Been a while since I mentioned making a review on my
DS(i). Blame it on fatigue and a sudden attack of pneumonia for that.
Well, anyway, I'm back and ready share my
DS(i) experience.
First, the
appearance. It has a more matte feel, kinda like the scratch-proof casings you get for your DS/DS Lite. It's not a fingerprint magnet anymore and it doesnt have that plastic feel. It looks solid and actually feels more solid and stable than the DS/DS Lite. I'm sure after all the reviews you've seen, you know that it's slimmer than the DS Lite due to the removal of SLOT-2 (
GBA), so no more Guitar Hero gaming for you.
Some of the controls have been rearranged, like the volume control is now on the left side and it now consists of a +/- instead of the slide control. The front of the DS(i) still has the headset connection, but that's it. The right side now has the SD slot to place a microSD in. Still on the right side too is the stylus slot, though the size has also changed so you couldn't even transfer your fave extendable stylus on it. I had to get used to the fact that there is no longer a slide power button on the right side, instead, the power button is now located inside the DS(i), just below the directional pad.
The
inside of the DS(i) has also been changed for some reason. I've read that the speakers were changed from multiple holes to just tiny slits because they were aiming for more attention on the screens rather than the holes themselves. I don't quite get it but the sounds still come out the same. Louder than the previous DS. As you've also read in the previews, the screens are now half an inch bigger than the DS/DS Lite. 3.5 inches and the size-change looks really noticable. The buttons have a different feel now, they give a little bit of... how should I say... crispy feeling. They kinda give a click sound when pressed. As I've mentioned above, the power button is now just a gray button and located at the lower-left corner of the touchscreen. Pressing it turns on the DS(i) but turning off is a lot different. You have to press and hold it to turn the system off since just pressing it once will only make you return to the DS(i) Menu. More on that later. The START/SELECT buttons have been smoothened for easier pressing.
Also, the
light indicators have been moved from the right hinge to the left and added an indicator also. The leftmost indicator is for the Wi-Fi. If your Wi-Fi is on, is shows of a yellow light. The Wi-Fi can be turned on/off in the DS(i) Settings menu. The middle indicator is for the charging light. Like the DS/DS Lite, it gives off an orange light when charging and turn off when the battery is full. The rightmost is the power indicator and now gives off a blue light rather than the usual green from the DS/DS Lite. Also, when the DS(i) is powered on but closed, the power indicator fades in and out unlike the DS/DS Lite which blinks. What I got is the US version so I still use my step-down transformer to change the voltage from 220V to 110V on my outlet.
The
interface has also changes drastically when you power on the DS(i). If you own a Wii, you'd recognize the kind of interface it shows. More of a menu channel that scrolls left and right. There are empty slots that can be filled once you download some games and/or applications for your DS(i). If you've get yourself a DS(i) before October ends, you'll immediately get 1000 points to use for your DS(i)Ware and can download some games from the Nintendo Wi-Fi Channel. Personally, the games being offered right now are okay but not worth the points so I still got 1000 points. BUT the Opera Browser is
FREE so download that before the offer expires. It allows you to browse the internet and it's a pretty cool experience. Hard to explain how it goes though but still very nice to use and really incorporates the touchscreen well.
Since the DS(i) doesn't promote much homebrew experience, it's not a downer for me since I got some new, original games to play with. I still suggest buying the original if you know that you'll be playing it for a long, long time. It's worth the money, believe me. So far, there's a downtime for new,
GOOD games for the past 2 months but it'll pick up by June.
There you go. I guess that's about it for now. Any questions?
BTW, I
STILL have my DS Lite with me for backup purposes
AND for Guitar Hero gaming. There's still
Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits coming so I don't wanna miss that.
For those with the questions earlier...
Starlust... I'm using the same router and I'm able to use it.. Just make sure your router is set on
WEP security settings so you can acquire the password and then input it on your DS. Just PM me if you still can't get it to work.
waychaych... I haven't been checking around the prices but I do believe the DS Lites are still in the range of 7-8K, or maybe lower due to the DS(i) popping up. DS(i)s still cost around 10K depending on where you buy. I still suggest getting it from Data Blitz, be it a DS Lite or DS(i). They're more trustworthy looking than EYO. Call it a hunch.
