Nintendo will no longer produce DS Lites

An internal GameStop memo is purporting that the DS Lite is no longer in production and will no longer be available when current stocks run out. Stores have also been instructed to remove any promotional materials for the product. Sad news if your looking for a region free Nintendo handheld.

Never fear for the DSi and DSi XL are still around and are obviously better than the DS Lite. As for the region free DS gaming, the 3DS's backwards compatibility can cover that.

Source: 4playerpodcast

Hands on - Nintendo DSi XL

I currently own a Nintendo DS Lite and was never really interested in trading it in when the DSi came out. Nintendo then announced that the DSi will be giving some steroids to grow into the DSi XL (LL for Japan) with bigger screens and... thats it.

Conceptually you'd think it wouldn't matter cause it'll still be sporting the same resolution and the games will look stretched out. But after seeing and handling a DSi XL for the first time, the bigger screens do make an impact. Navigating the touch screen is a breeze with all the free space and the games do look impressive on the bigger screens compared to my DS Lite.

Now I have heard complaints that games that use sprites don't look all that good since they're stretched out and you can point out each pixel but I have also heard that games that use 3D graphics look superb on the XL. The whole stretched sprites thing doesn't really bother me enough to make me not like it but I completely agree with the statement of 3D games looking better on the XL.

I won't go out and trade in my DS Lite this very moment but I gotta say that if you don't have a DS/DSi and you don't mind the girth of the XL but want to play on the bigger screens then consider getting the XL. I can honestly say that the XL is an easy recommend for me and with the 3DS already out, I'm sure the prices for these past generation Nintendo handhelds will go down in a heartbeat.

RGP #2 - Naming Characters In Pokemon

"lol"

Random Gaming Post #2

Ever notice in the portable Pokemon games that you get to name your main character and his/her rival? Back when we were kids, we'd pick the names of our school bullies, people we didn't like or just "Gary" for our rival's names.

Usually you'd name your main character after yourself with your first name, nick name, internet screen name or your after your favorite hero / character from comics, tv or even other games.

This is what happens when Pokemon fans grow up.

Boy have we matured over the years.

"DOUCHEBAG wants to battle!"

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH7YJGheDUU&w=480&h=390]

Source: MIGoholic's Tumblr

3DS "Hacked"

"Drink up me hearties, yo-ho!"

Ok, so the 3DS just got released in Japan on 2/25/2011 and after a day its already been hacked. I won't count it as a real hack since it uses a R4 card which is used to play NDS roms but still, it shows that Nintendo's latest attempts to tackle piracy has been bypassed on the DS side.

As for the actual 3DS software, only time will tell if Nintendo's fight against piracy will prevail. Probably not.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba8xtznXIzQ&w=640&h=390] Source: 4playerpodcast via DTOID