Are the DS Lite & DSi Compatible by DS to DS Connection?

Nintendo DS Lite

• The Nintendo DS Lite, released in 2006, is the first upgrade released for the Nintendo DS. The DS Lite offers only cosmetic changes; the hardware that powers the DS is still the same. The main upgrade, and most obvious one, is that the system was redesigned so it is lighter and slimmer than the original Nintendo DS, which was criticized as being bulky. The other upgrade was in the quality of the screens. They were made brighter, allowing for better colors and detail in Nintendo DS games.

Nintendo DSi

• The Nintendo DSi, released in 2009, was not a cosmetic upgrade to the DS Lite. It featured the same look and feel as the previous system. The DSi featured improved hardware, an additional camera, internal storage and the ability to download digital video games from the built-in DSi Shop. However, these upgrades came at a price; Game Boy Advance support was removed from the system, though all Nintendo DS games were still playable. A year later, the DSi XL was introduced. The only change from the DSi was in the screen size, as the DSi XL featured screens larger than any previous DS model.

DS to DS Connection

• Any system in the Nintendo DS line can connect wirelessly to any other Nintendo DS system. This includes the Nintendo DS, DS Lite, DSi and DSi XL. The range a system can detect another system is up to 65 feet. Unlike the Game Boy Advance and previous Nintendo handheld systems, no additional accessories are required to connect two Nintendo DS systems together. The Nintendo 3DS, released in 2011, is also able to connect to any Nintendo DS system using the same method as connecting two DS systems together.

Examples of Connecting

• The most common usage of the DS to DS connection is for multiplayer use. Many Nintendo DS games only feature local multiplayer; with two Nintendo DS systems, no matter what style they are, two users can connect their systems together to play a game. Generally, this is done from within the game itself in the multiplayer menu. Some examples of multiplayer gameplay include the multiplayer battle mode in "New Super Mario Bros.," and trading and battling with other players in "Pokemon Black" and "White." Also included on all DS systems is "Pictochat," a chat room program that allows two Nintendo DS systems to wirelessly send messages back and forth.