absolutely impressive!
This version of the Dragon Quest gives introductions on all the supporting characters allowing you to get accustomed to their abilities and to level them up before the real deal. The dual screen gives a good sense of space and perception. I am impressed by the stories and the art designs. If you are an anime or a manga fan who just happens to enjoy the work of Akira Toriyama, definitely do pick this one up.

Good game, but only 30 hours worth
Like many previous reviewers, I grew up with Dragon Warrior and look forward to the newest Quest games. I'd been a little worried that a DS game would be simpler than a full release - and it is. This is a 30 hour game, and at , it just isn't worth it yet. It has great game play, same basic plot, and the same mechanics and casino logic as all the previous ones. But you can beat it (even with spending way too much time getting the best gear in the casino) too quickly. I'm regretting not waiting till it went down in price.

Dragon Warrior Redux
It is good to have this excellent RPG back in circulation. The story and gameplay are intact, with the handful of new features we have come to expect with 2000's reissues of 1990's games: a tough bonus dungeon, a town to develop as in Dragon Warrior 7, and lots more statistics-keeping. Also, one of the original DW4's weak points has been eliminated; you can now control all characters in the last chapter.

The strong point of this game, as of all Dragon Warrior/DragonQuest games except DW1, is the battle gameplay. The variety of different groupings, spells, and abilities that the enemies bring to bear on each instance of combat bring interest even to the lengthiest level-building sessions. The updated graphics vary from excellent (the battle backgrounds and monster portrayals/animations) to dreary (the towns).

The one thing undone I wish they had done is to rethink the whole story structure. Since the least interesting section of an RPG tends to be the beginning levels, when characters have the fewest spells and abilities and face the weakest and smallest groups of monsters, it is of questionable gaming value to make us go through these stages five times.

Still highly recommended, especially for those who have not played the original DW4.

Slime after Slime
I was fairly excited about this release. I tore the box open this week, ready and willing to relive hours upon hours of my wasted youth. I squeed with delight as the Dragon Quest theme began playing in all its tinny regal splendor. And then the game began.

Let me say, first and foremost, that I did enjoy playing Dragon Quest IV. Arte Piazza, the art directors from Dragon Quest VII, took the lead on this remake, and it shows. The refresh on the art is welcome, but not intrusive or overdone. Akira Toriyama's monster design is still charming and bright, including the bosses. The sound is a near-perfect translation of the original and still rings true after fifteen years. The problem is that most of the mechanics are also still the same after fifteen years, and they don't quite stand the test of time.

JRPGs are known for slow-paced combat, and DQ is the grandaddy of them all. Twelve year-old me had no problem with this, probably because I didn't know anything else. DQIV is turn-based, and forces you to go through several menus to choose exactly what everyone wants to do, every time. Unlike the recent re-release of Final Fantasy IV, there is no Auto-Attack option. This means is that early fights can take forever as you whittle down slime after slime.

Inventory is annoying. When I didn't know that only being able to hold eight items per person (plus one overflow bag) was an arbitrary difficulty modifier, it didn't bother me. Today, trying to stock up on Medicinal Herbs that don't stack and cannot be used except by the player who is holding them is nearly unforgiveable. This is particularly true in the early stages, when those herbs are your lifeline, and its a long way back to the save point.

Ah, yes, saving. Another "fun" DQ innovation. In DQ, you save by "confessing" at a church. That's it. No save points in dungeons, no way to port out and port back in, nothing. This means that if you trudged all the way out to some Light forsaken tower and spent two hours grinding through it just to die on the final boss, you are out of luck. Do it all again. This time with feeling. And mana regeneration? Forget it, until you can obtain items that will do restore your juice. So make those spells last. They're the only ones you've got.

Finally, level grinding. I'm a 4-year WoW player, so level grinding is nothing new to me. That being said, years of playing WoW and Final Fantasy games have conditioned me to expect that if I play through a game normally, entering dungeons and facing bosses in sequence as I meet them, I stand at least a fair chance of prevailing. Not so in DQ. Most of the time, if you try to take on a challenge as soon as you encounter it, you're going to die. End of story. Expect to wander around aimlessly looking for fights for at least an extra level, better two, beyond the level you are when you first encounter The Next Big Thing. Oh well, at least you make lots of gold, right? Wrong. Forget being able to get the latest and greatest gear available from each new town, at least at first. DQ is stingy with the money, and dungeons drops are rare. Be prepared to wander.

I knew all of this going into the game, though. I knew that there were things that were going to bug the heck out of me because I've come to expect more from my RPGs since 1992. That's why I still enjoyed DQIV so much.

