Hmmm... where to start...

Since my day 1 purchase of my DS lite on June 11th, 2006, I have sent my DS in to Nintendo 4 times D:

1st time the L shoulder button stopped registering =| Did the Advanced Replacement (they send a refurb'd unit and you send yours back in that box)... They asked me what color I had and I (stupidly) said white...

2nd time L shoulder button again >< Advance Replacement AGAIN, but this time I tell them I have a Black DS so yay I got the color I wanted...

3rd time DAMNED L BUTTON AGAIN. Actually shipped the ds to them for them to repair it themselves... This was in January.

4th time L button, of course, and also my top screen was f'ed up since the last repair. Would randomly change hues to shades of green D:

so yeah, I've had the damnedest luck with my lite. I have tried the screen protectors once, but I must not have put the bottom screen one on right, as I couldn't get the ds to register touches anymore. Could have just been a cheap brand though.

I had my DS Lite since the day it came out. It just cracked at the hinge a week ago. Haven't touched it since, for fear of worsening the problem.

... also, is it just me or are the LCD screens from newer DS lites a little bit crappier than older, first generation lite units? Sometimes I notice motion blur on my current DS that I swear wasn't there on my older one with the same game.

Don't know about that. Something similar happens with the Gameboy SPs as well. Newer models and DS's are tinted from UV ray shielding for your screens. I call it more of a drawback because colors tend to be muffled a little and have a reddish-type hue.

I still currently have the old version; from early January just after launch, so that's more than 4.5 years already! Still has the expected occasional wear and tear, but nothing drastic. The screens are fine as well and don't really have any severe scratches of any kind. The only problem I have with it is that the shoulder buttons will give out every now and then and only work when they want to. But that's mostly due to playing both Megaman ZX games where you have to hold down those buttons for long periods.

Actually, I lied. I despise how Nintendo doesn't sell the old console merchandising anymore, so I can't get new accessories for it because everything is too small and DS lite oriented. I constantly have to look for used items to get replacements. I'll think about getting a lite soon because of it.

As for screen protectors they seem to work pretty well. Although, they work more like a see-through sticker and touching them will produce a finger indent that can't be taken off unless you unpeel it again, causing it to lose wear from overuse. This is the reason why i never put the second one on the bottom screen because it's probably not worth it.

I believe I've heard Hori screen protectors are the best. I don't think they use a sticky substance for application.

My black DS Lite I got nearly a year and a half ago is still in perfect working order. The touchscreen has a few tiny, light scratches on it, but nothing that's noticeable during gameplay. I don't really have any touchscreen-based games though, so not much opportunity for damage. One of the shoulder buttons got a little wonky, but I managed to heal it so.

Had my DS Fat since -literally- day 1. Hasn't f***ed up on me yet. I still love it! I use it maybe a few times every few weeks, definitely not playing it as much as i used to.

I was thinking about eventually upgrading to a lite, but hearing all this....

When it comes to wear and tear, my DS is mostly fine. Unfortunately, the touch screen seems to have gone faulty, as it's calibrated wrongly. Obviously I could just recalibrate it, except the calibration software refuses to work - it just keeps going on and on and refuses to recalibrate. If it ever does, it's still out. It's hard to describe, but if you were to see it it would be understandable. Anyway, i contacted customer services about it, and they offered me a replacement DS, but because it was out of warranty it would cost £50 D: so I figured i'd just cope. It's not like I use it much other than for Phoenix Wright anyway.

I still don't have one seeing as despite being out this long they still cost at least £50. So you should send me your beat up one.

*Folds arms*

My ds-phat I bought ages ago is still working perfectly even with the amount of drops it's suffered from. Also I went and purchased a faulty ds off ebay and managed to fix it (had dodgey internal connections) and now that works perfectly. The only time i might upgrade to the lite is when both my ds' are dead... but D: @ the hinge breaking record of them.

My DS Lite is fine, still working perfectly, with a few scratches on the touch screen. My sister cracked the hinge on hers a few weeks ago, though.

