Feature | How Essential is the Nintendo DSi XL?

In with the old…

There is the option to have a photo of your choice act as the desktop background, with it showing whenever the system is booted up and menu navigation is taking place, adding a simple, yet effective, personal touch. In the actual full photo mode there are eleven pre-set effects to play around with, such as merging your face with another person’s, stretching shots, distorting an image into kaleidoscope form or merely adding moustaches and cartoon features before sending the final result to a friend using the local wireless functionality. As pictures are taken, they can be played around with to your heart’s content. Then, when editing has been completed, save them to a chosen album (saved chronologically to store memories and then use the slideshow mode to make the DSi into a digital photo frame), transfer them to an SD card or even upload them directly to Facebook.

The biggest draw has to be the DSiWare service, though, where DSi owners can download brand new titles and applications from the Nintendo DSi Shop directly to the 512MB of internal space on the hardware, copying content across to an SD card when necessary. Betweeen the initial line-up of Paper Plane (Paper Airplane), Pyoro (Bird & Beans), WarioWare: Snapped!, Art Style: AQUITE (AQUIA), Art Style: CODE (DECODE), and other high quality releases since the service commenced, such as Reflect Missile, 2-in-1 Solitaire, and Art Style: INTERSECT (DIGIDRIVE), it brings a whole new world of gaming into the palm of your hand. As an added bonus, your DSiWare account can be linked with your official Nintendo one so Stars can be accrued for every download, which can then in turn be converted into more Nintendo Points for the payment of future downloads.

...and in with the new!

Other than the cheaper cost factor, one of the primary ideas behind making the decision to go slightly larger and make the LCD screens wide-angled was that many people like to see what is going on when someone else is playing, so previously people have had to crowd around a DS and forcibly move closer to the system to see the action. However, now the system can easily be viewed by two people, first of all due to the new screen type, and secondly as the system's top screen can be placed at different opening angles thanks to its two hinge positions. Rather than just the 155 degree angle of the DS, now there is a 120 degree option available. This second position was included so that the machine could easily be left open on a table-top, encouraging other members of the family to simply jump straight in and play once someone has finished with the system, or so that anyone sat down playing a game could easily be watched, making it simpler to receive a helping hand in the Professor Layton series of games, as well as others of its ilk.

On the sound front, Nintendo was hoping to increase the volume of the hardware in general, yet due to all the internal components remaining the same, upping the level on the current speakers would have distorted the sound too much. However, a solution came in the form of changing the speaker holes from the two small horizontal ones of the DSi to two sets of seven tiny holes set in a circular pattern of six, with the final hole located right in the centre. This has resulted in a clearer audio experience overall, and the reality that everything sounds a little louder than before despite being the actual same speaker as in the DSi model.

Whether Nintendo sticks with these three launch colours is yet another aspect that remains unconfirmed at the time of writing for the US market, but no doubt plenty of behind-the-scenes market research is being conducted to come to a final conclusion. Europe is set to get the Dark Brown and Wine Red models. These colours are not just plain either, as with older models. Taking the Wine Red model that Nintendo sent out to Cubed3, there are four thin layers of two-tone plastic with coloured ink printed on to create a polished top panel, rather than merely one flimsy, cheap-looking cover like the protective cases being sold by Third Parties accessory producers right now that clip onto the system. The DS Lite and DSi models were meant to have had two-tone colour selections, but their complicated hinges meant the desired outcome could not be reached without the end result looking less than professional in Nintendo's eyes. The shiny top panel is not just flat either, with it swelling slightly, being designed to mimic the surface tension of water in a bowl, giving not only a gentle feel, but a smart finish as well, and adds a touch more protection to the external camera eye.

Image courtesy of Kotaku

Finally, along with the chunky pen-like stylus, the Japanese edition comes with a voucher in the box that entitles owners to receive a free version of the Nero Music2Go software that allows the user to easily convert audio files from music CDs or songs stored on a PC into the AAC format the DSi recognises and transfer said files onto an SD card for portable playback. It also allows direct management of files on an SD card, plus provides access to detailed song, artist and album information for audio CDs. This software is normally GBP4.99, so it is a nice little extra inclusion to encourage people to make use of the audio features of the system. Again this is a Japanese-only feature until confirmed otherwise, yet hopefully it will be included in the West. It has also not been confirmed if the 1,000 free Nintendo Points will be offered when starting up the DSiWare service for the very first time. The Japanese DSi LL does have this welcomed addition, so hopefully Nintendo will keep the offer open so other territories do not miss out. After all, the more incentives for purchasing the DSi XL, the better in the consumer’s eye.