Nintendo DS-i confirmed

Moderator Note: I will not restrict all discussions about the DS-i to this thread however, users are encouraged to use this thread instead of flooding the board with useless questions that can be simply answered here. If it gets out of hand, all discussion will be restricted to this thread ~ Soul

13:39: Iwata takes the stage and immediately announces the Nintendo DS-i, the new version of DS.

13:46: The size of the unit has been reduced by 12% and 2.6 millimeters -- and the Game Boy Advance cartridge slot is gone.

13:59: More from Gemaga. As the rumors indicated, the DSi has a larger screen, 3.25 inches. There's a camera, and an audio-playing function. The camera is... goodness. 300,000 pixels? Is that 3 megapixels? You can apparently edit pictures using the touch screen. When playing back sounds, you can adjust the pitch and the playback speed.

14:00: There's an SD memory card slot so you can dump your pictures right to Wii's photo channel, for example

14:04: Whoa, there's onboard memory apparently, so you can load it up with software... like games. You can download games. With Wii Points. Holy cow. Wii Points will be renamed "Nintendo Points." This just went from "well, interesting" to "must buy."

14:05: Nintendo DS web browser is built in.

14:06: From the "Nintendo DS Shop," you can download "Nintendo DS Ware." Software will be split into four categories: Free, 200, 500, Premium (800). And until March 2010, you'll get a free 1000 points (1000 yen or $10) when you buy a DSi.

14:10: The "DS Station" download kiosks in Japanese stores will enter their "second phase." A new service called "Nintendo Zone" will be started, which you can also use at McDonald's. (This must be the "strengthened internet communication" that early reports from Nikkei discussed.)

14:11: Nintendo DSi will be released in white and black color variations, and launch on November 1 for 18900 yen (about $180). Yes, they've just raised the price of Nintendo DS a second time. You knew it was coming.

14:38: Gamasutra's Simon Carless instant messages to tell me that the camera in the DSi must be 640x480 resolution, because 640 times 480 equals 300,000 pixels.

http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/10/liveblogging-th.html

13:46: The size of the unit has been reduced by 12% and 2.6 millimeters -- and the Game Boy Advance cartridge slot is gone.

So in other words, the odds of a Guitar Hero sequel basically just drop to 0.

Dang beat me to it. -_-

I don't get this, cell phones can do this, who doesn't have a cell phone?

13:59: More from Gemaga. As the rumors indicated, the DSi has a larger screen, 3.25 inches. There's a camera, and an audio-playing function. The camera is... goodness. 300,000 pixels? Is that 3 megapixels? You can apparently edit pictures using the touch screen. When playing back sounds, you can adjust the pitch and the playback speed.

Nintendo_Man

Mega = 1 million. So a MegaPixel is one million pixels. This camera is only 0.3MP (roughly SDTV resolution).

A virtual console for DS!?!?!? Wait does it only work with the DSi?

If so I will be one unhappy camper.

I'm hearing rumours of Mario & Luigi 3!?!?!?

*crosses fingers*

2 touchscreens, bigger screens at that. Improved sound. On board memory. SD card slot. Built in web browser. Virtual console games playable on system....

This is a whole new DS basically. But no word of improved graphics? WTF?!

Say goodbye to the DS Lite! And hello to the new DS-i!! Any confirmation on both screens being touch now?

Cannot wait to get my hands on this. :)

2 touchscreens, bigger screens at that. Improved sound. On board memory. SD card slot. Built in web browser. Virtual console games playable on system....

This is a whole new DS basically. But no word of improved graphics? WTF?!

SpaceMountain86

I'm less concerned about graphics, and more worried about media. Is it using the exact same cards, or have they modified them so they can hold greater capacities? (the fact that the 256MB cards read slower than the lower capacity ones suggests to me that they're stretching the hardware to its limits)

http://bb.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/news/23361.html

I don't think the 2nd screen is a touch screen.

All Japanese news pages don't mention a 2nd touch screen. At least the screens are 17% bigger. More memory, card slots and better WiFi security are also a plus.agehaelhaym

The screens are 17% bigger, but what about the actual resolution?

