So yes. You read right, yet another Nintendo DS redesign, this time called "Nintendo DSi". I'll copy and paste the most important features and post some pics:

- 12%, 2.6 millimeters lighter, no more GBA slot (no more Guitar Hero)

- bigger screens, better speakers

- Camera: two cameras - one inside and one out - 640×480 resolution

- screens are 3.25 inches

- camera and audio functions

- only one touch screen according to Nintendo UK spokesperson

- pictures taken should be able to be manipulated via touch screens

- pitch and sound playback speed can be adjusted

- SD card slot

- store then view pics on Wii Photo Channel

- internal memory for apps

- built-in web browser

- download DSi Ware with Nintendo Points (Wii points renamed)

- apps will cost free/200/500/800 points.

- download via the Nintendo DSi Shop.

- owners that connect by March, 2010 will receive 1000 Points as a gift. (Japan)

- Hits Japan on Nov 1st for 18900 yen…2009 release for rest of the world

- colors: white and frosted black

- Games due out around launch: Valk Profile DS, Kirby (most likely SSU), Kyotaro, Rockman (most likely MMSF3), World Food, Phantasy Star Zero, Momotaro Dentetsu, Mario and Luigi 3

- AAC playback for DSi

- DS browser will be Opera






My opinion: it sucks.

Well, if I didn't have a DS Lite I would go for it.

kind of cool i guess but really maybe its time they thought about upgrading hardware?

I will probably buy this (maybe after the first price drop, it's not urgent).  The built in SD slot means homebrew will probably be a lot easier, I love the idea of downloadable content, and the size change makes a big difference when you wear girl pants and have pockets that basically cannot hold a DS.  I have very, very few GBA games and I still have my actual GBA (though the screen is smudged from the inside so it's a little hard to see), so the removal of that slot is no big deal.  All in all this seems like a great improvement.

Kind of a weird thought, but I remember there being a cell phone version of Fatal Frame that would use pictures you take and put really cheesy, bad looking ghosts over top of them as part of the gameplay.  Even though it's a really hilariously bad idea, I would probably buy this same game for the DS.  I don't know, I was just trying to find a way that the camera could be incorporated into a game and that's all that I could think about.  I want to take a picture of a box and have GHOST HANDS coming out of them (i think this was a real screenshot from that game)

The only thing about the GBA slot going that I could imagine being an issue is that I think Monster Rancher DS (which I'm pretty sure isn't even out in the US, I think it's out in Japan though I don't really keep up with it) used the GBA slot as sort of a replacement for CDs...however, I think it still had the code system so it's not a very big deal.

-bigger screen
-better speakers
-external storage
-web browser
-aac playback
-downloadable apps and connectivity with parent console

is nintendo feeling threatened by the PSP?

looks like I'll be getting a DS lite (the last one), sooner than I thought.  (New design usually = price drop for older models)

Honestly, I don't see why they felt the need to redesign the DS.  Most people I know don't need the extras Nintendo added on to this (I'm looking at you web browser)  and the removal of the GBA slot?  Why?

Oh well, my bitching isn't gonna stop it from being made, so...  I'll just leave it at that.

man does Nintendo have to redesign every one of their portable systems like 57 times or what

anyway I'm glad I didn't get a DS up until this point, except I /do/ care about GBA compatibility because my GBA is the stupid first model GBA with no fucking backlight

fuck you nintendo

No GBA slot means I'd never bother to get this. I have a Micro, so GBA games are all I play (and they're the best).

man does Nintendo have to redesign every one of their portable systems like 57 times or what

3 redesigns will do.

Anyways this is really dumb imo! I want a successor to the DS/GBA, not another remake. The DS hardware is incredibly dated and I don't know how much longer people will keep paying for its underpowered hardware!

you guys seem to ignoring how easy it will be to pirate ds games now.  i have no intention of paying for square's overpriced ports but this will make it worth my while (and the ds is region free so a japanese one isn't going to do any harm).

you guys seem to ignoring how easy it will be to pirate ds games now.  i have no intention of paying for square's overpriced ports but this will make it worth my while (and the ds is region free so a japanese one isn't going to do any harm).

Isn't it easy to pirate DS games now?  If anything, it should be a bit harder to pirate on the DSi, since it will probably have countermeasures for existing DS piracy methods (R4, etc).  I'm sure getting DS games to run from the SD card slot is no small task, either.

I don't like this too much but there's one thing I saw in a vid and in this thread that is definitely worthwhile




mario and luigi 3 oh greeeeeeat