tiredmommy
Well-Known Member
Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite? Duckie wants a DS and it sounds like a good Christmas gift for her, but I'm clueless! Any pointers would be appreciated.
Does anyone know the difference between...
- Thread starter tiredmommy
- Start date
Lothlorien
Active Member
I got the impression from one of the neighbors kids that the DS came first and the DS lite came out last year. I don't think you can buy the DS anymore. The DS lite is just supposedly a smaller and lighter version of it.
Keep in mind that they are a little tough for young kids to play.. Missy has a tough time with it and gets really, really agitated with it. I have taken it away many times because she is careless with it and she gets irate when she can't figure it out. Some of the games are really hard, even though they are geared toward kids her age.
If you do get one, get the outer case that is all foam and wraps around it like a glove. They break very easily and at 120 bucks, the extra twenty bucks are worth it.
Personally, we have the Wii and the kids love it and I love it. Though some of the games have a frustration level, it is not anywhere near the DS.
Keep in mind that they are a little tough for young kids to play.. Missy has a tough time with it and gets really, really agitated with it. I have taken it away many times because she is careless with it and she gets irate when she can't figure it out. Some of the games are really hard, even though they are geared toward kids her age.
If you do get one, get the outer case that is all foam and wraps around it like a glove. They break very easily and at 120 bucks, the extra twenty bucks are worth it.
Personally, we have the Wii and the kids love it and I love it. Though some of the games have a frustration level, it is not anywhere near the DS.
Fran
Former desparate mom
TM, I don't know one system from the other although I think we have everyone of them except for Wii.
As a side note, I noticed my nephews 8 and 10, know all the great classic songs of the 60s,70's and 80's because of Guitar Hero. It's amazing.
TM, difficult child was not very good with the first gaming system. Signing him up for the Nintendo Power magazine was what helped him get into the games. Knowing the different ways to beat the system. He had to read, apply it to the game and improve his dexterity.
As a side note, I noticed my nephews 8 and 10, know all the great classic songs of the 60s,70's and 80's because of Guitar Hero. It's amazing.
TM, difficult child was not very good with the first gaming system. Signing him up for the Nintendo Power magazine was what helped him get into the games. Knowing the different ways to beat the system. He had to read, apply it to the game and improve his dexterity.
F
flutterbee
Guest
What Loth said.
Fran, my son used to get so annoyed with the songs I'd listen to and say, "That's so 80's." (No, honey, it was the 70's.
) But, now all of a sudden he loves those songs. All because of Guitar Hero.
I guess Guitar Hero is more cool than mom.
Fran, my son used to get so annoyed with the songs I'd listen to and say, "That's so 80's." (No, honey, it was the 70's.
) But, now all of a sudden he loves those songs. All because of Guitar Hero.I guess Guitar Hero is more cool than mom.
SRL
Active Member
The DS lite is slimmer and it has better lighting.
Agree that you need to select games carefully. Many of them are set up so that the kids need to seek out other resources (online cheat codes, magazines, strategy guides, etc) in order to succeed.
Don't wait until the holiday season to pick one up as they are hard to come by. You'll probably want an accessory package with car charger, etc. and you can sometimes get specials at Toys R Us that bundle the accessories and/or games.
Agree that you need to select games carefully. Many of them are set up so that the kids need to seek out other resources (online cheat codes, magazines, strategy guides, etc) in order to succeed.
Don't wait until the holiday season to pick one up as they are hard to come by. You'll probably want an accessory package with car charger, etc. and you can sometimes get specials at Toys R Us that bundle the accessories and/or games.
husband bought himself a Lite a month before Christmas last year. thank you plays it a lot. They both love it. You DO need to pick games carefully. I find it helpful to go to the Nintendo website to look at things and get info. Nintendo is very good about warranty issues. They also support parents quite well. (Wiz registered himself for the site by lieing about his age. We told Nintendo and they took him off. The third time they put a block on his name and info until he is 18. I was tickled. None of the rest of us have had trouble registering, so they didn't block all people with our address, just HIM.)
The new games are now only coming out in DS format, so if she wants any of the newer games she will need this. There are a lot of games out there that play on the Advance SP though.
I strongly recommend buying before Christmas if you plan to buy. And getting the accessory kit or buying a bundle. Target usually has good bundles.
