What to buy for a beginner Nintendo DS collector?

TOP 10

10th place: Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Lite, Nintendo DSi, and Nintendo DSi XL

Since we are just starting to build our collection, I would place all four consoles of the Nintendo DS family in the 10th place: DS, DS Lite, DSi, and DSi XL.

Nintendo DS family of consoles.

To collect them, you will need from 20 (without boxes) to 40 (with boxes) thousand rubles for all 4 consoles.

You can start building your collection on Avito.

9th place: iQue DS, iQue DS Lite, and iQue DSi

In 9th place, I put the consoles from the company iQue. Any self-respecting collector should have at least one iQue DS, which was released by iQue. As of 2022, iQue has released 3 types of consoles: iQue DS, iQue DS Lite, and iQue DSi.

iQue DS Lite.

Each such console will cost you from 5 to 10 thousand rubles.

If you want to buy a console from iQue, I have seen the iQue DS Lite version on Avito, but other models will have to be bought directly in China.

8th place: Nintendo DS Download Station

In 8th place is the console with cartridges: Nintendo DS Download Station.

These consoles were distributed to stores and were needed to create a Wi-Fi zone where you could play demos and watch game trailers.

Read more about the Nintendo DS Download Station in the article: «Nintendo DS with one screen».

Nintendo DS Download Station.

You can find such a console on eBay, and it will cost you 300 – 500 dollars.

It should be noted separately that the games and ads distributed from these consoles were released on separate cartridges, and you can buy them on eBay at reasonable prices.

There were 19 varieties in total. From release one to release nineteen.

Nintendo DS Download Station cartridges.

You can buy them for one to two thousand rubles.

Nintendo DS Download Station cartridges.

7th place: Nintendo DSi Dummy

In 7th place is a full-size dummy console that was sent to various stores so that you could hold the console in your hands and understand its size.

Essentially, it's almost a real console, just without the motherboard.

Nintendo DSi Dummy.

Such an instance can be bought on eBay for 180 euros.

Nintendo DSi Dummy.

6th place: IS-NITRO-EMULATOR

In 6th place, I would put a developer device called IS-NITRO-EMULATOR.

This device was used by developers to test games. It could display images on two different screens.

IS-NITRO-EMULATOR.

You can buy such a thing on Japanese auctions, and it will cost you from 50 to 200 thousand rubles.

IS-NITRO-EMULATOR.

5th place: IS-NITRO-CAPTURE

In 5th place is a similar device, but conceptually intended not for developers, but for bloggers. Unfortunately, Nintendo couldn't figure out how to implement a "screenshot" function in the firmware. Instead, they sent out a separate device that could take such screenshots.

IS-NITRO-CAPTURE.

You can buy such a thing on Japanese auctions for 50 – 150 thousand rubles.

IS-NITRO-CAPTURE.

4th place: Nintendo DSi LL Classroom Edition

In 4th place is the Nintendo DSi XL, which Nintendo developed for Japanese schools. Nintendo DSi LL Classroom Edition.

Nintendo DSi LL Classroom Edition.

It was needed for the development and testing of children. It had special built-in software.

Nintendo DSi LL Classroom Edition.

You can buy it in Japan, and it will cost you 30 thousand rubles.

Nintendo DSi LL Classroom Edition.

3rd place: IS-TWL-CAPTURE

In 3rd place is another device for bloggers, but this time for DSi consoles - IS-TWL-CAPTURE. Nintendo stubbornly tried, cried, but continued to eat cacti, but still couldn't add a screenshot function to the console.

IS-TWL-CAPTURE.

You can buy such a thing in Japan for 25 thousand rubles.

IS-TWL-CAPTURE.

2nd place: Nintendo DSi McDonald’s

In 2nd place is the Nintendo DSi, which was released for McDonald’s employees. With this console, employees learned the intricacies of preparing dishes from this world-famous chain and took tests.

Nintendo DSi McDonald’s.

You can buy it in Japan, and it costs a whopping 100 thousand rubles minimum. And that will be a console that has passed through the hands of the entire population of Japan. The console in the photo above will cost you 500 thousand yen or ~250 thousand rubles.

Nintendo DSi McDonald’s.

1st place: Nintendo Zone Box

In 1st place is a console that I accidentally saw on eBay and bought for 10 thousand rubles – the Nintendo Zone Box. This is a Nintendo DSi without controls and with one screen. From a collection standpoint, perhaps the most interesting acquisition. At the very least, it's not just a regular DSi console with a sticker or McDonald's logo – it's a ready-made device that Nintendo released for a specific purpose.

Nintendo Zone Box.

Read more about the Nintendo Zone Box in the article: «Nintendo DS with one screen».

You can buy the Nintendo Zone Box in Japan, and it will cost you 25 thousand rubles.

Nintendo Zone Box.

Epilogue

From this entire list, personally, I would like to buy: a dummy Nintendo DSi (just to have it on the shelf), IS-Nitro-Capture (to take screenshots easily), a couple of DS Download Station cartridges, and the Nintendo DSi Panda Development Unit, which is not on this list.

Nintendo DSi Panda Development Unit.

Essentially, the Panda Development Unit is just a regular DSi, but in a cool color.