Some of the Game & Watch games have been released in compilations on the GameBoy and Nintendo have now startet to release some of the games on Nintendo DSi as DSiWare at 200 DSi points.

I’ve been playing Donkey Kong Jr. which was released on DSi in Europe on Friday April 23rd, 2010. The game mimics the original game that was released in 1982 very well. The screen looks and feels like the old LCD screens on the G&W. I remember playing this game some 25 years ago, and the game is still fun to play.

There are some good G&W games to wait for, but until then, Donkey Kong Jr. is a great buy. Lots of fun for 200 points.

Source: Gizmodo.com

Source: GoNintendo.com and wii.kombo.com

Source: GoNintendo.com

Last week Nintendo DSi owner is Japan and Europe could update their DSi to firmware 1.4 (will come to US in the fall US August 3rd). The biggest news is that you now can upload pictures taken with the Nintendo DSi to your Facebook account. Pretty cool. It’s also blocking all flashcards. You can read more on Nintendo.co.uk.

To update the DSi firmware, go to System Settings and choose System Update (on page 4).

Here is a small YouTube video I made.

Here are some screenshot from the DSi.

A quote from Nintendo.co.uk:

The Facebook integration with the Nintendo DSi Camera is one feature of a new system update for the Nintendo DSi, which also includes other improvements to the technical features of the console.  This update is accessed by performing a system update in the System Settings of the Nintendo DSi, which will automatically upgrade the console’s firmware to version 1.4.

The exciting new Facebook integration with the Nintendo DSi Camera allows you to send photos directly to your Facebook stream, where they will be shared with friends and stored in an Album on your profile. A Facebook logo will then appear in the album section of the camera, and a Facebook icon will now be present above your picture. Tap this to immediately connect online to your Facebook account and upload your picture.

Game & Watch games gave been released on the GameBoy, GameBoy Advance and the DS. Now it’s time for the downloadable version for the DSi. It’s Japan only for now, but I guess we’ll see it here in the West too. If the real thing is more like your coup of tee, you can always check out .

The first games are:

• Ball, Flagman, Vermin & Judge (July 15)
• Helmet & Chef (July 29)
• Donkey Kong Jr., Mario’s Cement Factory & Manhole (August)

Here are a couple of videoes, you can see more on gamersdag.nl.

Cammie Dunaway (Nintendo of America’s executive VP) enters the stage.

Showing a video of what Mario have played through the years.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Play with four players. Multiplayer or singleplayer. Coming Worldwide Christmas 2009.

Showing Wii Fit. Best selling game the last year. 13 million sold. Wii Fit plus announced. You can be your own trainer. The game will be available with or without the Wii Fit Balanceboard.

Reggie Fils-Aime enters. Talks about the next advance in controlling – The Wii Motion Plus. Nothing new, since this have been announced month ago. Showing a trailer  with Wii Sport resort. On-stage demo. July 26 in US. Tiger Woods, Grand Slam, Virtua Tennis 2009 supports the Wii Motion+. Red Steel 2 will only play with new + controller.

RPG: Final Fantasy – The Crystal Bearer for Wii. Kingdom Hearts for DS. Mario & Luigi – Bowsers Inside Story, coming Fall in US and Europe. Also a new Golden Sun game is announced.

Womens Murders Club annaounced for DS. Cop: The Requit.

They show a video with Nintendo DSi. 1 million DSi sold in US two month since US launch. Flip Notes Studio will come to US this sommer. Mario vs. Donkey Kong Minis March Again coming June 8 on DSiWare in US, mae your own levels.

You can upload photos taken with DSi and share it on Facebook this Summer.

Satoru Iawata enters the stage. He talks about the gamer within us all, everywhere. announce the Wii Vitality Sensor.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 announced.

The Conduit from Sega, game trailer. Resident Evil – Dark Side from Capcom, gametrailer. Dead Space – Extraction gametrailer shown. All games for Nintendo Wii.

Metroid – Other M  announced from Nintendo and Team Ninja.

The End!