The storyline is still fairly epic, even by today's standards. The characters have life, and feeling, and the localization teams have done their best to make each Chapter feel like it takes place in a completely different part of the game world. Even if this does lead to some horribly funny Japanese-to-Russianesque-to-Rusjapenglish in Chapter 2, it gives you the feeling that you are a large world with varied ethnicities and real danger.

My favorite Chapter is still 3, the tale of Mara and Nara, the dancer and the fortuneteller. As a kid, these ladies inspired me even more than warrior princess Alena. That part hasn't changed a bit. Fighting with clubs and daggers is de rigeur, but using fans, claws and cards as weapons is a blast. Grinding through the merchant quest still sucks, though.

I also have to give credit where credit is due. What little new stuff there is here really works. The DS two-screen approach offers a lot of screen real estate for this game. This is invaluable in dungeons because it lets you get a better sense of where you are going, and cuts down on the random lost roaming of the original. The towns look lovely, almost on par with Dragon Quest VII. There is an online Chance Encounter mode that allows you to expand your own town through Nintendo WiFi play. If you have other nostalgia-starved friends who pick this title up, you'll enjoy sharing your own little piece of Heaven with them.

All in all, I think Arte Piazza did a good job updating this classic for the modern era. I hope this brings a new generation of proto-geeks to DQ, and to the appreciation of substance over style (I'm looking at you, Final Fantasy X-2). I'm looking forward to the ports of Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride and Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie, the second and third titles in the so-called "Zenithia trilogy". Most Americans (including me) have never had the chance to play DQV and VI. DQV was released in Japan in July, so hopefully the U.S. release isn't far behind. Maybe they'll even evolve out some of the rough parts this time.

(From PlayingWithMyWeiner.com - gaming at the mercy of miniature daschunds.)

Simply amazing
If you loved the old school rpgs from the nes and snes days then you'll love this game. As stated in other reviews, if you're a new gen gamer into awesome graphics and cut scenes with minimum strategy and storyline, then you may want to look somwhere else.
The other reviews pretty much hit it dead on so i'd just like to add a little more about the extra content that wasn't mentioned.

The original game consisted of 5 chapters and when you beat the Final boss in chapter five you completed the game. Now there are 6 chapters. After you beat the main game and finish the credits you can't start chapter 6. I don't want to spoil too much for you so i'll just say that there is an extra(and really long) dungeon with access to new items. There is also a mini game where you build your own village kind of like the one in DQVII. If you build your village to its maximum level, you will have access to some really strong items not found in the main story. There is also a secret character you can recruit. Again i won't spoil too much but this character is a powerhouse and an amazing addition to your entourage. Lastly, there is a new final boss, but you can only fight him with the addition of the secret character in your party.

I really think anyone could get into this game as long as they can get over the outdated graphics, but i think DQIV was already one of the best rpgs i've ever played, and the DS version perfected it in my opinion.

Fun and useful toy for grown ups
I was skeptical when I first read the articles citing adults were buying the DS and games like Brain Age to stay "sharp".

I am glad I bought one (along with Brain Age, Chess Master, Spanish and others). I find it has been a valuable tool to exercise my mind "outside of work" and also a welcome break from the daily torture of sitting at a computer all day.

Nice DS Lite For Animal Lovers
If you love dogs this is the DS for you. it has a pawprint decal on it and a rare nintendogs best friends game.The Best Friends game has six popular breeds of dogs Miniature Dachshund(I also have a Mini Dachshund named Maggie)Beagle,Golden Retriever,Labrador Retriever,German Shepherd,and Yorkshire Terrier.I honestly think that the games are all the same.Once you get a lot of trainer points you unlock things that you can buy so you can actually unlock all the breeds like Chihuahua Dalmatian,Etc.The color of the DS looks better than coral pink,but I like the teal nintendo ds with the same game better. I don't own either one of them but tmy friend has one and she has a ton of games. Trust me ,If you love dogs or nintendogs this is NDS Bundle for you.

Such An Amazing System!
I didn't mind paying the extra money to get it later than what it was offered on Thanksgiving.

For people like me that like nice and shiny stuff with a zelda symbol on it, this much resembles it. I like how everything is gold. It makes the DS feel much more smoother (Unless it really is). I even like how it included the Phantom Hourglass game with it (Which by the way, is amazing also).

Other than that if you want to pay for the extra money, then this is worth it. I like it 5 out of 5.

DS is fun for kids but not good for eyes
I got this gold color DS for my 7-year old son as birthday gift. This is the only toy that he still plays after couple of months and still loves it. Since his cusien came to visit with a white DS to share with him for a few days, my son started to ask for one from time to time. It seems it becomes a must-have for today's kids. I played it a little but didn't find it so insteresting, for sure kids have a lot of fun with it. I do noticed that the screen, image, and font are quite small, that may harm eyes if playing for longer time. Now I have to discipline my son for DS play time since I found he often cannot consentrate on homework when he plays DS too much.

