Six months on, is the DSi worth it?

Nintendos latest revision of their blockbuster handheld has now been available for half a year. Has the handheld carved out a new direction for handheld gaming, or is it just an old piece of hardware with a few gimmicks thrown in?

Is the DSi worth it? Short Answer, Totally.

Nintendo are the reigning kings of the handheld gaming market, having broken ground with their legacy ’Game and Watch’ devices of the eighties, and then making the term ’Game Boy’ a household name of the nineties. Even with serious challenges presented by competitors hoping to edge their way into the handheld gaming arena at several times over the last few decades, Nintendo has managed not only to persevere, but to dominate the industry. The DS platform has been around since 2005, with the lovingly-nicknamed ’Phat’ DS replaced by its skinnier, sexier, younger sister the DS Lite. The handheld was incredibly successful, more so than Nintendo had ever anticipated, and this year saw the local release of their attempts to prolong the lifespan of the DS brand, the DSi. The latest iteration brings a camera, a new interface and some extra processing oomph under the bonnet—but is the new package worth the investment for many gamers out there who already own a DS?

When the DSi was announced, I instantly wrote it off. To me it was nothing more than the same old handheld that would just play the same games I could already enjoy on (one of my many) DS consoles. The new camera? Just a tacky device stuck on to appeal to the young Facebook generation. The very handy GBA slot present in both the ’Phat’ DS and DS Lite was removed, only to be replaced by the much smaller SD card slot. The ability to load portable memory into a DS allowed for media and game data storage, but as a personal music and media player, the DSi was lacking in functionality compared to other trendy gizmos like the iPod. Sure, when Nintendo unveiled the DSi for the first time in 2008, they trumpeted the added processing power, but no-one expected any new games to immediately take advantage of the opportunities presented by the new hardware (and really, we still haven’t). Finally, there was DSiWare—a service very much like WiiWare which has rewarded Wii owners with plenty of quality downloadable games.

We provided the best online FAQ detailing the features of the DSi prior to its release on April 2nd. Now that it has been on the market for six months, we’ve settled in with the changes, seen the DSiWare store grow and watched the DSi perform very healthily on sales charts. We now know enough about the little treasure to advise fence-sitters considering an upgrade on what they can expect.

Long-time DS owners who pick up and hold a DSi for the first time are going to notice just how different it feels. The matte finish feels quite rough at first, almost sandpaper-like compared to the smooth glossy finish of the DS. You’ll quickly get used to the feel of it, and the matte presentation actually looks quite smart; it is easier to keep clean and has a sophisticated touch to it. The increased screen size from 3 inches to 3.25 inches may not sound like much, but the display will definitely appear bigger and brighter and makes for less strain on your eyes when gaming on the go. The hardware is lighter, but none of this will be as noticeable as the glorious improvements to the speakers.

I challenge DS owners to re-play their favourite games on a DSi just so they can notice how much the speaker quality has improved. The sound is deeper and less tinny and music and speech has a crisper fidelity to it depending on the sampling quality from game to game. Music games like Elite Beats Agents or puzzle games with classic video game music like Tetris DS will really pop with the improved sound and are worth revisiting even if you’ve played them to death.

But where the DSi really brings it home is with an improved, larger D-pad and better face buttons. Play any racing or action-intensive game on a DSi and you will notice that split-second decisions are made easier by an ever-so-subtle improvement in the responsiveness of the buttons. The D-pad is less spongy, but won’t require you to force your thumbs into it. The shoulder buttons have a higher relief above the back of the case than the DS Lite and are less soft with improved responsiveness without being too ’clicky’. Were you a Mario Kart DS player who could never quite get the hang of ’snaking’ around the track? You’ll want to try again on the DSi, as the new shoulder buttons make drifting around corners a piece of cake.

Overall, the DSi may look much like a DS Lite when you look at the picture on the box, but get one in your hands and it will feel like a completely different beast. The improvements to existing features may be minimal but, taken together, they add up to improve the overall handheld gaming experience. Think of it as getting all the extra trimmings on a new car—yes, it will go the same speed as the stucco model, but the leather trim and designer steering wheel will make an ordinary sedan feel like a luxury saloon. By that comparison, the DSi is the Aston Martin of the handheld world—all class.

The new package is complemented by an all-new menu interface that is very ’Wii-like’ in its design and layout. You can exit to the menu from any game—a feature lacking in previous DSes—and the GUI feels much more engaging as you can slide and move icons around to suit your taste, much like the Channels in the Wii menu.