I found the pressrelease on Kombo.com:

Race into Pole Position with Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (May 28th, 2009) – SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® America, Inc., today announced Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, a fast and furious battle to the finish line in this supercharged racer. Developed for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the home video game system, Wii™ and the Nintendo DS™ system, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing will speed into stores in early 2010.

In a frantic battle to the chequered flag, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing sees Sonic and friends speed around tracks set in mediaeval castle ramparts, lush rainforests and bustling cities, all taken from the visually rich and varied universes of Sonic and SEGA. Fan favourites such as Dr. Eggman, Tails, AiAi, Amigo and many more will join Sonic in their custom built vehicles, revving their engines and jostling to stay ahead of the pack. Each character will race around the track in cars, planes, motorbikes, and in AiAi’s case – a banana mobile! Secret short cuts, swift handling and avoiding strategically placed obstacles are certainly the best way to get to the top of the podium.

“Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is no ordinary racing game. Its huge variety of characters and vehicles, plus the ability to play both online and off set it apart from other games of this type” commented Gary Knight European Marketing Director, SEGA Europe Ltd. “The team have pushed the boundaries on what you would normally expect and created a different and unique party racing title whereby you really can’t take anything for granted!”

And winning is only part of the fun in Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing! Each character has a specific All Star move such as Super Sonic, Banana Blitz and Tails Tornado, allowing a quick way for competitors to get back into the race! Power ups and weapons can also be collected around the tracks and used against the opposition to ensure they don’t become a threat to that number one position… Players can battle it out in single or multiplayer mode, allowing up to four friends to race in frantic split-screen action, or up to eight players to compete online in the ultimate racing showdown.

Can Amigo scramble Dr. Eggman? Will AiAi say bye-bye to Tails? Are you gonna be faster than Sonic? The race will start in 2010… For more information please visit: www.sega.com/sonicracing.

Galaxy Force II
Mega Drive – 1991 by Sega – shooter - 1 player – 800 points – age 7+

Bit.Trip Beat
WiiWare – 01/05/2009 – Aksys Games – arcade – 1-4 players – 600 points – age 3+

A Little Bit of… Magic Made Fun: Funny Face
DSiWare – 01/05/2009 by Nintendo – magic tricks – 1 player – 200 points – age 3+

A Little Bit of… Dr. Mario
DSiWare – 01/05/2009 by Nintendo – puzzle – 1 player – 500 points – age 3+

Gametrailers.com have released the opening cinematic for the game and it looks real cool. You can watch it in the video bellow.

Adventure Island – The Begining
WiiWare – 24/04/2009 by Hudson Soft – 1-2 players – action – 1000 points – age 7+

Crystal Defenders R1
WiiWare – 24/04/2009 by Square Enix – defence simulation – 1 player – 800 points – age 7+

Real Football 2009
DSiWare – 24/04/2009 by Gameloft – sports/football – 1-4 players -  800 points

The two first pictures are from the week of the Nintendo DSi launch in Europe when I got a DSi in my mailbox.

The next three pictures are from the day the Easter Bunny visited my Animal Crossing town.

It must be great to be a game collector in Japan since they get all sort of special edition og games and consoles not released anywhere else.

On May 28, 2009 a new game in the Ace Attorney series (as we know it in the West) will be released in Japan, namly Gyakuten Kenji. Japanese gamer does not only get a new game, but also a new Ace Attorney themed DSi in the Premium Edition Ace Attorney DSi. Not only that, but they can also buy a Ace Attorney Limited Edition of the game which contain the following:

• Orchestrated Mini Album. It’s all music from the game re-done by the Tokyo Symphonic Orchestra. 5 tracks in all.
• Video Collection DVD. Has some really unique footage like a “How to Play” video, some footage of the Special Court Hearing Event, TGS video, and more.
• Concert Pamphlet. Inside is also a look at the Manga by the Art Director!
• Character Portrait Cards
• Special Card Case. It’s a sweet carrying case for your Ace Attorney games, with six open slots.

Luckily, everything is available for import for those with the needs and money. You can go to Play-Asia.com to check it out. The release date is May 28.

