Midnight Blue DSi XL

Written by pikaby

Nintendo of America today announced the addition of a new color scheme for the portable Nintendo DSi XL™ system. Starting July 11, U.S. consumers will be able to purchase the system in midnight blue. Like the original bronze and burgundy versions, the midnight blue Nintendo DSi XL will be available at a suggested retail price of $189.99.
Nintendo DSi XL is the latest iteration of Nintendo’s top-selling family of hand-held game systems. In addition to its two built-in cameras and photo- and sound-manipulation functions, Nintendo DSi XL offers two screens that are 93 percent larger than those on the Nintendo DS™ Lite system.
The system also features pre-loaded software such as Flipnote Studio™, Brain Age™ Express: Math and Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, as well as Photo Clock and the Nintendo DSi™ Browser. Nintendo DSi XL screens have a wider viewing angle that makes it easier for friends to gather around and share the fun.

PR email, sourced from GoNintendo, and it's packaged with the same DSiWare games (the ones borderlining on 'crap') that came with the original colors. I think it might be that blue DSi LL we saw about last week. Still remember it? That's the blue in the middle.

Midnight Blue DSi XL

Love Plus + DSi LL

Written by pikaby

Suddenly the DSi XL is getting all the love today. Three new colors, then I find out about this Love Plus + bundle.

There's three of them, each with a different babe on the front plate of the DSi XL, and all bundled together with Love Plus +. I'm not sure I want to play this though, I can't understand the Japanese obsession with dating sims.

Love Plus + DSi LL

Three new DSi XL Colors

Written by pikaby

Beautifully solid-colored yellow, blue, and green DSi LL's will join their maroon and white brothers on store shelves on June 19 this year, and this goes together with a price cut of 2000 yen from 20,000. Regular DSi's price will also be cut too.

These colors are great, and I love the matching black side casing and dual-colored stylus, but....June 19? E3 would have already be over and done with and the 3DS would have already been unveiled. What's left of the market share for the DSi XL? Someimtes I just don't get it.

Three new DSi XL Colors

Photo Dojo Review

Written by pikaby

Photo Dojo is one of the shallowest fighting games I've ever played in my entire life. Your on-screen character can only have one punch, kick, fireball and a last-resort final move to use, and you use it to defeat on-screen enemies. In single-player mode, you beat a hundred, and the game ends. Shallow.

But saying that would be completely missing the point. Photo Dojo's real purpose is really to extract laughs out of everyone in the room as the fighter fumbles around doing his nonsense, basic attacks. And the on-screen character can be anyone. Out goes Street Fighter and Tekken, instead, you can register up to eight people or things using the DSi Camera to record poses and sounds for each fighter. In comes your granddad, Chuck Norris, Captain Falcon and yourself.  You truly have to play it just to see how hilarious it can get when you're fighting off a giant version of yourself with a 'fireball' shaped like your nan's face with all your rubbish voices. Don't forget, you provide the game with 'fighting arenas' too- all the backgrounds in the game are also taken with the camera!

It would have benefited from a little more gameplay, but then again it's not meant to have any real depth or substance in it. Photo Dojo thrives by being completely shallow and empty and you'll just be truly entertained by it until you get bored.

This has to be played with company(and probably several crates of beer) to get the full effect, and I'd say it could be the perfect ice-breaker at parties. And at the unbeatable price of absolutely free, why not give it a go? (it's worth 200 points after June 11 this year, but I'd say it's still worth it)

Score: 7.5/10

Photo Dojo Review

Nintendo DSi first month sales!

Written by pikaby

So that's where it went. I'd been wondering how well it did for the past few days, and I just remembered I hadn't heard a thing about hardware sales figures for a while now. Just what the doctor ordered. So, how'd the DSi XL do in the wake of the 3DS announcement?

Nintendo DSi first month sales!

Why a DSi XL?

Written by pikaby

Today is the day the Nintendo DSi XL will hit store shelves. Great timing, Nintendo. With the DSi released just last year and the 3DS set to storm the world next year, this gigantic FOURTH make of the iconic Nintendo DS is sandwiched in between...Is it really necessary to get it when either 1) You've just upgraded to a DSi, or 2) a brand new handheld is just around the corner? It just makes you feel ripped off, doesn't it? DSi XL's position right now, in my opinion, is equivalent to that of the Game Boy Micro right after the GBA SP and before the original DS was released, only it's the exact opposite in terms of size.

Why a DSi XL?

Divided opinions on Nintendo 3DS

Written by pikaby

So the time has finally come and Nintendo announced to the world what their next dual-screened handheld is capable of. And mixed reactions started to come in almost immediately....But first off, to dispel the myth, 3DS is not a DS remake. If it turns out to have its own set of games that the other DS models cannot play, then it's a brand new console.

Responding almost immediately was industry rival Sony, who think playing in 3D is 'a stretch'. They say they want to focus on 3D in the home console market, on their PS3, and that their research shows not many 8 to 9 year olds play in 3D.

Them's fighting words, Sony. Next thing you know their next PSP console will also feature similar things to the 3DS, if it turns out to wow everyone at whatever event Nintendo are going to reveal it. Not so, Sony says. But we'll just wait and see then.

Feedback from analysts questioned the logic behind announcing the 3DS right before the DSi XL was about to be released in the US. Surely this will hurt sales of the gigantic DSi? The 3DS and 3D gaming could have mass appeal, but only if done right. Many people are still optimistic about the 3DS. It's sure to make waves when the first prototype casing ans debut games are shown.

Me? Put Nintendo and 3D in the same sentence and I think about the Virtual Boy. Of course I know the 3DS is nothing like that fail pair of oversized goggles and games in four shades of eye-searing red, but I can't shake that feeling off. Maybe I could get more excited when I see the console for real. 3D without the use of dorky-looking 3D glasses? New games and better graphics? Same touch control plus added motion-tilting stuff? Bring. It. On.

Divided opinions on Nintendo 3DS