I got rid of all my Wii gear and games.

Sold it partially because I need the money for new camera gear, but also because I've been trying to get rid of it for a while now. The thing is friggin' boring. For me at least. Lame titles, less than mediocre wifi play, and controls that I never really understood--makes me question why I bought the system in the first place.

Either way, the machine has given me countless hours of brawling fun, so I guess I got my money's worth seeing as I sold it for nearly what I bought it all for.

hilarity ensues as avid gamers bash the new Nintendo DSi!



announced yesterday, the new DSi is to be a "third platform" to complement the existing systems and introduce a few new features. however, a lot of people have begun bashing the system because of Nintendo's decision to drop the GBA slot in exchange for a slimmer handheld. (but people are stupid. what do they know?) the new system will cost roughly $20 more than the DS Lite, but before i go on making fun of some of the complaints, here are some of the new additions made:



two cameras, one on the inside and one on the outside to be used for gaming possibilities and as a standard point and shoot.

music playback, but only AAC files will be utilized

WiFi shop, similar to that of the Wii's

an SD slot, to support the data that will need to be stored

dual touch-screens, because why touch one when you can touch two?

a comparison of the DS and DSi's specs can be found here.

now onto the complaints...
a lot of people are whining about the DSi's backward incompatibility, but really, GBA games are not why we love the DS Lite. simplicity, multiplayer and DS GAMES--those are the things that keep us hooked on the lovable handheld, and those are the reasons we own a DS, so complaining about GBA games is a moot point. also, those saying "i've already got an iPod" or whatever, good for you, but unfortunately i'm all out of cookies.

the biggest mistake everyone is making is thinking that this is an upgrade-or-not situation, when it's really a question of preference. the DSi is not an upgrade to the DS, but a creation by Nintendo to counter the iPhone's insane popularity and gradual entrance into the gaming world. so those who would rather combine their media needs w/their DS have this option for an additional $20, which really isn't a bad deal. the only things that have actually been upgraded in the new DSi are the WiFi capabilities and enlarged screen from 3 to 3.25. (funny comment i heard about the DSi's screens: "I worry that older DS games will look pixelated at bigger sizes.")

so far, the only valid complaint i've heard concerns the DSi's shortened battery life, but considering the camera, music, and dual touch-screens, it's not unacceptably unexpected.

＊i'd also like to note that a lot of sources fail to mention that the DS Lite costs ￥16800 in Japan, and the DSi will be ￥18900, which amounts to a $20 difference.