• Gyakuten Kenji [Premium Edition] – Nintendo DSi
• Gyakuten Kenji [e-capcom Limited Edition] [game] - US$ 149.90
• Gyakuten Kenji [game] – US$ 54.90

I got my first and only DS from eBay right after the US launch in 2004. That was 3-4 months before the Norwegian and European launch. Nintendo revolutionised handheld gaming with its two screens, where one was a thouchscreen. The DS have been a great success for Nintendo with 100 million consoles sold.

Nintendo DS was launched as Nintendos third pilar, but soon it looked liked it was the only pilar. DS Lite was launched in 2006. For a long time I was thinking of upgrading to a DS Lite. But last October 2008 the great new of the DSi was released. I found out that I could wait some months.

On Friday April 3, 2009 the Nintendo DSi was released in Norway and Europe, two whole days before USA. It have been discussed on forums if the upgrade to a DSi is worth the money. For me this have not been a question since I upgraded from a Phat grey DS. For me the upgrade to Nintendo DSi is worth every Norwegian Krones.

Here is my small Nintendo DSi review. 

The biggest news is that the DSi have two cameras (one on the inside, one on the outside), it can use SD-cards, build-in storage, you can download software and it have bigger screens. DSi is also missing the GBA-port.

Some of Nintendo DSi’s specifications (Wikipedia.org):

• CPU: ARM @ 133 MHz (DS – 67 MHz)
• Screen: 256 x 192 pixels, 3,25 inch (DS – 3 inch)
• 16 MB RAM (DS 4 MB)
• 256 MB internal storage + SD-card (support SDHC)
• Wi-Fi: 802.11b, DSi support WPA and WPA2, DS still only support WEP

The screens are bright and clear. The inner camera and mic are placed between the two screens. This works great. The speakers are placed on each side of the upper screen.

Nintendo DSi Camera

The DSi cameras are only 0.3 megapixel, 640 x 480. This isn’t much, but I don’t think that is a problem. Nintendo also had internal discussion about the hardware. The DSi isn’t ment to replace a compact camera. If the DSi cameras had had higher resolution, the DSi might have been a bit bigger and it would use more processor power to handle the picture, and that would have give less batterylife. The picture look good on the DSi screens, and OK on PC too.

The built in software have some function to play around with: Disortian, Graffiti, Colour, Colourpad, Mirror, Mischief, Emoter, Merge og Resembalance.

The photos bellow was taken with the DSi camera.

Nintendo DSi Sound

With Nintendo DSi Sound you can play with sound. You can record upto 10 seconds soundclips. These can be used when playing music. Fun. When playing a song you can adjust tempo and pitch. You can also play music with four different filters: Radio, Intrumental, Echo og 8-bit game.

DSi can only play AAC files, no MP3s. This is a bit strange since MP3 is the most common format. But again, Nintendo removed MP3 playback from the Wii. But there should be no problem converting your music to the AAC format.

Nintendo DSi Shop

When you log on to the Nintendo DSi Shop for the first time, you get 1000 DSi points which is very nice. You can buy more points with your Visa/MasterCard or buy Nintendo Point Cards at your retailer.

There are four price categories; Free (which we all like), 200, 500 og Premium (that is 600 and over). There was not that many titles available at the European launch.

These was the titles available at the European launch on April 3, 2009: DSi Browser (free), Paper Plane, Pyoro (200), Art Style: AQUITE, ArtStyle: CODE and WarioWare: Snapped! (500).

Rumors also have i that GameBoy and GameBoy Advance games will be available for download. But that is only a rumor.

Nintendo DSi Browser

DSi is missing the GBA-port, so the old DS Browser won’t work. But as it happens, you can download DSi Browser for free. The DSi Browser won’t replace your desktop browser, but it does a good job. It’s faster than the old browser.  And you can still not play video, flash or soud with the browser. But I don’t see that as a problem, since this is not my main browser.

PictoChat

Local chat and the same as previously DS. But it now support rainbow colour.

