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DS Daily: Hey, had to replace one yet?
Looking at our DS Lite, we can see the shoulder buttons are a disgusting kind of yellow and our bottom screen has some scratches on it thanks to "friends" who've managed to pry it from our hands for a round of Meteos or what have you. We're thinking we might need to replace our DS Lite with a new one (Onyx, we're looking at you!). Sure, we could pick up this bundle, if it's ever made available, but we still don't know if replacing our DS Lite is the answer.How about you, readers? Have you had to replace your DS or DS Lite, simply because it was too banged up or you were sick of looking at it? Or, are you still rocking a launch day Phat, proud?
A Nintendo tribute on the best sort of canvas
Reader Núshio is never one to hold back (just check out his comments!), and when it comes to painting his DS with his love of Nintendo, that's a good thing. He and his friend Kiwii undertook a project of epic proportions that turned this DS into a monument to fanboyism -- and that's something we can get behind. This paint job (which looks so sweet next to New Super Mario Bros.) isn't quite finished -- the pair plans to redo the whole thing, as they noticed some discoloration after the application of a coat of gloss -- but Núshio had some great tips to offer up for those who are considering a similar project: Get decent paint. I used 'Vinci.' Never again! Be patient. Be careful when disassembling the DS (he used tutorials from YouTube). Don't get mad, get even. Keep track of every single bit and piece of plastic. Once complete, it's a real rewarding experience. And we'd like to add #6 -- it probably helps when you have a friend with spare artistic talent just lying about (Kiwii), and the patience to actually keep up with all those tiny pieces (our own Núshio). The finished product certainly looks rewarding, and there's nothing like displaying your love and loyalty right on the back of your favorite gaming device. Of course, now we expect all of you to go forth and pretty up your Phats and Lites, so we can ogle your work. Until then you can watch Núshio's DS undergo its metamorphosis in the gallery below.%Gallery-3439%
eBay alert: DS Phat signed all over
Up for grabs on eBay is a DS Fanboy's dream: a DS signed by not only Shigeru Miyamoto, but also Satoru Iwata and the voice of Mario, Charles Martinet. Why would anyone want to get rid of such a priceless beauty? Turns out, school loans. But all of the money won't be going to school loans, as the seller will be setting aside 25% of the profit to go to Child's Play. At the time we were writing this piece up, the current bid was $330.00. We have a feeling that'll be going much higher before the end of the auction on the 19th.
Ironic? DS Phat browser only available online
Downtrodden DS Phat owners: here comes more ammo for insults from the elitist Lite crowd. It seems that Nintendo doesn't think there are enough of you out there who refused to "upgrade" to redundant systems, and has chosen not to release the Phat-compatible version of the Opera browser (which includes a GBA-cartridge-size memory pack and would thus bulge from a DS Lite) in stores. Not to worry, however-- much like Electroplankton, you'll still be able to buy it from Nintendo's website and from other online retailers. That's fine with us. If we had any interest in talking to people in real life, we'd have less use for a Web browser.(We tease the DS Lite adopters, but really, if you've got a DS, you're cool with us.)[Thanks, zshadow!]
DS Daily: Lite or phat?
So what's your weapon of choice? Do you prefer your DS slim and trim, or do you want it to have a little meat on its bones? And if you're one of many who own both a Lite and a Phat, which one do you prefer, and why? There are hinge cracks to consider, and small vs. large hands, and of course, stylistic choices. So lay it all out there and tell us what you have there in your pocket.
We're hot for the Van Halen-style DS
Now this is how you play Jam Sessions. Flickr user Mr. Atrocity and his girlfriend gave their DS systems (both Phat, and we're happy to see people sporting them) custom paint jobs-- his a replica of Eddie Van Halen's guitar finish, and hers a lavender with gold details. Not only does the gallery contain pretty pictures of modded systems, but it is a great tutorial for spraypainting your own DS, which is exactly the kind of thing you should have a tutorial for, unless you want to play New Super B Button Is Stuck Down Bros. or Trauma Center: Under the Red Blob.
DS Daily: Colors
Depending on where you live (or whether or not you want to import), you have different choices when it comes to DS Lite color, and a wider selection of shades if you're still wielding the Phatty model. Maybe you even shelled out for a limited edition. We already talked about how many you have -- now we wanna know: what color are you sporting? Are you happy with it? What available color would you want instead, and if you could have any color (without modding) or a special edition, what would it be?
DS Daily: Pocket-sized?
