Nintendo DSi
© 2009 Nintendo of America
"DS" now means "Digital Sandbox", thanks to the powerful creative potential of this new third-generation Nintendo DS. Called the DSi, the pocket-sized two-screen game system lets you experiment with images or sounds with two new built-in applications, and it has the potential to become a gateway to hundreds of new applications thanks to a new DSi Shop. The new system also plays all 850 of the new Nintendo DS cartridges. After you turn it on with the new front-mounted power button, you notice a new operating system that looks a bit like the Wii's. Each application is shown in a single side-scrolling row, as zen-like elevator music plays in the background. If you put in a game cartridge, a thumbnail image of the game appears in the row. Out of the box options include System Settings, Nintendo DSi Sound, Nintendo DSi Camera, Nintendo DSi Shop, DS Download Play, and PictoChat; with other blank icons waiting to be filled from downloaded titles from the software store. As of this review (April 1, 2009), there were six options, including a limited DSi Browser (with no Java or Flash, so you can't watch YouTube videos), for Internet searching, and WarioWare Snapped, which has been modified to take advantage of the DSi camera). There's a stout batch of parental control options, so you can limit a child's Internet access. There are two low-resolution cameras (0.3 megapixels) that are on-par with many web cams. Don't expect to take your annual holiday family portrait with this camera. But low resolution doesn't mean low fun. The images can be quickly saved or manipulated, in real time, or integrated into a game. There's a lot of potential. Some changes in this third-generation DS are subtle, but overdue. You can hot swap games or play music when the lid is closed, and an audio mixer lets you play with recorded sounds. The speakers are louder, the screens brighter, and the case made thinner by shedding the Game Boy Advance port. The SD card -- the same variety used in millions of cameras -- slips in the side, next to the new stylus holder. We were able to display DSi photos on our computer with no problems or quirks. Unfortunately, this third edition DS marks the third edition AC adapter (so you can't use your older adapters!), and a third stylus size. If you try to put your DS Lite stylus in the DSi stylus holder, it flops around. If you plan on using your DSi primarily for playing DS games, you'll notice very few differences besides the better sound and the new startup process. For $170, this new system packs a new creative punch that is certain to keep the platform viable for many more years. More importantly, it paves the way for a new generation of open-ended activities that can empower children in new ways. See also the Nintendo 3DS.
$100, Nintendo DSi
Teaches: a portable game console
CTR Rating: 96%