With the handheld's Nov. 1 release just around the bend in Japan, Nintendo has released a new "informational video" showing off the user interface, camera functionality, and DSi store for the
Nintendo DSi. As expected, there's a lot of wacky face-stretching and bestickering of cute photos to be found, along with some hah-larious pitch modulation of recorded voice clips. You know, like the voice changers you've tried on XBL and PSN for
all of two minutes.
The DSi store and the DSi's revamped UI are unquestionably the most interesting aspects of the short video. We're still interested to see if the DSi allows for things such as changing game cards and system settings without having to reboot the unit. That'd be so ... 2008. (
2009 if you live in the US.) Check out the video after the break.
[Via
DS Fanboy]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
PSN: HinchyFC @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:43PM
I'll be picking one up on US launch... if only because my DS lite's hinge broke.
WhatIsThatThing @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:35PM
I'll also be picking one up - if only because the entire top half fell off when I dropped it after the hinge broke.
motang @ Oct 23rd 2008 8:10PM
Same here...well almost same here, I wanted the built in Opera browser and SD card reader from day 1 for the DS Lite, oh well at least we are getting them now. :)
s256 @ Oct 24th 2008 5:53AM
I'll be picking one up on US launch... if only because my DS Lite's L button broke.
GoonieGooGoo @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:44PM
I don't see anything on this that would want me to upgrade......
Markez @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:47PM
The bigger screens would be pretty sweet. But outside of that, agreed, not much reason to upgrade. I've been wanting a black one for awhile but can't convince myself to upgrade on color alone :P
I bet these will sell like hot cakes in Japan, they might have to put out big recycling bins for the Lite because they're all just going to toss 'em out and get this.
Like the above poster, my hinge is broke :( not a big deal at all, though.
ill trooper @ Oct 23rd 2008 9:01PM
I feel the same, only because as much as I want to like portable systems, I buy them and I rarely use them. And true to form, I have a white DS Lite sitting on my shelf. Still tempting though!
t00l @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:45PM
Check the sketchy animation later on!
Will the DSi come with a built in animation suite..... of sorts, that'd rock! :O
igetgames @ Oct 24th 2008 10:44AM
They showed it right after the Web browser, so I assumed it was Flash.
Bigfoot @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:50PM
Are these still being made out of the same material? It doesn't really matter for the black ones, but some of the white ones that we get returned at work are disgusting from long-term use.
iofthestorm @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:45PM
It's matte instead of glossy plastic, which should help some.
Josh @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:59PM
Eww...How dirty do you have to be to discolor a DS?
Aero @ Oct 23rd 2008 8:10PM
That's strange, my black DS Lite is covered in fingerprints whereas all my friend's white ones are spotless.
TheOverlord#2 @ Oct 23rd 2008 8:14PM
My white DS doesn't get dirty from what I put on it...
Mayo...I always seem to drop mayo on it.
Mr Khan @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:55PM
They didn't skimp on that camera. Nice.
Nothing to compel me to upgrade, but it sweetens the pot for buyers considerably (i doubt buyers in this stage of the game care too too much about GBA compatibility)
I'm also interested because this upgrade will show you the direction that Nintendo wants to take for its next proper handheld and console
Superstar90 @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:19PM
It's like a mini "iSight" camera!
Also, do you change your avatar back and forth from the Wario one to this one?
Mr Khan @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:24PM
No, it's been doing this ever since i changed it. If you click to my account, or to any other who has changed recently (Markez and Worst Review Ever come to mind), you will see their current avatar, but in their posts, it will change about at random
It's joystiq's latest bug. Certainly preferable to the missing post bug they zapped, but still off-putting
Wiinterfang @ Jan 19th 2009 10:35AM
I'm from the Future, I come to warned you that we here are still suffering for this blasted bug.
Pedro @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:13PM
3:58 - It recognizes teh game.
Without shutting it down. THIS is 2k8.
Superstar90 @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:17PM
That is freaking amazing! The photo editor looks fun, you can easy make one of those jazzy photos with only 1 object in colour :D And did I see an animation/flipbook program? There was the cheap picto-chat way of doing it, now it looks like there is a full one included.
I must have this :D
Cesaria (Gamertag: Cesaria360) @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:21PM
I want one. The DSi shop sells me.
