Nintendo DSi Hands-On
Nintendo DSi Walk Through (OS)
When Nintendo first released the DS handheld system in November 2004, its two screens, touch-screen capabilities, and built-in microphone made it a curiosity. These features, used intelligently by developers, led to the DS triumphing over Sony’s more powerful, but more traditional, PSP. For all the innovation it packed, though, the clunky DS lacked an attractive aesthetic, an oversight that Nintendo sought to fix with the redesigned DS Lite. While it offered all the same features and abilities, the DS Lite was stylish and streamlined - more of an adult tech device than a kid’s toy. Three years later, the Lite has cemented the DS’s status as the most popular handheld gaming device of all time, with close to 100 million systems in gamer’s hands worldwide. Now Nintendo has released the DSi, the latest revision to the hardware. It’s got plenty of new features, but is it different enough to be worth the upgrade? Let’s take a look.
At first glance the DSi doesn’t seem much different from the Lite. Size-wise they’re roughly the same, though the DSi is a tad thinner. The most apparent physical difference is the way the system feels – instead of the Lite’s iPod-like glossy smooth plastic finish, the DSi has a matte finish with a slightly rougher texture, almost like frosted glass. The volume control has changed from a slider to a pair of volume up/volume down buttons, and the power slider on the side of the system has been replaced with a power button below the d-pad. Speaking of the power button, it can be tapped to soft-reset the system back to the main menu from any game or application, which is handy. Also nice is the ability to hot-swap game cards – that is, change games from the main menu without having to turn off the system first.
Each of the DSi’s screens is a quarter-inch bigger than those on the Lite (3.25 inches instead of 3), but the difference is hard to spot unless you’re doing a side-by-side comparison. I was more impressed with the improved DSi speakers, which despite being smaller physically are noticeably louder than the Lite’s – Elite Beat Agents fans rejoice.
At first glance the DSi doesn’t seem much different from the Lite. Size-wise they’re roughly the same, though the DSi is a tad thinner. The most apparent physical difference is the way the system feels – instead of the Lite’s iPod-like glossy smooth plastic finish, the DSi has a matte finish with a slightly rougher texture, almost like frosted glass. The volume control has changed from a slider to a pair of volume up/volume down buttons, and the power slider on the side of the system has been replaced with a power button below the d-pad. Speaking of the power button, it can be tapped to soft-reset the system back to the main menu from any game or application, which is handy. Also nice is the ability to hot-swap game cards – that is, change games from the main menu without having to turn off the system first.
Each of the DSi’s screens is a quarter-inch bigger than those on the Lite (3.25 inches instead of 3), but the difference is hard to spot unless you’re doing a side-by-side comparison. I was more impressed with the improved DSi speakers, which despite being smaller physically are noticeably louder than the Lite’s – Elite Beat Agents fans rejoice.
Powering up the system brings you to the DSi’s completely redesigned front-end menu system. Icons line up horizontally and can be scrolled through quickly, each accessing a different function. Much like the “channel” setup on the Wii, the icons here can be rearranged to suit the user’s preference. The Settings menu has been taken directly from the Wii’s, with four pages of options, and while most of the Lite’s features are intact, the option to auto-boot your DS game is mysteriously absent.
Nintendo has also added wireless Web capabilities to the DSi’s bag of tricks. Opera’s DS Web Browser is a free download, and works pretty well for a mobile web browser. Image-heavy sites give it trouble, but mobile versions are available for many major sites (including Yahoo, MySpace, and Facebook) that work great. More relevant to gaming is Nintendo’s DSi Shop, where users are able to download DSiWare games directly to their system. Much like the Wii Shop, Nintendo will be updating the DSi Shop often with new games to buy. While the selection is pretty limited right now, if WiiWare is any indication, DSiWare will be great for both wildly original game ideas and games that are fun but too limited in scope to deserve a full retail release.
For all its improvements, though, the DSi is not without its drawbacks. To add all the new hardware and still retain the system’s portability, Nintendo had to nix the DS’s Game Boy Advance support, so don’t toss out your SP just yet. The lack of a GBA slot also means that certain DS accessories aren’t compatible – yes, that means that the DS Guitar Hero games don’t work on the system. All the added tech must mean a bigger drain on the battery, as a full charge will last around 12 hours, compared to the Lite’s 15-20 hour battery life. And speaking of batteries, Nintendo has yet again changed the charger plug-in style, so if you’ve got universal or DC chargers it’s time to upgrade. Finally, the DSi follows in the Wii’s footsteps, in that new games generally require an up-to-date firmware. While these firmware updates will add stability and functionality to the system, they also put the kibosh on using any unauthorized flash cards on the DSi, so homebrew enthusiasts beware.
So at the end of the day, the real question is: is the DSi worth it? I say yes. If you’re a new DS owner, obviously this is the best, most feature-heavy version of the system. If you’ve already got a DS, that’s a little trickier. Nintendo’s already said that DSi-enhanced and DSi-specific games are on the way, not to mention all the downloadable games that will only be available through the DSi Shop. The bottom line is the DSi takes everything that made the DS great, and adds a ton of features that are entertaining and useful. Nintendo’s always had a knack for delivering great handheld gaming devices, and the DSi is no exception.
Nintendo has also added wireless Web capabilities to the DSi’s bag of tricks. Opera’s DS Web Browser is a free download, and works pretty well for a mobile web browser. Image-heavy sites give it trouble, but mobile versions are available for many major sites (including Yahoo, MySpace, and Facebook) that work great. More relevant to gaming is Nintendo’s DSi Shop, where users are able to download DSiWare games directly to their system. Much like the Wii Shop, Nintendo will be updating the DSi Shop often with new games to buy. While the selection is pretty limited right now, if WiiWare is any indication, DSiWare will be great for both wildly original game ideas and games that are fun but too limited in scope to deserve a full retail release.
For all its improvements, though, the DSi is not without its drawbacks. To add all the new hardware and still retain the system’s portability, Nintendo had to nix the DS’s Game Boy Advance support, so don’t toss out your SP just yet. The lack of a GBA slot also means that certain DS accessories aren’t compatible – yes, that means that the DS Guitar Hero games don’t work on the system. All the added tech must mean a bigger drain on the battery, as a full charge will last around 12 hours, compared to the Lite’s 15-20 hour battery life. And speaking of batteries, Nintendo has yet again changed the charger plug-in style, so if you’ve got universal or DC chargers it’s time to upgrade. Finally, the DSi follows in the Wii’s footsteps, in that new games generally require an up-to-date firmware. While these firmware updates will add stability and functionality to the system, they also put the kibosh on using any unauthorized flash cards on the DSi, so homebrew enthusiasts beware.
So at the end of the day, the real question is: is the DSi worth it? I say yes. If you’re a new DS owner, obviously this is the best, most feature-heavy version of the system. If you’ve already got a DS, that’s a little trickier. Nintendo’s already said that DSi-enhanced and DSi-specific games are on the way, not to mention all the downloadable games that will only be available through the DSi Shop. The bottom line is the DSi takes everything that made the DS great, and adds a ton of features that are entertaining and useful. Nintendo’s always had a knack for delivering great handheld gaming devices, and the DSi is no exception.
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