When news first came out about a new version of the Nintendo DS, gamers were abuzz with curiosity. With the original DS, Nintendo revolutionized the handheld gaming industry and paved the way for stylus-based gameplay. The second installment, the Nintendo DS Lite, was a simple redesign and didn’t really offer anything unique.
After its release in Japan last November, the DSi already boasts of more than one million units sold. It is scheduled for release in the US, Europe, and Australia this April. Now, gamers all over the world are asking themselves whether it’s worth their money to upgrade to Nintendo’s latest handheld.
If you’re one of them, here’s some info on the new DSi features that, hopefully, may help you to decide.
1. Not one, but two cameras. The most significant change in the DSi is the addition of two 0.3 megapixel cameras. One camera is on the external shell, the other on the inside hinge and points at the user. The official DSi website shows some interesting stuff you can do with your camera and stylus, such as distorting images before taking shots and manually coloring pictures. If you ask me, though, gaming is my priority, not taking pictures. Unless new games that involve camera use come out on the market, I would say that this feature is just novelty… For now.
2. No GBA slot. Those who loved the DS and DS Lite’s backwards compatibility with Gameboy Advance will probably bemoan this, not to mention the scores of Guitar Hero enthusiasts. You can’t insert your old GBA cartridges, DS Rumble Pak, or Guitar Hero grip into the DSi.
3. Enhanced sight and sound. The DSi features 3.25-inch LCD screens, a quarter of an inch wider than the DS Lite. There are now five brightness settings instead of four, but the DSi has a shorter battery life even at the lowest brightness setting. It also comes with an interactive voice recorder and music player application (dubbed Nintendo DSi Sound), which unfortunately supports only AAC files. No MP3s, people.
4. SD Card slot. Replacing the GBA slot, this allows users to store or load pictures and music to and from an SD card, as well as any downloadable applications and games available at the new DSi Shop – an online store similar to Nintendo Wii’s WiiWare.
5. Slimmer, lighter body. Eliminating the GBA slot likely helped achieve this, but the difference isn’t really all that significant. Aside from this, the DSi also sports a matte surface compared to the DS Lite’s glossy one.
Personally, I’m quite happy with my DS Lite. The DSi doesn’t really offer me anything revolutionary in terms of gaming. Not yet anyway. But when that time does come, you can bet that I’ll weigh the options again.
Below is a video review from T3:
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I think that the Dsi is alot better than the ds because the Dsi can do better things such as take pictures,Internet,MP3 player and you can shop for games. I love my ds but i do think that a Dsi has much more value.
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