I'm thinking of getting a ds lite so I wont wear my regular ds to death, but I am concerned about the issue of the cracked hinges. Is it a likely chance that if I buy a ds lite, my hinges will crack?
yes. Open it and close it a few times and Crack!! Mine was cracked in 2 days. I recently dropped it and the cracked chunk popped of and now I have exposed metal showing. it still functions normal and it's still tightly connected but still looks ugly
If anyone has a DS Lite with a cracked hinge, I would recommend that the said person send it to Nintendo for repair (or exchange)promptly. It may seem like a tiny problem at first, but my friend and myself both bought DS Lites last June when they came out and his had the cracked hinge, and eventuallyhis entire L Button came off, so I would get it taken care of as soon as possible.
according to an article on ign (from sometime in 2006) only .02 percent of all DS Lites sold have the problem of cracked hinges, which is pretty low even though its probably a higher percentage now. My DS Lite has a cracked hinge that never was a problem until a couple weeks ago; then hinge thats cracked opens wider every time I close the DS (I have a way to make the crack go back to normal size) and it also stops the DS from staying closed. I am sending it in to get it fixed, but for some reason it isn't covered by the warranty (even though its a manufacturing defect as I've never dropped it) so I have to pay them $50 (normally $75, but my warranty is still in effect) so I'm a little upset that I have to pay, but at least it will be fixed.
Anyway, I would say that you should get a DS Lite, its a good system, just check for cracks and such every once in a while and trade it for a new one where you got the DS if there is anything wrong with it.
Since ive heard about this news... I tell people who ask me if its ok to get a DS lite to avoid getting one and get the normal DS instead... (Since its quite hard to exchange/ use its warranty in this country)
Yeah I bought a DS lite back in June when they came out and well it got a cracked hinge ans such. i sent it to nintendo and got a brand new one without the crack. But well my new DS lite recently got a hinge crack also I am starting to lose hope... Hopefully its only cosmetic and my L button wont fall off :(
If I use it carefully, without dropping it, will it still crack? 0.02% does sound small, but I dont want to be one of those people. It also seems weird that Nintendo isnt fixing this problem. Its almost like they want to kepp their customers unhappy. Someone said to get it at walmart because they have a 90 day warranty. If a hinge cracks within those 90 days, do they give you a new one?
I use and abuse my DS and there are no cracked hinges. I also work in a store that purchases used DS systems, and I have never seen a cracked hinge. I've seen scratched screens, muffled paint jobs, ridiculous decals (don't put that crap on your system), and everything but the crack. When I play my DS lite, I usually don't extend the top screen to full-position unless I'm playing Hotel Dusk. I can only imagine that some gamers have some tendancy to hyper-extend the top screen, causing the thin plastic to crack. If cracked hinges are keeping you from owning a DS Lite, then you are missing out. Join the majority of gamers and enjoy two beautifu, bright screens, and get the most out your DS experience. The Phatty is durable, but the Lite is the cream of the crop.
Both of my DS lites I took care of like they were my babies but the hinge crack is unstoppable. Unless of course you don't open you DS lite but then whats the point. I think the 0.02% is complete bull s*** I cannot possibly have such bad luck especially since the DS lite that Nintendo Themselves inspected and sent to me for a replacement of my old hinge cracked DS also got a crack like 2 and a half months later. I say go and buy yourself a DS lite and if the hinge cracks then it cracks all DS lites in the US have a one year warranty from nintendo so if it cracks send it in to nintendo and they will replace it for you with a brand new one and if that one cracks also send it back and repeat the process until you get a DS without the problem (what I am currently going through). Nintendo customer support is the best ever.
Check if your DS has warranty by going to the Nintendo website and like going to customer support and repairs and click on a link that like says Verify your Warranty by typing in the serial number that is on the back of your DS.
The process takes like 2 weeks (3 weeks at the very most), so a day or two for them to send you a sticker for you to stick on a box, so that shipping is free, that will contain your broken DS (you provide your own box) a day or two for you to mail them your DS (via UPS) and for them to receive it. You can track all of this online of course. And like 5 days for them to replace or fix it and mail it back to you.
I had bought the 2 yr warranty from Best Buy a year ago and when mine cracked and a whole piece came off they replaced it with new one. I got black this time and it seems to open more smoothly.
Log in to comment