While Japan has been enjoying the Nintendo DSi for a few months now, those of us in North America have to wait until April 5 to get our hands on one. Yes, the next DS iteration is on the way and it'll set you back $169.99 if you decide to pick one up. Your color choices? Light blue or dark black. Most everything else in Nintendo's press release is just fluff, but here's a piece of the informative part:
Some features that will be built into the system and ready to enjoy upon purchase include the Nintendo DSi Camera, Nintendo DSi Sound and Nintendo DSi Shop. The most noticeable feature of the slim Nintendo DSi system is its two cameras – one camera is on the external body, and the second one points at the user when the device is flipped open. As the first truly interactive digital camera in a video game system with 10 different interactive "lenses" that can manipulate your photos, the Nintendo DSi Camera offers an easy way to take and share your photos with family and friends. The cameras also present people with unprecedented ways to interact with their games while giving developers a new tool to devise creative games and experiences. 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.
Another enhanced feature is the Nintendo DSi Sound application, which serves as both an interactive voice recorder and music player that allows users to play with their music while they listen to it. Users can access different audio filters or control the pitch and speed of recorded voice or music files to alter voices or change the tempo of a song. The mic is located between the two screens when the device is flipped open, and there is also a stereo headphone output that lets users listen to music saved on an SD card, even with the screen shut.
So, are you ready? I'll probably end up getting one sooner or later, but first I need to buy a new Sony PlayStation Portable to replace my existing unit which is suffering from a broken control pad. It has a bad habit of pressing itself, meaning that characters and cars take off to the right at random moments without my approval. My original launch Nintendo DS, on the other hand, is still working just fine nearly five years later. Nintendo makes better hardware and their reward is that I don't need to buy a replacement for a broken unit. Sony's product dies young and I wind up replacing it with another purchase. Funny how that works.
