Hey, all. I'm very strongly considering picking up a new DS in the next day or so and was looking over my hardware options trying to choose between Lite, DSi, and DSi XL. I definitely see the value-add in the XL over the vanilla DSi, but how important/useful are the DSi features to begin with? Does anyone feel very strongly one way or the other? The Lite is significantly cheaper than the DSi, making up for at least the cost of a game.  
 
Any fans of DSIware? Anyone feel that the GBA cart slot is more useful? I do own a DS Fat that honestly hasn't seen much use in a long time and have been thinking about getting back into the platform with the release of Dragon Quest, but want to upgrade hardware. I have a few GBA carts lying around that may see some more play one of these days. I'm mainly looking to play JRPGs and SRPGs on it, but am totally open to the idea of the occasional downloadable game. 
 
So, Lite, DSi, or DSi XL?

Just wait a little and get a 3DS.

" Just wait a little and get a 3DS. "

" Just wait a little and get a 3DS. "

" Just wait a little and get a 3DS. "

Is there even a release date for the 3DS? I mean it could be coming out early next year and we're only in July now... annnddd a DS Lite costs about £70 new here in the UK whereas no doubt the 3DS will cost about ~£200, so I don't really see the big deal in "wasting money". It's not loads of money, that's like 2/3 nights out for me :\ 
 
Honestly i'd go with a DS lite if you still think you'll be playing GBA Games, I don't really care much for the DSi, especially because i'm playing Golden Sun currently haha. 
 
That being said, i'm still using my original DS. Although I do want to a DS lite... just because they're smaller, look better and you don't accidentally hit the power button (MAJOR ANNOYANCE).

" @Mrskidders said:

" Just wait a little and get a 3DS. "

 Don't waste your money; DSiWare is useless, as are the cameras. The lite is the same thing as the fat but...lighter. If the 3DS wasn't coming out, I'd suggest the lite, but just wait. "

I have 2 ds lites, cause i thought I lost mine and i bought one of my friend, only to find in under my bed a week later. lol. But, I dunno i still play gba games, so i dont feel like loosing that option. but i guess i'll have to when the 3ds comes out.

" @Xtrememuffinman said:

" @Mrskidders said:

" Just wait a little and get a 3DS. "

 Don't waste your money; DSiWare is useless, as are the cameras. The lite is the same thing as the fat but...lighter. If the 3DS wasn't coming out, I'd suggest the lite, but just wait. "

I don't really think waiting is appropriate. The 3DS doesn't even have a release TIMEFRAME, let alone a concrete date. It could be a year off for all we know. "

Just get the DS Lite. The DSi and XL don't really do anything all that special that the DS Lite doesn't do.

Before March 31st, 2011. Is it really worth plopping down $100 when you know the better system is coming out in less than a year?  But TC did say [she] didn't want a 3DS. You can turn off the 3D and make it more powerful DS though... it has backwards compatibility and exclusive titles. I'm just saying. "

I'm also on the fence about which handheld I want to buy. Basically, I'm torn between getting the DSi XL and waiting for the 3DS. Worth noting is that I've never owned a DS before so I have 6 years worth of games to catch up with.
 
Ever since I saw the DSi XL I've been itching to buy that one because of the awesome screens. But then Nintendo announces the 3DS, and they're back to the smaller screens again! Ugh. Knowing Nintendo, there will inevitably be a "3DS XL" some years later down the line. Probably by the time I have 8-9 years worth of handheld gaming to catch up on...
 
So here I am, still waiting. Still deciding. Sigh.

I consistantly recommend the XL, because there have been some worthwhile DSiware releases. If you still have a gameboy advance SP, the decision is easy: get a DSi XL.

" I consistantly recommend the XL, because there have been some worthwhile DSiware releases. If you still have a gameboy advance SP, the decision is easy: get a DSi XL. "

The Lite is very awesome. It has lots of brightness options and an extreme battery life. 
 
The DSi is very cool. It has brightness, a slightly larger screen, but the battery life is less than that of the Lite. 
 