The new games are now only coming out in DS format, so if she wants any of the newer games she will need this. There are a lot of games out there that play on the Advance SP though.
I strongly recommend buying before Christmas if you plan to buy. And getting the accessory kit or buying a bundle. Target usually has good bundles.
tiredmommy
Well-Known Member
Thanks! I am looking to buy early... and she's into the girlie games like Hannah Montana, Petz, etc. Though she does want a Mario game too!
I am looking to buy early... and she's into the girlie games like Hannah Montana, Petz, etc. Though she does want a Mario game too!
Abbey
Spork Queen
I'm not a gaming person, but I have to say...Wii ROCKS!!! Even my 2 year old God child can play it. Many games for little ones. Even Hannah!
As adults, we've had more than a few nights where we look at the clock and it's 4am and we're still playing that darn thing. (Not sure that is a good thing, but cheap, good entertainment.)
Abbey
As adults, we've had more than a few nights where we look at the clock and it's 4am and we're still playing that darn thing. (Not sure that is a good thing, but cheap, good entertainment.)
Abbey
Abbey
Spork Queen
I'm not a gaming person, but I have to say...Wii ROCKS!!! Even my 2 year old God child can play it. Many games for little ones. Even Hannah!
As adults, we've had more than a few nights where we look at the clock and it's 4am and we're still playing that darn thing. (Not sure that is a good thing, but cheap, good entertainment.)
Abbey
As adults, we've had more than a few nights where we look at the clock and it's 4am and we're still playing that darn thing. (Not sure that is a good thing, but cheap, good entertainment.)
Abbey
Marguerite
Active Member
You can still get the Nintendo DS second-hand. I just talked to my boys (both still awake) and got the word form them.
difficult child 1 says the DS Lite is better. It's more compact, it's lighter and all the games should work (some don't, on the older DS). As for what games would be suitable for a 7 year old girl - pretty much any of them, both boys agreed.
The Wii - it's also Nintendo. It is not necessarily an alternative, because they are used differently. The DS/DS Lite is something hand-held which travels with the child. For example, this morning the Wii is something difficult child 1 was playing this morning, with our TV being the screen on which all the action is happening. Then we had to go out, so difficult child 3 brought his Nintendo DS, it travels in his jeans pocket. On the train difficult child 3 was playing his DS and had other kids looking on. There are other games that can be played as a group, such as Monopoly, etc.
Another feature of the DS is that you can connect to other people playing on THEIR DS's. Often I've seen difficult child 3 or difficult child 1 playing a game, competing with other players on THEIR DS, often on the other side of the room. If you're near an Internet hotspot you can even connect your DS to that and play online with other players, as long as they're also connected and playing the same game.
The Nintendo Wii can also connect to the internet for a lot of interesting services, including world news, weather etc. You can also play games with opponents from other parts of the world, if you choose.
difficult child 3 also plays a game that connects between the DS and the Wii. The game on the Wii is "My Pokemon Ranch" and it's downloaded from the WiiShop Channel as a WiiWare title for 1000 Wii points (A$10 retail, approx for us). It connects to Pokemon Diamond or Pokemon Pearl on the DS and you can trade your Pokemon between the two game systems (hand-held and TV).
Both the DS/DS Lite and Wii are Nintendo, plus I think Apple had a hand in the development, so cross-compatibility is something that seems to have been built in and is slowly being 'played with'. difficult child 3 is especially technology-savvy, so if ANYONE is going to discover this sort of thing, it's him.
easy child is not someone who likes computer-gaming, as a rule. But she and BF1 bought a Wii and she was so enthusiastic about it, she talked us into getting one also. The Wii is a game system that has the capability of getting you out of your chair and active. Wii Sports is brilliant; I've heard of people taking them into old folk's homes and getting the inmates active and having fun, playing tennis, ten-pin bowling, golf - all sorts of things. There is no way I can do a lot of those things; same with husband. But we CAN play, with the Wii. We've often set up a four-person game and had a wonderful family afternoon with the Wii.
Wii Fit is really good for getting your balance, core strength, weight etc monitored and under control. It's also something that is fun to do either as an individual, or a group.