The original DS Phat, of course, was a veritable brick, fitting only into the baggiest of cargo pants. The redesigned DS Lite was far slimmer, but ever since the Game Boy Advance SP, we've been having trouble seeing it as a truly pocket-sized device. Sure, it fits, but it's hardly comfortable when walking or sitting. Students can use backpacks, girls can use purses, fancy business people can use their sport jackets ... how do you carry your DS Lite, especially when you just want to take it with you without anything else? Our own optimal solution involves a tesseract, but that's neither here nor there. Get it? It's a spatial relativity joke. Never mind.Food for thought?
DS Daily: Stylus Bling
The DS Phat's stylus was anemic. The DS Lite's stylus is serviceable. But is it good enough for you? We've seen quite a few people use far larger styluses, perhaps meant for a tablet laptop or giant ... touch-screen ... thingy. We've seen pimped out versions. We've seen accusatory gesture versions. Heck, we've even seen a few just use their fingers, provided the game doesn't require a high degree of accuracy. What do you guys use, and do you wish you had something better?
House rocks the DS
We have yet to see the episode in question where Dr. House rocks the DS above, but we wonder why he didn't choose to go with a DS Lite. Maybe he just enjoys conflict so much that he feels the need to go with the Phat so that upon any inquiries as to why he is not using the sleeker, newer version of the dual-screen handheld, he can begin a rant breaking down the inquisitive individual. Or maybe it's the young lady's and he just wanted to check it out? Regardless of how it came into play, we're glad Nintendo's handheld got some screen time on one of TV's best shows (we all know what the best show is right now).
Phat mod: glowing skull
We're thinking this mod took some inspiration from a recently-released Microsoft game? Regardless of where it draws inspiration, it's one of the coolest mods we've seen for Nintendo's handheld. The process by which the mod is created is shown in a chronological retelling through many pictures. With the glowing skull being the end product, we think we wouldn't mind giving this a try on our DS Phat. As for trying it on a DS Lite, we don't think we've got the heart.See also: Other DS Phat and Lite mods[Thanks Eric!]
Cute post of the day: kitty naps on DS
Few things in this world can bring us instant happiness. Among such things are Cute Overload, Sausages, and the butter shave kit. As such, this snapshot (much respect for the Game Boy printer inclusion) on flickr user Trevor & Angela's account caused our eyes to widen and a deep "awwww" to escape our mouth. It's cute, and yet another good thing to do with that DS Phat now that the Lites are out.
Nintendo headset pictured every which way to Sunday
When we first heard Nintendo was planning on releasing a headset for the DS, we totally asked Nintendo "what's the haps, man? What do you need a headset for?" Nintendo promptly responded by slapping us in the face with a thick manilla envelope. Inside said envelope, a large glossy print of the headset. First, we cried a little, then we wondered about the ways in which the headset could improve the performance of the DS, not asking Nintendo out of fear of another act of violence coming our way. Over at Game Watch, you'll see the headset is photographed in revealing, contorting positions, both alone and physically hooked into DS Phat and Lite alike. Also, a shot of the headset resting on a person's ear makes it look much more comfortable than other headsets made by other gaming companies. Of course, we're just speculating not having touched this headset nor having had it rest upon our ear. Sure, the obvious things such as chat in Metroid Prime Hunters come to mind, but where else is this headset actually essential? Follow the post after the break for all of the pictures of the headset from Game Watch.
DS Phat mod shows patriotism
If it were possible, we'd probably just go ahead and rename this blog DS Mod Fanboy and switch to posting about all of the fantastic mods the community has performed on DS Phats and Lites alike. If we did that, however, we'd probably only be able to post one mod a week and would quickly fall from what little grace we currently have into Internet Hell (it's a lot like eastern Montana).That won't stop us from posting one of the more inspired mods we've seen submitted to DS Fanboy, however. With a sense of patriotism Rambo himself could not even rival, reader and Canadian citizen Dean Welsh went ahead and "Maple'd" the crap out of his DS Phat. Good job on the mod Dean!See also: DS Phat promiscuous mod DS Lite Crystal Navy mod DS Phat light mod Koopa mod Game and Watch mod Old School mod Tank mod Famicom mod [Thanks for sharing Dean!]
