Which Nintendo DS to buy in 2023?

[GTC]

Hey guys, 

 

I'm looking to purchase a Nintendo DS to replay a bunch of old games from my childhood and also to pass some time during my daily commute.

Any suggestions on to which handheld console to pick-up and what a reasonable price to pay would be? (I'm in EU if that changes anything)

 

Thanks in advance for any suggestions :))

[tkitch]

Old handhelds are getting more expensive.  So pricing is gonna be VERY variable.

 

(IE:  Early in the pandemic I bought a pair of 3DS XLs for 150$ with some amazing games, now I can't find a single 3DS XL by itself for less than 150.  So, things are not great on that front.)

 

As far as which to buy?  I'd get a "new" 3DS or a 3DS XL, depending on the size you like.  (Also both can be jailbroken to allow for shenanigans with the memory card slot and other things.)

[GTC]

1 minute ago, tkitch said:

(IE:  Early in the pandemic I bought a pair of 3DS XLs for 150$ with some amazing games, now I can't find a single 3DS XL by itself for less than 150.  So, things are not great on that front.)

Here in Germany it seems pretty easy to get the "New 3DS XL" for 150€

 

Are the "New" DS models backwards compatible with all the older DS games?

Have you noticed any negatives on your device that made you potentially wish you got an older model?

[tkitch]

Yes, the 3DS XL plays all DS games.  (XL vs Non-XL is literally just the physical size of the device.  New-vs-Not New are some minor changes to the shape of the housing.)

[minibois]

It depends on what games you want to play, but you really can't go wrong with any of the (3)DS systems.

The main difference between the (3)DS systems has to do with combability with games/accessories and the other difference has to do with size/control scheme/screen scaling.

 

In short:

A Nintendo DS or DS Lite can play anything from the DS and GBA (can't play GameBoy (Color))

A DSi (XL) can play anything DS*

A (new) 3DS/(new) 2DS can play anything DS* and anything 3DS (there are a few games specifically made for the 'new 3DS', which only the 'new 3DS', 'new 3DS XL' and 'new 2DS XL' can play).

 

This may be a bit long winded, but if you're interested in the difference between these systems and some known flaws to look out for when buying a second hand unit, be sure to read on (and ask any questions if anything is unclear).

 

To elaborate, the DS (Lite) has two game cartridge slots, a DS and GBA slot. The DS slot is used for DS games (which both are not region locked by the way!) and the GBA slot is used for GBA games, some DS accessories and some GBA/DS game connectivity. There are a few DS games that have accessories that plug into the GBA slot, but that is not a lot of games that require it. I can only think of Band Hero (DS), but there are probably more.

Furthermore the connectivity between DS and GBA games is quite rare, with the main example being some of the main series Pokemon games on the DS being able to connect to the main series GBA games to transfer Pokemon from the GBA to DS games.

*So if you want to play games that require accesories in the GBA slot (very rare) or want to transfer Pokemon between the GBA and DS, you should get a DS (Lite).

 

The DSi (XL) is like the DS Lite, but without the GBA slot. Usually not worth it vs. DS (Lite) or 3DS/2DS handhelds.

 

The 3DS has six main revisions, which you can split in three different ways:

- 'new' vs 'not new'

- XL or not XL

- 2D or 3D

There are a few games that will only play on 'new 3DS' handhelds (from memory I recall a Xenoblade and Fire Emblem game and also Minecraft).

XL vs. not XL is a matter of sizing/comfort and 2D/3D just depends on if you want to play the games in 3D (which I thought was neat, but not really needed.

Furthermore, all these handhelds can play DS games (except for the ones that require GBA slot accessories) and 3DS games are not region free.

 

As for pricing, it really differs between all units. DS Lite models are definitely the cheapest, it (I think?) being the best selling (3)DS handheld. It depends on where you're buying, but I've bought DS Lites for anything from €10,- to €25,-, depending on their condition (more on that later).

DSi units are a lot less common, so usually pricier. The 3DS, 3DS XL and 2DS sold quite well, so can be had for anything between €30,- to €60,- depending on condition.

All the 'new' units are newer and seemed to have sold less, so are more rare and expensive. I don't really have a good grasp on pricing of those. I bought my new 3DS XL for €90,- but I don't know if pricing changed over the years.

 

Known issues to be aware of:

If you're buying second hand you should always test it out before buying (or get something with at least a week or warranty). There are some known issues with these handhelds that you should check for:

- Loose hinges: all the above mentioned consoles (except the 2DS) have hinges and I've seen people be quite rough with their devices. Check the hinges are in good shape.

- Scratched screen: the touchscreen is one of the main features, so check it's not (too) scratched up

- Malfunctioning buttons/circle pad: mainly the Dpad on the DS Lite, the circle pad on all 3DS/2DS and the home/select/start buttons on the 3DS (original) can be damaged after a lot of used, check they are fine

- Broken (3)DS game slot: try the game slot with at least two different games to know if it reads fine and properly ejects the games

- Scratched top screen: the original 3DS had a flaw that made the ridge around the bottom screen scratch the top screen. Check the top screen doesn't have two vertical scratches on its top screen

[SteveGrabowski0]

1 hour ago, GTC said:

Here in Germany it seems pretty easy to get the "New 3DS XL" for 150€

 

Are the "New" DS models backwards compatible with all the older DS games?

Have you noticed any negatives on your device that made you potentially wish you got an older model?

Yeah they're all BC with DS. The New 3DS XL is great though because it has face tracking cameras that keep the 3D effect in focus way better than older 3DS models plus did a huge upgrade to the cpu vs the older 3DS models. New 3DS XL has been awesome for playing DS games for me. Still love playing New Super Mario Bros all the time on it.

