6th June 2013, 9:33 PM
(This post was last modified: 6th June 2013, 9:50 PM by A Black Falcon.)
Original DSes are better built than the DS Lite, but their hinges break too. They break when you drop the system. I have had this happen -- the hinge on the side will snap off. Sure, the system will work after that, but unless you can manage to glue on the parts again somehow, it'll eventually pull the video cable of the upper screen out... that was why I finally replaced my original DS, after the upper screen went white. Sure, it could surely be repaired, but all the other things wrong with that system got me to replace it instead (the badly scratched screen, mostly nonfunctional shoulder buttons, etc.).
My current DS, which is also the original model, also has a hinge issue. Its upper screen is okay though, and the system is otherwise in very good condition, so I'm hoping maybe to figure out some way to hold it together... I have the little piece that snapped off. It's a small space though... but yeah, at least even after this happens you can still use the system -- the way it usually seems to crack, the screen will mostly hold in place once you click it all the way out (it's the upper half of one of the small right-side hinges that snaps off). So it's not as bad as what I've heard about happening to DS Lites, with them falling apart and stuff.
As for other systems... yeah, I'd love to get a 3DS XL as well, but ... not right now. Maybe I will get a cheap DSi if I can find one... it'd be unfortunate to give up rumble/GBA support, but I have GBAs for the GBA (and yes, as with you, my GBA SP has no issues), but I can still use the DS fine, so it'd be fine for the handful of games which actually support rumble. It'd have to be a cheap DSi though, because it's hard to justify actually buying one of those when the 3DS exists and can play all of its games.
On the note of rumble though, of the couple of games I have that support it, Magnetica actually is the only one which actually makes it manage to feel decent. In the other few it's really pretty pathetic (for instance, in Super Princess Peach), but Magnetica... I think it actually helps the game. It's unfortunate that handheld rumble has been completely abandoned, it shouldn't have been.
Also, I want some 2d Picross games, but haven't gotten any yet... I'm thinking of Picross DS (DS) and Picture Puzzle (NGPC). I'll probably get them before too too long. I don't think I like 2d Picross quite as much as I LOVED Picross 3D (yes, I completed every one of the built-in puzzles, and then went back and did most of them without any mistakes too), but it does look fun.
Also, you hadn't played the Tetris Attack/Puzzle League games before? Yeah, they're really awesome. I very, very highly recommend Pokemon Puzzle League for the N64; it's probably the most feature-rich game in the franchise. I love it, and I don't even care for Pokemon too much. Planet Puzzle League is great too, but it's a lot easier on the touchscreen, and it was kind of disappointing that it has no characters... it's all just graphics (it's that "apple-esque" aesthetic that you complain about). Also it's missing stuff like the arcade/story mode; disappointing.
Finally, as I said in my last post I should list that Amazon stuff, from that sale last week.
PC DD
--
Silverfall - $2 - action-RPG.
Silverfall: Earth Awakening - $2 - its addon/sequel. (not listed on IGN)
Post Apocalyptic Mayhem - $2.50 - futuristic combat racing.
Tomb Raider: Guardian of Light Challenge Packs 1 and 3 - $1 each. For some reason Amazon doesn't have the second one. Huh. I haven't actually played this game yet, but it looks decent, so I thought I'd get these while they were cheap. (DLCs aren't separately listed on IGN)
Sega Fun Pack - $10 - contains: Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit (plus Pimp My Rabbit and Virtual Rabbit Missions DLCs), Renegade Ops (plus Coldstrike Campaign and Reinforcement Pack DLCs), The Cave, NiGHTS into dreams... (HD remake), Jet Set Radio (HD remake). I have not yet redeemed the JSR or NiGHTS keys, because I'm not sure if I want those games considering that I have the Saturn and Dreamcast originals. I haven't decided whether I want to keep these or give them away or something. (again, no DLCs listed on IGN)
Sonic Action Pack - $10 - Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (the first game), Sonic Generations (plus Casino Night DLC; no IGN listing of course), Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II, Sonic Adventure DX, and a bunch of Genesis and Sega CD rom ports that I have not redeemed the keys for since I own the original games, and don't think I need any of these: Sonic CD, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic Spinball, Sonic 3D Blast, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. These I'm willing to give away if anyone actually wants the codes. (for some reason the PC version of Sonic 4 Episode I is not listed on IGN.)