This all sounds really dumb to me. This is neither a new system or a redesign. If they are using the same games as a regular DS or DSLite, then what is the point of the second touch screen (Is there a second tocuh screen? Seriously, I'm not being sarcastic.)? How will you play games like Guitar Hero On Tour or how will the Pal Park in Pokemon work. Call me stupid, but I think Nintendo rushed the DSi so that they can take advantage of the holiday season. Sorry Nintendo, but I think I'll wait 'til the next handheld.

EDIT: Sorry. several websites had incorrect information. TheDSi will only have one touch screen.

*sigh. what a waste of money this is gonna be for me. i really don't need a camera and audio playback on my ds.

one of the few positives i see about this is possible software quality control. a lot of the crap shovelware that should not be published as market price ds games could find their way to the downloads instead of the flooding the shelves with their useless presence.

in any case.. i dunno. i'm neither thrilled nor disappointed.

MARIO AND LUIGI 3 CONFIRMED!

www.smrpglegacy.com

Bowser is playable!? Bros items are back! YES!

MARIO AND LUIGI 3 CONFIRMED!

www.smrpglegacy.com

Bowser is playable!? Bros items are back! YES!

Shy_Guy_Red

OMG. so far this conference is living up to the hype to my standards and both trailers were awesome wii and ds

Mario & Luigi 3! It looks like they're going back to Superstar Saga on this one. If you look closely at the enemy they're bro-attacking, it looks like a minion of Fawful. Maybe Fawful returns? :DZumaJones07

i liked the bro attacks betta then the bro items so i hope so.

plus bowser is playable oh no they didn't.

mario and luigi 3 is the mustard on my sandwich the sandwich of doom (well awful said somethig like that in super star saga)

this sucks, i just bought a ds ltie back in jan 07 and then this. too bad it has no more gba compatibility, but virtual console games playable on the dsi? what about games requiring analog sticks like mario party? and how large of an internal memory does the dsi have?inzaneetie013

The DS isn't nearly powerful enough to emulate the N64, so I doubt you'll need to worry about how you're going to control Mario Party on it.

"Nintendo has confirmed to Eurogamer that the new DSi handheld will only have one touch screen - just like the DS Lite."

I don't really understand how it is possible to increase screen size without a) reducing pixel depth or b) sacrificing touch screen accuracy per pixel...I just can't quite wrap my mind around how they did it.

Smaller unit + bigger screen sounds like a nice deal to me provided picture integrity isn't hurt in any way. It looks more minamalist than most of Nintendo's major re-designs though and seems to me to be more reactionary to the market (PSP3000) rather than a move Nintendo really needed to make.

I'll leave aside the boring arguments about re-hasing/cheating/being ripped off and all that guff because we've already talked it to death.

its so ugly. that camera lens looks so out of place. and taking out the gba slot is a HUGE downer, it may have been worth it if it wasn't for that.

Nintendo_Man

Wait a sec.... am I looking at this wrong or is the ds-i BIGGER than the ds lite? :? Its says its been reduced 12%.... Need some better pictures.

its so ugly. that camera lens looks so out of place. and taking out the gba slot is a HUGE downer, it may have been worth it if it wasn't for that.

crispyo

Why?? You mean you seriously can't afford a GBA, GBA advance, original DS, or a lite?? The GBA slot was just a waste of space. I'm glad they got rid of it. This new DS looks pretty cool!

still holding on to the phat if nothing about betta graphics.Masterx1220

Well, at least we'll have downloadable games. That's a change.

Wait a sec.... am I looking at this wrong or is the ds-i BIGGER than the ds lite? :? Its says its been reduced 12%.... Need some better pictures.

Rob_101

It's be 12% thinner.

My guess is the VC games the DS can have will be GB/GBC and not the consoles.Nintendo_Man

That would be awesome!

I could finally play Link's Awakening and Super Mario Land! =D

Damn that is AMAZING :shock: but I think I'll stick to my Lite. I wouldn't be able to play GH on the DSi :P Though the bigger screen, thinner body, SD card support, multimedia capabilties, camera, internet browser and downloadable games are very VERY temptingKenny789

Bigger screen, but, as far as I know, no change in the resolution. Thinner body? No, it's bigger than the Lite. Multimedia capabilities, well, I guess that would be fun the first two seconds, but I don't see the reason for having a camera on it. The internet browser is not exactly new and fancy, and you could download games for the Lite as well - if you really wanted to.

