I struggled with this idea with my 5 yr. old child. Do I get a gba, as many hand me down games from siblings are in this format, or do I upgrade to a DS. The price had me going for a while, that I would stick with a GBA, but after careful consideration, I decided on the DS. The DS is adaptable to GBA games. Many of the games are interactive and can be shared among siblings. We have also found many good used DS games at our local video game stores for purchase. Sure, the DS is about $30 more, but the technology is excellent and I would hate to pass on such an experience for my child. There are writing games, sound and vocal capabilities that the DS has. It is also very durable. Not a fragile thing. So, personally. I would upgrade and save yourself some money. I considered this an investment.