DS Download Play

With this function you can play multiplayer with only one gamecart.

You can also download DS demos from Nintendo Wii. But it would be cool if you could download demos from the DSi Shop and store them on the SD-card or the internal storage. When using Download Play the content will be erased from memory when you quit the demo.

Conclusion

Nintendo DSi also have two new nice features. You can now hot-swap games without turning off the DSi. This is very usefull. With a fast press on the Power-button you quit the game/software you using, and you come back to the main menu.

With two cameras, 256 MB internal storage, support for SDHC memory card, internet, downloadable games; I think Nintendo have a new hit. Nintendo DSi have already sold 2 million units in Japan. They must do something right.

The DSi is missing the GBA port so games like Guitar Hero won’t work and you can’t play GBA games. But how often do you do that anyway now? DSi Enhanced games will come that will work on “old” DS and have extra functions on the DSi. At some point DSi only games will also come. They will be region locket. All DSiWare is also region locket, and the only way to play japanese only DSiWare is to import one.

So the question is: Should you upgrade to a DSi? That depend. If you have a DS Lite today, you can wait and see what the downloadable software and games will be over the next months. If you don’t have a DS today, or you are like me and still have the Phat grey DS, I can recommand the Nintendo DSi.

UPDATE: I’ve now made a review of the Nintendo DSi.

Here are some pictures I’ve taken.

The pictures are under Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 licence.

I’ve tried to watch every DSi video I can come across and MaxConsole.net posted a new YouTube video of the Nintendo DSi demoed at GDC’09. Enjoy!

Just a good week left before the Nintendo DSi hits Europe, and a couple of extras for US. Nintendo DSi have already sold 2 million units in Japan, which is a great number. Some hard facts about the DSi:

• wifi profile settings can be transferred to other DSi units in the area
• Nintendo Wi-Fi USB setup option
• 1.2U firmware out of the box, but update needed if you plan to use the DSiShop
• Nintendo was using a photo-printing device at the Club Nintendo DSi events. No word on if this accessory will ever see a retail release
• if you remove your SD card while in photo mode, your DSi will switch to internal storage

It is also confimered that North America will get 1000 DSi points when they go to the DSi Shop. I really hope the same goes for Europe. Would be great to have some points to start with. Also the DSi Browser have to be downloaded, but it’s free.

The rumors has it that you will be able to download GameBoy and GameBoy Advance games to the DSi. Sega is also interested in bringing Game Gear games to DSi, but that is also only a rumor.

Satoru Iwata ask some more question about the Nintendo DSi. This time (it was aqtually end of February and early March) it’s about Internal Software and the Nintendo DSi Browser. Here just a small quote:

More than anything we looked to the internal features of the Wii console. They were helpful in making the Nintendo DSi features but also gave us a hint as to what extent we should explain the internal memory to users. But when it came to features that haven’t existed in game consoles before, like the cameras for example, we had to figure everything out for ourselves, so there were plenty of twists and turns along the way. Simply looking at cell phones wouldn’t suffice.

Read everything on nintendodsi.com.

Nintendo DSi is now available for pre-order on Amazon.co.uk, both the white and black DSi. Nintendo DSi will be released in Europe on April 3, 2009, priced at £149.99.

eBay

Here is a YouTube video uploaded by BattleHappen, showing the facts.

Screenshot from: NintendoDSi.com

NintendoDSi.com have published a conversation with Satoru Iwata (President of Nintendo), Yui Ehara (Development Engieering Dept.), Kentaro Mita (Development Engieering Dept.) and Masato Kuwahara (Development Engieering Dept.).

You can read the complete conversation at NintendoDSi.com, but here is the start of it:

Iwata
Let’s start with how development of the Nintendo DSi system began. It was you, Kuwahara-san, who started moving on this, right?

Kuwahara
Yes. I’m Masato Kuwahara from the Development Engineering Department. It all began when toward the end of 2006 my boss assigned me to work on a new DS and told me to put together a proposal for presentation at the end of December outlining what kind of system we wanted to make.

Iwata
That’s quite short notice.

