When it comes to the handheld market, no one can top Nintendo. With their very long line of gameboy handhelds, Nintendo cemented themselves as the kings of the handheld realm. Back in 2004, Nintendo took a huge chance and released a brand new handheld that was not meant to be another gameboy handheld. This handheld was the Nintendo DS, which sported not one, but two screens. Quickly enough, the DS became the must own handheld and sold more than 100 million units, completely trumping the competition. Fast forward to 2009 and the DS is still dominating the handheld market with two handhelds, the original DS and the DS Lite, a redesign of the original with new improvements, larger screens, etc. Now, Nintendo is releasing its third redesign of the DS called the "Nintendo DSi". Since its launch, the DSi has met much flak from the gaming community about certain features, but does that mean it's a bad handheld?
The Hardware
What can really be said about the DS that hasn't already been said? The handheld sported two screens, one normal screen and one touch screen, a D-Pad and 6 buttons, which for a handheld was groundbreaking seeing as how previous handhelds only had two or 4 buttons. The processing power behind the DS wasn't as high end as the competition, but graphics do not equal greatness as past handheld battles have shown us.
The touch screen was a stroke of genius in Nintendo's favor as it opened up handheld gaming and gaming, in general, to more casual players who once found it overwhelming to play certain games. The DS gave players new ways to play old favorites with ease.
So what exactly is new with the DSi? Well for starters, the handheld has gotten significantly smaller from the original DS and slightly smaller from the DS Lite. But unlike those two handhelds, the DSi chooses internet storage and downloadable games over backwards compatibility. To make a long story short, the DSi has lost the GBA Slot that was on both the DS and DS Lite. That means you won't be able to play certain DS games the use the GBA slot like Guitar Hero On Tour...because there is no way to plug in the peripheral into the handheld. Also, the screens have grown from the DS Lite and have become slightly brighter, meaning things are easier to see. I also noticed that with the brighter screens came brighter, more vivid colors. These brighter screens came at a cost of the battery life, which is still great, but won't last as long as the DS lite if you're playing with full brightness. Thankfully, Nintendo has made it easier to control the contrast of the screens in game.
Honestly, i'm not too broken up over the loss of the GBA slot. The Nintendo DS was never about the GBA or its games; it was about its own library and innovations. The GBA slot and backwards compatibility was just a luxury. Sure, some DS games utilized the GBA slot for specific things like peripherals or as a way to unlock certain extras in certain games, but the GBA and its games are in the past. Frankly, if you're like me, you either still own an older DS or you have a wide assortment of older Nintendo Handhelds to play their respective games on. I never really used the GBA slot on my DS to play GBA games as I still have a GBA SP to play those games and older Gameboy games, which the DS never allowed.
Along with the dual screens, the DSi sports two cameras, one on the inside and one on the outside, and a new, better microphone to record voices, etc. The cameras aren't the most powerful things, but they aren't the worst. If I had to compare the cameras to anything, i'd say they are like Cell phone cameras. You probably won't want to do any serious photography with the DSi, but the cameras are fun to fiddle around with. The Microphone is much better on the DSi, giving players the ability to record their voices. The quality is actually really good, but like the cameras, it's only fun to fiddle around with.
The main draw of the DSi is it's take on storage and wireless capabilities. In the past, data was generally saved to the cartridges. With the DS came internal storage for things like personal information, time, date, etc. The DSi takes that another step with the allowance of internal storage for the various things you can download like games, applications, etc. Also, the DSi sports a brand new SD Memory card slot.
One problem i've found with the internal storage is that if you download something on one DSi, you have to re-download it onto another. You can't transfer data from one DSi to another without the help of Nintendo themselves, even if the data is on an SD card. That is a real bummer.
The DSi's look is a major improvement over the original DS
Software
A handheld is nothing without good games to play and there are some great games on the DS, but it took a while for us to get them. The Nintendo DS launched in 2004 with an ok launch lineup of games with only one or two standout titles. As the years progressed, the titles got significantly better with releases for Mario Kart DS, New Super Mario Bros and Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. One of the biggest challenges that face developers when it comes to developing games for the DS is how will they utilize the second screen. There are a good amount of games that use the touch screen effectively like Elite Beat Agents, Cooking Mama and Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.
