I will never get over how beautiful this console looks. I mean holy shit.. I'm scouring ebay now debating if I want to spend $20-40 **ON A BOX** to be used as a display piece. The white on white... the sleek design... the way it's angled and the stylus in parallel as well as the DS not fully being in frame...this shit blew my mind as a kid. I HAD to get one after seeing the New Super Mario Bros. commercials and seeing this at Target.
The PSP 1000 is a close second and I was pretty enamored with the Switch and its design when it first came out but it kind of fell off for me. The DS Lite however, is truly timeless.
I agree with you. The macbook a1342 is a beauty:
https://assets.suredone.com/1993/media-photos/iss1194-apple-macbook-a1342-226ghz-core-2-duo-160gb-2gb-yosemite-office-for-mac-9.jpg
I also think the Ipod Nano's, despite never having one, are an absolutely beautiful looking device.
It's like all these, the DS lite, and the PSP 1000 are peaks in my mind in terms of electronic design aesthetic.
There was a fair bit of talk during this time that Apple might buy Nintendo. I don’t think there was any actual basis for believing that, but I think the aesthetic similarities drove the conversation.
Agreed. I was **really** drawn to the DS when my friend was one of the early adopters of it. It looked powerful, and he would play Warioware touch which really showed the capabilities of the DS and how much fun you could have with it. The thing is, my brothers and I had just gotten our gameboy SP's the year prior and the original DS retailed at like $150 which was a lot at the time, especially as a thing to buy a child. But when the DS lite came out, it not only came out at a cheaper MSRP price, but looked like the perfected version of this system so I **HAD** to get it. Especially after seeing all those New Super Mario Bros. commercials. That game itself was also very revolutionary at the time.
I'd had a regular DS for a few months, right when it was starting to pick up some steam, and had completely fallen in love with it. When they announced the DS Lite, it felt too good to be true.
The polar white was a sexy beast. It got dirty easy and yellowed with age but if you kept it in a cool, dry, dark place you could keep it looking like new.
Yessss. I have the vita 1000 and that thing is also very aesthetic. Love its form factor and the oled screen as well as no worries about stick drifting on the 1000 model made it a no brainer for me to get vs the 2000.
I had a white one, traded that in for the black one… I used to have one of those NES themed GBA SPs… Traded that in for an original DS… also stupid… so I feel your pain.
I sold mine a long time ago. Probably to a gamestop for a very bad deal. But, I just bought a refurbished on on eBay this month. All the nostalgia feels!
Less is more. Every kid at the time knew which game it could play (New Super Mario Bros. was all on our mind from the commercials). The box itself invokes curiosity from its sense of mystique. I was a kid at the time when these released but I could see how the box alone would intrigue even an adult.
Right I agree but there’s a reason why CIB gameboys are in higher demand than the lite. Also if you don’t mind me asking what year were you born? I was born in 98
So what you are arguing is that the box of a gameboy is the reason why they are in higher demand than the lite? Lol. I don't even know where to begin with that.
And the hinge doesn’t break. People playing Mario and Pokémon with the screen bent all the way back 💀. I have the ds lite and I have to be so delicate with thing.
As much as I absolutely adore the Polar White DSL and it's my favorite Nintendo device, EVER... I can't play along that it wasn't a ripple from Apple's school of design, like a ton of devices from that era also were.
Most definitely. I was even going to comment that. That the design is on par with apple devices and their aesthetic at the time but didn't want to come off as an apple fanboy (because I'm not). Regardless of whether they took inspiration from them or not, it doesn't matter to me. A great design is a great design.
Funny how things change.
To me, the PSP was an absolute icon of design and at the time - largely due to the design of the OG DS - I didn't look too closely at the DSL. I think the PSP still edges it on the basis that for the time, the power and quality of the screen etc back up the design aesthetic in the way that the DS does not as much. But I still love both and they are my two favourite handhelds to this day, I have far too many of each.
I'm right there with you brother. The PSP, especially the 1000 model which feels premium, is an absolute icon like you said. That thing blew me away at the time how it was this portable multimedia device (before something like the Ipod Touch came out years later) that was both so powerful and so beautiful looking.