Kuwahara
I’ll say! And by February of the next year, we would had to hammer out most of the specifications for the internal chip. We had to move at an incredible pace. From planning to determining the specs, we moved from one thing to the next without pause. It was pretty intense.

Iwata
During that time, was there anything you worried about or focused on?

Kuwahara
One thing that was difficult was developing the project while keeping in mind how to sell it. What I mean is, it wasn’t a completely new piece of hardware, so we couldn’t plan on there being several big titles to be simultaneously released with it.

Iwata
Because it’s not an entirely new platform. It’s the third console in the Nintendo DS line.

Nintendo DSi is selling like hot cakes on Amzon.com. All the pre-orders have made Nintendo DSi onto the Top 10 Game list on Amazon.

GoNintendo.com posted a promo trailer for Nintendo DSi. It’s a good one. April is not that far away.

You can pre-order Nintendo DSi from Amazon.com (US-model).

Yesterday Nintendo of America announced that Nintendo DSi will launch in North America on April 5. Guess what? Nintendo of Europe announced today that Nintendo DSi will arrive in Europe on April 3, two days before US.

Here is the full press release from Nintendo.co.uk (via GoNintendo.com):

Nintendo DSi arrives in Europe on 3 April 2009

19 February 2009 – Nintendo will launch its new handheld console, the Nintendo DSi, in Europe on 3 April 2009.  The Nintendo DSi will be available in black or white and is the thinnest and lightest member of the Nintendo DS family.  The console is packed with new features that will excite fans of and newcomers to the Nintendo DS range.

There are many ways to have fun with the Nintendo DSi, from creating, customising and sharing photos with friends & family or listening to and experimenting with your favourite music, to playing more than 1000 Nintendo DS games and downloading new Nintendo DSiWare games directly onto your console. The Nintendo DSi also features built-in Internet browsing capabilities, meaning the fun begins the moment you switch it on!

Nintendo DSi brings motion-detecting cameras to handheld gaming
The Nintendo DSi incorporates two cameras, adding an entirely new dimension to gameplay. The cameras are able to accurately detect facial features and players’ movements. Moving the upper body, hands, arms and head in front of the camera now means play can be directed by movement alone, bringing a whole new way of interacting with the handheld.

Play with your pictures
The Nintendo DSi’s cameras face inside and outside; mounted on the console’s flip-up lid so users can snap themselves or their friends and families just as they choose. What sets the Nintendo DSi’s cameras apart, however, is that the Nintendo DSi Camera software comes fully loaded with 11 special camera effects so that users can take shots using a range of special effects.

Users can edit their images in real-time or after they’re taken. Choices include a distortion tool which allows users to use the Stylus to distort their image in a variety of quirky and fun ways. Turn any face into fans’ favourite Mario with his famous moustache and hat, or frame the image beautifully in a style of your choosing. Everything you create can be saved into a personal photo album which in turn allows you to use your Nintendo DSi as a personal digital photo frame! Users can share their snapshots with friends and family wirelessly. Or by saving the content onto an SD memory card, users can upload to their personal computer or their Wii and share with friends and family using WiiConnect24!

Play with sound
The Nintendo DSi has enhanced volume and sound quality so that users can experience the Nintendo DSi Sound application, as well as in-game music, at its best.  As well as bringing portable music to the Nintendo DSi (as players will be able to play AAC-encoded music files on their console), Nintendo DSi Sound introduces new ways for Nintendo DSi users to experiment and play  with sound and music – changing the pitch, speed and even apply effects to sound files that are played on the console.

For example, users can slow down a phrase in a foreign language to get the pronunciation just right.  But they can equally have fun recording their own voices and manipulating the play-back – adding sound effects to create new fun with sound.  Players can also change the speed or add sound effects to songs, enabling them to create their own unique mixes, as well as learn words and instrumental solos more easily.

