Video Review: Nintendo DSi

Posted by Adam Hartley on Tue 17 Mar 2009

More of a refresh than a revamp

T3 got to grips with Nintendo’s DSi recently, the Mario-and-Zelda-factory’s latest iteration of its stupidly popular DS handheld - out now in Japan and ‘tbc’ for the rest of us. And while it is nowhere close to the revolution in handheld gaming inspired by the old brick that was the original, hulking, gunmetal grey DS (unveiled to widespread confusion and jeers of derision way back at E3 2004) the DSi still rocks. Hard.

- Launch the Nintendo DSi unboxing gallery

- Check out our hands-on video with the new DSi

It was hard to imagine how our much-loved DS Lite (launched to near-universal acclaim at E3 2006) could be improved upon. What is clear is that Ninty’s product designers have taken a ‘baby-steps’ approach to developing the console’s winning form factor. Aside from rocking a rather fetching, fingerprint-free matte finish, the DSi is ever-so-slightly thinner with a quarter-inch larger, brighter screen than its older sibling. Great news for quick blasts on our beloved Wario on the ski lifts this season. Not so great news for marathon sessions on Zelda on those long and otherwise boring train journeys to the wilds of Swansea and beyond, as the battery life takes the hit if you use the screen on the brightest setting. Still, when compared with the new PSP 3000, the DSi still wins out in the mobile-fun-longevity stakes…

In terms of the hardware, the DSi also features a couple of low-res 0.3- megapixel cameras – inside and out – and some quirky audio and music playback features. Just like Pictochat hinted at the possibilities of the stylus, this time around we were quite taken with the charming/ gimmicky built-in software that lets you stretch and squiggle over your mates’ mugshots or teach a cheeky little budgerigar to say rude words in funny ways. Though after extended testing, T3 found that this was fun for approximately eight to ten minutes, after which our friends seem to tire of us shoving the DSi into their faces, as we tried to convince them that a tiny, pixelated bird that could just about pronounce their name was ‘the future of gaming’. It’s not. But it’s still hilarious.

Personalised, shared and downloadable content

Nintendo wants the DSi to become more ‘personalised’ (i.e. it wants to let you keep, swop and muck about with music and photos) while marking the gradual transition from physical media (DS carts) to free or paid-for downloads of demos, entire games and other content, which can be stored on the 256 MB onboard memory or an SD card. And if you think that 0.3 megapixel cameras and the apparently miniscule amount of memory seem a tad ‘technologically backward’ that’s because they are. Nintendo doesn’t work at the cutting edge of technology, yet the company remains unbeaten at taking what is cheaply and widely available and squeezing as much fun out of it as it possibly can.

Sure, we could throw in some more minor gripes, if we really forced ourselves. The PSP still beats the DS if you want hi-res, visceral racing fun (WipEout, Ridge Racer, OutRun et al); if you have very fat fingers you *might* be better advised to stick with your DS Lite. You cannot play your illegally copied games from your R4DS… More of a major gripe though is you cannot play your old Game Boy Advance games on the DSi as the gaping GBA cart slot has been dropped.

Bottom line. If you want to play GBA, you’ll have to fork out on a Game Boy Micro. If you’re fingers are too fat or you are a filthy game-industry destroying pirate, then its tough luck unfortunately.

The DSi is an exemplary refresh of an already superb handheld. The real deal-breaker will arrive later next year in the shape of the games that make use of the console’s new cameras, in addition to the ease-of-use and gamers’ willingness to access downloadable content. A few DSi-specific games have already been announced, including Wario: Photograph (imagine Sony’s EyeToy, but on a handheld, and way more fun) which pretty much secures the fanboy vote.

If you can’t wait till some as-yet-unspecified time in 2009 to enjoy the fun gimmicky of Nintendo’s photo manipulation and bizarre audio playback features, then you can get one of these matte black (or white) wonder-toys on import from Japan right now for a sheckel or two just over £200. Though be warned, downloads and DSi-specific games will be region-locked, so you will only have to buy another one when Nintendo eventually releases them over here.

Still, it’s always nice to be first in your circle of mates to get next years tech, but if you already have a DS Lite it may not be worth it. But if you need to repeatedly remind your mates of the fact you have the latest gizmo with a high-pitched sweary squawk from the cute little yellow Nintendo budgie, the DSi is for you.

Link: Nintendo DSi

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