Basically, the DS has a very large amount of great games, especially if they are Puzzle games or Role Playing games. If you are a fan of either, you will be in heaven. The DSi shares the DS lineup of games, like the DS Lite, so you don't need to buy brand new games. There are supposed to be DSi exclusive games coming sometime down the line, but more on that later.
That isn't to say that the DS doesn't have its fair share of crap. In fact, it probably sits in the Top 5 for just the sheer amount of shovelware in it's game library.
Like I said earlier, the DSi has lost the GBA slot, which pretty much cuts the massive library of games in half. But just like the DS and DS Lite, the DSi cannot play original Gameboy or Gameboy color games, even if it had the GBA slot. Your best bet for playing those games is to have a GBA SP.
The DS has many hit titles like New Super Mario Bros
DSiware, The Opera Browser and the "Virtual Handheld"?
Instead of putting this with the Software section, DSiware warrants its own section because there is a lot to talk about.
DSiware is one of the exclusive features to the DSi, giving players the ability to access the internet and download games for your DSi, for a small fee. The games range from 2 dollars to 8+ dollars.
The problem is that most of the games on DSiware are pretty average or just downright not worth the money. There are probably only two or three games that are really worth the money. I don't think i'm really surprised that there aren't many good games on DSiware because the service hasn't been out for all that long and if Wiiware is any example, it probably won't do all that well or have many good games, unfortunately.
One thing DSiware does is that it brings back the DS's Opera web browser. You're probably wondering why i'm bringing up the Opera Browser for the DSi. Well, the infamous handheld browser makes a return on the DSi. This time around, the browser is a free download and works so much better than it's previous form. The Opera browser works very much like the Wii's internet browser, except the handheld version does not offer any sort of flash support, meaning that a ton of the internet is off limits.
This web browser has been universally panned for being incredibly slow to load webpages, but thankfully that problem has been corrected, sort of. Don't get me wrong, the DSi's web browser is still pretty slow, but this time around things have been sped up a lot, meaning the browser isn't as slow as it was before.
What really bugs me about DSiware is that it has so much potential to be a great service and it just feels incomplete. The Wii has the Virtual Console and it's compliment, Wiiware, but the DSi only has DSiware and no Virtual Console equivalent for the handheld. Why do you think that is? There have been MANY rumors of a virtual console for the handheld, but NOTHING concrete and NOTHING from Nintendo. Having a virtual console equivalent that allows gamers to download old handheld games onto the DSi would be incredible and would probably make up for the DSi's lack of GBA slot. All I can do is hope that they do something because DSiware can't survive without good software.
If you're looking for good games to play on DSiware, pick up Mario VS Donkey Kong: Minis march again, Mighty Flip Champs, Asphalt 4 and Castle of Magic.
For now, DSiware is a failure. But who knows what the future holds? DSiware is still pretty new and has a lot of potential to grow into something great. Let's all cross our fingers for Virtual Handheld.
DSiware just isn't what it should be...and wheres my virtual handheld?!"
Final Thoughts
In my opinion, the DSi is a great handheld and a worthy successor to the DS. The new additions of the cameras and microphone are fun to fiddle around with, but won't hold your attention for too long. The addition of internal storage and an SD card slot is very nice as well, but the fact that you can't transfer data from one DSi to another is a huge pain if something happens to your handheld after the warrenty is up. But the great lineup of games and future potential of DSiware definitely make up for things...just be careful with it.
Recommendation
The DSi is really tough to reccomend to someone who already owns a DS Lite. Because of the state that DSiware is in right now and the hefty price of 170 dollars, it might not be the right time to pick up a DSi. However, if you have an original DS and are interested in the DSi AND don't care that the GBA slot is gone (seriously, just get a GBA SP if you are upset), the DSi might be right for you.
