The Completely Unbiased Comprehensive Nintendo DSi Review

The Nintendo DSi is a great and “magical” device. I have tons of feelings for this system and and a few likes and dislikes. Prepare for a long review.

Unboxing & Setup

Right when I picked up the DSi I stared at it anxiously awaiting the magical unboxing experience. The box is much more attractive than the Nintendo DS Lite box and it is a more pleasant experience. As I unwrapped the “wrap” containing the DSi I eagerly turned it on and proceeded to set it up. The setup experience is more streamlined but a bit tedious.

Design

The design of the Nintendo DSi is almost identical to the Nintendo DS Lite. Some of the differences are the two cameras, the location of the power button and the new indicator lights. The DSi is 4 millimeters thinner than the DS Lite and 5 millimeters wider. The matte finish is more prone to scratches as I’ve already got a few scratches. The system feels more durable in your hand and the hinge is more durable. The two stereo speakers look different and you adjust the volume with a push-button control instead of a slider. It does not include a GBA slot which is a minor disappointment depending on whether you own a system that can play GBA games. The DSi has two 0.3 megapixel cameras which produce decent quality photos. On the outside the two squares are not there and the stylus is slightly more easier for big hands.

Features

The Nintendo DSi has a lot of new features. One of those features that everybody might know about is the camera. You can adjust photos, add “graffiti” and merge photos. I won’t go in depth about the camera as other reviews have. Instead I’ll be focusing on the lesser known features.

Nintendo DSi Shop

I am most excited about the Nintendo DSi Shop as there is a lot of potential in the shop. Like Wiiware it can be used to distribute innovative games and applications. Currently there are a few games on the Shop. The first third party game on the DSi Shop is Mixed Messages. Shockingly I kinda liked it. Wario Ware: Snapped was actually working pretty well for me although I sometimes got the message that the background was too similar. Heck the wall is pale and I am peach. Birds and Beans is addicting games and Master of Illusion Express: Shuffle Games is fun when played with a friend but alone it is boring. The web browser is actually decent and loaded websites fairly quickly. Some sites like engadget.com had a memory problem to the intense use of images but m.engadget.com was fast. I hope Nintendo releases more apps in North America like Moving Notepad and the Nintendo DSi calculator. Overall this has a lot of potential and I hope Nintendo takes advantage of it

Nintendo DSi Sound

The sound recording application is not useful and only provides about 5 minutes of enjoyment as each sound recording is only 10 seconds long. The music player on the other hand is actually pretty good and it is kinda enjoyable to listen to your favourite song with a different pitch and tone. It has a large assortment of visualizers and most of them are pretty good. Overall the sound recording app is crap while the music player is great.

Pictochat

Pictochat is the same as on the Nintendo DS Lite except for the ability to have rainbow colured pen. In case youdon’t know Pictochat is the chatting app for all Nintendo DS’s. You can chat with people within range of you and draw/write. Overall Pictochat is relatively unchanged but still retains the same charm

DS Download Play

Nothing changed here but for people who don’t what this is. DS Download Play is the app which allows you to download a game someone is wirelessly transmitting and vs. them in it.

Camera

The camera is actually enjoyable and not a gimmick like people have said. You can adjust photos and add many special effects to them. They take decent quality photos but they aren’t the best. The camera works best in bright light. Overall it is good.

Wireless/Online Connectivity

The Nintendo DSi can connect to WPA/WPA2 networks unlike the DS Lite but only in DSi games. Wi-Fi access is now a necessity as a few features of the DSi use them. Download speeds were quick on the DSi Shop. Wireless and Wi-Fi access have the most impact on the battery life.

Performance

Despite DSi’s upgraded processor to the increased RAM I didn’t notice any difference in the games performance.The upgraded specs were probably necessary for the two cameras. The great thing about it is the possibilities with the improved specs in DS games. I know Ninty hates homebrew but with a DSi you can create much nicer homebrew that I’m even thinking of making my own. Nintendo also blocked flash carts like the R4 and the CycloDS from it as they encourage piracy. I agree with Ninty but flashcarts are also used for legitimate purposes. If you want a flash cart to work on the Nintendo DSi purchase a Acekard 2i or a TTDSi. The problem with owning a Acekard 2i or any DSi flash cart is that it is illegal. Firmware is upgradable and that is great because that allows Nintendo to improve the device and add new features. Currently the 1.3U update hasn’t really added anything.

Overall

Overall the Nintendo DSi is a great device despite some gimmicky features. Whether you should get it or not depends on you but I suggest you get it.