What The Nintendo DSi Console Has To Offer

In early April, people across the western hemisphere will be lined up to get the Nintendo DSi, the third and newest version of the Nintendo DS. The hand held game console is very similar to its predecessor, the Nintendo DS Lite, but the features new to the Nintendo DSi make it a great improvement.

One of the more well-known additions to the Nintendo DSi is the incorporation of two cameras. One is located on the inside hinge facing the player, and the other is in the outer shell. These cameras may seem unnecessary right now, but future games for the system could include motion and facial recognition to expand on game play, in addition to using customized pictures as character profile pictures. As technology develops, the cameras could become as important to game play as the controller is now.

The pictures you take can be stored on another new addition to the Nintendo DSi, the hidden SD card slot. It plays AAC audio, and can be used to store downloaded applications from the DSi Shop. The applications range from games to useful tools such as the Moveable Notebook, which lets you make notes and keep them stored for later.

The DSi Shop is like the Wii Shop Channel on the Nintendo Wii. It uses points, called Nintendo Points (previously Wii Points), to "purchase" the applications and download them. The applications range in worth from 200 to 800 points. Applications worth 800 points are labeled "Premium." In addition, any Nintendo DSi unit that accesses the DSi Shop prior to March 2010 will receive 1,000 free Nintendo Points.

There have been a few changes to the physical parameters of the Nintendo DSi, as well. The hand held game console is 12% slimmer than the Nintendo DS Lite and the speakers have been improved. The screens are slightly larger, and have five brightness levels instead of the four available in the Nintendo DS Lite. The power switch has also been replaced by the power button, which also serves as a "soft reset" for the system. Players can now change games or go back to the main menu without needing to turn off the game system.

An elimination between the Nintendo DS Lite and the Nintendo DSi is the Nintendo Game Boy Advance game slot. The Nintendo DSi is not backward compatible as the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite are, and the Nintendo DSi is not compatible with additions such as the grip used to play Guitar Hero: On Tour and Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades, and the Nintendo DS RumblePak. Many people, however, believe that this elimination is far less important than the benefits of the additions for the hand held game console.