Choosing which Nintendo DS to buy has long been a matter of picking the color or game bundle you want. That selection process just became more complicated now that Nintendo is preparing to release the new Nintendo DS Lite.

Nintendo DS Lite

The Nintendo DS Lite plays the exact same DS and GBA games as the current Nintendo DS, but it features new hardware tweaks designed to improve the gaming experience as well as system usability. The DS Lite uses new LCD screen technology to offer four different brightness levels. At maximum brightness, the Lite will be five times as bright as the current DS. Nintendo has also slimmed the unit down to the point where it can almost be considered pocket-sized. It's thinner by a third and weighs 20 percent less than the original. New power features include longer battery life and a quicker charge time.

Nintendo released the Nintendo DS Lite in Japan on March 2. The official price and US release date haven't been announced yet, but expect the Lite to be more expensive than the original and give Mario & Co. a couple of months to crank out enough units for the North American market. Click here for the full Nintendo DS Lite specification list.

Ricardo Torres, Senior Editor

Was anyone really surprised that there's a new model of the DS coming? If there's one thing to add into the "absolutes" of our industry it's that Nintendo will always, always have a new take on its portable hardware that will inevitably improve on it just enough to warrant a purchase. The only aberration has been the GBA Micro, but it's not like they were pushing it that hard.

At the end of the day, the DS Lite is worth picking up for a number of reasons. The most obvious reason is its fantastic light settings. But the other big reason is its improved LCD screen, which is comparable to the new models of the GBA SP and the GBA Micro. The changes in clarity, color contrast, and the spiffy illumination are a quantum improvement over the original model of the DS. Not only does this make playing games on the Lite easier on the eyes, but there's also a definite improvement in the way that the games look on the system that's tough to dismiss.

In many ways, our thoughts on the hardware mirror how we felt about the GBA SP when it followed on the heels of the original GBA. Besides the aforementioned selling points, there are simply too many little design elements on the Lite--its compact design, improved stylus design, better microphone placement, a scratch resistant cover on the lid, GBA slot cover, the subtle concave-convex play between the two screens that prevents items slipping in between and causing damage--which make us wonder why no one thought to include these elements on the original system. As such, it's a marked enough improvement over its predecessor to warrant a purchase.

James Yu, Senior Hardware Editor

I remember the first time I saw a Game Boy Advance SP and how impressed I was with every single change that addressed annoying problems in the original GBA design. The smaller form factor, new backlight, and internal rechargeable battery were the final pieces that took the GBA platform to the next level. I'll tell you right now that I felt the exact same way when I got my hands on the Nintendo DS Lite for the first time.

While the original DS has a shape that only a mother could love, the Lite has a compact size and glossy finish in line with modern consumer electronics like the iPod and the PSP. Nintendo has also added a GBA slot cover and improved the seal along the outside of closed units to better protect the system's internals. The most dramatic change has to be the new LCD screens and improved brightness levels that make the graphics stand out. Nintendo tells us that battery life at max brightness will run 5 to 8 hours, but it will be able to go 15 to 19 hours at the lowest brightness level.

As someone who has accidentally turned off Animal Crossing one too many times, I was thrilled to see that Nintendo has transformed the power button into a proper switch located on the right side of the unit. Additionally, the new DS has a superior D pad. It's extremely responsive and not at all mushy compared to the D pad on the original system.

The Nintendo DS Lite and the GBA SP are similar in that they're both evolutionary steps that correct on past design mistakes and build on the success of the original system. Nintendo got the basics down with the original DS, but you should go with the Nintendo DS Lite if you're willing to pay a little more for the perfected version.

Bottom Line: Reasons to buy the Nintendo DS Lite.

It's smaller, weighs less and has a compact shape.
The system has new LCD screens with extra-high brightness. It has longer battery life and quicker recharge times. Available in new colors with a glossy finish. The Japanese are crazy for it.