Nintendo DSi North American Launch: April 5th

As if the DSi news wasn't enough... Rhythm Heaven as well? You lucky yanks! I wonder how much it'll retail for?

ADDED: Just checked the official site and $169.99 doesn't sound like much at all when you consider what you're getting - plus, that's only (thinks for a moment) $40 more than a lite!

I'm a little disappointed by the colours though, since the blue looks awful and the little red LED on the black looks a bit out of place - here's hoping for a white model in the future!

I'd love to import one of these little beauts, but I'd need to import my Nintendo points as well, and of course it wouldn't be very useful if it broke, or if I wanted to register my Club Nintendo stars, so I think I'll wait for the European release for now. Here's hoping that Rhythm Heaven isn't going to be too far around the corner, either.

Yahoo! Long have I awaited this. The day that you would come! Ah, this is awesome! Everything I possibly could have asked for!

The DSiWare software released so far in Japan, that I've read about, hasn't seemed very exciting.

Here's hoping that doesn't change so I don't have to shell out the money for a DSi.

@Wiiloveit

I feel sorry for you guys...

I was just talking with my friends about this...wondering why we didn't have a release date yet. This is GOOD NEWS. I can't wait to pick this up.

I am excited for a DSi, but Nintendo Co. Ltd's selection of their DSi Ware is a little mixed. Some are directly taken from Warioware touched. Dr Mario receives another chance for the DSi and two new Art Style games arrive with unique game play.

YES!
I can't wait
When will DSiWare-World launch guys?

There isn't going to be a DSiWare-World, all DSiWare content will be featured here alongside the Wii stuff - extra convenience for the users and no need to start plugging another site all the time, you see.

Now the problem...Save up for DSi or PSP...I already have a DS Lite. Maybe I can sell my Lite for money to get a DSi...Gah! They're both good systems!

@ Wiiloveit
"We also want to announce that WiiWare World will be launching a brand new site to cover the DSiWare service. We'll be launching the new site right alongside the US or European launch of the DSi system and DSiWare service early next year."
http://www.wiiware-world.com/news/2008/11/new_dsiware_details_revealed

I'm not getting a DSi even if there is a WiiWare like service. Taking away the GBA slot is a bit unfair for those wanting to get the Guitar Hero games and people that have already bought a DS Lite. At least the DS Lite wasn't essential for extra features. I'm sticking with non-portable consoles for now although the Pandora looks interesting.

Ah - but what about this comment from Dazza (comment number 46) in the LIT update article JUST LAST WEEK:
"We've decided not to do a DSiWare site now, we're just going to bolt it on to WWW. Don't worry there will be separate lists to keep DSiWare from getting mixed up with WiiWare. We'll stick with our scale of 1-10 of course."
So stick that up your bum hole and smoke it.

@EJD: I forgot about the pandora! Ah well, I suppose this will probably have a lot more support anyway. Also: don't forget that Nintendo may be bringing classic Game Boy titles to the DS as well.

Which brings me to another question: if the DSi had a Virtual Console, would you just go and create a new DSi site entirely for VC and DSiWare, or would you put the DSiVC on VC-Reviews?

sry, i didn't read it because I'm not intrested in LIT

You've changed your mind again? Oh, you're an indecisive bunch, aren't you?

Ooh - how intriguing!

@Wiiloveit: I'm glad to hear someone else has heard of it, it looks great. That would be cool to see a Virtual Handheld shop but I've still got my Game Boy Colour getting dusty somewhere. Then again, the battery ran out on my Pokemon Gold cartridge so the DSi would be handy for that. I hope Nintendo don't make the same mistake, no storage solution is necessary if Nintendo do this right. 256MB sounds like enough but for those who download many games, that could run out quickly. I'm hoping playing games from an SD card could be true with the DSi.

If they bring Game & Watch titles on the portable VC, I think I may just get a DSi.

@EJD: remember that DSi games won't take nearly as much space as WiiWare games do, but either way - there's still going to be SD support. I don't know whether games are playable straight from SD though - but no doubt they wouldn't take long to transfer back and forth anyway.

Don't care. I'm gonna stick to my regular DS. Tell me something about that Virtual Handheld, then maybe we'll talk.

Oh, and Rhythm Heaven looks awesome. Definitely one of the upcoming DS games I'm most looking forward to.

Well this is great news. To be honest, I'm actually more excited for Rhythm Heaven than the DSi.

Out of those two colors, I'll be picking up the black. I wanted the white one but since it's not going to be available at launch, I'll just get another black DS.

I already knew Rhythm Heaven was coming out last month. I was so excited back then and I'm still excited now!

DSiWare is one of the main reasons I've decided to get a DSi.

With the DSi stuff coming here, we just going to call this play Ware-World?

I knew about that date at least a month ago or more (Pokebeach.com).

I now want the DSi before vacation-in-Dominican-Republic time (though my birthday is fine, also.) and save Pokémon Platinum as a birthday present.

Now if only my loco pseudo-dysentery would go away before June... (School ends in May in Puerto Rico.)

Just a note to Canadians, the DSi will launch at an MSRP of $199.95 in Canada.