My Lite has a crack on the folding section, dead pieces of my finger skin trapped all over and a missing stylus, my phat has a slightly scratched up screen.

Both are in great condition in my books

... also, is it just me or are the LCD screens from newer DS lites a little bit crappier than older, first generation lite units? Sometimes I notice motion blur on my current DS that I swear wasn't there on my older one with the same game.

I've read that the new ones are cheaper and that some have a yellow tinge that supposedly isn't noticeable while actually playing. Nothing about motion blur though.

My fat DS still works perfectly fine besides something near the bottom of the top screen that is either a small cluster of dead pixels, a magical fragment of dust that teleported beneath the surface, or a spot of internal bleeding. Shows up as white on dark background, black on light background. The R button stopped working depending on the phase of the moon for a while due to much MMZX(A) abuse. The screens are perpetually dirty, the paintwork is somewhat worn down and there are a few teeth marks but those are just aesthetic problems.

If it finally bites the dust or becomes nigh unusable I think i'll get one of those awesome black-blue lites, though I'm weary of the new screens.

I purchased a Gamestop Refurbished DS Classic shortly after the US launch of Pokemon Pearl. Other than losing the original stylus, which I found unusable due to its small size, the unit is still in like-new condition. If I ever need to replace it, I will get another refurbished DS Classic or just wait for the eventual DS2.

Wow...how approriate for this to be here. I just received a fat DS from a friend earlier this week. So her's is doing quite well if you ask me. As for my actual DS...not sure how it's doing. Hopefully the lucky brat that found it[with MKDS and Sonic Advance 2 included] took good care of it.

Picked up my DS at the midnight launch, some of the paint has worn off around the buttons and the left shoulder button is a little bit sticky, but that is hardly noticeable. All in all, working fine.

My lite, I must admit, is very rarely used. I've only had it for a little over a year now, so I guess it wasn't the console for me in the end. Now it is pretty much exclusively used for Tetris by my Mum. It is the ONLY game/console she will touch with a bargepole.

It's got screen protectors on it, and luckily I managed to put the touch screen one on perfectly first time. The protector has some tiny shallow scratches due to most probably EBA and Warioware, and the screen underneath is untouched. I'm suprised it hasn't cracked by how much my friend smashed at it with the stylus. The protector on the top screen has bubbles though and annoys me quite a bit.

The DS' only other sign of use really are the fingerprints all over it's shiny black top. No damage or faults whatsoever.

I just checked out my DS and I do't think there's any scratches at all. There's just lines drawn in finger grease that I can wipe away. There's also a little light spot in the lower right corner. Maybe I hit it too hard there at some point. This was made pre-EBA, BTW.

My DS Lite works fine. Been playing FF4 and Mario Kart obsessively. Only issues are dust and crud stuck to the touch screen, which I just need to wipe it off with a wet microfiber cloth. Also a couple mild scratches on the top screen noticeable only when playing with the sun shining at the screen. I don't use screen protectors, so I have a Phantom Hourglass storage pouch. XD

Mine has a green Phantom Hourglass glove, so it won't fit in the pouch I bought. =D

My first DS lite is still in near perfect condition. I don't know what you've been doing to yours, but it couldn't have been sane. However, Ksemanr's is now in multiple pieces.

Ever since I dropped it by accident, my DS Lite has this right hinge wound. It can not lock in position anymore, so I have to lay the top on something else. Or when lying down, use one finger to keep it from closing.

My DS Lite is in generally good order. Sure, the touch screen has a few scratches because my first game for it was StarFox Command and I wasn't used to how much pressure needed to be applied, but I maintain it with a maniacal fervour to ensure I don't have to send it in for repairs or purchase a new one. I never used screen protectors though, since I've always been leery of what unexpected side effects might come of using them. Still, 13 months of ownership and no problems.

Well, I got the DS nearly a year ago and really only purchases some seven games for it (but will plan to get more), so it's handling itself fine. Ask me again in another year and then we'll see.

