[Yaakov ben Avraham]

Does anyone still play on the Nintendo DS? I bought two of them from a buddy of mine a couple years ago, both for 35 bucks each. I have (I think) 34 or 35 games for it, not counting the browser. I just picked up another game for it yesterday at the goodwill, in new condition, with original box, and all the paperwork that comes with it, for 5 bucks.

I'd like to get a 3DS, but I'd have to play the games in 2D mode, since I have only one eye that works, making 3D vision impossible (I simply see double). And that's fine, if the games are cool enough. But I can't justify spending 150 dollars on that right now.

So does anyone else still play the DS? You can still get used DS games at Gamestop, of course. If you do use it, what are your favourite games, and genres of games? I know I'm a little behind the times, of course. But I still love my DS. I keep one (the older one, whose shoulder boards don't work well) loaded with the browser, and use the other, which is basically in New Condition, for actual play. I also keep them in cases, and then both of them go inside an old Czech ammo bag for further protection. I am very careful with my electronics.

I have found that the DS browser, while HORRIBLY slow, is pretty good, once the pages are loaded. It works pretty well for basic stuff when you stop at a public wifi spot and don't want to carry your ten-pound computer around.

Anyway, let me know what you think of the DS, and what your favourite games and genres are, and anything else your find pertinent. I am very curious to talk to some other people about all this.

[Vongeo]

What happened before Nintendo DS?

[Yaakov ben Avraham]

The system before Nintendo DS was Game Boy Advance, which is why the DS has a slot for that. It will play GBA games. The 3DS will play old DS games, but not GBA games. Before GBA, there was Game Boy Color, and before that, Game Boy.  At that point, you are back in the '90s, dinosaur age for hand-helds.

[Vongeo]

So

The system before Nintendo DS was Game Boy Advance, which is why the DS has a slot for that. It will play GBA games. The 3DS will play old DS games, but not GBA games. Before GBA, there was Game Boy Color, and before that, Game Boy.  At that point, you are back in the '90s, dinosaur age for hand-helds.

Then Nintendo Ds?

[Ghost of V]

Alright, Yaakov. I'll bite.

Does anyone else still play the DS? Yes. Many of us have a DS or a 3DS. We have a thread dedicated to Nintendo products already, if you haven't noticed. I loved the original DS, still have the XL, but I have mostly been using my 3DS of late because I simply ran out of game I'm interested for the original. The 3DS is truly a worthy successor to the DS. The game library is just as good (if not better) and it is significantly more powerful. If you're thinking about purchasing a 3DS, I would wait until next year when the New 3DS comes out.

Also, the DS browser is not even close to be being good. I recommend you purchase a smartphone to browse the internet on the go... because the DS browser is just awful. Not to mention that the DS can only connect to wireless networks using WEP security... which really limits your choice of wireless hotspots.

[Rama Set]

The system before Nintendo DS was Game Boy Advance, which is why the DS has a slot for that. It will play GBA games. The 3DS will play old DS games, but not GBA games. Before GBA, there was Game Boy Color, and before that, Game Boy.  At that point, you are back in the '90s, dinosaur age for hand-helds.

Game Boy was in the late 80s.  Hand held Mario was a revelation.  Now I feel like a caveman who saw fire for the first time.

[Yaakov ben Avraham]

Did game boy come out in the late 80s? I played it for the first time in the 91. But I have always been behind the times. I can only use the DS browser in public wifi spots without any encryption, because NOBODY uses WEP anymore. Even in my own home, we use WPA-WPA2 encryption, so I can't even use it here. It works fine at McDonald's, BK, the Library, and the coffee shop, but that's about it.

As far as smart phones go, my mother is sending me one that I hope I can connect to a service provider with.

And yes, I did notice the thread for Nintendo 3DS and Wii, but I wanted to talk about DS,so that is why I made this one. Sorry if I should have just got into that one. I wasn't aware that that would have been welcome. We are still trying to recover from spending $6500 on the wedding and moving in to our new apt. I just can't justify paying 150 dollars to play games right now. Maybe I can convince my wife to get me something like that for Hanukkah.

I'd like to get the 3DS, even if I have to play the games in 2D mode. At least I'd have the games that come out FOR the 3DS, and not for the DS, plus all the DS games I currently have, and will continue to get used when I see ones I like.

My friend Eric the gamer keeps telling me to switch from Nintendo to PSVita. I've played his Vita. Its a great little system, I admit, but I still like Nintendo better for whatever reason. What do you guys think?

[Ghost of V]

Did game boy come out in the late 80s?

1989.

My friend Eric the gamer keeps telling me to switch from Nintendo to PSVita. I've played his Vita. Its a great little system, I admit, but I still like Nintendo better for whatever reason. What do you guys think?

"Eric the gamer" is retarted. Sony doesn't even support the Vita with original games anymore. They've switched the focus of the console from high-quality large budget titles to indie titles and remote play capabilities. If you're interested in that sort of thing, go for it. But you're not going to find Nintendo-caliber games on the Vita. The remote play features look interesting, but it's only useful if you have a Ps4 (which I don't)... even then you can just buy a Wii U for about $200 which already has built in remote play.

I have been tempted to purchase a Vita, but all the games I'm interested in are not coming to the US in the foreseeable future. Many titles are stuck in translation hell or the NA versions were just nixed because of the Vita's terrible sales in the states.