Download Nintendo DSiWare and customise your Nintendo DSi with a whole host of new titles and applications…
You can customise your Nintendo DSi by downloading games and applications from the Nintendo DSi Shop, in addition to being able to carry around your Nintendo DSi with your very own unique photos & music files. A variety of fun software will be available for download in the forthcoming months. Examples include an application which enables users to make animated cartoons or combine photos to create mini-movies (incorporating both sound and moving images); or the fun-filled WarioWare software which utilises the motion-detecting camera for a completely interactive experience.  Users will also be able to download the Nintendo DSi Browser for free from launch, offering quick and easy Internet access from their Nintendo DSi.

All of this and more can be downloaded directly from the Nintendo DSi Shop via the Internet, and thanks to the Nintendo DSi’s built-in flash memory these can be saved directly onto your console, meaning you can take all of your games and other applications with you wherever you go.

Packed with features, but thinner than ever
In addition to all of the new features, the Nintendo DSi comes in a matt finish and is a full 12% thinner than the Nintendo DS Lite, making it Nintendo’s most portable handheld ever.  However, it also packs a punch with bigger, brighter, 3.25” screens. As well as offering downloadable software via the Nintendo DSi shop, the new handheld is able to play games made specifically for the system and most Nintendo DS games – offering access to a library of hundreds of existing titles.

Nintendo DSi launches across Europe on 3 April in black and white.

Nintendo of America announced yesterday that Nintendo DSi will be released in North America on April 5. After only one day, Nintendo DSi have made it’s way into the top 10 best sellers on Amazon.com.

On April 5th, the Nintendo DSi will be released in North-America. It will be priced at US$169.99, and you can already pre-order it on Amazon.com. So I hope that we in Europe will get a release date soon too.

IGN.com have a hands-on the US DSi.

Here is the pressrelease taken from IGN.com:

Nintendo DSi Launches April 5
New Portable System Offers Customized Gaming Experiences

February 18, 2009 – REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Nintendo pioneered hand-held entertainment in the ’80s and made it fully mobile with the Game Boy™ video game system. Now, Nintendo is transforming the way people access, experience, create and share content with the new Nintendo DSi™ system, the third iteration of the world’s best-selling portable video game system. Nintendo DSi launches in the United States on April 5, 2009, at an MSRP of $169.99. The colors available at launch will be Blue and Black.

“Ever since the arrival of the first Game Boy, consumers worldwide have turned to Nintendo for their portable gaming,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Nintendo DSi builds on Nintendo’s commitment to bringing fun and creative entertainment to everyone, and will allow consumers to personalize and share their very own experiences.”

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.

In the world of software, Nintendo DSi will be the platform for the most relevant and fun on-the-go games and applications. The Nintendo DSiWare™ application will populate Nintendo DSi with software that can be downloaded using Nintendo DSi Points directly to the portable system, just as WiiWare™ has with Nintendo’s Wii™ console. Developers big and small are invited to create software that makes use of the properties and functions of the hardware. Nintendo DSiWare games and applications will be available at a range of values, starting at 200 points.

In addition to downloadable games, Nintendo DSi is able to play games made specifically for the system and sold at retail. The system can also play most Nintendo DS™ games, and will have access to a library of more than 850 titles originally made for that system.

Also on April 5, a new Nintendo DS game, Rhythm Heaven™, will join this roster of games available for both Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DS owners in the United States. Having sold more than 1.6 million copies since its July 2008 launch in Japan and still increasing sales today, this infectious game challenges players to tap and slide the stylus on the touch screen in time to original music created by legendary Japanese pop-star producer TSUNKU♂. Simple gestures with the stylus combined with fun music and quirky visuals make Rhythm Heaven a completely unique musical experience for players of all ages.

Additional features and news of Nintendo DSi will be revealed as April 5 approaches.

For more information about Nintendo DSi, visit www.nintendodsi.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 2.8 billion video games and more than 485 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii and Nintendo DS, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.

DSiWare download where made available in Japan on Christmas Eve. GoNintendo posted a YouTube video from NintenDaan. I went to his YouTube channel and have posted all his DSiWare videos bellow.

