Nintendo DS

We pack up our house in 2 weeks. :shok: We decided to just get the DS for the 2,000 mile, 3 week road trip to Texas. I hate road trips, so it's either DS for the kids or valium for me. :laughing: But in trying to order them online, I can't tell whether they come with a game already loaded or a cartridge. Do I have to buy a game to get the kids started? How do they work?
How long do they need to be charged before use? And how many hours does one charge last?

 

Depends on what kind of DS you buy for them. The DS Lite does not have any preloaded games. It takes about 4 hours to charge, and I really have no concept as to how long the charge lasts. Maybe 6 hours? I bought a starter kit with mine for $20 that included a case, extra pens, and a car charger.

I do not know if the DSi comes preloaded with cames or not. I know the DSi XL comes preloaded with 3 games, but I think two of the games are more geared for grown-ups.

You can buy used games at lots of places, and Walmart often has old (2-3 years past release) games for 10-15 dollars.

Good luck on the drive.
T

 

They don't come with any preloaded games. You have to buy the games separately. My son loves the DS. His favorite games are the Lego Star Wars, Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Batman. I think all of those can be found pretty cheaply.

 

My recommendation is to get the car charger. You may not need it, depending on how much they use the system, but you would hate to be in the middle of a long drive with dead batteries. BTDT, not fun!

Unless there is a special deal, the systems DS lite, and DSi don't come with games. I'm not familiar enough with the XL yet to know (sad to say considering its my business to know these things). Honestly what I've heard in the industry, is the new system isn't all its cracked up to be.

Having met your boys, I'd stick with a DS lite, because you can still use game boy advance games (which GameStop has available used for anywhere from $5 and up), and its less expensive to start with (price is generally $129 new, but there are some deals out there) Check into GameStop for used DS games as well. Suggestions would be Mario, Petz, Family Game night, tetris, Picross (a new one that looks interesting), LEGO--batman, indiana jones--, or playmobil has a few, knights, pirates (harder to find new, but less expensive when you do.

One other thing I would recommend is a case for it. It helps mom keep track of where it is, and keeps all the games and accessories together.

 

The DS is wonderful. Keeps my kids occupied for hours in the car. They do not come with games but I too would suggest Lego Indiana Jones, Stars Wars, and Batman. The boys also love Super Mario Bros, Spongebob Cookout(?), and Lego Rock Band. I would highly recommend Nerf Cases. I have known several boys who have dropped and broke their DS. We got the Nerf Cases ($6 cheaper at TRU then Target) and my boys drop them all the time with injury.
Have a safe and fun trip!

 

I agree about the car charger. Our came with the car charger and also ear phones. I don't know if they all come that way or if I happened to get a packaged deal. The kids love them. They recently realized they could link together to play the same game. Even DH didn't know they could do that and he's a gamer! LOL

 

My son loves his DS too...I don't know if you have a GameStop nearby, but they sell all kinds of used games and its a great way to get lots of games cheap, plus you can sell any games that they don't play with and then use the credit towards more games. My son can usually play his most of the day on one charge, but I agree, get a car charger just in case.

 

We bought two DS Lite (used) and 3 games (used) at Game Stop. Even used it still cost us a fortune. This is one reason I hate these types of games. But it's worth it to keep my sanity on the trip.

The boys played for about 30 minutes the first day. Then I put them away and they've forgotten about them.

Should the player come with the pointer thing? Ours didn't - but they're used/refurbished.

 

Yes it should, but you can pick up extras just about anywhere.

 

My girls never play with theirs. Sometimes I wish they would, especially on long car trips but we end up playing license plate games or other "fun" family games. Good luck!!