Nintendo added a new member to its family of handheld game machines and it’s called the DSi–a slightly smaller and thinner version of the DS Lite.
So just what is different about this latest iteration of the DS? For starters, the LCD screen has expanded a bit from 3 to 3.25 inches. The image quality doesn’t seem to be much different than the previous version of the DS Lite, however. A new feature, the DSi camera, allows you to take pictures. Software for the DSi lets you have some fun by altering the faces in the photos you shoot.
As far as the audio part of the new machine, the onboard recorder lets you manipulate the pitch and speed of sounds or voices, and the device will be able to play back users’ mp3s.
The overall footprint of the DSi is thinner but at the sacrifice of the familiar GBA slot, which allowed gamers to play GameBoy Advance cartridges. Nintendo has removed this capability, and no doubt, fans of the DS will miss this feature. Replacing the missing GBA port, however, will be an SD memory card slot for use with the all-new DSi Shop feature.
Nintendo has undoubtedly introduced this game and application (DSiWare) download service in an effort to combat Apple’s iPhone and its encroachment upon what was once a Nintendo-dominated handheld market. The shop will work on a points system similar to the one that is currently in place on the Nintendo Wii, with price points of 0 points, 200 points, 500 points, and a "premium" 800 points. New DS owners will be rewarded with 1000 points to spend before March 2010.
Finally, the DSi will include a built-in internet browser so GN readers can get their videogame news, reviews, and more on the go.
The new DSi will hit Japan on November 1st, at a price of JPY 18,900 (about $179 US). What about the North American launch? Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Aimes, said that it won’t arrive on these shores until late 2009. As for the rest of the world, no word on that yet.
[Additional reporting by Eddie Inzauto]