The DSiXL, which I do not own, looks awesome because of those huge screens. I hear it also has a better battery life than the DSi. 
 
DSiWare is neat. There are a lot of very good games on the service, but you'll mostly be pummeled with puzzle and card games, or cheap flash/iphone ports every week. 
 
The best thing about the DSi, for myself that is, is the ability to put music on it. The DSi Sound app lets you use mp4/AAC audio ( I can recommend a good mp3 to mp4 convereter) to listen to your music. 
 
The DSi Photo app is cool to mess around with, but its good if you have a bunch of lady friends who like to take silly pictures and what not. 
 
 
I currently wish I had a DSi XL because the screens are effing huge and Dragon Quest IX has really small text. 
 
Also, if you already own a GameBoy Advance type device, don't worry about losing the GBA slot. I myself prefer to play GBA games on the native hardware instead of trying to play a four button-two screen device.

"  Also, if you already own a GameBoy Advance type device, don't worry about losing the GBA slot. I myself prefer to play GBA games on the native hardware instead of trying to play a four button-two screen device. "

" @Emilio said:

"  Also, if you already own a GameBoy Advance type device, don't worry about losing the GBA slot. I myself prefer to play GBA games on the native hardware instead of trying to play a four button-two screen device. "

You prefer playing GBA games on an actual GBA? Reallllyyyyy?   What if you're outside and it's cloudy? Do you bring along a portable lamp? :P "  

In the end I went with the Lite. Partially because I preferred the color options and partially because it allowed me to pick up a bit more software than I might have been able to if I'd gone with the DSi/XL. Grabbed a Coral Pink Lite, Dragon Quest IX, FFTA2, Chrono Trigger, and Lego Batman. And a case. Maybe a little excessive, but all of the titles aside from Dragon Quest were $20, which made it a little easier to justify the splurge to myself. :)  
 
Thanks for your help, everyone!
 
Bonus Question: Is FFIV DS worth a damn if you have the GBA version already?

Bonus Question: Is FFIV DS worth a damn if you have the GBA version already? "

If you're not worried about the 3Ds for a bit go with the XL no contest. The bigger screen is so much nicer then the Lite. It may not seem like much but once you get your hands on it, trust me, you'll be glad you went for the bigger version. 
There are some good DSiware games for sure, Fieldrunners and March of the Mini's. Some others too. The store runs like garbage but if you know what you want it isn't too painful. 
Haven't gotten a lot of use from the camera aside from PhotoDojo which rocks.  
But yeah go with the XL. Totally worth it.

I'm in the same boat myself, truthfully, I could careless if I can play gba games on it. But, I do want something with a bright screen, for that I'm leaning towards a Dsi. But the lite's price point is a bit more tempting. I'm looking to play a bunch of jrpgs (Chrono Trigger, Dragon quest etc.) Is the Dsi's screen worth the extra money? It does look sexier, I'll give it that.

Wait for the 3DS is the correct answer! It'll be here late this year (probably not) or next year. 

A shame. Now you won't be able to pick up Shantae: Risky's Revenge when it his Dsiware.  
No matter, just make sure to take a look at this list if you want some games for your DS. 

" A shame. Now you won't be able to pick up Shantae: Risky's Revenge when it his Dsiware.    

Decided to pick up Dsi, picked up Chrono Trigger, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, and Super mario 64. Pretty pleased with my purchase so far.

I've never used a DSi or a DSi XL, so i can't really compare those to the DS Lite other than what i've heard, so I'll just break down the positives and negatives of the DSi

+Has downloadable content 
+Has a camera 
+Has a slightly bigger screen  
+Can play music 
+Has an SD card slot
- Has significantly worse battery life 
- Downloadable content gets old fast  
- Camera is extremely low-res 
- Music has to be AAC format  
- About $40 more expensive 
- No GBA slot

 
Overall I would reccomend getting a DS Lite 
 
For the whole "Wait for a 3DS" thing, you guys need to realize that the 3DS isn't coming out for quite a while, as there is no set release date yet.  Dropping $100 isn't bad at all compared to how much more than that TC will make in the amount of time between now and the 3DS release