Nintendo DS lite, Help needed

I have just bought one a nintendo ds lite console for the Xmas as a gift.
Now i'm looking to purchase a game on ebay from U.S. Will it work on this
PAL console that i have bought. My understanding is they are region free , but will the different format have any effect on the visual aspect to the game. I do know from dealing with digital camcorders that it would make a difference. Any advice greatly appreciated.

Digger,

I know that PSP games from the US are a different format, at least thats what I was told by a shopkeeper in the states. I would imagine that the DS is the same

i think my best bet would be to go into one of these gaming shops and ask in there, i know that the DS will recognise an Ameriacn NTSC game but the image maybe distorted in some way ie the colour maybe different in some way.

DS Lite games are Region Free, thus you can buy a game from any region and they'll work on any console. I currently have a European DS Lite and play European, Japanese and US games on it.

Thanks that is what I wanted to hear ! I can now go a head and purchase U.S games !

PSP games are region free also, i've bought a few of those in the states and they work fine. UMD media (psp videos) however are region specific.