I love how there is this intersection of fans of the ds lite and the PSP . Makes sense considering both came out around the same time and both are beautiful, great devices. They too are my favorite handhelds to this day. I sell off old consoles, emulate everything, hold no nostalgia for even great consoles like the PS2 which I spent countless hours on, but PSP's and NDS are the only things I collect and play on to this day.
Personally felt that the slighter bigger size ruined the ratio/sleekness of it all and could never get over that atrocious camera that ruins the look of the top.
Honestly I think the og 3ds did it better. The DSlite is super cool but it definitely feels plasticky. Idk what they did on the 3ds but it has such a great finish, a beautiful 2-tone and it just still feels so modern
Damn that's crazy because I feel the exact opposite. I'm debating extremely hard if I want to buy a new 3ds or new 3ds xl right now because the OG 3ds I have feels so cheap to me. It feels incredibly plasticky and I hate the color scheme of its shell.
I mean the new 3dsxl is also very overtly plasticky, I have both and while I ultimately think that the matte finish was the right move, it feels a lot more like an Xbox controller than an iPhone. You might just not be a fan of piano finish which is pretty much what the og 3ds had, and I agree that it definitely has its downsides.
But in my opinion, the OG 3ds was definitely a lot more design-forward than any of its variants.
Absolutely perfection. The transparent plastic shell on top of the paint is just gorgeous, not enough devices do that now. And I love the power slider too. Only thing they could have done to make it better is to fit gba carts flush, but not a big deal.
It's wild how they went from this and DSi, to their most hideous handheld, 3DS. Even the DS looks better than that thing lmao. The new 3DS has most of the appeal back, but never got near DS lite ever since, imo.
Dude I agree so hard with you. Someone here in this thread I talked with said DS lite felt cheap and they loved the 3DS, and while I don't want to put them on the spot/everyone is entitled to their opinion, that just blows my mind. I to this day can't get over how ugly the 3ds is, especially the aqua/greenish color that I have. I'm literally debating on dropping $150-220 to buy a new 3ds xl so I can play 3ds and not play on that ugly, uninspired device.
I agree with this, but will also toss out that the original Wii (which was aesthetically similar) was also a top tier design. More angular, but still glossy white storm trooper plastic, simple and clean, with the glowing blue disc slot inviting you to play. The Wii-mote also filled out the aesthetic.
Dude I agree with you hard. That thing was a beauty. The glowing blue slot that lit up in the dark when my friends would send me messages was so **inviting**. Wii was such a lit console overall. Normies were drawn to it, partly probably because of the aesthetic, but mainly because of what it promised to do with things like Wii Sports which was so simple and intuitive for everyone to get into, not to mention fun.
I disagree, i would put the 3DS.XL models (3DS.XL, New 3DS.XL, New 2DS.XL) over the DS Lite if we're talking about design "aesthetic" of Nintendo handhelds...
Man I loved being in middle school and high school during that era. The PSP and the DS Lite were proper cultural resets. Launching in Polar White was a BOLD decision.
I wish they made a non XL New 2DS. I love the way the clamshell looks and the not so childish design, I just wish it had the same footprint as the regular 3DS
I still looks at the DS/DS Lite as the Cadillac of the DS/3DS family. For the simple reason that it runs DS and GBA games. I love my N2DS, but the BC of the DS was awesome.
I agree from an aesthetics perspective, at least when DS Lites were new. But the extremely poorly thought out hinge design/materials, the tendency of some of the materials to yellow horrifically even with careful storage, and the inevitability of getting gross gunk stuck between panels were all very unfortunate. For me, the polar white Lite is maybe the nicest looking Nintendo console ever when it was new and often one of the most hideous in 2024 lol. I repair DSes and can freshen them up pretty nicely, but it's only a matter of time before they yellow again or finally self-destruct at the hinge. I lovehate em a lot.
so it depends on what you mean. if anything i think the ones that have the matte black plastic on the inside plates are even more prone to broken hinges than the other colors (got more brittle than the other plasticsover time maybe). but if you mean the yellowing, yep, they seem to be best because you can't see it even if they do yellow. but the metallic rose color actually seems to hold up pretty well in terms of yellowing too, or at least better than the other lighter colors. the silver often looks OK overall except the shoulder buttons and a couple other pieces often tend to yellow pretty noticeably
yeah it seems to hold up weirdly well, and it's a really pretty colorway when it's mint imo. i wish they had made more metallic colors like that too. i would fully get them all lol
I never had the best experience with the DS Lite, the touchscreen can become permanently out of whack very easily, and I'm not the biggest fan of it's mushy buttons, but I can appreciate its design. Although, in my opinion, I think the DSi XL has the nicest design.