"Nintendo pioneered hand-held entertainment in the '80s and made it fully mobile with the Game Boy™ video game system. Now, Nintendo is transforming the way people access, experience, create and share content with the new Nintendo DSi™ system, the third iteration of the world's best-selling portable video game system. Nintendo DSi launches in North America on April 5, 2009, at an MSRP of $199.95. The colours available at launch will be Blue and Black."

Now that Mr. Driller is coming to DSiWare, I'm actually kind of interested in it.

Awesome, hopefully by my Birthday they will have good colors >_>

Katamari too! Looking forward to the DSi, I'll have to import from the US though, same as my Wii. My birthday is April 19 too so I know what to ask for

@Wiiloveit: I hope you're right. I wonder how the release schedule for the DSi will work and if there will be as much complaining when only 1 game is released a week. A portable World of Goo would work well, with downloadable levels possibly.

if there is a Virtual Handheld console,then i'm hoping gba games would be included also,i want to be able to play Fire Emblem The Sealed Sword without having to figure out how i'm gonna have to get money to import a copy of the original cartridge

Rhythm Heaven HOOHAH!!!

@EJD:
"A portable World of Goo would work well"

It sure would...but the idea was already nixed by the 2dBoy guys on their forum. Sadly.

Should i get one or stay with my ds lite? Hm... : I

I have a Zelda DS and I don't even use it much (only have pokemon though) so this is a no-go for me. Need to save up for a 360 anyways.

I don't plan on getting a DSi, at least not while my current DS works fine, so maybe some reviewers will move to the DSi site/section and then I can try again for reviewing WW games!

As for me Im just going to stick with my Ds lite. I wouldn't pick one up cause it looks like it may not work out too well. And no gba slot how could nintendo do such a thing!

Wow! It launches on the same day as my birthday! What luck!
I'll probably end up getting one.
Also, does it come packed with Rhythm Heaven or is that just saying that it will be released on the same day?

Wow my brother was off by $10 of what he told me some months ago (works in the ind still, I quit it.) Total scam charging that much when you can get for $170 a PSP core unit as it does far more for the value (unless you're so deep into touch and cameras.) It's funny but in this case Nintendo is the more expensive handheld investment. PSP packages for $200 come with like a game, a movie, and a download PSN game, and 1GB memory card. DSi is $170, game is another $30, and a 1GB SD card would be another $15-20? I'd add a movie in but they're not on there to buy so I suppose you could rip a $10 DVD you own/buy. So now it's the one that's on the high end of the two, how sad.

Once they fairly price this at the level of the DSLite I'll buy in, but until then they can go to hell, and I'll be furious if they start dumping DSL support for this since it has the double clocked main CPU, better screens(and larger), and the better speakers.

yay! I can't wait to know what i've been reading for 3 months!!

When it says "most" does that just exclude the ones that use the GBA slot or are there others..?

Can't wait for this to come out. I think I'm going to download that Warioware game if it is available at the launch date.

Kamatari is coming to DSi? F*** yeah!

@JK-Just goes to show the power of DS. The PSP is not doing that hot and so HAS to bundle in order to sell well. Not trying to start a console war but them's the facts, espeicially if you look at sales of the last year (and beyond, really.)
@Mickeymac-Do you mean Katamari, as in Katamari Damaci (SP)?

"If the touch screen gave Nintendo DS a sense of feel and the microphone allowed it to hear, the two cameras give Nintendo DSi the sense of sight."
What? It can't even smell or taste things?! Count me out.

But really, I'll be eagerly awaiting the DSi. I've already saved up the cash for it and several DSiWare games so I'm prepared for launch. Now to pre-order...

I'm going to get Powder Blue just because I want to tell people I'm in touch with my feminine side but masculine enough to admit it XD. I would be THRILLED if they offer portable VC gaming by allowing our Wii VC titles (except for N64 and Neo Geo titles for obvious reasons) to be played on the DSi...or better yet, to offer GB, GBC and GBA games as downloadable titles!

@ProfessorLayton - likewise actually, more excited about a Western version of Rhythm Heaven!

This looks cool to me. I still only have my old grey clamshell one so this is a worthwhile upgrade for me with camera, mic and nice screens, etc. If it's truly faster, it'll also be nice to use the browser and music player when I'm in a pinch. I'm a low tech guy so I like waiting until the end of the cycle when it's got everything, even DL games; cool! Great to have the SD slot now that they're so cheap too. Guitar hero is a living room game to me. I don't need to be seen on the bus jamming on my nintendo.

@objection_blaster

That's what Chunky_droid said.

And I could honestly care less about Rythme Heaven. From what I've seen, it doesn't really make much use of the whole music theme.

I just can't find a reason to care about this thing. I have DS Lite, I am fine. Passing for sure until there is a real upgrade.

