DSi turning into PDA?

The second batch of downloadable games and applications for the DSi console has been announced by Nintendo on their official website.

The downloadable titles – called DSIWare – are slowly but surely transforming the dual-screened handheld console from being a traditional gaming machine, into more of a PDA, with new alarm clock and train map software.

On Wednesday, eight new titles will be launched in Japan, including a slimmed down version of Planet Puzzle League, a card game collection, and two artistic shortform games.

More curious, however, is the introduction of the alarm clock application – hardly an essential application for a gaming machine. You can add this feature to your DSi console for 200 DSi points. You can then programme your own alarm sounds recorded via the microphone.

A compilation of train maps also hits the handheld, allowing Japanese travellers to create routes using the styles.

While the applications aren’t a huge surprise given how successful non-traditional DS titles such as Brain Age and Cooking Guide have been, it does signal a move away from Nintendo’s games-only strategy, perhaps due to increased pressures from new competitors such as the Apple iPhone.

DSi Console release edges closer

Wikipedia claim that the Nintendo DS console sold over 84 Million units throughout the world – approximately one Nintendo DS for every man, woman and child in the United States. That probably means you own a DS yourself. Within the next couple of months though, the DS will be replaced by the next generation of the handheld console from Nintendo – the DSi. Already out in Japan, it looks as though it’s heading for it’s US release sooner rather than later.

The Nintendo DSi console is similar to the original DS but with many improvements and enhancements, such as two .3 megapixel cameras, an audio media player, external SD card support, not to mention a lighter weight and larger screen. The DSi has been selling like hotcakes in Japan for a few months, but US gamers have had to be patient. Well, your patience may be rewarded soon, as several gaming rumor mills are reporting that the DSi should hit the streets in America in April of this year, with the 4th being mooted as a likely release date.

The bad news is that the console will be significantly more expensive than the DS which costs $129, with the DSi console being mooted at around $180. However, nothing has been confirmed yet so stay tuned for the official announcement from Nintendo.

White DSi

Yesterday, we reviewed the black DSi console and today we will take a look at the white DSi console. It is important to note that there is no difference between the two consoles apart from the colour, so instead of repeating yesterday’s discussion we will instead look more in depth at some of the key features of the Nintendo DSi.

One of the main new features which improves on the Nintendo DS is the audio player. This is an often overlooked feature, but one which can add a great deal of fun as well as allowing you to use your DSi console as your own personal stereo. Nintendo have opted not to allow the use of MP3 files on the console, insisting that AAC files are of higher quality. The main benefit though is that as a result of the console being geared up to play music, the sound output is significantly better and you will notice this when playing your games.

With the music software you can do place a variety of effects over your tracks to make some interesting or fun interactions with your music. For example you can play drum sound effects over your tracks or sounds from Mario games such as the jump sound. You can also use a slider as you listen to the tracks to adjust the pitch and speed of the music. I suppose that by connecting two Nintendo DSi consoles to a mixer, you could beat match and perform a DJ set. There are also filters which can change the whole way the track sounds. You can make tracks sound like are being played through a tinny old radio or even better, as if they are coming out of a Nintendo Entertainment System. There is also a karaoke mode which attempts to remove the vocals from any track although it doesn’t always come out sounding great.

Linked to this is the addition of a microphone which allows you to record clips of up to 10 seconds – letting you get your voice onto the console. This opens up a wide range of possibilities for game developers and could lead to you becoming an even bigger part of your favourite games!  What’s more, you can apply various filters to manipulate your voice, making you sound like a robot, a parrot among other things. As always, Nintendo remains the fun choice for video gamers!

An exciting prospect is the online DSi shop. This will be like the Wii shop channel where you can buy and download new applications and games using the wireless Internet connection. Anything you download will be added to the new menu screen as an icon for you to tap with your stylus.

