|
The Nintendo DSi has been out for a week now and it's no surprise it is already selling well. You may be considering either upgrading your DS/DS Lite to a DSi, or jumping into the Nintendo DS game platform for the first time. I traded in my DS Lite for the DSi. So how is it? After playing around with it for one week, here are some of my firsthand impressions. I thought I'd share them for anyone considering or contemplating the move.
Pros:
[+] Bigger screens - DS games display a crisp resolution at the larger size, with 5 levels of brightness.
[+] DSiWare - The DSi Shop delivers DSiWare games at $2 and up. New games will be released each week, at a low cost.
[+] DSi Camera - It's fun to use the camera effects (kids went crazy snapping pictures). WarioWare Snapped! is the first DSi exclusive game to use it in a unique way.
[+] DSi Sound - Another fun diversion, but for audio and music. Play AAC music files from SD cards with some unique visuals, including Super Mario and Excite Bike music visualizers.Try playing your music through an 8-bit filter for fun. There is plenty more simple sound editing features to play with.
[+] SD Card port - The DS gets a storage solution for the first time. Use it to save games, pictures and music/sound. Use the SD Card with your Wii too (see and share the DSi Camera pictures on the Wii).
[+] Speakers sound better.
[+] Web browsing - Opera web browser is available as a free download from DSi Shop.
[+] Soft reset - Hitting the power button when playing
takes you back the the DSi Menu. No need to completely shut down. Holding the power button a couple of seconds shuts the system down.
Cons:
[-] Lack of GameBoy Advance slot - That means you can't play GBA game cartridges, no DS rumble support, and no Guitar Hero DS games.
[-]
No retail DSi exclusive games yet. If Nintendo launched the DSi with one of its signature games using unique DSi features, the move to the DSi would have been much more sweeter. It all comes down to the games in the end.
[-] Matte Black DSi tended to pick up smudges and material residue pretty easily.
[-] Transferring music files may be a pain, unless your music files are in AAC format. Other formats won't work.
See more details below, including some tips for managing content, battery life and care for the Nintendo DSi. If you want a visual side by side comparison, see a previously published photo comparison of the DS Lite to the DSi here.
The Nintendo DSi is currently available in Matte Black (here) or Matte Blue (here) for $169.99.
Please share your first impressions of the DSi and some tips with your comments below!
If you are undecided on why you should upgrade to a DSi, I would say the DSiWare downloads, bigger screens, camera and sound support are the most notable reasons why. The only major downside at this point is the lack of the GBA slot. A few times I thought "Wow, I wonder how Super Mario Bros. Advance will look on this screen," and then I remembered it doesn't have a GBA slot. I have a Gameboy Micro I held on to for the GBA games. If I didn't have another GBA compatible device, it would have been a tougher move for me.
From all the launch DSiWare games, I was hooked on one of the cheapest ones: Bird & Beans. If you like simple, quick and challenging games, get it for just $2. It's based off a previously released WarioWare game. That, at the same time, is one of the things I'm worried about on the DSiWare games. Hopefully Nintendo doesn't think like Wario and piecemeal all the WarioWare mini-games (or other mini-games) on the DSi Shop. I don't mind spending a couple of bucks for a previously released GBA mini-game, but I do hope unique games get created to take advantage of DSi camera, sounds and touch features.
Tips on DSi use:
Conserve your battery power:
-
If you aren't using your WiFi, turn it off by going to the DSi Menu > System Settings > Wireless Communications and set to OFF.
- Adjust the DSi screen brightness level while playing a game by holding the select key and press up/down on the volume control.
Customize your DSi Menu:
- Start up with a unique or random picture everytime. Put a star on the pictures you've taken while you're in the DSi Camera's Album menu. When you power on, or open the DSi from Sleep Mode, you'll get a random picture on the top screen of the DSi Menu.
- Easily sort your DSi menu by pushing up on the D-Pad while on an icon, moving left/right and then pushing down. It's really easy to keep your stuff organized. I put my game shortcuts first, and system settings towards the end.
Protect your touch screen:
Get a DSi screen protector, at least for the bottom screen. The DSi screen is bigger than the DS/DS Lite, so you'll need to get a DSi specific screen protector. With all the stylus movement you'll be doing on the touch screen, a screen protector is essential. The first accessory I bought for my DSi was this DSi Screen Protective Filter.
Protect your DSi:
The DSi is built pretty sturdy, but since this is a mobile device and features a camera lens on the outside, you'll also want to get a protective DSi case. Again, since the DSi is a bit different in length and width to previous Nintendo DS models, you'll want to look for DSi specific carrying cases. See a few here.
Some other things you may want to get with your DSi is a DSi Points Card and an SD Card for storing and sharing pictures, music, and DSiWare games.
|
Wow
Written by Guest on 2009-06-03 06:08:09
 Amazing piece of tecnology here! I use it for a web info and friend communicator the LEAsT Any tips on how to do anything else? | Best Thing EVER!!!
Written by Guest on 2009-07-28 16:57:08
This gaming system is sooo
freakin' awesome! (: |
Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
