DSi Hardware
Did the DSi come out too soon in lieu of the DSlite’s upward, unstoppable and unforeseeable-ending success? Maybe. However, is it still an amazing piece of hardware that creates an all-around streamlined DS experience? Most definitely. My black and blue, sexy clamshell review is after the break.
While gripping my hands on the Lite revision of the DS back in 2006, I was thinking to myself, Man, how is Nintendo ever going to top this classy piece of tech? Compared to the original DS, the DSlite was a small, eloquent bit of plastic wrapped in the kiss of Nintendo’s newly Apple-inspired design approach. The pure, serious-business aesthetic of the Lite improved greatly over the original design in that it gave the user softer buttons, better speakers and battery life, brighter screens, a smaller and sleeker casing and a bigger stylus. Shoot, I’m getting a bigger stylus just thinking about it.
Who would have thought that in a mere two-in-a-half years, Nintendo would improve upon the DS yet again with the DSi.
At first glance, the DSi looks remarkably like its older brother, the Lite. But don’t be fooled. Under the hood, the DSi supports four times the amount of RAM, 256 MB of internal memory and a 133MHz CPU.
“But Beau, what does that mean for me, the average DS user?”
Simple: the DSi is slightly faster and has more internal memory for saving information. Both of which are huge pluses when it comes to usability, especially the added internal memory.
The internal memory comes in useful for a variety of reasons. Mainly, the memory is there to store the numerous pictures you’re going to take with the new built in cameras the DSi provides. As I played around with the various settings and functions of the camera and the system’s editing capabilities, I discovered how simple and streamlined Nintendo is being when implementing their blue ocean strategy.
For example, the cameras themselves do not support very high-quality lenses, so taking a professional-looking photo to slap in your portfolio is a non-event; however, the straightforward and fun to use editing tools make up for the camera lenses’ lack of quality by giving the user different ways to make their photos stand-out.
Other software differences include the new, but forgettable, DSi Sound options. With this “program,” users can either take audio tracks from their SD cards or self-recorded audio snippets and manipulate them. While this feature sounds fun on paper, it’s horribly boring upon usage. It feels like a late-in-development, tacked-on feature to add another bullet point to the DSi fact sheet.
The newest and most important software-side addition to the DSi is the new DSi Shop. Like the Wii Shop Channel, the DSi Shop allows the user to purchase new games and programs specifically made for the DSi. Also like the Wii Shop Channel, users use DSi Points to purchase said software. Right now, there is only a handful of downloadable titles available, but I did find the shop an exciting look into the future of what downloadable titles Nintendo could make available. Gameboy virtual console anyone?
Although it’s a little nerdy, the updatable firmware option the DSi provides has to be mentioned. Unlike the two previous DS iterations, the DSi’s firmware has the ability to be updated via a wireless internet connection. If Nintendo needs to update the system, the DSi has the ability to do so.
With software aside, there are a few welcoming revisions to the overall sleek design of the DSi’s predecessor. While the original DS had clicky buttons and the DSlite has squishy buttons, the DSi’s buttons fall somewhere between the two. It’s a slight change, but a refinement in comfort nonetheless. The DSi’s screens are slightly larger as well, which gives the unit a far more open and inviting feel. Lastly, the right side of the machine houses a SD card port for future memory expandability. Gameboy virtual console anyone?
Closing comments:
All in all, the DSi is a welcomed addition to the Nintendo family of handhelds. Is its release too soon though? Is Nintendo splintering its own DS market by giving people two options instead of one? And here’s the truly scandalous part: right now, the DSi retails for $169.99 compared to the DSlite’s $129.99 price tag. This begs to wonder if the DSi is Nintendo’s way of phasing out the DSlite and artificially upping the price of entry by only allowing DSi systems to be purchased. As a stalwart fan of all things Nintendo, I surely hope not. It just seems too devious an act for Nintendo to pull off. But, in the end, they are a business.
If you have a working DSlite right now, I’d say hold onto it for a little while longer before making the plunge toward the DSi. However, if you’re a person with the original DS or no DS at all, get this thing - you’ll get infinite cred among your peers. Maybe.