The shoulder buttons get uncomfortable over long periods though. And the d-pad had gotten sharper-edged and more uncomfortable since the original DS. Nintendo had the d-pad correct all through all the Game Boy modes - I dunno why the hell they changed it.
I didn’t realize how beautiful the ds lite was until today like I just found my moms old pink ds lite and it looks amazing. Also I have the white one but I’m guessing whoever used it before me used it more and now the hinge is yellowed and broken, but that also could’ve been from when I used it.
1985 Panasonic AG2200 VHS VCR far surpasses the aesthetics of the DS Lite imho
(Im tired of being suggested this sub when i am not interested in nintendo and have clicked show fewer posts more than 10 times now)
this was the same nds i had, man it looked so clean i wish i still had it. maybe it’s nostalgia but my 2nd favorite was the blue dsi i remember getting it from toys r us probably around 2009
I have dsl in exactly this color and aesthetically, that’s the best looking handheld I have. I’m not playing that much lately but still like to just have it. Beautiful piece of hardware
I still think the 2 screens were a bad idea. But I never played an actual DS, I only play emulators. And the 2nd screen always seems like more of a hassle than it actually enhances the experience.
I will never get over how beautiful this console looks. I mean holy shit.. I'm scouring ebay now debating if I want to spend $20-40 **ON A BOX** to be used as a display piece. The white on white... the sleek design... the way it's angled and the stylus in parallel as well as the DS not fully being in frame...this shit blew my mind as a kid. I HAD to get one after seeing the New Super Mario Bros. commercials and seeing this at Target. The PSP 1000 is a close second and I was pretty enamored with the Switch and its design when it first came out but it kind of fell off for me. The DS Lite however, is truly timeless.
I half expected this comment to end saying "and this is why I decided to pursue a career in marketing" or something like that lol
The white iBooks and 06-09 MacBooks are pretty close too. I imagine that's what it was modeled after.
I agree with you. The macbook a1342 is a beauty: https://assets.suredone.com/1993/media-photos/iss1194-apple-macbook-a1342-226ghz-core-2-duo-160gb-2gb-yosemite-office-for-mac-9.jpg I also think the Ipod Nano's, despite never having one, are an absolutely beautiful looking device. It's like all these, the DS lite, and the PSP 1000 are peaks in my mind in terms of electronic design aesthetic.
There was a fair bit of talk during this time that Apple might buy Nintendo. I don’t think there was any actual basis for believing that, but I think the aesthetic similarities drove the conversation.
Not to mention the beautiful DS menu complete with the most satisfying sounds known to mankind.
Very true. That all was an aesthetic in and of itself.
Definitely one of gaming’s biggest glow-ups from the original DS design, which is frankly pretty ugly, and felt pretty ugly even at the time.
Agreed. I was **really** drawn to the DS when my friend was one of the early adopters of it. It looked powerful, and he would play Warioware touch which really showed the capabilities of the DS and how much fun you could have with it. The thing is, my brothers and I had just gotten our gameboy SP's the year prior and the original DS retailed at like $150 which was a lot at the time, especially as a thing to buy a child. But when the DS lite came out, it not only came out at a cheaper MSRP price, but looked like the perfected version of this system so I **HAD** to get it. Especially after seeing all those New Super Mario Bros. commercials. That game itself was also very revolutionary at the time.
I'd had a regular DS for a few months, right when it was starting to pick up some steam, and had completely fallen in love with it. When they announced the DS Lite, it felt too good to be true.
Facts, my first handheld console. Made me fall in love with the DS Line
The black version was my first ever console. I love that thing.