With both of these game systems, there are different games for different ages and capabilities. Before you buy games, find out more about them so you can choose for her level. There are places online with good (as in accurate) reviews, plus talk to people. If someone you know has a game, see if she can try it out on their system first.
The first thing difficult child 3 got on his DS was the pet dog one, which was really good for his social skills and personal responsibility learning. The interaction capability of this is marvellous.
There are benefits to both game systems. They are different. The Wii probably is more of a family thing but can be an individual thing too. The DS/DS Lite - pretty much an individual thing.
A really great DS thing coming up (in the US - we already have it in Australia) is the Cooking Guide. It has over 200 recipes in it, an interactive cookbook plus instruction guide. It has voice command, so if you're up to your elbows in raw chicken you can talk it through the steps. It also talks to you, telling you what to do next (and no four letter words from Gordon Ramsay, either). You can select recipes according to what ingredients you have, as well as according to how easy they are, how long you have, what calories etc. It adjusts the recipes according to how many people you need to cook for and you can even put together a shopping list, so you take the DS shopping with you and tick things off as you get them. I think it will be available in November. difficult child 3 has cooked a number of recipes since we got this last week, where before he would be VERY reluctant to do much in the kitchen, not without a lot of reassurance.
We have a highly technically capable user of both game systems here, so if you have any more questions, fire away.
Hope this helps.
Marg
difficult child 1 says the DS Lite is better. It's more compact, it's lighter and all the games should work (some don't, on the older DS). As for what games would be suitable for a 7 year old girl - pretty much any of them, both boys agreed.
The Wii - it's also Nintendo. It is not necessarily an alternative, because they are used differently. The DS/DS Lite is something hand-held which travels with the child. For example, this morning the Wii is something difficult child 1 was playing this morning, with our TV being the screen on which all the action is happening. Then we had to go out, so difficult child 3 brought his Nintendo DS, it travels in his jeans pocket. On the train difficult child 3 was playing his DS and had other kids looking on. There are other games that can be played as a group, such as Monopoly, etc.
Another feature of the DS is that you can connect to other people playing on THEIR DS's. Often I've seen difficult child 3 or difficult child 1 playing a game, competing with other players on THEIR DS, often on the other side of the room. If you're near an Internet hotspot you can even connect your DS to that and play online with other players, as long as they're also connected and playing the same game.
The Nintendo Wii can also connect to the internet for a lot of interesting services, including world news, weather etc. You can also play games with opponents from other parts of the world, if you choose.
difficult child 3 also plays a game that connects between the DS and the Wii. The game on the Wii is "My Pokemon Ranch" and it's downloaded from the WiiShop Channel as a WiiWare title for 1000 Wii points (A$10 retail, approx for us). It connects to Pokemon Diamond or Pokemon Pearl on the DS and you can trade your Pokemon between the two game systems (hand-held and TV).
Both the DS/DS Lite and Wii are Nintendo, plus I think Apple had a hand in the development, so cross-compatibility is something that seems to have been built in and is slowly being 'played with'. difficult child 3 is especially technology-savvy, so if ANYONE is going to discover this sort of thing, it's him.
easy child is not someone who likes computer-gaming, as a rule. But she and BF1 bought a Wii and she was so enthusiastic about it, she talked us into getting one also. The Wii is a game system that has the capability of getting you out of your chair and active. Wii Sports is brilliant; I've heard of people taking them into old folk's homes and getting the inmates active and having fun, playing tennis, ten-pin bowling, golf - all sorts of things. There is no way I can do a lot of those things; same with husband. But we CAN play, with the Wii. We've often set up a four-person game and had a wonderful family afternoon with the Wii.
Wii Fit is really good for getting your balance, core strength, weight etc monitored and under control. It's also something that is fun to do either as an individual, or a group.
With both of these game systems, there are different games for different ages and capabilities. Before you buy games, find out more about them so you can choose for her level. There are places online with good (as in accurate) reviews, plus talk to people. If someone you know has a game, see if she can try it out on their system first.
The first thing difficult child 3 got on his DS was the pet dog one, which was really good for his social skills and personal responsibility learning. The interaction capability of this is marvellous.
There are benefits to both game systems. They are different. The Wii probably is more of a family thing but can be an individual thing too. The DS/DS Lite - pretty much an individual thing.