[QUOTE="crispyo"]

its so ugly. that camera lens looks so out of place. and taking out the gba slot is a HUGE downer, it may have been worth it if it wasn't for that.

santiagochile

Why?? You mean you seriously can't afford a GBA, GBA advance, original DS, or a lite?? The GBA slot was just a waste of space. I'm glad they got rid of it. This new DS looks pretty cool!

I don't think you could describe the GBA slot as a waste of space.... On top of playing old GBA games, it also made transfer possible from GBA to DS games, and is necessary for the rumble pak and periphals like the MP3 Player and the Guitar Hero accessory.

Nintendo not supporting the entire DS games catalogue in a redesign is just plain lame IMO....

Let's also cut the possibility to play GC games on the Wii-redesign....*sigh*

Thinner body? No, it's bigger than the Lite.superninjarobot

It is in fact thinner, but also wider.

and you could download games for the Lite as well - if you really wanted to.

superninjarobot

This way you can do it legally.

Mega = 1 million. So a MegaPixel is one million pixels. This camera is only 0.3MP (roughly SDTV resolution).

ThePlothole

It has two cameras - one is 0.3MP and the other is 3MP.

[QUOTE="Masterx1220"]still holding on to the phat if nothing about betta graphics.superninjarobot

Well, at least we'll have downloadable games. That's a change.

Yeah, that's great!

[QUOTE="ThePlothole"]

Mega = 1 million. So a MegaPixel is one million pixels. This camera is only 0.3MP (roughly SDTV resolution).

thecreepingmess

It has two cameras - one is 0.3MP and the other is 3MP.

Yeah I know. I posted that back when information was just coming out, and the news sites were assuming it was just one camera at either 0.3 or 3MP.

[QUOTE="superninjarobot"]Thinner body? No, it's bigger than the Lite.ThePlothole

It is in fact thinner, but also wider.

and you could download games for the Lite as well - if you really wanted to.

superninjarobot

This way you can do it legally.

EXACTLY, and Nintendo is also responding to a LOT of recent events such as the PSP-3000, the R4 incidents, rabid pirating of the games (for the love of God, just buy the games like everyone else), and the possibility of the engineers scratching their heads regarding the next TRUE version of the DS (the gyroscope/motion patents for Game Boy-like devices). Plus they wanted to integrate more features that came standard in PSPs such as the browser and the multimedia capabilities.

Let's not forget that after 80 million DS units sold, and wide availability of GBA SPs on the web, retro gamers can get their GBA fix anytime. For games that use the GBA slot as a peripheral port for DS games, just keep your old DS. In my case my DS Lite is now two years old this week and the wear and tear is showing. I was going to purchase a new DS around January but I can wait for this one. Plus I live close to Philadelphia so there are several things I can think of regarding the camera alone. I'm a blogger/podcaster with my own site and there were things that I wanted to write/capture; now I can do that and play my favorite handheld at the same time.

I don't know, it seems everyone just wants to complain about the device whether they want to purchase it or not. If you don't want to lose the GBA port, then DON'T BUY THE DSi. Simple. It does hurt me a little, but I haven't used the slot in months and I'm willing to accept the loss. Plus I'm an old-school gamer and being able to play Super Mario Land, Donkey Kong (1994's 96-level version), and Kirby's Block Ball will be worth it.

The one thing that i hate about the dsi so far is that according to Kotaku, it have a 9-14 hour battery life on the lowest light setting, whearas the dsl is 15-19. Im still going to get it though, since im still playing with the ds phat from 200(4?), which can barely last 6 hours on a full night's charge. It had a good run, but the exterior and lower screen are quite intensely scratched up, not to mention a bite mark on one corner from when i was hit with 6 consecutive blue shells in mk.
On a side note, im not really looking forward to the mandatory investment in a case now though, what with the camera being exposed to the inside of my constantly jostling pocket all day.

http://kotaku.com/5057883/lets-compare-the-ds-lite-and-the-dsi < --- bunch of comparisons to the lite.