TwoCredits

DS Lite for sure. Better games at the moment. Cheaper games. Better WiFi network (Super Mario Kart anyone?). And less worries of someone jacking you for it or scratching the screen. I own both though so don't listen to me.

DS Lite is the only way to go.

Movies on the PSP are worthless (and not being sold anymore) and there are only a handful of games worth playing (daxter, and burnout would be my pick).

On the other hand the DS has stacks of games that are great, plays gba games, and there is a new media reader that lets you play movies and mp3s. The DS is cheaper as well, so you have extra money to spend on games/ girlfriend/ gadgets.

Haven't you heard? The PSP is dead.

Find the Lite. It's a fantastic gaming device. As much as I enjoy a game with lots of punch and excitement, I find myself playing tetris a ton. It's a blast. The new Super Mario Bros. is soooo fun. Keep hunting.

I've just got a nokia n80, spurred on after reading on the web that a guy had managed to get a MarioKart rom running on it in two player mode over bluetooth.

It seems that the only Nintendo adverts i've seen in the UK are the ones advertising that pet dog game - they seem to only be targeting the teen girls market in this country!

Adam - that's the only ads you've seen? What about the brain training ones, or the ones wrapped around tv shows on Friday night (the comedy hour on channel 4 I think).

They have plenty of ads that don't target "teen girls" - in fact I don't think any of them do.

Nintendo are trying to increase awareness and market to the widest range of people possible. They certainly aren't going for just girls - If anything they're aiming at the older mum and dad group.

Wow. DS Lite seems to be the favored system. I'll keep calling local stores for inventory checks. I'm impatient and want to be able to visit a store and leave with one in hand. Games to plan for: New Mario Bros., Super Mario Kart, anything else?

BinaryMoon - maybe it's just the ads i've seen then! I might have to to look into getting one if I can get MarioKart. Love the wp themes, btw.

When you have to resort to using stoned squirrels and racist ads for your advertising, then... you know you're dead.

I just got one for my girlfriend, and I got her two games: New Super Mario Brothers and Nintendogs. I started to play over the weekend and now I am reluctant to give it to her. Hahaha...I think I may purchase another for myself.

DS Lite, totally. It's well designed, gets great battery life, and has better games. The fold-up design keeps the screens from scratching. No disc to spin, so better battery life. Play your old GBA games. Great Wi-Fi play -- and in most cases, you only need one copy of the game to play the multiplayer with your buds. All signs point to DS Lite!

You tend to see more fanboyism among the Nintendo crowd, thus you're always going to get a disproportionate 'online response' to that end.

Right now, the DS is getting a second wind with a bunch of well-received Mario sequels/remakes and a few great originals like Trauma Center. The Brain Age series doesn't interest me much, but they're also selling well. You might want to play a demo to see if it's your cup of tea.

The PSP multimedia features are light years ahead of the DS Lite - UMD movies are not selling well, but you can still find them everywhere. You can rip DVDs and other content to Memory Stick, and there are sites with PSP formatted downloadable content. It can also now do RSS feeds and video podcasts. Although lacking a keyboard, it has a more robust web browser than the $33 DS one coming from Opera.

The PSP library has matured a lot - look at Gamerankings or Metacritic and you'll see more AA+ (80 or higher) rated titles than the DS. Whether you like those games (console ports and a few originals) better than those on the DS is a matter of personal taste. I like Mario Bros and Mario Kart, but I get a VERY strong sense of deja vu when playing the DS versions. Same with Mario 64, Rayman 64 and Advance Wars DS. In short, it's not reinventing the wheel as some predicted would happen with the touchscreen input.

Nevertheless, the Lite is a solid little system. You might want to watch for a possible PSP price drop before Christmas to $149.99, and then a revised PSP (like Nintendo did with the Lite) by March sporting 8GB internally, slimmer form factor and integrated cam.

Time for a little update. I opted for the DS Lite. A very sound investment considering how much use I've managed to get out of it. The device is definitely bullet proof, solid, and a great asset for any dull moments worth killing. I don't have too many games - New Super Mario Bros., Metroid Prime: Hunter, and Opera DS Lite browser - but I have managed to forget about dragging moments. I'm currently waiting to toy with a little home brew code to keep multiple games on a single flash card. I can't imagine gaming - or anything else for that matter - without a stylus. And the network gaming that just works, I love it.

You've made a great choice, Derek. There are so many excellent games for the DS (and of course the GBA back catalogue as well), it's just a much more vital gaming machine than the PSP. You might want to hunt down some of the less mainstream games like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Trauma Center and the Japanese import Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!

Enjoy!