HMDX @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:26PM
HOLFY LUCK
RAINBOW BRUSH IN PICTOCHAT = INSTA-BUY
TheOverlord#2 @ Oct 23rd 2008 8:22PM
I KNOW! I'M SITTING IN FRONT OF THE NINTENDO WORLD STORE JUST TO WAIT FOR IT!
iofthestorm @ Oct 24th 2008 3:02AM
Dude, pictochat upgrade = maybe online pictochat? But then of course, someone will have to come around and think of the children or something.
Sora @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:33PM
I'll probably get one, if only because I still have a DS Phat...and I got sugar high and painted the top of it with acrylic paint and it's the worst paint job evar....
Zach S @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:00PM
This brings back wonderful Gameboy Camera memories!!!
tkAshur @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:30PM
I'm really surprised nobody is interested in the shop feature of this ds. Sure, we have close to no idea what they will offer in it, but come on! Maybe they'll do a virtual console for all the portable handhelds. Maybe its the last hope we have for a legit english Mother 3 on a handheld. Maybe they'll let dsware happen or something like that. And I imagine the store won't be available for the older Ds's because of memory and such. And I have to agree with the gameboy camera memories too...if only it had the crazy-in-the-head menus though...maybe it will do games like it.
tkAshur @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:30PM
I'm really surprised nobody is interested in the shop feature of this ds. Sure, we have close to no idea what they will offer in it, but come on! Maybe they'll do a virtual console for all the portable handhelds. Maybe its the last hope we have for a legit english Mother 3 on a handheld. Maybe they'll let dsware happen or something like that. And I imagine the store won't be available for the older Ds's because of memory and such. And I have to agree with the gameboy camera memories too...if only it had the crazy-in-the-head menus though...maybe it will do games like it.
Josh @ Oct 23rd 2008 8:01PM
I was just thinking...If they wanted to, they could offer older DS *games* (retail games) on the store, like Sony does with the PSP.
BPMOmega [gamertag] @ Oct 24th 2008 2:00AM
I think a lot of people are interested in the DSiWare shop, actually.
Josh @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:57PM
That camera stuff was actually pretty darn advanced. I'm very impressed.
And this video did a really good job making me want to buy this system more. I was on the fence before, and while I'm still on it, I'm starting to lean more and more.
But I think I really should wait for the North American release, though... Sucks that it's so far away.
reign-♥-of-♥-love @ Oct 23rd 2008 8:02PM
ha. this reminds me of when i used to plug in this big ol' yellow camera into my gb color. i was so ballin' back then...
BPMOmega [gamertag] @ Oct 24th 2008 2:02AM
From what I've been hearing, the DSi devkit gives developers access to the camera.
We may see some DSi-only games that allow you to put your face (or whatever you put in the camera...) into games, much like Game Boy Camera.
Ken Seang @ Oct 23rd 2008 8:27PM
I want one already!
TrojanGuy @ Oct 23rd 2008 11:03PM
I'm still confused about what exactly the DSi is. Does it play DS games or is it a whole new platform?
Ando @ Oct 23rd 2008 11:31PM
No, it's basically how the DS Lite was to the DS Phat - just an upgrade. Though there will be some DSi-only software to take advantage of the DSi's new features.
iofthestorm @ Oct 24th 2008 3:05AM
They've been saying it's not replacing the DS Lite, but that's bullshit and everyone knows it. This clearly has better specs, otherwise it wouldn't be able to do those kinds of real-time image manipulations. That kind of stuff is really processor intensive, and at least judging by homebrew and some cutscenes in games the current DS can barely play video (limited to 15fps for both screens or 30fps for one, and poor quality). We definitely know it has more RAM, and I would be surprised if they didn't upgrade the CPU and wifi too.
Brodo @ Oct 23rd 2008 11:05PM
I have to say im actully pretty impressed with what nintendo has done here. They added enough bonus features to the DSi to make it perphaps worth a purchase, as oppose to making the same mistake they did with the gameboy advance, making a DS micro or some crap.
JRM @ Oct 24th 2008 3:42AM
Still, it doesn't feel like a "definite buy" the way the DSLite was.
Until we all see what the DSWare has to offer (and it better be more than brain-training extras), most of us will be sitting on the fence for quite a long time.