DS trashes the GameCube (and everything else)
So, in the midst of all the Wii excitement, the Nintendo DS quietly bypassed the GameCube in total sales. Recent figures push the powerhouse DS past the 21 million units the 'Cube can claim over its entire lifetime. The news comes as no real surprise, of course. GameCube titles are being sucked away and converted to the Wii, and we hear that people sorta like the DS ... a little bit ... sometimes.What is -- and continues to be -- surprising is that the DS isn't even two years old until November. Nintendo keeps churning out new versions, changing a color here or adding a graphic there, and they're like Pokemon, man. We gotta buy 'em all. We just can't resist the siren song of the DS, and we're not even sure we want to.
Nintendo: no love for Phat crack
Reader Kirk Winters has a problem. His DS Phat has succumbed to crack. As we previously reported, those of us who were still clinging to our Phats lost the high ground when they began to suffer the slings and arrows of cracked hinges, but we never thought it would come to this. Nintendo, it seems, is not repairing the Phats for free, as they are with the DS Lite.Ninty, where's the love? We thought we had something special. Kirk was heartbroken when his DS developed the same crack that raised such a stink with the Lites, but when he called Nintendo, he expected to get the same deal. No dice -- they'll haggle, but it's still not going to be a free ride if you end up in the same boat. But there's a light at the end of the tunnel. At first, Nintendo planned to charge for Lite repair, so maybe if we raise enough stink, we'll get the same treatment for the Phat. [Thanks for tipping us off, Kirk!]
Old Grandma Hardcore is Nintendo's Grandparent of the Year
Who could have anticipated that they'd be sending a 70 year-old ringer into Nintendo's Coolest Grandparent of the Year competition, huh? Barbara St. Hilaire, better known to the gaming community as Old Grandma Hardcore, took the top honors in the contest, held on Grandparents' Day at the Nintendo World Store in New York. Contestants battled in Brain Age, and OGH took home two DS Lites and ten new games after vanquishing the competition. Since she already owns both a Phat and a DS Lite, we wonder if she'll pass the booty on to one or two of her 13 grandchildren. From her blog, OGH certainly seems like the coolest grandparent around, so we approve. In fact, we'd like to steal her to be the official DS Fanboy Grandma, but we're afraid she'd kill every time we break out Mario Kart.
DS Phat hooked on crack [Update 1]
When the big scare of hinge damage on a massive scale to shipments of DS Lites in America hit, we were all going over our units with a magnifying glass. We were all thankful that Nintendo was so kind as to offer free repairs for damaged handhelds. Turns out the issue might not only be Lite-exclusive.During the latest podcast from VGM Daily, it's revealed that a DS Phat developed a rather large crack at the hinge. If you're one of the few who didn't trade up for their DS Lite and kept your old unit, you might want to go check at the bottom of that dusty old box out in the garage that currently houses your DS Phat and make sure it's without crack.We've contacted our Nintendo rep and will update you as to how Nintendo will handle your broken DS Phat. Keep an eye on DS Fanboy for further updates.[Update 1: Cleaned up the wording a bit.]
DS Phat easier to play on?
The Pocket Gamer Blog tells a tale of crippling DS Lite use; how one man's right hand was hurt just having the time of his life with his DS Lite. Stating that games that ask the player to utilize the trigger buttons, more specifically the right trigger button, frequently have begun tearing his hand asunder as it is just too big for the system.Being bloggers with big hands ourselves (we're manly men, who during their time away from blogging enjoy lumberjacking and wrestling crocodiles), we can't say that prolonged use of the console has affected us in the same way. However, upon looking over our collection of games, we do more often than not utilize the stylus. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Meteos, and Age of Empires: Age of Kings represent key roles in our DS Lite starting lineup. Even games that are played in a more traditional sense such as New Super Mario Bros. and Sonic Rush do not present us with this problem as use of the trigger buttons is not something those games ask us to do very often.Still, it appears to be a legitimate problem for that reviewer. We can't imagine that the individual wouldn't be able to adjust how the handheld rests in his hands, however. Regardless, we'll pose the question to you fine readers and allow you to make our minds up for us. Is the DS Phat really easier to play on?[Via Joystiq]
DS Phat light mod
For those of you who love to check out tutorials for modding hardware, we've got a great one for you. With this DS Phat light mod, you can add some flair to your old DS Phat, as well as provide yourself with defense against any attacking deer. By adding some bright LED lights to the top portion of your DS Phat, you might be able to compete against the stylish appeal of the DS Lite. Also be sure to check out other mods for your DS Phat: Koopa Troopa mod Game and Watch mod Old School mod Tank mod Famicom mod
