I never touched a DS before buying the Lite. I became interested when my 7yr old son and 5yr old daughter wanted a puppy, (Hello Nintendogs!), and when Brain Training came out.
I love playing fun, educational, and stimulating games – we own a PS2 and an Xbox360. But I must say, my favourite “gaming” machine is the DS Lite. It has soo many fun and different games. First I bought Nintendogs, then Brain Training, then Animal Crossing (my wife is addicted!), then Mario Kart, then Advance Wars, then Tony Hawks, then, then… I think we have over 10 games and most of them are excellent value and fun. (A couple didn't last that long – or were boring – but that is what the 7 day returns is all about…)
We ended up buying two – because we used it so much – and this opened up a world of multiplayer value. The wifi connection is free!!! (Unlike Xbox live…) All I can say is that I am now a Nintendo fan – and looking forward to the Wii… all because of my love affair with the DS Lite.
By the way – I convinced my 19 year old nephew to buy this – and now he is addicted to Meteroid Prime. It really is good value for money.