Metallic Rose no longer a "special" color.....
I just wish I knew this "Metallic Rose" color would be available as a standard color before I bought it though...I feel a little cheated because I originally wanted the pink but opted to pay slightly more for the "limited edition" factor that made it a little unique compared to the pink. It didn't help that I just bought mine about a month ago either... and only got to be unique for five seconds LOL... luckily I didn't pay that much more but still it stings a little. The little "paw emblem" is not enough to make this version unique, it was the RARE C0LOR it "had" but I learned my lesson, I'll never get sucked into buying something from big companies like this because it's limited or whatever. Once it sells and starts raking in the dough for the company, it will no longer be limited. That's just how big companies are.

As for the Nintendo itself,,,, I love it! I play it all the time and never get anything else done anymore. It's definitely a fun system with lots of game choices available. I am probably addicted to it. I think it's worth the price too... considering how much use I've gotten from it already! I hope they continue making lots of games. I also love the whole touchscreen aspect.

My only complaint is that I think it's stupid that we need to power off the entire machine anytime we do anything or change a setting on the Nintendo instead of just being able to restart it or something.
Also, the microphone doesn't seem to work very well. There are certain games that require voice input to play and a lot of them have problems understanding or hearing me correctly or will just cut out sometimes.


NINTENDOGS:
The game that came with this system was cute but I could see people getting bored with it quickly. I had fun with it for the first week or two and then I was dying for another game. It was also the only game I had at the time so that helped force me to play it more than I probably would normally. As far as a simulation game though, it's pretty good and could be very close to having a real puppy (but not really of course). My five year old seems to love it so that's that.

Coolest color ever
The picture does not do credit to the sweetness of this DS - everyone that sees it wants to trade with me! Well, except for the co-worker with the limited edition Zelda one, but even he admits that mine is almost as cool. I've also been asked if I had it custom made for me - a lot of stores don't seem to carry the Crimson/Black, so order it here on Amazon and be the envy of everyone you meet!

nintendo ds lite great for 6 year old
I bought this for my daughter's 6th birthday- she loves it. It is easy to use, comes with a charger and the stylus (in a great little nook within the unit so she does not have to keep track of it.) We bought the protective filters as well, which I think was a good idea as she taps a bit hard and fast sometimes. I also bought her a couple of games to go with it. She totally loves the Petz Dogz Fashion (only needed a little help with words the first time she played with it- spends hours on it without any help now.) The Imagine Babies also needed only a little help to start, but, after the first day, only plays with that for a bit here and there.

GrandKids
I purchased 2 DS Lite's for a gift to my twin grandsons so its a bit hard to give a review. I have another grandchild and he got a DS Lite for his birthday and now all three kids fight over the one, so my review would be that my grandchildren love the DS Lite and who's review would be more important than that. Now each child will have his own DS Lite.

Better than I expected~Boy do I need the work~~~
I've never had a hand held video game. I've never been too big on computer games either, but since I first heard about Brain Age type games for the Nintendo DS I have wanted one. I thought it was too expensive on my low fixed income so I just wouldn't buy it.

Then I kept reading about how as we age it is so important to challenge our brains. I have an illness that causes me cognative problems to begin with. So at 52 yrs old I finally decided to just do it. When I saw that $[...] would go to Breast Cancer Research I knew I had to get this color. It is really pretty. I like pink but the pink ones seemed more for little girls, this is just right.

I am very surprised and happy at the quality of the unit. The screen is so easy to see and very bright. I got two games to start with. Brain Challenge and Flash Focus. I was shocked at what my scores were. Yikes I should have got it a lot sooner. Both games are a challenge for me. I wish the coaches actually talked instead of the music in the background but other than that I think these two are a great start.

I am glad I went ahead and got it even though I had considered it a luxury now I consider it physical therapy and a medical need.

I didn't want some big unit to sit in my living room taking up space, I hate clutter. This is nice and small and I can take it with me, especially to doctor's apts, when I have to wait long periods of time.

If you have been holding off go ahead. I don't think you will be sorry. I heard a new one is coming out in Jan or so but I didn't need all the new extra features, or cost.
I priced the units locally and on line and they all sell for $[...] or more. Even the auction sites end up that much or more with the shipping. Here you have no tax and no shipping. You also have great customer service if something should be wrong.

I hope I start getting younger eyes and brain soon..I'm OLD now.

Nintendo DS
The product was never received! I ordered this for a birthday gift and it never came in. The order was cancelled and I am due a refund.