[GTC]

1 hour ago, minibois said:

It depends on what games you want to play, but you really can't go wrong with any of the (3)DS systems.

The main difference between the (3)DS systems has to do with combability with games/accessories and the other difference has to do with size/control scheme/screen scaling.

 

In short:

A Nintendo DS or DS Lite can play anything from the DS and GBA (can't play GameBoy (Color))

A DSi (XL) can play anything DS*

A (new) 3DS/(new) 2DS can play anything DS* and anything 3DS (there are a few games specifically made for the 'new 3DS', which only the 'new 3DS', 'new 3DS XL' and 'new 2DS XL' can play).

 

This may be a bit long winded, but if you're interested in the difference between these systems and some known flaws to look out for when buying a second hand unit, be sure to read on (and ask any questions if anything is unclear).

 

To elaborate, the DS (Lite) has two game cartridge slots, a DS and GBA slot. The DS slot is used for DS games (which both are not region locked by the way!) and the GBA slot is used for GBA games, some DS accessories and some GBA/DS game connectivity. There are a few DS games that have accessories that plug into the GBA slot, but that is not a lot of games that require it. I can only think of Band Hero (DS), but there are probably more.

Furthermore the connectivity between DS and GBA games is quite rare, with the main example being some of the main series Pokemon games on the DS being able to connect to the main series GBA games to transfer Pokemon from the GBA to DS games.

*So if you want to play games that require accesories in the GBA slot (very rare) or want to transfer Pokemon between the GBA and DS, you should get a DS (Lite).

 

The DSi (XL) is like the DS Lite, but without the GBA slot. Usually not worth it vs. DS (Lite) or 3DS/2DS handhelds.

 

The 3DS has six main revisions, which you can split in three different ways:

- 'new' vs 'not new'

- XL or not XL

- 2D or 3D

There are a few games that will only play on 'new 3DS' handhelds (from memory I recall a Xenoblade and Fire Emblem game and also Minecraft).

XL vs. not XL is a matter of sizing/comfort and 2D/3D just depends on if you want to play the games in 3D (which I thought was neat, but not really needed.

Furthermore, all these handhelds can play DS games (except for the ones that require GBA slot accessories) and 3DS games are not region free.

 

As for pricing, it really differs between all units. DS Lite models are definitely the cheapest, it (I think?) being the best selling (3)DS handheld. It depends on where you're buying, but I've bought DS Lites for anything from €10,- to €25,-, depending on their condition (more on that later).

DSi units are a lot less common, so usually pricier. The 3DS, 3DS XL and 2DS sold quite well, so can be had for anything between €30,- to €60,- depending on condition.

All the 'new' units are newer and seemed to have sold less, so are more rare and expensive. I don't really have a good grasp on pricing of those. I bought my new 3DS XL for €90,- but I don't know if pricing changed over the years.

 

Known issues to be aware of:

If you're buying second hand you should always test it out before buying (or get something with at least a week or warranty). There are some known issues with these handhelds that you should check for:

- Loose hinges: all the above mentioned consoles (except the 2DS) have hinges and I've seen people be quite rough with their devices. Check the hinges are in good shape.

- Scratched screen: the touchscreen is one of the main features, so check it's not (too) scratched up

- Malfunctioning buttons/circle pad: mainly the Dpad on the DS Lite, the circle pad on all 3DS/2DS and the home/select/start buttons on the 3DS (original) can be damaged after a lot of used, check they are fine

- Broken (3)DS game slot: try the game slot with at least two different games to know if it reads fine and properly ejects the games

- Scratched top screen: the original 3DS had a flaw that made the ridge around the bottom screen scratch the top screen. Check the top screen doesn't have two vertical scratches on its top screen

Ok thank you! That was super helpful!

 

I'm going to try get a "New 3DS XL" for under 120€ :))

[DevinMix]

minibois explained your options very well. However, the remaining issue that I feel is worth mentioning is how DS games look on a 3DS screen. To make a long story short, the 3DS's screens have an internal resolution larger than those of the DS, but only by a factor less than two. Because of that, internal upscaling is needed to make the DS games fill the entire 3DS screen, but the non-integer scaling amount means that simple methods (like the pixel doubling used for Wii games on the Wii U) aren't possible. The upscaled image is therefore interpolated, which can make it appear blurry given that the 3DS screens aren't that large to begin with. The extent to which this is noticeable varies considerably by game, so I can't guarantee how much it will affect your experience.

 

Personally, I'm of the opinion that any game using pixelated graphics (e.g. Pokemon Black / White) looks awful when upscaled compared to when it's played on a DS/Lite/i/iXL. An option is available on every 3DS system to start a DS game at its original resolution, but doing so allows the game to occupy only a portion of the screen. Even on an XL system, it's a pain to deal with. For that reason, I keep both a 2DSXL and a DSi XL on hand for 3DS and DS games, respectively. The DSi XL has the largest screens of the entire (3)DS lineup that use the original DS resolution, and games look stunning on it. Obviously though, not being able to play 3DS games is a drawback. It's up to you to decide which matters more to you.

 

TL;DR: DS games look really bad on the 3DS screens, and the fix to make them look good doesn't allow you to make use of the full screen. Because of that, if you only want to play DS games, buy a DSiXL.

[BrandonTech.05]

On 4/13/2023 at 9:40 AM, GTC said:

Hey guys, 

 

I'm looking to purchase a Nintendo DS to replay a bunch of old games from my childhood and also to pass some time during my daily commute.

Any suggestions on to which handheld console to pick-up and what a reasonable price to pay would be? (I'm in EU if that changes anything)

 

Thanks in advance for any suggestions :))

The best one is probably the new 3ds but its way too expensive. 

I really like my 2ds and it is probably the cheapest rn to buy

[streetchurros]

The 2DS XL is so sexy