Wrap-Up

A tour through the included toys is great and all, and perhaps a taste of what might be coming down the pipe as Nintendo puts out more DSiWare (which, of course, as of press time we don't have access to); but the DSi also still plays DS games from what's probably one of the best system libraries ever... so of course, I had to spend some time doing that as well.

It's an interesting experience, playing on the slightly larger screens. They are only 0.25" bigger than the Lite or classic DS's, but looking into them makes them feel positively huge. I don't know if it's entirely optical illusion, either, but the targets in Elite Beat Agents felt appreciably bigger as well. Throw in better color saturation and the option for extra-blinding illumination and it's the best DS has looked.

The sound of course makes a big difference here as well. The Lite seemed to be a step back over the powerful sound found on the original system, but DSi makes it all up and then some, by both being louder—almost to the point of painfully-so—and simply having better sound quality.

And, of course, I can't forget the controls. I've longed for a return to the metal-dome switches for as long as I can remember. I never really had trouble with Lite, per se, but I always remembered the classic DS's controls fondly. Now I have them again, and perhaps even slightly better. Actually, if you figure in the wonderful L and R triggers, it is definitely better.

DSi is basically the definitive DS. It's got the best buttons, it's got solid build quality without being clunky like the original, and its screens are the best DS has ever had to offer. And on top of that, it does represent an investment in Nintendo's future direction for DS.


Nintendo president Satoru Iwata explained the "i" in DSi (in part) thusly:

The "i" in Nintendo DSi represents people just as it did for Wii. As many people are already aware, Wii also suggested the plural pronoun "We," so there is more than one "i." It expresses our desire that people gather in groups around their Wii console.

This time there's only one "i." This represents the "I" of oneself, and expresses our hope that each person will treat their Nintendo DSi system as unique.

You can actually see the beginnings of this trend with the original Nintendo DS. When you power it up, it asks you for your name, your favorite color, and your birthday as part of the setup. Games, too, on Nintendo's prior portables tended to look more like console games; the first thing you usually did was load your save. But with DS, an increasing trend could be detected toward games that were specifically for one person. Multiple save slots became rare as games immediately loaded your info. Your profile information was used to identify you in multiplayer games. Wi-Fi Connection games tied themselves to one system. It certainly wasn't the rule, but it was a very popular direction.

As such, DSi isn't so much a revolution in this direction as its logical continuation; but it does carry it to the next step. The built-in camera app resembles a photo diary. The sound app encourages you to play with your own voice. And when the Nintendo DSi Shop launches, the games you buy will often come as little bits and pieces; assembling, on your system, a collection of games and apps that are yours.

It'll be very interesting to see where Nintendo takes it from here. I'm anxiously awaiting the opening of the DSi Shop on Sunday.

In the meantime, send me your questions! I'll be posting daily up through launch day, and if I can help you find out more about the DSi, I'll be happy to.