Reminder: The DSi is lite on GBA slots (it doesn't have any!)

by Ludwig Kietzmann on Oct 2nd 2008 3:30PM

"Oh, who cares about that thing?" you ask aloud, paying no heed to your alarming habit of vocally addressing the internet. "I can't wait to get that newly announced Nintendo DSi! I don't need no G'bah slot." You pause briefly, ignoring the dire grammar in your previous sentence in favor of concocting something humorous. "I say G'bye to it. Oh, that was clever."

It wasn't. And you're pathetic.

Also, you might just be a tad hasty. As MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo points out, there are several things you won't be able to do on Nintendo's wondrous new device. No Game Boy Advance games -- but will those be offered for download from the DSi store? -- and certainly no rumble cartridges. There won't be any room for your collection of weird-peripheral games either, with Arkanoid losing its paddle pizazz and Guitar Hero: On Tour bidding farewell to its frets.

Though the DSi won't arrive in the US until "well into 2009" and, despite its technological tweaks, be unable to magically transform every DS Lite out there, publishers will no doubt have to start planning new games and, oh yes, new peripherals. We're looking at you, Activision (and we've contacted you about it).

Source

Tags: Activision, DS, DSi, GBA, GBA-Slot, Guitar-Hero, Peripherals, Slot-a-Problem

Reader Comments (63)

Oh shnapp! No "evergreen" sales for Red Octane!

Why cant Nintendo do a world-wide release for once... Im real sick of the phrase "Released in Japan next month, the rest of you can go screw yourself till next year..." ...Grrr!

They just want to sell you all the Marios and Zeldas again, so they nix GBA compatibility...geeeeeeeenius!

Sorry Ninty...been listenin' to MP3's on the old DS for minute! Although I would love louder speakers. And I don't need a camera.

Obviously money motivated DS mutation. I'll pass. See ya at the next Gameboy.

Still don't care about the GBA slot.

A bit ironic considering your avatar...

SLOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW

POOOOOOOOOOKKKKEEEE

Kirby and the Amazing Mirror has been lodged in my GBA slot for some time, and for pretty much most of my DS's life, occasionally switching out for Super Mario World.

And i like them there. My DS games tend to be deeper affairs, and i use the GBA slot to always have a pick-up-and-play alternative.

Yeah, what am I gonna do without my FFIV, VI, Tactics Ogre, Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo, and Super Mario World 2, and SMB 3???

Well, I like the DSi but I'll keep my Phat as well :D

With that nice SD card slot, you know custom software will be right on it. You'll be able to emulate all your GBA games on one card.

MrBlank is right as soon as the homebrew community breaks that SD card slot it will be a glorious day. You'll be able to download every GBA game you own (and maybe some you don't :O) onto the SD card and slide it into your DSi. The possibilities are endless.

I'm not too thrilled right now, but when those clever hackers figure out how to get GBA games emulated on my DS off an SD card I will buy a DSi immediately.

Ludwig, I hope my (future) kids grow up to be just like you!

But how will you tolerate them?

Alcohol.

Honestly people this is a shot at piracy. But in the same the system up in PSP land they way they are making it. With the amount of games available this would be a bad idea for Nintendo.

(pssst... M3's don't use the GBA slot)

I'm gunna stick with my DS Lite.

1. GBA games are awesome.
2. No Pokemon transfers? LAME
3. DSi seems to offer nothing I can't get from any of the number of other multimedia devices I already have (other than downloadable DS content, but it doesn't seem like we'll get anything we can't already buy at retail).

I'm a little bit confused as to whether or not DSi is replacing the DS or if it's just a redesign, but I have to figure I'll be fine with my Lite for a while.

I laughed a little too hard at "I say G'bye to it" and I hate myself for it.

Come on dude. Now you complain about legacy hardware moving out? Everyone was happy Microsoft dropped Backwards compatibility on the xbox360 and Sony also did and everyone complained but no one cares about it anymore.

Now that Nintendo does it everyone screams how you use:
the rumble (that no one bought)
Your browser (which comes inside the unit now) arkanoid paddle (unreleased outside of Japan)
the guitar hero addon (famously mocked of by every website)
and play pokemon and 5 year old games? (that you probably already have a couple consoles to play them since you still like them that much)

tell me, have you secretly been one of the hardest of the hardcore Nintendo fanboys all these time???

Only on this website can one person mentioning something in passing turn to "everybody screaming about it."

I think you're wrong.

I'm not happy about my dusty copy of my xbox Beyond Good & Evil or my dusty PS2 games (my roomates always had one).

No GBA slot is harsh IMO. I play a lot of things on there still. I like being able to play any Final Fantasy up to 6 on my DS at the moment. I like having Zelda 1-3, Golden Sun, Castlevania's, Mario 1-4, Tactics Ogre and FFTA access.