[Yaakov ben Avraham]

That's kind of what I thought. I knew that the system wasn't selling too well because of its VERY high price of over 200 dollars. The 3DS runs about $150 at present. They also have (at least the first ones did) a rather nasty tendency to crack right down the middle for no obvious reasons, and that is NOT covered by the optional insurance you can buy. I think this was corrected in the 2nd edition model, but still...

[Ghost of V]

They also have (at least the first ones did) a rather nasty tendency to crack right down the middle for no obvious reasons, and that is NOT covered by the optional insurance you can buy. I think this was corrected in the 2nd edition model, but still...

Interesting. I haven't heard about this. Do you know someone this happened to?

If you're interested in portable gaming purchasing an older PSP might be better than getting a Vita at this point. The PSP is easily one of my favorite handhelds. There are so many great games for the PSP it's ridiculous. It's cheap as hell online (found one for $60). It also has amazing emulation potential if you're interested in that sort of thing.

[Yaakov ben Avraham]

I think it happened to Eric the Gamer, or to someone he knows. And when that person tried to get it replaced through the optional insurance, they were advised that because the system was built with that problem in it, there was nothing that could be done. I don't know how the hell they got away with that. I mean, you would think that BECAUSE its a design flaw, they would have to replace it. But they argued that it was somehow an Act of God, or some business like that, so this person had to go buy a new device. Which they did. Crazy, no?

[Ghost of V]

I think it happened to Eric the Gamer, or to someone he knows. And when that person tried to get it replaced through the optional insurance, they were advised that because the system was built with that problem in it, there was nothing that could be done. I don't know how the hell they got away with that. I mean, you would think that BECAUSE its a design flaw, they would have to replace it. But they argued that it was somehow an Act of God, or some business like that, so this person had to go buy a new device. Which they did. Crazy, no?

I have never heard of this happening before. Did they try to replace it through Sony or from the retailer? My friend's Vita stopped working. He sent it to Sony and they sent him a refurbished model to replace it.

[Yaakov ben Avraham]

I think through Sony. And I know Eric has had other Sony products replaced when they stopped working (he is really hard on electronic stuff), but this Vita cracked down the middle, and they said that in the First Edition Vitae (the correct plural for "vita" in Latin, of course), this was a design flaw, so they would not replace it.

[Ghost of V]

I think through Sony. And I know Eric has had other Sony products replaced when they stopped working (he is really hard on electronic stuff), but this Vita cracked down the middle, and they said that in the First Edition Vitae (the correct plural for "vita" in Latin, of course), this was a design flaw, so they would not replace it.

I know Sony has optional warranties that cover screen cracks and whatnot. You have to purchase the warranty separately. It's silly, but most of these problems are caused by user mishaps which are usually not covered under basic warranties.

Was the entire Vita cracked in half or just the screen? If Sony recognized the problem as a product design flaw then I don't see how they could get away with not fixing it or reimbursing the customer. I couldn't find this problem through a google search, which makes me wonder how truthful this story is.

[Yaakov ben Avraham]

It did not break in half. It simply broke on the screen such that it was no longer a functional device. And do remember that I did not see the device. Now I think of it, Eric would likely have shown it to me had it happened to him, so it must have been someone he knew.  And maybe they lied to him. I don't know. Because Eric doesn't lie to me. He tells me the truth even about shit that he probably shouldn't tell me, because he knows I'll give him an honest opinion, and not just what I think he wants to hear. I am going to look into this matter further myself.

[Yaakov ben Avraham]

Here is the website of an article on the issues that can befall the Vita, that Sony is refusing to deal with.

http://wololo.net/2013/02/26/three-design-faults-of-the-vita-that-sony-refuse-to-recognise/

[Ghost of V]

Here is the website of an article on the issues that can befall the Vita, that Sony is refusing to deal with.

http://wololo.net/2013/02/26/three-design-faults-of-the-vita-that-sony-refuse-to-recognise/

I think it's important to differentiate between a design flaw and a manufacturing error. The problems outlined in this article seem very rare and are probably attributed to an error during the manufacturing process instead of a legitimate design flaw that affects every unit. Regardless, Sony should replace/fix these units free of charge imo... but that leads to the possibility of warranty abuse (my work involves dealing with people who abuse our warranty process, actually just got off the phone with one now). I'm sure Sony recognized this potential problem, and sells the additional $100 warranty to avoid it.

[Vongeo]

I was walking down the street, then Nintendo DS.

if (x>4) then Nintendo DS.

Then Nintendo DS rode home on its steed, and lived happily ever after.

Then Nintendo DS annoys me.

[EnigmaZV]

The system before Nintendo DS was Game Boy Advance, which is why the DS has a slot for that. It will play GBA games. The 3DS will play old DS games, but not GBA games. Before GBA, there was Game Boy Color, and before that, Game Boy.  At that point, you are back in the '90s, dinosaur age for hand-helds.

You forgot the Virtual Boy.

[Ghost of V]

I was walking down the street, then Nintendo DS.

if (x>4) then Nintendo DS.

Then Nintendo DS rode home on its steed, and lived happily ever after.

Then Nintendo DS annoys me.

You need to lay off the hydros.