Nintendo White DSi Console

As the very first software title to be offered through DSi Shop, Nintendo will start distributing the DSi Browser free of charge simultaneously with the launch of DSi. The DSi Browser is an Internet browser, co-developed by Opera and Nintendo and comprehensively tuned exclusively for Nintendo DSi. This tuning made the browser faster, and now that it can be incorporated into the device, the utility aspect has been significantly enhanced.

The first thing you’ll notice when you turn the white DSi on is that there is a new menu for selecting what you want to do. Before you there were a static number of items on each DS, slot 1 cart, slot 2 pictochat or your wifi settings. Now that new applications can be downloaded from the DSi shop the menu needed a way of expanding. Because of this the new menu is on a single scrollable line. To begin with you are given the following options; settings, game, memory card, music, network, camera, pictochat and shop followed by any applications you install.

If you are a serious gamer, the Nintendo DSi console is a must purchase!  So now all that’s left is to check the best price Nintendo DSi console online!

Black DSi

To the casual observer, the DSi console could easily be mistaken for the DS Lite, however Nintendo have improved both the design and the software of the console in multiple ways. The Nintendo DSi is available in both black and white colours, depending on the preference of the user.

For those who prefer the black DSi console, it is similar to the white console in every way except the colour. Therefore, we will focus on the improvements Nintendo have made over the original DS Lite.

The first thing we notced is that the casing no longer has the shiny finish that the DS Lite had and has been improved with a grittier matte finish. It certainly helps make the console look more slick and hi-tech, while Nintendo have also managed to make the system both lighter and thinner – it is actually 12% lighter than the DS Lite despite the improvements in the technology.

The console is also much more user friendly, with the L and R buttons sticking out just that little bit more, making them easier to press and control. Along with them on the top of Nintendo DSi consoles is the new power adaptor port. This is now a different shape from previous models which means the adaptor cannot be used interchangeably.

Black DSi Console Design

The design of the console looks really slick in black and is my personal preference over the white DSi console. The D-pad now rests a little lower into the casing meaning you don’t need to press quite as hard although it doesn’t really make much difference. On the right hand side you will find the new SD card slot which can be used for storing your music, photos and software downloaded from the shop. The console has internal memory of 256KB which can be used until it is full when you will need to either delete files or use an SD card. The power button has been moved on the black DSi just next to the touch screen. It is well positioned so you are unlikely to touch it by mistake and if you do it is quite stiff anyway so you won’t push it accidentally. If you press it in it will bring up the system menu, if you hold it in it will turn off the console.

The DSI console also has a number of great new features, such as the internal camera and audio player. Both of these focus on being fun and innovative in keeping with the Nintendo brand as opposed to trying to be the best in terms of the actual technology.

While most mobile phones focus on increasing pixels and resolution, Nintendo have taken the opposite approach. While the DSi only has a 0.3 megapixel resolution, the DSi Camera software includes 11 types of special camera lenses. This means DSi can take pictures by utilizing a variety of special effects on a real-time basis.

Similarly, the audio function allows users to play with and maniuplate sounds. Some typical functions include the ability to change the pitch and the speed separately by using the Touch Screen. The ability to freely manipulate the audio pitch and the speed can expand how the audio player can be used in more practical ways as well. You can fast-forward a Podcast to economize the time. When you use the repeat-run function with the stylus, it becomes easier to copy the music, to play a musical instrument or to practice foreign languages.

Nintendo DS to launch in US on April 4th?

Rumours are building that the Nintendo DSi is set to be launched in the United States on April 4th. Sources close to Nintendo indicate that the much anticipated replacement for the DS Lite will ship stateside in the first part of 2009, with early April being mooted as the most likely launch date.

The DSi console was launched in Japan on 1st November 2008 and has been available to import since then. However, importing the console has the drawback that you must buy Japanese games… and speak the language! 

Insiders have suggested that the console will launch with a retail price of $179.99. It’s currentl retail price in Japan is approximately $219.

Nintendo’s DSi handheld looks similar to its predecessor, but boasts a built-in camera, an SD Card slot, internal memory, an improved user interface and access to DSiWare, an ever-expanding list of downloadable DSi games and content available over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

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