DSiWare Downloading Software

Pyoro

Paper Aeroplane

Art Style Aquario

Art Style Decode

Chotto Asobi Taizen

Chotto Magic Taizen: Scary Numbers

Chotto Dr. Mario

• Moving Memo Book (FREE)
• Bird and Beans (200 DSi Point)
• Paper Airplane (200 DSi Point)
• A Little Magic Tournament (200 DSi Point)
• Art Style Aquario/Decode (500 DSi Point each)
• A Little Dr. Mario (500 DSi Point)
• Utsusu Made in Wario (500 DSi Point)
• Simple Trumps (500 DSi Point)
• A Little Brain Age: Word Version/Logic Version (800 DSi Point each)

GoNintendo.com have posted some screenshots of the upcoming DSiWare games.

Unreleased Opera Nintendo DSi Browser from Nplus on Vimeo.

Nintendo DSi launched in Japan on November 1st, read more on IGN.com. DSi is looking great. I still have my Phat DS from launch in 2004, but have been thinking of upgrading to DS Lite. But now I’ll wait to the Spring or when ever the DSi comes to Europe.

IGN have tested the DSi camera and the Internet. IGN have also posted a lot of videoes.

For those who can’t wait for the DSi to launch in their region, the Japanese DSi can be ordered from Play-Asia.com. Just remember that DSi software will be regionlocked.

If found this video on YouTube.

The new Nintendo DSi is now available for pre-order at Play-Asia.com. DSi will launch in Japan on November 1st, 2008. The pre-order price is US$ 299.00 and is available in both black and white. Many will probably import DSi, but I will wait for the European release next Spring.

Features:

• Enlarged screen (17% bigger at 3.25 inches)
• Reduced size (about 12% thinner)
• Camera function built-in (640×480)
• SD memory card slot (Allows you to save pictures and display them on the Wii™)
• Built-in browser function
• Built-in music playback function
• Download and store games on your SD card (Japan only!)
• Plays all Nintendo DS™ games!
• Does NOT support Gameboy™ Advance anymore!

DSi software (software that is only compatible with DSi) is region locked, eg: European DSi software can only be played on European DSi consoles.

DSi is region locked because DSi embeds net communication functionality within itself and we are intending to provide net services specifically tailored for each region. Also because we are including parental control functionality for Nintendo DSi and each region has its unique age limit made by different independent.

I was hoping the DSi would be region free. So there’s goes the chance to import cheap DSi titles.

Yesterday I posted some YouTube videoes I found of the Nintendo Conference. Today I found a post on GoNintendo.com with the keynote from president of Nintendo of Japan, Satoru Iwata. The video have English voiceover (and matching slideshow), so it should be very watchable.

Direct link to the video.

Today, Thursday October 2nd, Nintendo announced on a press conference (Fall Summit) in Japan, the new DSi. The new DSi will be 12% thinner than the DS Lite. The GBA slot is removed, it will have two cameras (one VGA), the screen is 3.25 inch (about 17% bigger than on the DS). The DSi will have a SD card slot for storage, a built-in browser (I read somewhere that it was Opera). You will be able to download DSiWare at 200, 500 or 800 Nintendo points (GBP 1.70 / 4.25 / 6.80).

The Nintendo DSi will be out in Japan on November 1st, 2008. And it will probably hit Europe some time in the Spring 2009. It will cost around ¥189,000 (approx. US $178) and the DSi will come in Black and White.

Source: IGN.com, Kotaku.com, Eurogamer.net, Joystiq.com

Official DSi page

DSi details, taken from N-Europe.com:

• Two 3.25-inch screens – 17% bigger than the DS Lite model.
• One 3-megapixel camera, maximum resolution 640×480 (photos editable using stylus).
• No GBA support…
• … replaced by an SD slot!
• Overall 12% thinner than the DS Lite.
• Opera web browser now built-in as part of the firmware.
• Downloadable games, known as DSiWare (storable on SD)
• Some DSiWare free, others will cost 200/500/800 Points, with 1000 initially free to all.
• Improved audio capabilities – pitch and playback options added.
• Releasing in black and white “flavours”.