I'm not saying that DS Lite owners shouldn't pick this handheld up. I'm still recommending this handheld. For DS Lite owners and everyone else, you might want to wait a year to see what happens with the price and DSiware before you pick this one up.
Let me clarify...
Original DS Owners: Buy it
DS Lite Owners: Wait a bit...then buy it if things improve on DSiware
Everyone else: Buy it...because you probably don't own a DS already
"The DSi is a great handheld and I definitely recommend it"
The Hardware
What can really be said about the DS that hasn't already been said? The handheld sported two screens, one normal screen and one touch screen, a D-Pad and 6 buttons, which for a handheld was groundbreaking seeing as how previous handhelds only had two or 4 buttons. The processing power behind the DS wasn't as high end as the competition, but graphics do not equal greatness as past handheld battles have shown us.
The touch screen was a stroke of genius in Nintendo's favor as it opened up handheld gaming and gaming, in general, to more casual players who once found it overwhelming to play certain games. The DS gave players new ways to play old favorites with ease.
So what exactly is new with the DSi? Well for starters, the handheld has gotten significantly smaller from the original DS and slightly smaller from the DS Lite. But unlike those two handhelds, the DSi chooses internet storage and downloadable games over backwards compatibility. To make a long story short, the DSi has lost the GBA Slot that was on both the DS and DS Lite. That means you won't be able to play certain DS games the use the GBA slot like Guitar Hero On Tour...because there is no way to plug in the peripheral into the handheld. Also, the screens have grown from the DS Lite and have become slightly brighter, meaning things are easier to see. I also noticed that with the brighter screens came brighter, more vivid colors. These brighter screens came at a cost of the battery life, which is still great, but won't last as long as the DS lite if you're playing with full brightness. Thankfully, Nintendo has made it easier to control the contrast of the screens in game.
Honestly, i'm not too broken up over the loss of the GBA slot. The Nintendo DS was never about the GBA or its games; it was about its own library and innovations. The GBA slot and backwards compatibility was just a luxury. Sure, some DS games utilized the GBA slot for specific things like peripherals or as a way to unlock certain extras in certain games, but the GBA and its games are in the past. Frankly, if you're like me, you either still own an older DS or you have a wide assortment of older Nintendo Handhelds to play their respective games on. I never really used the GBA slot on my DS to play GBA games as I still have a GBA SP to play those games and older Gameboy games, which the DS never allowed.
Along with the dual screens, the DSi sports two cameras, one on the inside and one on the outside, and a new, better microphone to record voices, etc. The cameras aren't the most powerful things, but they aren't the worst. If I had to compare the cameras to anything, i'd say they are like Cell phone cameras. You probably won't want to do any serious photography with the DSi, but the cameras are fun to fiddle around with. The Microphone is much better on the DSi, giving players the ability to record their voices. The quality is actually really good, but like the cameras, it's only fun to fiddle around with.
The main draw of the DSi is it's take on storage and wireless capabilities. In the past, data was generally saved to the cartridges. With the DS came internal storage for things like personal information, time, date, etc. The DSi takes that another step with the allowance of internal storage for the various things you can download like games, applications, etc. Also, the DSi sports a brand new SD Memory card slot.
One problem i've found with the internal storage is that if you download something on one DSi, you have to re-download it onto another. You can't transfer data from one DSi to another without the help of Nintendo themselves, even if the data is on an SD card. That is a real bummer.
The DSi's look is a major improvement over the original DS
Software
A handheld is nothing without good games to play and there are some great games on the DS, but it took a while for us to get them. The Nintendo DS launched in 2004 with an ok launch lineup of games with only one or two standout titles. As the years progressed, the titles got significantly better with releases for Mario Kart DS, New Super Mario Bros and Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. One of the biggest challenges that face developers when it comes to developing games for the DS is how will they utilize the second screen. There are a good amount of games that use the touch screen effectively like Elite Beat Agents, Cooking Mama and Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.
Basically, the DS has a very large amount of great games, especially if they are Puzzle games or Role Playing games. If you are a fan of either, you will be in heaven. The DSi shares the DS lineup of games, like the DS Lite, so you don't need to buy brand new games. There are supposed to be DSi exclusive games coming sometime down the line, but more on that later.
