DS is SOOOO popular, a lot of fly-by-night game publishers have jumped on the DS bandwagon, so unfortunately there are a of junk games on store shelves. In fact, the ratio of junk games to quality games is probably 10 to 1. Because of this, I would strongly recommend spending some time at one of the review sites such as http://ds.ign.com/. Here, you can find reviews to help pick the good games.

In a nutshell, any games made by Nintendo themselves are safe bets. Nintendo generally makes really good games with very few duds. Our family actually has 4 DS systems, one for each kid (age 6 to 14). Anything with Mario is usually a LOT of fun. Mario cart, for example, is a ton of fun for all ages. My 6-year old daughter really likes her Kirby game, there's a new one out that's at the top of her list to Santa. Also, check out Cooking Mama games. Again, another favorite of my youngest.

If your daughter is a strong reader, Animal Crossing or Zelda would be great choices, but they do involve a lot of reading. Still, its a great way to get the kids to do some extra reading ;)

For accessories, you might want to track down a screen protector to save wear/tear on the lower touch screen. Also, a carrying case can be really handy. Finally, if you plan on doing any road trips, I would recommend a car charger, too.

As long as you avoid the junk games, you should be really happy with it.

[Cinderelley]

As mentioned previously, only the DS Lite is available now. It is better than the regular DS. (My kids have had every game system Nintendo has ever made.) Usually, it does not come with a game, but for Christmas there are two bundles. One is the Guitar Hero bundle. If your daughter likes music, you may want to check into that one. There is also one that is only out for a limited time that is ice blue. If I remember correctly, it comes with the game brain age - it's supposed to stimulate your brain. It could be a different game though. Do you have a Game Stop near you? There staff at all of the Game Stops around us (5 of them) are all great with information and helping customers find good games. If you give us a little more info about what your daughter likes, I might be able to recommend more games.

As for accessories, I would highly recommend the screen protector. Even if your daughter is meticulous about taking care of her DS, the stylus will leave lines on the screen if used often enough. Carrying cases are optional. No one in my family uses them.

[kakn7294]

My DD9 has a DS and likes Nintendogs, any of the Petz series games, Littlest Pet Shop, Disney Princess, Cooking Mama, Animal Crossing, Narnia, Hannah Montana, and Big Brain Academy. As far as accessories, I recommend a carrying case (if for no other reason than to store everything together), a car charger if you take moderate length car trips, a pack of extra styluses (is that a word?) because they frequently get lost, and a screen protector. You can sometimes find accessory kits that have all these things in them plus some extras like skins and cleaning cloths (Toys R Us is good for kits). If you don't mind getting used stuff, Game Stop usually has a decent selection of used games that can save you a few bucks off versus the price of new if budget is a concern, plus they will "trade-in" used games for store credit if you DD doesn't like a game or has outgrown it.

[alphamommy]

Thanks for all the great responses!

To give a little more detail on DD, she loves to read, plays hockey, and is somewhat obsessed with Harry Potter. She expressed an interest in Nintendogs, so I figured that would be one I would look for. I hadn't thought about checking Game Stop.

I'm off to see if there are any pink ones left at the store. Wish me luck!

[thrillme]

There is only DS Lite. You don't buy the DS anymore. YOU MUST BUY A SCREEN PROTECTOR...yes you can operate it without but...you'll scratch your screen and shorten the life of your DS...NEVER OPERATE THE DS WITHOUT A SCREEN PROTECTOR. If you see the DS Lite. Pick a color and buy it quickly. Last year they sold out.

Accessories can come later...Personally I might consider taking it out of the box and charging it the night before so she can play it that day.

My DS has several games for it and it's never enough. It all depends on what type of games she likes.

GAMES
1. The WHOLE family loves the "original" Touchmaster (these are like those little "bar games")...they have a Touchmaster 2 but we haven't tried it yet.
2. I like"Crosswords DS" and Luxor.
3. My DS and many of his friends like Mario Cart
4. Busta Move is fun too (you pop matching bubbles)
ACCESSORIES (all optional):
1. If you take lots of LONG trips you might consider a "car charger".
2. Nerf Armor. Goes around the DS and stays on during play...this can "help" protect the DS from small accidental drops, bumps and scrapes.
3. Spare screen protectors and stylus. One protector can last for a few months but...It's always nice to have one on hand. Stylus can get lost easily it’s always good to have a spare. They often come with screen protectors.
4. A case to put everything in. Personally I like the aluminum one. But any case is a good thing to keep the system and games from being strewn around the house.

Advance TIP: When you buy games look at the back top right hand corner...IF there are little DS icons up there it means that the DS can "beam" info to another DS. If the DS icon screens are black then each person would need a game card but they can BEAM the game between each other and play. If the DS icon screens are one black and one white then the DS can use ONE game card and BEAM the entire game to a client DS and both can play. With one card play some game options may not be available but it’s still fun. (Mario Kart is an example of a beamable game).

We got my DS one for his 5th grade graduation. After that my DH got one for “father’s day” then they bought me one…WARNING…Mom and Dad like them too!

[DisneyDog]

You may want to buy her a carrying case with slots made to store the games. They are very small and can easily be lost (we lost one in our car a week ago. Luckily, we found it). My DS6 likes to take his to restaurants, doctors appointments...basically anywhere he might be bored. It's great on long car trips too. He loves Nintendogs, and the cats version. He also has a Nickelodeon game he loves. For Hanukkah, he is getting a Spongebob game and a Matchbox racing game.

Once you manage to get the system itself, the games are a great gift for any little occasion. You can get them for as little as $15 or as much as $40. We have bought them at Target, Circuit City, Walmart and Game Stop.

[AZ Disney]

I just wanted to add that Costco has great DS lite bundles, but hurry, they're going fast. You can go to their online site too.

[Cinderelley]

You can also play gameboy advance games in a seperate slot on the DS, if she likes any of those.

[Stich8818]

You can also play gameboy advance games in a seperate slot on the DS, if she likes any of those.

And again at Game Stop you can get those games really cheap. And if anything they can check the other local stores aroung to see if they have it in stock..happy gaming

[pink]

Buy extra stylus's (spelling). They are so tiny and if they are lost it's like trying to find a needle in a hay stack. We actually have them stocked up in our house because my brother loses them so frequently. :mickey:

[magicofdisney]

We have a couple of DSes in our family. We have four kids but 4 DS systems just seemed like too much so they share the two they have plus we still have a couple of Gameboys they can play with also. Anyway, we love everything Mario. I think all these games are winners and I agree with the poster that said most anything made by Nintendo is good quality. Have fun! :)

[sisterdisco]

Insist that your child carry their DS in a carrying case that will protect it in case it hits the floor. THEY WILL BREAK NEAR THE HINGES IF YOU DROP THEM. Maybe not the first time, but there is a small area of plastic near the hinge that is prone to breaking if dropped. It is a $50 repair to fix this!!!

The DS is by far the best gaming system! Animal Crossing is a cool game that commnicates wirelessly w/ another player.