GDC09: DSi-only and DSi Enhanced cards announced

by JC Fletcher { Mar 25th 2009 at 5:16PM }

At Nintendo's GDC panel on the DSi's design, Project Leader Masato Kuwahara revealed a bit of news regarding DSi software. that will either terrify or thrill you based on the status of your DSi preorder. Two new types of DS cartridges are on the way: "DSi Cards," which will only work on the DSi, and "DSi Enhanced Cards," which work on all DS systems, but will have extra features when played on a DSi.

We knew that Gameloft was planning to use some kind of hybrid DS/DSi card. But we didn't think that Nintendo would make DSi-only cards! And to be clear, by "didn't think" we mean "saw it coming a damn mile away." Confirmed: you're buying another DS.

Tags: dsi, dsi-card, dsi-enhanced, gdc-2009, nintendo-dsi

Related From Joystiq

Nintendo DSi LL gets DS-ected
5 days ago
Nintendo launching Limited Edition DSi bundles featuring Mario, 'brain teaser' DSiWare packs
6 days ago
DSi XL FAQ: Sized up
30 days ago

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

Giroro @ Mar 25th 2009 5:18PM

Confirmed: Still not buying a DSi

Cody @ Mar 25th 2009 5:31PM

Confirmed: Giroro's DSi preorder is already finalized.

Zac @ Mar 25th 2009 5:44PM

I will, sooner or later.

sony boy @ Mar 25th 2009 5:53PM

you can only use it for the dsi and ds. WTF.

offday @ Mar 25th 2009 6:08PM

Confirmed: New Petz and Imagine games will be DSi only.

Confirmed: No one cares.

Ridgecity @ Mar 25th 2009 6:47PM

Confirmed: some people can just buy one console, and hate it when their choice wasn't the right one.

HitNRun @ Mar 25th 2009 6:54PM

Confirmed: Others figured out the game Nintendo was playing a couple gens ago and jumped off the bandwagon. Exclusive.

Bearxor @ Mar 25th 2009 7:39PM

Confirmed: The horse has been beaten.

offday @ Mar 25th 2009 8:15PM

Confirmed: I have to poop...now.

Markez @ Mar 25th 2009 11:31PM

Rumored: You all pooped your pants, at least a little. But each for totally different reasons.

Confirmed: Eventually there's going to be a kickass DSi only title that'll push many of us poor sap DS Lite users over the edge to purchase one.

Premptive: DAMMIT ALL

Ethan @ Mar 26th 2009 6:57AM

Assertion: You meatbags seem oddly preoccupied with your toys. Maybe if we went and killed something it would help us to mature.

Utils @ Mar 26th 2009 7:52AM

CONFIRMED: Nobody remembers the Game Boy Color.

Rhamsey @ Mar 25th 2009 5:21PM

so i have to buy a dsi? screw that, ill buy a slot 1 card and hope to god someone finds a way to bypass that crap (or at least rom the dsi game to work on the ds) before nintendo forces me to buy a dsi.

Josh @ Mar 25th 2009 5:29PM

That's not possible. The DS hardware is too slow to run DSi games.

Zac @ Mar 25th 2009 5:44PM

Nintendo's not forcing you to buy anything. Buy a new console if you want to play more advanced games. Simple.

rocke86 @ Mar 25th 2009 5:51PM

This is like what they did with the gameboy color. Old grey gameboy games worked with it, black colored cartridges worked with both the old and color gameboy(Like DSi Enhanced Cards will), and clear cartridges only worked in the color gameboy(Like DSi cards).

This is a easier way for developers and gamers to transition from the DS to the DSi.

mr mobius @ Mar 25th 2009 8:14PM

I imagine there'll be most that will be across platforms, except those who take advantage of new DSi features.

Brodo @ Mar 25th 2009 11:49PM

CURSE YOU NINTENDO!!!

cloud858rk @ Mar 26th 2009 2:24AM

@Josh
Overclocking + slot 2 RAM pack?

sam @ Mar 26th 2009 5:43PM

Actually, this is great news for anyone who thinks the DS graphics could use a bit of a boost.

'We've made a new system that's literally twice as powerful and has four times the RAM - but the only games that can use the extra power or memory are these crappy $2 downloadables.' Doesn't sound like the smartest move, so not surprising that they're allowing retail games too.

I am a bit surprised they're allowing DSi-only carts right from the start though. I kind of figured it would be the 'enhanced' route for a year first, or something. Unless it's for camera-based minigames, I wonder if not many releases will actually be DSi only for a while.

Finally, even DSi-only games are still running on hardware that's an awful lot slower than PSP, so graphics whores need not apply. Or to put it another way... thanks to the power of DSi, circles in Zelda: Spirit Tracks can now have *sixteen* sides instead of eight. Woo!

Lionbacker steamID: detfan1957 @ Mar 25th 2009 5:21PM

The loss of the GBA port is still too much of a hurdle for me. That's why I just bought a DS lite last weekend, just in case I couldn't get one after April 3rd.

