Introducing the Nintendo DSi
Nintendo’s newest addition to the DS family of handheld systems has been announced! The DSi has been confirmed to be released in Japan in November, and is slated to hit Western markets later next year.
Since its release, Nintendo has been steadily riding the huge wave of DS sales. Originally released in 2004, the small handheld gaming system introduced a touchscreen, a microphone, and a vast array of games for almost every genre and player. In 2006 the Japanese-based company then released the sleeker, slimmer DS Lite.
Will the DSi be just another DS Lite?
Thankfully, the answer is no. When the DS Lite was released, there was little in the way of component changes; most of the modifications were made to the physical casing. It was thinner and sleeker in design, but it was not that much different, component-wise, from the original DS. The DSi does offer a whole new set of features and gadgets that will truly legitimize it as a separate system.
Cosmetically, there will be some changes to the DSi. Nintendo has announced that the new system will be available in matte colors and the sizes of both screens have been increased to 3.25 inches.
Like the DS Lite, the DSi will also see a reduction in size. Nintendo has announced that the DSi will be 2.6mm thinner than its predecessor (that’s a 12% reduction). The bad news for some gamers is that Nintendo sacrificed the DS’ backwards compatibility; in other words, the DSi will not be able to play Game Boy Advance titles.
But perhaps the biggest cosmetic change to the system is the addition of both an external camera and a VGA camera (which is located on the hinge). Users will be able to capture 640×480 pictures, and edit them using the touchscreen.
The DSi’s most exciting new feature, however, is the the inclusion of the SD-card slot in addition to the on-board memory. DSi owners will be able to listen to music (although only in AAC format; the DSi will not support MP3) with full playback functionality.
Nintendo has also announced that the DSi will come already equipped with a DS web browser. Users will have the ability to download DS games and demos using so-called Nintendo Points.
The DSi is certainly chock full of new features and gadgets, making gamers and technophiles alike giddy in anticipation, myself included. Nintendo has done a terrific job garnering attention and excitement regarding the release of the new system, but will it surpass the DS Lite? I guess we’ll have to wait to find out.
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