Nintendo unveils the DSi

At first there was the Nintendo DS which was actually the butt of many jokes when it was announced nearly four years ago, but since then, this portable handheld console from Nintendo has managed to stave away the supposed Game Boy killer known as the Sony PSP with great success, and I must say that the revamped hardware in the form of the DS Lite was what really kick started the whole DS craze all over the world. After all, kids clamored for these DS Lites no matter what their color were, and it did help that there are tons of great, quality titles available for the platform. Let’s not go into the amount of shovelware though since there are more haphazardly programmed titles by developers who are out for a quick buck compared to instant classics, but that’s another story for a different day. Today marks the announcement of a hardware refresh by Nintendo for its 2-year old DS Lite redesign – known as the Nintendo DSi. More on the DSi right after the jump, where you can then make your decision as to whether you want to pick one up or not when available. – from here

Nintendo also stated that the DSi is a “third pillar” or third system that won’t compete with the DS. Which is laughable, you may recall they said the same thing about the DS itself when it was first announced. They swore that the DS would not replace the “Game Boy” brand. But as we all know, that’s exactly what happened.

But now that downloadable content has been revealed for the DS, I wonder if that includes Game Boy Virtual Console games in addition to unique games. The “DSiWare” name suggests that the content will be unique just like on WiiWare, but in my opinion classic Game Boy downloadable games would be HUGE, given that games like Super Mario Land 1, Metroid 2: Return of Samus, Super Mario Land 2, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening and Super Mario Land 3 haven’t been seen either since their inception or, in the case of Link’s Awakening, haven’t seen an update in over a decade. – from here

So we now know what the Nintendo DSi will bring to the table in terms of features, but what does it look like? Well, at first glance, it looks very similar to the old DS Lite. There’s more than a couple differences, though. One, the unit is slightly slimmer, as evidenced in the above photo. Two, the power and WiFi indicator has been moved to the left side of the unit and the power button can now be found right below the D-pad. – from here

As expected, Nintendo has announced the new DSi at its Fall presentation in Japan. The device features a dual touchscreen layout almost identical to the DS Lite, though the company is calling it a “third platform,” which means it’s complementing the existing system, not necessarily replacing it. Looks-wise there’s not much different happening, but it’s some 12 percent thinner — partly because it omits the GBA cartridge slot. The displays are slightly larger, at 3.25 inches apiece, and there’s an external three megapixel camera as well as a front-facing camera located on the inside hinge. The DSi has an SD slot and internal storage — we’re not sure how much at the moment — but photos can be taken directly to the Wii Photo Channel on the card. Nintendo’s also launching an online “DSi Shop,” which will sell content directly over WiFi, including a free browser app and “DS Ware” game — and the company will offer free wireless connectivity at “Nintendo Zone” hotspots located in Japanese McDonalds. The shop will take the newly-renamed Nintendo Points (formerly Wii Points), 1000 of which will come free with the handheld until March 2010, and content will be priced in 200 / 500 / 800 point brackets. The DSi will come in white or black finishes, and will cost ¥18,900 ($178) when it launches in Japan on November 1st — the rest of us will have to wait until next year. – from here