Anticrawl @ Mar 25th 2009 5:58PM

I'm glad it doesn't have the extra GBA slot honestly. I hated how they sticked out of the slot of my DS Lite. I never used it anyway cause I have a Famicom Gameboy Micro and then a NES Gameboy SP in storage. I will be getting the DSi for sure, and gameboy micro's run 25 new if you can find them by the way.

Erik Stroud @ Mar 25th 2009 8:03PM

I'm probably going to buy a DSi, but I will keep my DS Lite for GBA games and my flash cart. Oh well, I guess I would need too eventually.

Desert Eagle @ Mar 25th 2009 10:01PM

I'm just going to stick with my DS Phat for playing GBA games and transfering Pokemon. I might eventually get a DS Lite because of the longer battery life it has and so I can play my DS games online, and because the shoulder buttons of my Phat are starting to fail, but might never play GBA games with it seeing how it'll look horrid with the cartridge sticking out like an erection.

As for the DSi, I still haven't found a reason to own it yet. I *know* I will get it in the future because I'm a fan of Nintendo's portables, but so far, it doesn't have anything that can appeal to me...

Garst @ Mar 26th 2009 1:23AM

That's why I never moved to the DS Lite: I didn't like how the GBA games protuded from the system. So, when ever I take my DS anywhere, I have to carry around a little extra phat.

James @ Mar 25th 2009 5:21PM

I doubt that many will be DSi-Only.. and if they are I bet homebrew will fix that.

Josh @ Mar 25th 2009 5:28PM

Haha, no it won't.

Roto13 @ Mar 25th 2009 5:48PM

How can homebrew give the DS Lite more RAM?

WhatIsThatThing @ Mar 25th 2009 6:30PM

How can homebrew give the DS Lite two cameras?

Ethan @ Mar 25th 2009 6:59PM

How can Homebrew give the DS lite the confidence to be her own woman?

Alex @ Mar 25th 2009 9:29PM

@Ethan, you made my day.

iofthestorm @ Mar 26th 2009 1:10AM

Well, I guess there are hacks to overclock a DS Lite, but it wouldn't last very long. And definitely wouldn't give you more RAM and two cameras.

WalkingCarpet @ Mar 25th 2009 5:22PM

Damn... Well, I'm in the market for a new DS, but I'm not the pre-order of consoles type. I'll wait to see what kind of exclusive stuff is hitting the DSi before I decide if I want it or just another Lite.

Josh @ Mar 25th 2009 5:27PM

If you don't want to pre-order it, then just wait 11 days until it's released.

Cody @ Mar 25th 2009 5:35PM

I haven't touched my DS Lite in months. And that's no knock on the games available. I just want something fresh. The DSi is offering enough IMO to warrant a trade in of my DS Lite for one. I love the new layout, the ability to surf a REAL web browser, the SD card slot possiblities and the DSiWare. It's like a portable Wii! The cameras? eh, whatever

WalkingCarpet @ Mar 25th 2009 6:22PM

@Josh I'm guessing the things will be kind of hard to find in 11 days or for about a month after that, though I could be mistaken. These aren't Wii's we're talking about, after all.

@Cody From what I've heard, the browser is garbage, though, like I said, I could be wrong. It's be known to happen. From time to time. I think that the biggest reason I'd pick one up would definitely have to be the SD and DSiWare, for sure.

Josh @ Mar 25th 2009 6:38PM

I don't know... They're still taking pre-orders, so it doesn't seem like they're going to be short on systems.

Saria the Cat @ Mar 25th 2009 6:48PM

@Cody: Except you can do all that now if you get a flashcart for your DS. Nintendo could easily release its own brand of flashcarts for the DS and we'd all be enjoying the main new feature of the DSi already.

ShadowXOR @ Mar 25th 2009 5:22PM

Did anyone really think this wouldn't happen? I figured it was a given.

I'll be passing on it myself until the first killer DSi exclusive is released.

CTC XBL-supapaypamawio PSN-ctclaw @ Mar 25th 2009 5:34PM

I'm with you, I see no reason to buy this at release. Why aren't they making a killer app for release date?

derdaim @ Mar 25th 2009 5:22PM

It's like those GB/GBC hybrids back in the 90s. I don't remember a good GBC-only title tho... (even Pokemon Gold/Silver were hybrids)

Archon @ Mar 25th 2009 5:25PM

Pokemon Crystal was GBC only.

MowDownJoe @ Mar 25th 2009 5:31PM

There was that Super Mario Bros. remake that was GBC exclusive. Also had SMB: The Lost Levels in its original 8-bit form.

MowDownJoe @ Mar 25th 2009 5:32PM

Also, Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages/Seasons were both GBC exclusive.

ittybittygirl @ Mar 25th 2009 5:45PM

Warlocked was brilliant a brilliant strategy game, and who can forget a little gem called Shantae. Both games GBC exclusive (and both games with cancelled GBA "sequels" that looked amazing!).

Also if you are only referring to exclusive as only working on GBC, Dragon Quest III on GBC is the definitive version of the game.