Nintendo DSi is more than just a powerful gaming unit; it can take pictures, play music, edit and record music, and much more. The gaming system uses an operating system that can download games and application programs so that the device can become an organizer and a great wireless Internet connection that can be used anywhere. The ability of this system to use hundreds of different game modules and download games makes it rather versatile.

The Nintendo DSi was launched in the United States on April 5th, 2009 and was well received by critics and the public in general. This is the third iteration of the DS system and the ninth generation of the Nintendo hand-held line that started with the Game Boy. This unit improves on the previous iterations by improved sound abilities and quality and two interactive cameras. One improvement that gamers love is the ability to change games without having to power down the unit. A simple flick of the power button takes the user to the main menu screen; so game changing is much easier. The improved sound includes new abilities to edit and control sound. The user can listen to music while playing for the first time, and the quality is greatly improved. The interactive cameras can be used in some games and pictures can be taken and shared. Editing features for pictures are controlled by the eleven optical lenses that are available.

Along with being able to play Nintendo DS games without modification, DSiWare provides on demand games. The DSi as you already know is Internet ready and lets you shop for new apps to download. Here’s my top 5 DSi apps I have downloaded and can vouch for being excellent:

1 - Photo Clock

2 - Brain Age Express: Math

3 - Bird & Beans

4 - Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again

5 - Flipnote Studio DSiWare’s Flipnote Studio lets you create your own animations, sketch on photos with the Touch Screen and Stylus. “It really deserves a full Lens.”

The Nintendo DSi has the ability to use most of the old DS games but lacks the port for the Game Boy Advanced games. There were over eight hundred fifty games designed for the older DS system, and new games are coming online all the time. The online gaming feature and the ability of the DSi to interact with the Wii game console make the possibilities seemingly endless for this lightweight console.

The major problems with the system appear to be the battery life, picture quality, and the loss of the Game Boy port. The battery life can be extended by reducing the brightness of the screens and charging the battery at every outlet. This may reduce the overall life of the battery, but it will keep the system going. The cameras on the Nintendo DSi need full light to function properly, but even then, the pictures do not seem as good as the Nintendo website advertises. Facial recognition software and picture editing is nice but useless if the picture is distorted begin with. Many gamers do not like the loss of the Game Boy Advanced port and would have gladly given the 4 millimeters needed to have it. The losses of the games that the Game Boy Advanced port provided are few but some are titles that were popular like “Guitar Hero: On Tour.”

The Nintendo DSi has some great selling points like the 4x RAM of the previous version. The interaction with the Internet and the Wii is well worth the upgrade. The SD card available for external storage of music and downloads increase the power of this system.