@XCWarrior: good point.

hmm.. DS[i] is cool, but 'innovative'? this word is used too loosely.., --

isn't ipod+itunes really 'innovative'? isn't there a 'bar' for actual 'innovation'? + where does it stop [actually] being so?! --

_{1548, from L. innovatus, pp. of 'innovare': "to renew or change," from in- "into" + novus "new."}

I'm still on the fence regarding the DSi. Before, I was against it, adamant about sticking with my DS Lite with it's web browser and my R4 card (strictly for music, ebooks, and homebrew), but now I'm giving it a closer look (thanks, in majority, to very tactfully written Nintendo PR...clever wankers). I mean, I wouldn't mind upgrading (sacrificing the use of my R4 in the process) but I don't see much point justifying beyond DSiWare...and maybe the camera and photo software because I loved quirky nature of the Game Boy Camera back in the day. If the sound software would support MP3's instead of AAC only (easily patchable, like how they did it with the Wii's Photo Channel) and if they released a .txt reader as a DSiWare download, then maybe it'd be worth looking into further (the latter may be daft since Nintendo released the 100 Classic Book Collection in the UK and AUS recently. Then again, they've effectively killed Guitar Hero for DSi by removing the Slot-2, so anything's possible). The lack of Alarm Clock is no skin off my nose, but it is a bit disenfranchising since Nintendo had it as part of the BIOS for free in the Phat and Lite and they're charging money for said feature added on (on the other hand, with all the new gimmicks taking its place, one would look daft complaining about a missing alarm clock).

In a nutshell, the new features are interesting. I just don't see enough justification in upgrading. Maybe later when more features and ideas are realized. It has a lot of potential to be a really practical machine (like what the R4 did for the Phat and the Lite). It's Nintendo's baby. Let's see what they can do with it.

I have already bought the Nintendo DS Classic and then the Nintendo DS Lite because of the brighter and clearer display(s). And now I should buy another Nintendo DS? No, Nintendo, I don't have a cash cow.

If they release an extension for the Nintendo DS Classic/Lite for around $40 which allows the use of SD-Cards and these downloadable games, then we talk further. Otherwise I am not interested.

@ chunky_droid (#29): "Katamari too!"
&
@ Mickeymac (#44): "Kamatari is coming to DSi? F*** yeah!"

It's not the Katamari you think of, it will be a falling block game similar to Tetris.

@ DSi: I will buy the DSi because I still have the old DS.

Oh - and no need to wait for the DSi here in Europe - it's due a day earlier than NA at £150! CAN. NOT. WAIT.

2 Days earlier .

And I can not wait, too^^.

@Chicken Brutus: Thanks for telling me that, as long as 2DBoy can follow up World of Goo I'm happy.

@Wiiloveit: Will you be doing reviews of the DSiWare games on your site?

I'll have to read many reviews before considering getting a DSi, at least this release date annoucement allows some to save up in the meantime.

I've 200 bucks waiting for this baby. Tis sad though, since I just got my Special Mario Red DS last christmas. :/

I can't wait!

@Ness. Dang. A touch-controlled Katamari Damacy would've been really cool...

@EJD:
Yeah, it was a black day to read that on their forum. The DS would have been a PERFECT match for Goo. I guess they're just choosing their next project carefully.

@EJD: Providing I can get the cash together and find a place to trade in my DS lite now that my local Game has shut down, then yes, yes I will.

RE: World of Goo DSiWare
Look on the bright side: the screen might have been a bit small for all those goo balls anyway. and no doubt Ron and Kyle have got something better up their sleeves!

Can games bought from the wii virtual console be put onto an SD card and played on the DSI?

@nintendo-naut: Lol @ Eternal Darkness quote.

I can't wait.

@ UltraShadow (#64): "Can games bought from the wii virtual console be put onto an SD card and played on the DSI?"

No.

I'm tempted to get a DSi just because the d-pad is supposed to feel a little better and pick up diagonals better and so on, along with all the obvious extra features etc.

Damn you Nintendo!

I wonder if there is a way to use the camera and some custom software so you could use the DSi as a tilt controller using the image being taken in from the Camera?

@ Kirk: I don't know of you mean something like that, but the new WarioWare will have mini-games inspired by EyeToy, where you have to move your hands in front of the camera to play the games:

So I think it it shouldn't be impossible to use the DSi as a tilt controller with the help of the camera.

Is this DSi shop going to have a virtual console?

Personally, I'm just happy I'm getting a new DS (my DS's L button doesn't work, as well as having multiple scratches). Also, Nintendo better have a virtual handheld (with Mother 3 as 1 of the launch titles perhaps? )

@JEPEREZ4EVR: I seem to recall Nintendo hinting about wanting people to enjoy some of their older games, but this may have just been a reference to their NEW PLAY CONTROL! games.

@Kirk (69): that is GENIUS! Tilt controls seemed like a must when Nintendo announced this console (even though they wouldn't be incorporated into standard DS games), and when there was no sign of it, people were a bit confused. You however, have just come up with the perfect solution, although obviously it may be slightly tricky to incorporate this feature due to shakiness etc.

I'm going to bed - Wake me up when they start releasing old gameboy games on it. I hate the DS Lite because it's too small for my huge hands - Knowing Nintendo, this new system will be even tinier - that's why I'm glad I kept my DS classic!