Finally, the DSi improves wireless connectivity, offering WPA and WPA2 encryption in addition to the older WEP connection that limited the DS and DS Lite. What that means is that you will be able to access a broader range of modems and routers in your home without having to purchase Nintendo’s proprietary wireless dongle or connecting through your Wii.

The two cameras built into the face and back of the DSi are a bit ordinary, but it is their clever integration into the menu interface that makes the new feature worthwhile. At 0.3 megapixels apiece, you’re not going to be taking any award-winning photos anytime soon. You will, however, be taking lots of pictures of your stupid ugly face. That is where the cleverness of Nintendo comes to the fore. They realised that people will cherish their handheld device more if it can be personalised. Upon firing up your DSi for the first time, you will be requested to take a photo of yourself, which will be displayed on the top screen every time you boot up. Yes, you play around with the built-in software to stretch your face out and make yourself look like an idiot with love hearts and moustache splashed across your face, but it really makes the DSi a much more personal device once you invest part of your identity into it. Facebook users also have the easy option of uploading images directly to their profile, although that is a feature that is likely to be more suitable for younger people. The camera is simple and serviceable, but helps bring just a little bit more character to the system.

The DS always had a microphone, but with new sound manipulation software written into the firmware you’ll be able to play around with sound when you’re not gaming. Much like the camera, the sound recording software is more for personal amusement than anything else. You can record your voice and then play around with the speed and pitch or make yourself sound like a parrot, but the sound recording capabilities of the DSi are put to much better creative use with Flipnote Studio (see below).

With the opportunity to take pictures and record sound, as well as store a range of downloadable software, the presence of removable media makes sense. The DSi has 256 MB of in-built memory straight out of the box, so you’ll be kept happy for a while. You’ll be able to store many more photos of your ugly self, as well as extra space for all those DSiWare games you’re going to download, although we hope Nintendo takes greater advantage of the functionality possible with extra memory space in future. At the moment, compatibility with AAC-format music only just isn’t good enough. It is an uncommon format, and MP3 support would be much more desirable. The capability is there, and all Nintendo needs to do is write the codec for MP3 playback into a firmware update and we’d be golden. Unfortunately, lazy old Nintendo has shown no signs of having any intention of doing this.

The chipset inside the DSi is faster and meatier. We know that DSi-only games are on the way, but we are still unsure whether such titles will make much use of the extra processing grunt. For the moment, that extra power is likely being used to handle the management and displaying of images taken with the camera. The few retail ’DSi-enhanced’ games that make use of the camera may also draw upon the increased power of the new processor. Potential is never a good reason to invest in a gaming platform, and whether or not DSi-only games will constitute Nintendo’s next generation of handheld games is yet to be seen.

If there is a single reason for you to drop cash on a DSi, the answer is DSiWare. Whilst the current selection of software in Australia is nowhere as rich as what is currently available overseas, there are plenty of games ready for purchase from the DSi Shop that offer fun, bite-sized but surprisingly meaty gaming experiences perfect for portable gaming fans. The DSi Shop has been open now for six months, offering over 30 titles for download today. As with any decision to buy into a new gaming system, the range and types of games available should always be your first consideration.

The ’Art Style’ series of games published by Nintendo really are an understated treasure in the growing world of download-only games. The Art Style games on WiiWare were simple, but well-presented and addictive, and we cheered when we learnt that Art Style games would be developed for DSi.

PicoPict

PicoPict is the best 500 points I’ve spent on DSiWare, and my favourite Art Style game to date. The game is a unique twist on Tetris-style falling brick puzzles. Using simple (but occasionally fickle) control of the stylus, players can group matching colours of falling pixels to form ’Picto’ that in turn are used to recreate sprites from classic Nintendo games. The mechanic is simple and intuitive, but the retro-style presentation really makes PicoPict shine. There are hours and hours of fun to be had playing the game’s (only) challenge mode, which will award you coins that can be spent unlocking the devilishly challenging ’remix’ modes. The game is surprisingly long for a downloadable game like this—a promising sign of what we can expect for our Nintendo Points.