My current DS, which is also the original model, also has a hinge issue. Its upper screen is okay though, and the system is otherwise in very good condition, so I'm hoping maybe to figure out some way to hold it together... I have the little piece that snapped off. It's a small space though... but yeah, at least even after this happens you can still use the system -- the way it usually seems to crack, the screen will mostly hold in place once you click it all the way out (it's the upper half of one of the small right-side hinges that snaps off). So it's not as bad as what I've heard about happening to DS Lites, with them falling apart and stuff.
As for other systems... yeah, I'd love to get a 3DS XL as well, but ... not right now. Maybe I will get a cheap DSi if I can find one... it'd be unfortunate to give up rumble/GBA support, but I have GBAs for the GBA (and yes, as with you, my GBA SP has no issues), but I can still use the DS fine, so it'd be fine for the handful of games which actually support rumble. It'd have to be a cheap DSi though, because it's hard to justify actually buying one of those when the 3DS exists and can play all of its games.
On the note of rumble though, of the couple of games I have that support it, Magnetica actually is the only one which actually makes it manage to feel decent. In the other few it's really pretty pathetic (for instance, in Super Princess Peach), but Magnetica... I think it actually helps the game. It's unfortunate that handheld rumble has been completely abandoned, it shouldn't have been.
Also, I want some 2d Picross games, but haven't gotten any yet... I'm thinking of Picross DS (DS) and Picture Puzzle (NGPC). I'll probably get them before too too long. I don't think I like 2d Picross quite as much as I LOVED Picross 3D (yes, I completed every one of the built-in puzzles, and then went back and did most of them without any mistakes too), but it does look fun.
Also, you hadn't played the Tetris Attack/Puzzle League games before? Yeah, they're really awesome. I very, very highly recommend Pokemon Puzzle League for the N64; it's probably the most feature-rich game in the franchise. I love it, and I don't even care for Pokemon too much. Planet Puzzle League is great too, but it's a lot easier on the touchscreen, and it was kind of disappointing that it has no characters... it's all just graphics (it's that "apple-esque" aesthetic that you complain about). Also it's missing stuff like the arcade/story mode; disappointing.
Finally, as I said in my last post I should list that Amazon stuff, from that sale last week.
PC DD
--
Silverfall - $2 - action-RPG.
Silverfall: Earth Awakening - $2 - its addon/sequel. (not listed on IGN)
Post Apocalyptic Mayhem - $2.50 - futuristic combat racing.
Tomb Raider: Guardian of Light Challenge Packs 1 and 3 - $1 each. For some reason Amazon doesn't have the second one. Huh. I haven't actually played this game yet, but it looks decent, so I thought I'd get these while they were cheap. (DLCs aren't separately listed on IGN)
Sega Fun Pack - $10 - contains: Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit (plus Pimp My Rabbit and Virtual Rabbit Missions DLCs), Renegade Ops (plus Coldstrike Campaign and Reinforcement Pack DLCs), The Cave, NiGHTS into dreams... (HD remake), Jet Set Radio (HD remake). I have not yet redeemed the JSR or NiGHTS keys, because I'm not sure if I want those games considering that I have the Saturn and Dreamcast originals. I haven't decided whether I want to keep these or give them away or something. (again, no DLCs listed on IGN)
Sonic Action Pack - $10 - Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (the first game), Sonic Generations (plus Casino Night DLC; no IGN listing of course), Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II, Sonic Adventure DX, and a bunch of Genesis and Sega CD rom ports that I have not redeemed the keys for since I own the original games, and don't think I need any of these: Sonic CD, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic Spinball, Sonic 3D Blast, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. These I'm willing to give away if anyone actually wants the codes. (for some reason the PC version of Sonic 4 Episode I is not listed on IGN.)