Well, the covers for the screen are okay if you don't mess with them an make sure that nothing gets underneath them before you put them on. I'm on my second Ds Lite now because on the first one the top screen litterally broke off. I was baffled as I've only ever been gentle with it. A while ago I got my second one, but I'm not sure that the DS is exactly working. The buttons and the D-pad every now and again don't register when pushed. So, I'm a little less than thrilled with it, but my hands are kind of tied as I bought this second DS rather recently, and I don't exactly know if I can buy another one.

I've had my blue DS Phat for, well, ever since I obtained it around 2006 (I think - Tetris DS was a new release for it at the time). Only problems I can think of are one dead pixel which I've had since getting the thing and the fact sound is a bit overdriven if you turn it up all the way (I think that happened since I slammed my fist on the thing one day... I forget exactly why, just that I was angry with Mom, so).

lol I usually do that if I'm angry at agent Chieftan.

Freaking Rolling Stones.

Well, I've had a original DS for about 3 and a half years, I guess? Some scratches on the casing, and some touchscreen scratches as well, but not too many. Also, there's a piece of dirt between the top screen cover and the screen itself, so that's pretty annoying =/ Oh and it has a hinge crack that isn't too severe. Otherwise, it's in great order.

A week or two ago I felt it was time to possibly upgrade, and I bought a damaged lite off ebay for about 50 dollars, and I decided I would buy a transparent case to replace the case that had a hinge crack. Well, the disassembly went perfectly fine, but the reassembly, not so much. The whole top component was fine, but the bottom of the case was misfit or something, so no matter what I did the trigger buttons would constantly pop out, and wouldn't click right.

Then my dad wanted to get involved with the whole repairing process, and I told him to be careful of the power switch, since alot of people complain due to it being weak. Less than a minute after I tell him that warning, he broke the power switch =D So I put the ds guts back into it's original white case and sent it off to nintendo for repairs since I don't feel like desoldering/resoldering a new power switch. So, altogether the ds cost me 50 for the system, 20 for the transparent case and 90 for nintendo repairs, coming out to a grand total of 160 dollars, what a bargain =(

My old DS has a few dead pixels and the L button only works sporadically.

Oh, anddid I mention the short battery life? It's about half what people say it is.

I had a piano black DS before I sold it, and aside from it getting smudged really really easily, it worked fine. I hope that it is working fine for whoever eventually purchased it from the Gamestop I sold it to...

Let's see... Originally bought two bulky original DSes, one of which has literally becomne unhinged, the top part lying mostly useless off the back, while the other has graphical problems and more than enough scratches to make the stylus near unusable. Bought a black DS lite for my Birthday, April last year, and my sister jabbed at the touchscreen with a pencil hard enough to cause a dead spot in the direct middle of the sensor. Now, if I'm playing a game with serious touch-screen capabilities, my only real option is to use my sister's pink DS, and lose about a dozen masculinity points in the process.

I wholeheartedly laugh at anyone who complains about Microsoft, stating the Red Ring of Death as being one of the biggest problems with modern gaming today. I've had that happent to me once, as compared to three times for DSes. Microsoft even fixes their mistakes, as opposed to the 'you break it you buy it, but it just happens to be made out of freakin' paper' policy of Nintendo.

-Nytloc Regallus Lightkeeper

My DS lite I bought two and a half years ago is mostly in good condition, it has a small almost pixel-sized scratch on one corner of the top screen which annoys me a lot and a not-so noticeable scratch on the bottom screen caused by excessive Phantom Hourglass playing.
Like SX it seems to have problems with its battery life though.

My brother cracked the L button on his. Also he somehow managed to get brown chocolate-like stuff inside the case, very noticeable since his DS is white. We tried to clean it but it just won't come off.

o.O Whoa what the hell? This better not hex me.

My Black DS that I got what, 2 years ago?

I got my Black DS when Pokemon Ranger came out cause that was the first game I got for it. May have been near my Birthday...I dunno, its been over a year-that's all I know. Still great. No cracks, no scratches on the touch screen, its a bit dirty at the bottom touch screen that I'll just need to clean, but tis completely responsive. I don't have any screen covers and yeah, its working fine.