BoxLife

Another Art Style puzzle game that is deceptive in depth and challenge. Watching someone else play it, you would think it was the most boring game ever. The game requires players to cut up sheets of squares into shapes that can be folded into cubes. Sounds simple, but once you get the feel of it, you’ll soon get sucked into the world of cutting and folding. The presentation is simple, but it is addictive and surprisingly deep. Like PicoPict, there are limited gameplay modes, but the game rewards players who return to earlier levels to improve their score.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again was Nintendo’s first attempt with DSiWare to show people that online was a big part of Nintendo and the DSiWare service. Originally it was thought that March of the Mini’s was simply a rehash of Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2- previously released at retail on the DS. That wasn’t the case as ’March’ is basically a Lemmings-esquse take on the Mario vs Donkey Kong formula. For your 800 points you will get a full title of single player gameplay with multiple worlds and an added online level creator with an editor swapping facility in which you can trade levels online with friends and the general public. Bang for your buck? You betcha. The core game is fun and rewarding, and the re-play value is practicably infinitesmal with the sheer number of user-created levels available for download. One of the most feature-packed games available and probably the best use of tier-one Nintendo characters available on the DSiWare Shop.

Flipnote Studio

Remarkably, one of the best and most fun pieces of software available for download isn’t really a game, and you don’t even need to pay for it. Flipnote Studio is effectively a digital stack of blank pages. You can scribble down whatever you like on each page—words or pictures, and then watch your creations come to life as an animation. You can even add in sound to flesh out your animations. The program is incredibly addictive, owing mostly to it’s intuitive interface and ease of use. It literally takes only seconds to create a short ’flipbook’ sequence and watch it play. Proud of your creation? Why not share it with others by taking advantage of the DSi’s internet capabilities. As such, Flipnote Studio itself is a great collective demonstration of all the new features the DSi brings—utilising the DSi Shop, camera, and the ability to save to SD card and share over the Internet.

Why should you buy a DSi? Because it’s awesome! Nintendo recognises that handheld systems are personal devices and that personalisation brings a sense of heart to the system. Each of the new features build on this philosophy in simple ways, and the hardware itself is now capable of a lot more than what we’ve been using our DSes for over the last five years. The DSi is the best version of the DS yet in almost every way (sans GBA slot), and with four colours to choose from and more likely on the way, you’ll be able to pick up a DSi of your choosing, start personalising it, and fill it with fantastic software. The cost might appear high, but compared to other handheld gaming devices (PSP, iPod/iPhone), you are getting a lot for your dollar and simply the best and most diverse library of games to choose from.

DSiWare is great and can only get better. DS owners sitting on the fence about investing in DSi are urged to give DSiWare games a look and realise the range of great games that can be enjoyed. The amount and depth of gameplay is generally proportional to the amount of Nintendo Points you are willing to spend, but the catalogue of games is pretty cheap. There is a limited range at the moment, but the quality of the gameplay and the production values are surprisingly good.

Personally, I think the full potential of the DSi is yet to be realised, and there is no guarantee that a ’next-generation’ of DSi-only games will effectively usher in Nintendo’s next generation of handheld gaming.

When the DSi shipped here, we thought games would be region-free. Unfortunately, we have recently learnt that DSi-only and DSi-enhanced games are to be region-encoded, effectively limiting the opportunities to import. Games on DSiWare appear months in advance overseas before they are available locally, but we should be used to getting shafted in Australia. We recently learned that games downloaded to a DSi are only transferable to another system in the case of breakage and malfunction, and if you send the faulty DSi and the replacement together to Nintendo. Such frustrations are par for the course with digital download-only software and there is annoyingly little we can do about it.

I was a total convert of the DSi from the moment I got my hands on one—the entirely new presentation is really greater than the sum of its parts. Handheld gaming is my passion and every DS game I’ve played recently has been enjoyed on my sexy black DSi.

Anyone looking to get into the world of DS gaming should look straight past the DS Lite and pick up a DSi, no question about it. The DS Lite might save you a few bucks, but you are missing out on a much tidier package, a great range of DSiWare, and the potential of future software that will take advantage of the camera and CPU power. Current DS owners have a slightly harder decision, but the improvements are noticeable enough that it will feel like a new system.

At $300 RRP, the DSi is by no means cheap and it is unlikely to drop in price for the next few years (hey, it’s Nintendo), but it is an investment that will reward handheld gaming buffs. As a ’personal electronics device’ there are better products out there that provide superior media playback, but the DSi is a worthy consideration for younger, less tech-savvy children who want nothing more than to share photos and have serviceable music playback.

With Christmas around the corner, we predict more than a few DSi handhelds will be propped up against the tree this year, and we look forward to seeing more new software take advantage of the possibilities that the DSi presents.

Share your opinions on the DSi below!