Topic: Ipod touch vs. DSi

....that was kinda ahead of its time, and tanked hard in sales.

Oh, no competition at all. DSi.

While the DSi is definitely better for its retail games, when you go into the realm of download stores, the App store has so much more to offer. One of the defining features of handheld gaming is that it is gaming on the go--meaning you want to be able to play in short bursts. The games on the App store have nailed that down, ranging from utter trash to very clever games offered for very little money. DSiWare, on the other hand, has had only a few gems even a year in, at least if the reviews on this site are anything to go by (I scrolled down the entire list out of curiosity). DSiWare probably does have a higher percentage of quality titles than the App store (actually, it definitely does, considering how much shovelware there is on the App store) but as long as you're willing to read reviews you can easily find far more good games for the iPod Touch that can be played in five minutes or less.

If you are looking at serious games, then the DSi is definitely better. But, then, so is the DS Lite. In fact, the DS Lite is better than the DSi for serious games since it also can play the entire GBA library.

But when you look at the one truly significant advantage of the DSi over the lite--access to the DSiWare store--then the DSi is an utter failure when for only $30 more you can have access to a much larger download store and enough internal memory to store far more games.

In case anyone has been wondering, I've been pondering this question again recently, and for anyone who already has a DS Lite for their more serious gaming, it makes more sense to just keep it and get an iPod Touch if you want access to a large library of quick pick-up-and-play games, many of which are (or can be tried for) free. Just something to think about...

I have a 4th generation click wheel iPod. I use it mostly for music. I do use it to play games like Klondike, Chinese Checkers, and even Spore. Was thinking of getting Pole Position for it as well. It's nice and comes in handy when I'm at work waiting on something in the lab to finish up in 5 to 10 minutes, however I don't use the iPod to play much beyond that. If I have a solid 30 minutes or more to play a game, I want something with a lot of depth to it. That's when I reach for my DS Lite. It depends on what you're looking for. I doubt one is BETTER than the other for every single individual out there who would consider one or the other.

cough ^{who cares?} cough

Saying the iPod Touch is a full fledged video game console is like saying chewing gum gives you the benefits of brushing your teeth, cleaning your tongue, and using mouthwash.

I realize now the DSi and iPod touch bring together similarities between Apple and Nintendo more than ever. Think of the first time they went to the portable market. Apple made something for music (iPod), and Nintendo made something for games. (GameBoy/DS) With these two handhelds, they are branching out to the other's strong spot; which would be an iPod that plays games, and a DS that plays music. They also both have an online store.

I believe people can make good games for the iTouch so long as they don't need actual buttons. Case in point: Labyrinth by Illusion Labs.

Klondike on my 3G Nano is great, but I don't carry the thing around except to listen to music. Interface issues (virtual d-pad/buttons? No thanks) are the main barrier to the iPod being a replacement for a handheld gaming platform like the DSi.

Ipod has Quantity
DSi has Quality

This.
On the same note, something to consider is that the development license for DSiWare is much harder to get than the one for the App Store. You have to be a significantly established company, and you have to pay thousands of dollars for the kit, so bottom line: there aren't as many "indie" developers for DSiWare.

Based on the fact that I love platformers...DSi. I tried playing Castle of Magic on my girlfriends iPhone...it was awful. When I played it on the DSi, it was much better. I mean, sure the game itself wasn't that great to begin with, but I don't know...a real d-pad beats a touch screen one.