DSi - 10/10
The DSi is truly a unique console. Although the PSP come out with its own music function, movie ability and other special features that the DSi hasn’t been able to beat, it has its own charm. The touch screen, camera and SD Card slot make the DSi special; while not copying other handhelds. I understand that this review is long, but if you are considering buying a DSi, you should probably read it all. If you own a DS or DS Lite and you just want to know the new features of the DSi, you can just skip to the end to find that information. Otherwise, you can use my easy-to-use titles that are labeling each paragraph to find specific information or if you would prefer I’ve added pictures that you can just browse. It’s your choice!
DSI CAMERA:
The first big thing you find in the DSi is its camera function. This consists of 2 cameras, one on the inside, and one on the outside of the console. The camera has 11 different lenses, which give each photo a different effect, including a ‘Normal’ lens. I would list these lenses but it doesn’t mean much until you use them, but if you would like a list, go to: www.nintendods.com/ .If you have internet connection, you can also load these photos directly to your Face Book page.
The camera has two resolutions, the inside camera is 0.3 megapixels and the outside camera is 3 megapixels. The outside camera is quite good and although the inside camera is only 0.3 megapixels; its not noticable on the smaller screen of the DSi. If you want to copy these photos to an SD card and place them on your computer, then you will easily see the low quality camera resolution but it is still easily viewed. Once you have taken photos, the DSi also places a random photo from your album on the front menu (top screen) each time you open it. The camera lenses do have their faults at times (mainly lighting issues), but in general it all works well, except in dark places which you will find is recurring problem with the camera.
CALENDAR:
When you access the camera option on the DSi, you also have the choice of a Calendar that you can record hand written notes on. This has been handy to me, but it can only be accessed through the camera, and I don’t always go for this function first. Therefore, the first few times are great, the rest it is rather pointless unless you make a fact of opening the camera each time to check your calendar. It also dates photos for you.
DSI SOUND-RECORDING/EDITING:
The next big feature for the DSi is the ‘DSi Sound’ function. DSi Sound is split into two parts, one is recording and editing sound, the other it music. The DSi has a microphone which can be used to record sound. When I say ‘sound’, I mean anything that makes noise (you, your friends or even your pet). You can then edit this sound by giving it a high pitch, low pitch; or making it slow or fast. There is also some other ‘special’ effects you can add, and can reveal more by double taping their symbols. This is quite good to start off with, but it doesn’t keep your interest very long as you tend to get board with recording your own voice over and over. It is something that’s fun to come back to however, because you have all your old recordings to listen to.
DSI SOUND-MUSIC FUNCTION:
The second part of DSi Sound is the music function. You must have an SD Card to do this, with music converted to MP4(AKA- AAC) format. Once you have your music on the card and in the console, you can do several things. You can ‘muck around’ with the music by altering it, the same way you can with recordings. You also can add sound effects to the music by using the ‘L’ and ‘R’ buttons, and sometimes if both are pressed at once another sound plays. You can also categorize the music via certain symbols for easy look up and once you have placed several songs into a category, you unlock more. The last option is just listening. You can do this by scrolling through your music folders or clicking the ‘random’ button which randomly selects tracks to play. There are also a lot of interactive images (such as that in the photo above) that can be used when playing music; which is great when you’ve heard the song a million times.
This part of DSi Sound works great, but the music quality is pretty bad. Some times the music has ‘defects’ picked up through conversion, but this is a rare event. The second bad thing with the music function is that it’s very hard to find an audio converter that converts to MP4/AAC. I looked all over the internet for a completely free converter that did what I wanted, but I eventually brought a program called ‘Audio Workstation’ which is fantastic. Nintendo suggests you buy a program called ‘Nero Music2go’, but I have had nothing to do with this. Overall, the music function is a welcome addition.
INTERNET BROWSER:
The last ‘big’ point is the internet and DSiware Shop functions. The internet has been around for the DS Lite, but it is more accessible in the DSi as you can download a free browser. You can then use this for any website, but you must understand, the DSi can’t play flash games (or any other internet games) and can’t play videos (such as those found on YouTube). You can, however, write emails (if you have an online email account such as Yahoo! Or Gmail) and browse the internet, look at pictures and you can even go on MyDS and chat in forum. Parents can activate a ‘Parental Lock’ if needed and the browser also has a ‘favorite’ function. Now remember, all this is free to download from the DSiware Shop.
DSIWARE SHOP:
The DSiware Shop sells games specifically for the DSi, usually using its special features such as the camera. There is a whole range of games that mostly cost money, by using a credit card or buying a ‘Nintendo Points Card’ from a store. These can be spent according to categories in the shop (see picture above). You will notice a ‘Free’ option. Well, all the programs in that area are free, but don’t get too excited as there are only two. That’s right, two (for Australia at least). The two are the internet browser and a program called ‘Flipnote Studio,’ but that’s another story.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DSI AND DS LITE:
From looking at the photo above, you won’t notice too much difference in the design of the DS Lite(on the left) compared to the DSi(on the right), but there are a lot, although mainly on the ‘inside.’ First of all, there is no GBA slot in the DSi and there is a different charger port, meaning that you’ll have to forget about your old DS Lite accessories if you want a DSi. The sound adjustment has been changed to buttons instead of wheel and the power button is on the inside of the console, which is also changed to a button. The above features or programs (DSi Sound, DSi Camera, internet and shop) are also new, as well as a new snazzy menu. The DSi’s screen brightness can be adjusted by holding down ‘Select’ and using the volume buttons to brighten or darken the screen. This is one the best new features! The DSi also has a bigger screen and new(er) finish on the outside which reduces marks. Finally there is an SD Card slot which is used mainly for music, but can also be used to back up data.
The things that remain the same are really only the games you can buy in stores and Pictochat. I was very disappointed to find that Nintendo hadn’t ‘upgraded’ the chat program. The only new addition that I could find was that if you double tap the pen/pencil symbol, you get a rainbow pen/pencil.
CONCLUSION:
The DSi is a great console packed with new features sure to make a buyer happy. The camera is fun and almost like a game in itself despite its low resolution. The DSi Sound function is great for music but the recording ability is a bit pointless. The internet is great (and free!) and the DSiware Shop is fantastic as it gives your DSi that extra special thing. The DSi has such a huge potential that only is just starting to be tapped; and I for one am looking forward to a whole high quality game range focused entirely on the DSi. A great console I would highly recommend to all those who consider it and has some valuable upgrades for current DS or DS Lite users.
Submitted by thecoolest
05/02/2010
69
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