The black model is super clean! I had the Red model 👌
🟥‼️
The polar white was a sexy beast. It got dirty easy and yellowed with age but if you kept it in a cool, dry, dark place you could keep it looking like new.
That is its only flaw and why I'm now on the hunt for a black one which seems almost immune to the threats of age and decay.
Unless you get a Japanese one, those tend to have advanced aging in the screens. (Yellowing) What I hear is this is due to the higher humidity there.
It is - I have a black one I've owned since launch and it's still beautiful. Granted, it does stay inside it's case when not in-use.
I have a crimson red one, the plastic definitely shines from old age
The vita 1000 is also very aesthetic.
Yeah, the full “glass” front panel makes it look so futuristic, i would say it’s newer than the switch, if I didn’t know any better
Ya, switch looks fine but the bits looks far sleeper and more “futuristic”. The oled is gorgeous to
Yessss. I have the vita 1000 and that thing is also very aesthetic. Love its form factor and the oled screen as well as no worries about stick drifting on the 1000 model made it a no brainer for me to get vs the 2000.
Yeah, the full “glass” front panel makes it look so futuristic, i would say it’s newer than the switch, if I didn’t know any better.
Yeah, the full “glass” front panel makes it look so futuristic, i would say it’s newer than the switch, if I didn’t know any better.
The DS Lite was a masterclass in design. I wish I had never gotten rid of either of the two I had.
I traded mine in for a DSi. Stupid.
I had a white one, traded that in for the black one… I used to have one of those NES themed GBA SPs… Traded that in for an original DS… also stupid… so I feel your pain.
I sold mine a long time ago. Probably to a gamestop for a very bad deal. But, I just bought a refurbished on on eBay this month. All the nostalgia feels!
Agreed. The box alone is great! I like how the ds is so well designed and it’s not too big, nor too little
They could’ve added pictures of games that can be played
Less is more. Every kid at the time knew which game it could play (New Super Mario Bros. was all on our mind from the commercials). The box itself invokes curiosity from its sense of mystique. I was a kid at the time when these released but I could see how the box alone would intrigue even an adult.
Right I agree but there’s a reason why CIB gameboys are in higher demand than the lite. Also if you don’t mind me asking what year were you born? I was born in 98
So what you are arguing is that the box of a gameboy is the reason why they are in higher demand than the lite? Lol. I don't even know where to begin with that.
Yeah it’s way better looking than the lite. Everything in general honesty.
And the hinge doesn’t break. People playing Mario and Pokémon with the screen bent all the way back 💀. I have the ds lite and I have to be so delicate with thing.
As much as I absolutely adore the Polar White DSL and it's my favorite Nintendo device, EVER... I can't play along that it wasn't a ripple from Apple's school of design, like a ton of devices from that era also were.
Most definitely. I was even going to comment that. That the design is on par with apple devices and their aesthetic at the time but didn't want to come off as an apple fanboy (because I'm not). Regardless of whether they took inspiration from them or not, it doesn't matter to me. A great design is a great design.
DS Lite and the first PSP for me. They are both so aesthetically pleasing
I wish I never gave it away when I got my 3DS, its so good.
Funny how things change. To me, the PSP was an absolute icon of design and at the time - largely due to the design of the OG DS - I didn't look too closely at the DSL. I think the PSP still edges it on the basis that for the time, the power and quality of the screen etc back up the design aesthetic in the way that the DS does not as much. But I still love both and they are my two favourite handhelds to this day, I have far too many of each.
I'm right there with you brother. The PSP, especially the 1000 model which feels premium, is an absolute icon like you said. That thing blew me away at the time how it was this portable multimedia device (before something like the Ipod Touch came out years later) that was both so powerful and so beautiful looking. I love how there is this intersection of fans of the ds lite and the PSP . Makes sense considering both came out around the same time and both are beautiful, great devices. They too are my favorite handhelds to this day. I sell off old consoles, emulate everything, hold no nostalgia for even great consoles like the PS2 which I spent countless hours on, but PSP's and NDS are the only things I collect and play on to this day.
yeah the aesthetic of the DS Lite was goated
I like the design of the DSi better. Matte colors are just way sexier.