That isn't to say that the DS doesn't have its fair share of crap. In fact, it probably sits in the Top 5 for just the sheer amount of shovelware in it's game library.
Like I said earlier, the DSi has lost the GBA slot, which pretty much cuts the massive library of games in half. But just like the DS and DS Lite, the DSi cannot play original Gameboy or Gameboy color games, even if it had the GBA slot. Your best bet for playing those games is to have a GBA SP.
The DS has many hit titles like New Super Mario Bros
DSiware, The Opera Browser and the "Virtual Handheld"?
Instead of putting this with the Software section, DSiware warrants its own section because there is a lot to talk about.
DSiware is one of the exclusive features to the DSi, giving players the ability to access the internet and download games for your DSi, for a small fee. The games range from 2 dollars to 8+ dollars.
The problem is that most of the games on DSiware are pretty average or just downright not worth the money. There are probably only two or three games that are really worth the money. I don't think i'm really surprised that there aren't many good games on DSiware because the service hasn't been out for all that long and if Wiiware is any example, it probably won't do all that well or have many good games, unfortunately.
One thing DSiware does is that it brings back the DS's Opera web browser. You're probably wondering why i'm bringing up the Opera Browser for the DSi. Well, the infamous handheld browser makes a return on the DSi. This time around, the browser is a free download and works so much better than it's previous form. The Opera browser works very much like the Wii's internet browser, except the handheld version does not offer any sort of flash support, meaning that a ton of the internet is off limits.
This web browser has been universally panned for being incredibly slow to load webpages, but thankfully that problem has been corrected, sort of. Don't get me wrong, the DSi's web browser is still pretty slow, but this time around things have been sped up a lot, meaning the browser isn't as slow as it was before.
What really bugs me about DSiware is that it has so much potential to be a great service and it just feels incomplete. The Wii has the Virtual Console and it's compliment, Wiiware, but the DSi only has DSiware and no Virtual Console equivalent for the handheld. Why do you think that is? There have been MANY rumors of a virtual console for the handheld, but NOTHING concrete and NOTHING from Nintendo. Having a virtual console equivalent that allows gamers to download old handheld games onto the DSi would be incredible and would probably make up for the DSi's lack of GBA slot. All I can do is hope that they do something because DSiware can't survive without good software.
If you're looking for good games to play on DSiware, pick up Mario VS Donkey Kong: Minis march again, Mighty Flip Champs, Asphalt 4 and Castle of Magic.
For now, DSiware is a failure. But who knows what the future holds? DSiware is still pretty new and has a lot of potential to grow into something great. Let's all cross our fingers for Virtual Handheld.
DSiware just isn't what it should be...and wheres my virtual handheld?!"
Final Thoughts
In my opinion, the DSi is a great handheld and a worthy successor to the DS. The new additions of the cameras and microphone are fun to fiddle around with, but won't hold your attention for too long. The addition of internal storage and an SD card slot is very nice as well, but the fact that you can't transfer data from one DSi to another is a huge pain if something happens to your handheld after the warrenty is up. But the great lineup of games and future potential of DSiware definitely make up for things...just be careful with it.
Recommendation
The DSi is really tough to reccomend to someone who already owns a DS Lite. Because of the state that DSiware is in right now and the hefty price of 170 dollars, it might not be the right time to pick up a DSi. However, if you have an original DS and are interested in the DSi AND don't care that the GBA slot is gone (seriously, just get a GBA SP if you are upset), the DSi might be right for you.
I'm not saying that DS Lite owners shouldn't pick this handheld up. I'm still recommending this handheld. For DS Lite owners and everyone else, you might want to wait a year to see what happens with the price and DSiware before you pick this one up.
Let me clarify...
Original DS Owners: Buy it
DS Lite Owners: Wait a bit...then buy it if things improve on DSiware
Everyone else: Buy it...because you probably don't own a DS already
"The DSi is a great handheld and I definitely recommend it"
