“Another rehash of a handheld. Guess what? I bought it.”

So yeah, I bought a DSi a few days ago. I was slightly dubious about the financial aspect of buying one but eventually caved when I received an unexpected and stupidly generous amount when I traded some games in down at Game. If videogames are my drug then Game is definitely my dealer. They always drag me back, kicking and screaming, with the promise of more gaming pleasure – the equivalent of a shady figure promising me one more hit. Like a fool I can’t resist!!
Anyway, with this extra cash from the Xbox 360 games that I traded in I decided to add a little extra money and get myself a DSi.


The new DSi!! Notice the little lens? It's a camera. Nothing more.

Firstly lets get this out of the way – it’s a great machine, a nice piece of hardware but I very much doubt that you’ll find you need it if you already own a DS. There are some nice little additions but nothing to really entice current owners to part with their cash. Obviously you could trade your old machine in but even then you’re going to be looking at fronting up the other £80 cash difference. That said though, if you’re made of money, don’t currently own a DS or you’re insane you should definitely purchase one.
Reading that last paragraph it seems I’m being a little harsh on the DSi but that’s not my intention at all. I just think there’s not that much innovation in it, certainly not enough to warrant the cost anyway. Like the PSP I always have a slightly bitter taste in my mouth when I purchase one in the full knowledge that I basically already own one and that in a few months time the one I’m in the process of purchasing will be obsolete again.

Okay so now onto the positives and despite my previous gripes these are numerous. Nintendo have very wisely made both dual screens larger and while this is only by an inch it’s remarkable how much of a difference it makes. Initially I didn’t really see the difference but after comparing it to my girlfriends DS I was shocked. It’s not something you instantly notice but, oddly, if you try and go back to a normal DS you’ll feel short-changed by the pokey nature of the screens.


The Japanese advert for the DSi. Unlike me they use theirs for taking pictures of toy dogs.

Also, and I’m not sure if this is a case of the Emperors new clothes, but I’m sure the sound is much improved. Currently, as I type this, I have no internet connection and thus no method of checking if the speakers have improved – if they haven’t then maybe I was just over excited when I first unwrapped my shiny, new DSi. Actually, that brings about another point quite nicely – in that it’s not shiny. It’s matte. Which looks nice, really nice if I’m honest. I wasn’t sure at first but I think it certainly looks cooler and I prefer what Nintendo have done with the shoulder buttons and the volume control now. Also, with the matte finish, you no longer get your DS covered in sticky finger prints when small children grab it off you.

Altogether it’s a much tidier and, dare I say it, a much more “adult” design.
Nintendo have also incorporated a menu reminiscent of that of the Wii. Mine is currently empty bar the default apps that come with it (curse you internet) but there are numerous empty boxes that can be filled to your hearts content by accessing the Nintendo shop and downloading new games, demos etc. This is a neat addition but Nintendo are a little late off the mark considering that downloading from a market has become common place now. That said though, the idea of being able to download and play the likes of Secret of Mana appeals greatly to me and if Nintendo can provide more support than the PSN for the PSP (which shouldn’t be difficult) then they’ll definitely be onto a winner.

The main pull of the DSi, and the reason that many will convert is that the day of the GBA slot is over. Now put out to pasture Nintendo have replaced it with an SD memory slot. This means that data is now interchangeable between your PC and your DSi, be it pictures or MP3s, and while I’m not sure of what file types the DSi supports this is still a nice feature. Possibly unnecessary but nice nonetheless. Using the built in camera and microphone it’s now possible to take your own photos and record your own sound clips and using the DSi software you can mess around with them – adding distortion to the sounds and using art tools to manipulate the images. Again, this is cool and something of a distraction but if you have an MP3 player and a reasonable digital camera the DSi equivalents become relegated to the status of novelty and not much more.

Ultimately I’d thoroughly recommend the DSI but only for those of you who don’t already own the original. The machine itself offers untapped potential in terms of downloading old titles and god knows that Nintendo certainly excel in that department. The new design is sleeker and trendier than the original for sure and it makes the DSi look less like a child’s toy and more like a must have gadget.
With so many five star titles available on the DS to date you’d be a fool not to get one, it’s just debatable whether you need a DSi. Unless you intend to download games and apps it would probably be best to stick with an original DS for now, especially as their price has now fallen. If you’re buying for a child then it would definitely be best to stick with the older model, if you’re buying for yourself it may be frugal to wait a while and see what online support Nintendo intend to pull out of the bag.