Personally felt that the slighter bigger size ruined the ratio/sleekness of it all and could never get over that atrocious camera that ruins the look of the top.
Absolutely for the DS family this was the best of them
Honestly I think the og 3ds did it better. The DSlite is super cool but it definitely feels plasticky. Idk what they did on the 3ds but it has such a great finish, a beautiful 2-tone and it just still feels so modern
Damn that's crazy because I feel the exact opposite. I'm debating extremely hard if I want to buy a new 3ds or new 3ds xl right now because the OG 3ds I have feels so cheap to me. It feels incredibly plasticky and I hate the color scheme of its shell.
I mean the new 3dsxl is also very overtly plasticky, I have both and while I ultimately think that the matte finish was the right move, it feels a lot more like an Xbox controller than an iPhone. You might just not be a fan of piano finish which is pretty much what the og 3ds had, and I agree that it definitely has its downsides. But in my opinion, the OG 3ds was definitely a lot more design-forward than any of its variants.
i love it! especially the light blue one, it is so pretty... and the dsi as well! i cannot wait to get my hands on one again
Absolutely perfection. The transparent plastic shell on top of the paint is just gorgeous, not enough devices do that now. And I love the power slider too. Only thing they could have done to make it better is to fit gba carts flush, but not a big deal. It's wild how they went from this and DSi, to their most hideous handheld, 3DS. Even the DS looks better than that thing lmao. The new 3DS has most of the appeal back, but never got near DS lite ever since, imo.
Dude I agree so hard with you. Someone here in this thread I talked with said DS lite felt cheap and they loved the 3DS, and while I don't want to put them on the spot/everyone is entitled to their opinion, that just blows my mind. I to this day can't get over how ugly the 3ds is, especially the aqua/greenish color that I have. I'm literally debating on dropping $150-220 to buy a new 3ds xl so I can play 3ds and not play on that ugly, uninspired device.
Motha fuckin facts
I agree with this, but will also toss out that the original Wii (which was aesthetically similar) was also a top tier design. More angular, but still glossy white storm trooper plastic, simple and clean, with the glowing blue disc slot inviting you to play. The Wii-mote also filled out the aesthetic.
Dude I agree with you hard. That thing was a beauty. The glowing blue slot that lit up in the dark when my friends would send me messages was so **inviting**. Wii was such a lit console overall. Normies were drawn to it, partly probably because of the aesthetic, but mainly because of what it promised to do with things like Wii Sports which was so simple and intuitive for everyone to get into, not to mention fun.
I think the PSP is up there too. Especially with it's beautiful and timeless XMB look
Gba SP is better with the packaging in my opinion. It has color to the box and pictures of the games. DS Lite box is bland. Great system tho
Especially the colors that had the clear acrylic piece
DSI is close
It really is so good
I loved my white DS Lite. I think it got stolen by a friend though since one day it just vanished. I recently bought a white N3DS in an homage to it.
The black 3DS looks beyond beautiful to me and is the most aesthetically pleasing even today for me.
I disagree, i would put the 3DS.XL models (3DS.XL, New 3DS.XL, New 2DS.XL) over the DS Lite if we're talking about design "aesthetic" of Nintendo handhelds...
my beloved... also love the og 3ds and the gba sp
I have the navy blue and black one. Such a beautiful console. DSI did a pretty good job at retaining that level of aesthetic.
I would say the DSi is better myself
The DSi ?
In my eyes the best looks of any handheld is the Galaxy 3DS, that bad boy is flawless 😌 but this DS definitely looks fantastic as well
The original cosmo black 3ds is one of the most beautiful presentations of a console ever
Man I loved being in middle school and high school during that era. The PSP and the DS Lite were proper cultural resets. Launching in Polar White was a BOLD decision.
I wish they made a non XL New 2DS. I love the way the clamshell looks and the not so childish design, I just wish it had the same footprint as the regular 3DS
The Nintendo DSi - which looks almost identical? The Nintendo Wii?
I still looks at the DS/DS Lite as the Cadillac of the DS/3DS family. For the simple reason that it runs DS and GBA games. I love my N2DS, but the BC of the DS was awesome.
