its a ds with all the ugly parts and fat chopped off and the final product feels great to hold and use-i have to say the d pad works fine in terms of diagonal movement and the buttons are spongy although im still in need of getting used to them

it looks slick which is why i never really played on the old ds but now i wont be as reserved with it. I can clearly see that ninty got their inspiration from the ipod as when you see the box if you own a nano youll know exactly what i mean. the screen is really clear anyway you look at it and there are no dark or glarey parts to it making gaming a real pleasure and fun too. my only gripe is that in comparison to the older ds the smaller speakers are noticable the sound sounds more distant,less clear and tinny than the old ds which is a real dissapointment-still though i think the screen more than makes up for that.

the main reason i like it and most will agree is that it is solid quility in its extreme. everything clicks together and the thick gloss feels great and looks great too. apart from the sound im absolutely blown away - a great upgrade for oldies, a good reason to get a ds or a reason why you can pick up an original ds for cheap - perfect!

i personally find psp and sony titles simple repeates such as sequels which continue the storyline whilst adding better graphics - but thats all eye candy. Then again its a main reason why some people like psp and sony games, because they look so good

iv played games right back to the amiga and iv seen games progress look better but play worse, i used to see really bad graphics but the gameplay and level of thought behind each title was so vast that it kept me engaged for hours. nowadays games just seem to look better but lack any real gameplay - look at doom 3 it was a graphical leap but boring to play i ask why it was ever released

this brings me to the ds - its not about the graphics but the WAY you play it makes gaming an EXPERIENCE which i feel sony titles lack (then again i havnt palyed many so dont take that comment to heart.)by experience i mean that you have to physically interact with the game which not only adds interest but a personal connecton (something i never anticipated)

This is why everyday psp players plead that their system is the best (which on paper i agree it is) but ds games are all about the way you play (multiplayer, wi-fi and touch screen) which i feel has completely changes the way i look and play games

So to summarise my story i see psp titles as a graphical leap but like recent games they just seem to look better and nothing else (just wait for the ps3 and final fantasy 24, MGS 5 etc and see how all you get is better graphics and longer levels)- the ds i feel is the way forward it changes the way i play and has renewed my dying and somewhat lack of confidence in gaming. the new ds i feel is a bit of a cheat as it makes the old ds look like a reject - so like most other people i ordered the new ds lite white which will arrive in a few days . i also have to conclude that the review was excelent and that those who wish to purchase one should do so.

i personally think the psp is a great piece of kit but over priced and boring the ds is the way for me - yay

Hey there. No, your comment didn’t get my heckles up. I agreed with IGN when they felt that between the PSP’s looks and power, and the DSs durability and portability, that the two systems (totally ignoring games) were pretty much even. The DS lite tips the scale on that way, being even more practical, suited for portable gaming and being close to the PSP in terms of looks.

Like I said it’s not perfect… it’s the best portable to date. I wouldn’t put it past Sony to have a PSP redesign that could give the lite a run for it’s money come next month, but right now, I can’t think of a better designed portable gaming system.

The review wasn’t about the games at all, just the hardware. I agree that Daxter finally shows just how powerful the PSP is, and at the same time is probably the most fun title I’ve run into on the system. Heck, I think I prefer it to Jak 3, regardless of the fact that it’s a portable game. But that’s all by the by for a review like this. The DS lite didn’t change anything, powerwise, between the two systems, so the PSP still wins in that category.

The DS lite isn’t better than the PSP in everyway, but I think it’s a better piece of hardware overall, whereas before I thought the DS and PSP were even stevens with very different strengths (considering system power but ignoring specific titles).

To me system power is just one factor. You have portability (size/weight/shape), durability, control (I give this to the DS because the analogue nub isn’t as good it should have been, where as the touch screen works perfectly. oh sure, racing games control better on the PSP, but FPS control better on the DS), power, screen quality, and battery life. I’d wager that you take different factors into account, or that you put more focus on power than I do.

Hope that clears things up to you. You can consider the PSP better, I can consider the DS lite better for the reason I stated it’s not that one of us is a fanboy, it’s just that we hold different things important.

Sorry, this sort of thing really annoys me these days. If the man prefers a DS to a PSP or any other abbreviation then get over it. Better that than having a situation where writers have to sit on the fence in case someone gets offended because they expressed an opinion.

Why anyone has to maintain a DS (or anything else) is ‘better than’ a PSP (or anything else) is beyond me. The two systems are worlds apart in their approach and intended market. I’ve owned Nintendo products since the Game&Watch days - including the offcolor items like the Virtual Boy. Nintendo isn’t perfect, the DS isn’t perfect and to say it’s ‘better’ than a PSP speaks more directly of fanboy mentality. In other words, bias and predisposition clouding judgment.

I’ve been playing Mario & Luigi, Resident Evil and my other DS games on my DS Lite, too - and yeah, it’s a great little device. Much improved (and make no mistake, the first DS was in dire need of improvement). It doesn’t replace or even eclipse my PSP, though. The recent games like Daxter and Syphon Filter on that system are more than sufficient to keep it on a par in terms of playability and fun. I will say the DS is now a bit more ‘approachable’ in terms of pick-up-and-play, though.

Just try to keep away from the fanboyism and keep up the great work.