Nintendo DSi Review
By Gaetano Prestia
The main reason you’re probably reading this review is to find out whether or not the Nintendo DSi, the third iteration of Nintendo’s great handheld, is worth the extra cash. At $299.95, it’s a fairly steep investment for a handheld, especially if you already own a DS Lite. At its core, the DS is a fantastic gaming device. It has a great gaming library and, after a slow start, there are titles to fulfill even the most hardcore of gamers out there. So yeah, the DSi is still a DS – it is still going to play the games you love (except the Guitar Hero DS titles) and it’s still going to offer you hours of entertainment. But do a few extra features, an improved screen and better online implementation justify a 300 quid price tag?
The major downside of the DSi hardware is the disappearance of the Gameboy Advance slot. If you’re a dedicated GBA gamer like myself, you might see it as a bit of a slap in the face. I still have my GBA Micro and DS Lite to play my GBA games, but the backwards compatibility was definitely one of the better features of the first two DS designs. Furthermore, the lack of a GBA slot makes games that use the slot for game peripherals useless. Titles such as Guitar Hero On Tour need the GBA for the guitar grip and no doubt Activision isn’t pleased to see an “upgraded” version of the console they’ve supported be unsupportive of their titles. This will be a problem for the franchise if the DS Lite is eventually discontinued during the DSi’s life (which it probably will be). However, if you want to look at it from Nintendo’s point of view, they’ve ditched an old and outdated handheld for extra features such as the camera and larger screen - from that point of view, the removal is somewhat justified.
Check out our video review
Thankfully, that lack of a GBA slot is the only major problem I have with the DSi. The new console skin has been replaced with a matte finish instead of a glossy one, so you no longer have to worry about fingerprints infecting your DS. On the other hand, the matte finish is prone to dirty scratches, so be sure to wipe it down often. I really couldn’t classify this as a problem though, as practically any surface is going to have some sort of issue when it comes to cleanliness. The fact of the matter is that it feels great and smooth.
The feature that has probably garnered the most attention is the inclusion of two in-built, 3MP cameras. You probably won’t be using the DSi as your main digital camera, but for a last resort the picture quality is surprisingly good. The PSP camera add-on had the same number of MP, yet it struggled with lighting and photos in dark areas. The DSi takes great pictures in both light and dark environments and considering how compact the lenses are and the low number of mega pixels, the quality is quite superb. The first picture I took blew me away, because I had the PSP camera quality in the back of my mind and I expected a similar outcome. Nintendo have included a great camera with some awesome editing and manipulation tools (see video review above) and you can definitely have some fun with some basic pictures. The most encouraging thing about the camera is that it will be used in DSi-exclusive titles, allowing you to put your face in the game. This is a feature the PSP never really took advantage of, and when you couple the touch-screen, audio and camera capabilities of the DSi, you have quite an innovative and interactive handheld.
The SD card slot opens the door of possibility for the DSi via digital distribution, with full downloadable games similar to the Wii’s Virtual Console, as well as demos and other software hopefully on the horizon. Thinking about the possibilities is definitely exciting, even if the PSP has had memory card support for a while. The DSi will (or probably already has) highlight how dedicated Nintendo is to gaming evolution, because they’ve taken their original handheld and changed it so dramatically, turning it into practically a completely different piece of hardware with the same core hardware principles.
The audio features of the DSi are somewhat of a mixed bag. Recording your own audio will garner some great results with fantastic audio quality (see video review), although the support of the useless AAC format instead of MP3 is bewildering to say the least.
Comparing the DSi to the DS Lite side-by-side highlights some minor differences on the presentation front. The screen is larger, but only by .25 inches. The power-on slider has been replaced with a button, which now allows you to return to the main-menu during a game without having to reset the system. This is a great feature and has been something that was needed for the DS since it was released. The internal speakers have also been improved, with a side-by-side comparison of New Super Mario Bros. on the DS Lite and DSi indicating slightly clearer audio coming from the DSi.
The main CPU and RAM processors have been improved, with an ARM processor clocked at 133 MHz. 16 MB of RAM has been included, which is four times as much as previous DS versions, as well as an included 256MB of internal Flash memory. I tried several games on both the DS Lite and DSi to test loading times and how long each took to get to the main menu and I didn’t notice any differences. The games tested were Sim City Creator and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. This isn’t all that big a deal considering how quick the load-times are anyway.
The online features have been improved with the DSi, allowing the download of DS demos straight to the internal memory or SD card, and there will be a channel system similar to the Wii’s. At the time of recording of the video review, I was unable to connect to Nintendo’s servers and download the required firmware to access the DS Shop. The browser is just as you’d expect it – slow and mostly inaccessible. If you’re hoping to surf the net with the DSi, you’re going to be disappointed. But did we really expect any less? Browsers on gaming hardware have never been implemented well, but hopefully we will see some improvements in the near future. The DSiShop is going to be fantastic though and the support of DSWare is a very exciting prospect. You get 1000 points straight off the bat with the updated firmware and launch of the DSiShop as well, which is a bonus for early buyers.
The Final Verdict
Should you buy a DSi? Well, that really depends on what you’re after. If you’re interested in the potential of DSi-exclusive games and you’re after an overall improved version of the DS Lite, then there’s no doubt that you should buy the DSi. Yeah, it’s a little bit expensive, but you’re getting a very good piece of hardware and the price is almost justified (when is a gaming console price in Australia ever FULLY justified?). If you’re happy with the DS Lite and the current DS game library, then stick with it and don’t bother with the DSi. It’s really difficult to recommend this to everyone because obviously everyone has different needs and wants. Personally, I’d buy it. At its core it’s a great handheld. It has a good camera that has future game implementation potential, great sound quality, an SD Card slot and improved online capabilities. The hardware design has been improved and overall it’s a better piece of equipment.
Submitted by Gaetano
01/04/2009
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