There are a lot of gems on GBA that I go back and play. I guess I must be getting old then if I think ditching the GBA slot completely sold me on NOT needing a DSi.

Lack of GBA slot means I'm going to have to think long and hard about whether or not a trade in my DS Phat for this new one next year.

Eliminating BC may make sense financially, but it's always nice to have the option. Unless you own stock, or you just like having niceties eliminated, I don't see any reason to celebrate losing GBA functionality.

Check out the new version!

Now with less features!

Think about it, a few mention you play GBA games, another guy mentions he has a Ds phat, and another mentions xbox and Ps2 games gathering dust.

Don't get rid of your hardware, expecting the next iteration will work with your old stuff. I have a lot of imported GBA games like rhythm tengoku, so to be able to play them no matter what happens, I save money and buy the other console, don't sell my old one with a bunch of games I don't want anymore. I have a big stack of NES games I can't play anymore because I can't find a NES in my town and never wanted a broken one online. I learned my lesson:

You want BC, keep the original system, not get rid of it to get a new one.

And you could see this coming with the DS lite having GBA games sticking out making it very uncomfortable to hold, something the Ds phat fit very well to do.

Not to mention, you rather they keep the old stuff that get original new stuff, Nintendo doesn't make hardware choices lightly, just the fact that they are bringing a new Warioware means a lot of new ideas will be using the new hardware.

Famicom GBA Micro works fine for my endless Screw Breaker and Orbital sessions, was always awkward playing GBA games on an NDS anyways.

Meh, I just won't sell my DS Phat then. A camera, Wi-Fi store, and music playback will get me to save up the $200, but the DS can't even play GB/GBC games in the first place.

Jesus Christ, it's not like they ask you to turn in your fat/lite when buying the DSi. Just get a GBA from ebay or keep the lite for the 1 or 2 slot-2 accessories you have.

Jesus doesn't really like you. Stop using him.

I still use my GBA SP when playing GBA/GB/GBC games so this is not really a biggie for me. I wish Nintendo would have updated hardware/released 'DS2' instead of just an update...

I agree. They put way too much into just a redesign. When they start adding stuff that can affect gameplay (i.e. a camera, DSi store, etc.), it stops being a redesign and starts becoming its own piece of new hardware. I wish they would have just held this off for their next iteration of portable hardware.

amen brotha

If you wanna keep the DS Lite for your gba games then I say good for you GBA will always have a place in my heart lol.

But if you keeping it just so you can play Guitar Hero DS Tours.... then I feel sorry for you..

10 bucks says that they release an unnecessarily large adapter for the SD slot.

Question: Does the 1seg tuner in Japan use the slot too?

I think it uses the Ds slot only.

Tags: Slot-a-Problem

Oh u

Yeah, this is a bit retarded. I'll probably pick one of these and an SP up though. As has been said, the DS makes GBA games awkward, and it didn't support Gameboy Color games eitherway.

Also, this makes it seem a bit more Wii-esque. So much features, you aren't sure anybody has. (Fitness Board, Zapper, etc.)

no warioware twisted?

meh, i still rather have the no gba slot. i hate the guitar hero games, dont have a rumble cartage, and never play the old games. good riddens thing that took up space.

I already have a DS, so i could care less. But my only complaint is that the GBA games on the DS are a bitch to play, since they didn't allow us to change the "A" and "B" buttons to "B" and "Y". I wouldn't mind downloading GBA games, but i sure as hell don't want to buy this shit again. It'll be like 3rd or 4th copy of SMW or SMB3. Fun games, but i hate re-buying this shit.

You COULDN'T care less. Could*N'T*

Nah, i could.

Then what's stopping you from caring less? Could it be there's still some small part of you cries at night, knowing the DSi will GBA-portless? Don't try to deny it.

Why would you buy multiple copies of a game in the first place? that only makes sense if your old one stopped working/is missing/you sold it and regret doing so.

Most importantly, will this prevent DSi from playing homebrew games?

it has an SD slot. I am sure it will be easier to play homebrew

actually, it seems Nintendo will finally embrace the homebrew inside Wiiware like DS app store, all the good homebrew software will be seen by big companies and these guys will get retributions for their works, like the homebrew guys from iphone scene now making money and landing sponsor deals.

I used the GBA slot on my DS once, maybe twice. To play the original Advance Wars. But Dual Strike and Days of Ruin are just as good, not to mention all the other addicting DS titles.

I for one, won't miss it. The larger screens are nice, I'm more interested in how it will affect the touch sensitivity, hopefully it will be easier to tap smaller buttons in some interfaces.

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Reminder: The DSi is lite on GBA slots (it doesn't have any!)

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