A really great DS thing coming up (in the US - we already have it in Australia) is the Cooking Guide. It has over 200 recipes in it, an interactive cookbook plus instruction guide. It has voice command, so if you're up to your elbows in raw chicken you can talk it through the steps. It also talks to you, telling you what to do next (and no four letter words from Gordon Ramsay, either). You can select recipes according to what ingredients you have, as well as according to how easy they are, how long you have, what calories etc. It adjusts the recipes according to how many people you need to cook for and you can even put together a shopping list, so you take the DS shopping with you and tick things off as you get them. I think it will be available in November. difficult child 3 has cooked a number of recipes since we got this last week, where before he would be VERY reluctant to do much in the kitchen, not without a lot of reassurance.
We have a highly technically capable user of both game systems here, so if you have any more questions, fire away.
Hope this helps.
Marg
Lothlorien
Active Member
Missy has the Hannah Montana game and it's too hard. Right from the beginning, in order to get to the next level you have to find something and I've looked everywhere for her and it's just not there. There are other things that are a bit difficult for her about that game too.
tiredmommy
Well-Known Member
We're thinking of getting the Wii as a family unit, since husband will probably hog it anyway! 
The DS would be just for Duckie, unless she abuses it. FWIW, it looks like there might be some good bundle deals at walmart.com as well as many games for under $20.
The DS would be just for Duckie, unless she abuses it. FWIW, it looks like there might be some good bundle deals at walmart.com as well as many games for under $20.
Marguerite
Active Member
A suggestion - if a game seems too difficult and a number of people have looked to find a way to complete a level and it doesn't seem possible - call the manufacturer/distributor, and/or search online to see if anyone else has reported problems.
We have done this a few times, with success. One company said yes, it IS possible but it is tricky; never mind, here is the code to get to the next level (these codes are also called 'cheats' even though you can earn them legitimately, by completing levels).
And in one case, it turned out to be a major fault in the game - you could only play it for about an hour, then you had explored all possible options by that time and we KNEW there had to be more... turned out there WAS more, we had barely got past the introduction, and when we told them what we were running the game on they said we were lucky we'd even got past the opening credits. They refunded our money. A pity - we really wanted to be able to play that game!
Marg
We have done this a few times, with success. One company said yes, it IS possible but it is tricky; never mind, here is the code to get to the next level (these codes are also called 'cheats' even though you can earn them legitimately, by completing levels).
And in one case, it turned out to be a major fault in the game - you could only play it for about an hour, then you had explored all possible options by that time and we KNEW there had to be more... turned out there WAS more, we had barely got past the introduction, and when we told them what we were running the game on they said we were lucky we'd even got past the opening credits. They refunded our money. A pity - we really wanted to be able to play that game!
Marg
Marcie Mac
Just Plain Ole Tired
Just as a note, if anyone is stuck on a game, you can go to www.gamefaqs.com and they have almost every game for every system (even easy child games) listed. You can always find where someone has done a walkthru already and posted all the moves to a game. Its free, and saves you 20.00 or so on the official manuels (which one always needs at like 2:30 in the morning and you have been stuck for a few hours trying to figure out the next move LOL)
I have a plain ole DS - works fine so don't need to update to the lite yet.
Just as an aside, Natie loves his gaming system but is sooo hard on the game discs. For Xmas we just buy a lot of used games at Blockbuster and save a lot of money. SO or I play them first to make sure they work (if they don't they will take them back and give you another)-they are usually in the original cases.
SO just gave Natie his Xbox 360 since he upgraded to the new one so we are looking now to pick up some games for the Xmas stocking.
Marcie
I have a plain ole DS - works fine so don't need to update to the lite yet.
Just as an aside, Natie loves his gaming system but is sooo hard on the game discs. For Xmas we just buy a lot of used games at Blockbuster and save a lot of money. SO or I play them first to make sure they work (if they don't they will take them back and give you another)-they are usually in the original cases.
SO just gave Natie his Xbox 360 since he upgraded to the new one so we are looking now to pick up some games for the Xmas stocking.
Marcie
amazeofgrace
A maze of Grace - that about sums it up
my son had the DS (it broke) and now has the DS lite, they were having alot of problems with the original DS breaking at the plastic hinges holding the folding pieces together, they redesigned it and made it better and remarketed it as the DS lite
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