The latest version of the hugely popular Nintendo DS is here at last. There's much more to it than just an extra vowel. The new Nintendo DSi brings with it a host of excellent new features, the most interesting being the two excellent DSi Cameras. As well as these, Nintendo have also unveiled the Nintendo DSi Shop. Similar in concept to the WiiWare shop for the Nintendo Wii console and the App Shop for the Apple iPhone/iPod Touch, the DSiShop allows DSi users to buy DSiWare games and applications to enhance their enjoyment.As mentioned, the biggest new features of the new Nintendo DSi are the two VGA 0.3 megapixel cameras it boasts, one of which is mounted on the outer casing and the other mounted on the internal hinge, pointing at the user. Along with the two cameras is a much needed SD card slot, enabling you to store your photos and move them to your laptop or desktop in order to save space on your DSi.
The new model Nintendo DSi also has some superb multimedia capabilities. The SD card can also be used for storing downloaded software and AAC encoded music as well as photos. This music can be accessed with the Nintendo DSi Sound feature. The DSi is also capable of acting as a voice recorder thanks to the on-board microphone. You can even tweak the sound with filters and effects.
Aesthetically, the DSi is very similar to previous incarnation of the device, aside from the addition of the two cameras and SD card slot. Games giants Nintendo have again managed to do away with more weight when compared to the (also very thin) DS Lite. Specs? Pretty much the same as before, apart from the nice increase in RAM, which has been boosted from 4mb to 16mb. The DSi's storage can be upgraded by a whopping 32GB with the addition of the aforementioned SD card. Last but not least, the Nintendo DSi has upgradeable firmware, which is more akin to the Wii console and Sony’s PSP (Remember those?) so bugs aren't a worry, and updates will be easily available.
On the whole, the new Nintendo DSi is a more than worthy addition to Nintendo's handheld gaming range. With the great new features now integrated (all of which have been something of a natural progression for the unit), and the opportunity for Nintendo to produce some new and challenging games that will fully utilise the cameras and so on. A superb entry level unit for the curious gamer, as well as an essential addition to the arsenal of any seasoned gamer. If you’re yet to try one out for yourself, I recommend you do so, and discover just how much fun you can fit in your pocket.