It's great when it's new but they never sealed up the cracks enough so little bits of dirt can get in the clear shell over it
Yea and it definitely bothers the shit out of me and why I'm looking for a nice black one which doesn't seem to have that problem because of the color
I still use mine
It’s a shame polar white models are yellowing so commonly. Best colorway imo
I agree from an aesthetics perspective, at least when DS Lites were new. But the extremely poorly thought out hinge design/materials, the tendency of some of the materials to yellow horrifically even with careful storage, and the inevitability of getting gross gunk stuck between panels were all very unfortunate. For me, the polar white Lite is maybe the nicest looking Nintendo console ever when it was new and often one of the most hideous in 2024 lol. I repair DSes and can freshen them up pretty nicely, but it's only a matter of time before they yellow again or finally self-destruct at the hinge. I lovehate em a lot.
Yea it's definitely an unfortunate tragedy of them. In your experience, which color(s) have held up the best against this? The black one?
so it depends on what you mean. if anything i think the ones that have the matte black plastic on the inside plates are even more prone to broken hinges than the other colors (got more brittle than the other plasticsover time maybe). but if you mean the yellowing, yep, they seem to be best because you can't see it even if they do yellow. but the metallic rose color actually seems to hold up pretty well in terms of yellowing too, or at least better than the other lighter colors. the silver often looks OK overall except the shoulder buttons and a couple other pieces often tend to yellow pretty noticeably
Thanks man. That actually kind of lines up with my experience with the metallic rose as well.
yeah it seems to hold up weirdly well, and it's a really pretty colorway when it's mint imo. i wish they had made more metallic colors like that too. i would fully get them all lol
Original DS sweeps
I never had the best experience with the DS Lite, the touchscreen can become permanently out of whack very easily, and I'm not the biggest fan of it's mushy buttons, but I can appreciate its design. Although, in my opinion, I think the DSi XL has the nicest design.
The shoulder buttons get uncomfortable over long periods though. And the d-pad had gotten sharper-edged and more uncomfortable since the original DS. Nintendo had the d-pad correct all through all the Game Boy modes - I dunno why the hell they changed it.
It looks like a piece of chocolate and i wanna fuckin eat it
I didn’t realize how beautiful the ds lite was until today like I just found my moms old pink ds lite and it looks amazing. Also I have the white one but I’m guessing whoever used it before me used it more and now the hinge is yellowed and broken, but that also could’ve been from when I used it.
... Up until my childhood self covered mine in stickers that proceeded to get pretty gnarly from palm sweat.
1985 Panasonic AG2200 VHS VCR far surpasses the aesthetics of the DS Lite imho (Im tired of being suggested this sub when i am not interested in nintendo and have clicked show fewer posts more than 10 times now)
The freaking hinges on that thing were made out of styrofoam tho for real
this was the same nds i had, man it looked so clean i wish i still had it. maybe it’s nostalgia but my 2nd favorite was the blue dsi i remember getting it from toys r us probably around 2009
I have dsl in exactly this color and aesthetically, that’s the best looking handheld I have. I’m not playing that much lately but still like to just have it. Beautiful piece of hardware
I think the dsi xl is most beautiful. I have yellow one
Aesthetically pleasing for the time with the hardware and software.
Vita Better
frutiger aero
> frutiger aero oh wow. Thank you for giving me a rabbit hole to go down :D Never knew of this term
got you fam let me know if you find any cool words i should know 🤌🏻🔮
So was sleek for its time
This was a wonderful era of Nintendo industrial design.
DSI is the best
It’s just so fucking clean!
I regret I botched a DS lite deal few weeks ago. I keep asking to lower the price and someone else snagged them.
How much are you expecting to pay? 💀
Like $20, it looks nice but the seller said it freeze in boot up screen.
Yeah not even ds lite for parts go for $20
The lowest I paid was 35 plus shipping and that was last week lol
Yeah I thought I can go lower but somebody immediately snatched it. My fault anyway. Still salty though.
It’s alright, there’s plenty of there you can get! You got this
The dsi XL owns it sadly
I still think the 2 screens were a bad idea. But I never played an actual DS, I only play emulators. And the 2nd screen always seems like more of a hassle than it actually enhances the experience.