Downloadable DSi Launch Titles Announced

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Nintendo has lifted the curtain on the first 5 titles available on the Nintendo DSi Shop downloadable software store when its new DSi handheld launches April 5.

All developed by Nintendo, the titles include a new WarioWare game apparently with a baby-upsetting minigame, a pretty undersea puzzle game, birds tonguing beans, more Brain Age and a smattering of wonderous magical illusions--don't call them tricks.

Nintendo offers these brief explanations:

WarioWare: Snapped! - Using the built-in Nintendo DSi camera, this outrageous title puts players right at the center of fast-paced mini-games, challenging them to race the clock and get a peek at Wario's photo album.

Bird & Beans - Using an elastic tongue, players must scramble to collect falling beans. The harder a bean is to catch, the more points it's worth.

Brain Age Express: Math - In this math-focused edition of the popular Brain Age series, players can enjoy a mix of new and familiar training exercises. A new Themes mode also lets Nintendo DSi users experiment with images and voice recordings in fun, unusual ways.

Master of Illusion Express: Funny Face - This game uses your Nintendo DSi as a prop in a card trick. Draw a face on the touch screen and astound your audience as the face tells them which playing card they picked.

Art Style: AQUIA - The newest addition to the eye-popping Art Style series, this mesmerizing underwater puzzle game challenges players to help a scuba diver reach the ocean floor by matching a series of colored blocks.

Software on the DSi Shop is paid for with Nintendo DSi points--which are not interchangeable with Wii Shop Channel points. You can pick up a nifty 1000 DSi points for free in the US if you buy a new DSi and go online within the first six months.

Already launched in Japan, and arriving in Europe on Friday and North America on Sunday, the Nintendo DSi marks Nintendo's third revision to the portable hardware.

Priced at $179.99, it packs bigger screens and a slimmer profile than previous iterations, along with two cameras and the ability to downloadable games. However, as part of that slimming, the DSi has lost its cartridge slot for Game Boy Advance titles.

From The Chatty
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    April 2, 2009 8:03 AM

    This new DS is utter crap. There is absolutely no reason to buy one of these things as it stands right now. All the new games play on the old one, the video camera is a joke, you lose the GBA slot, and suprise surprise, all the hacked rom cartridges don't work.

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      April 2, 2009 8:18 AM

      I don't think any of these new downloadable games worked on the old DS hardware . . .

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        April 2, 2009 8:18 AM

        *work

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        April 2, 2009 9:13 AM

        downloadable games are no reason to dump a perfectly good DS for a DSi bloated with useless features and less battery life.

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          April 2, 2009 10:30 AM

          Okay. I'm just pointing out the part where he says "All the new games play on the old one" is incorrect.

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      April 2, 2009 9:15 AM

      There will eventually be new games that will use the camera / will loose features if not played on a DSi.
      Also, I still have a 'fatty' DS (original, non-lite DS), so I'm thinking of picking up one of these DSis.
      Downloadable games and a built in web browser seems to a decent upgrade over the lite even if you think the 'crappy' cameras will never be used. If you don't have GBA games, how many DS games actually use a 'GBA' cart (outside of homebrew/pirated games)? A dozen?

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      April 2, 2009 10:45 AM

      way2troll

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      April 2, 2009 8:27 PM

      I second this rant. I'd like to also add the shorten battery life, and the DSi point system that you cannot bring your wii points over.

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        April 3, 2009 10:53 AM

        I don't care that points aren't transferable. Why do I need to do that? I only have $5 on my wii right now. It is a silly decision to not allow the points to transfer, but I also don't see an absolute need for it.

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      April 3, 2009 10:52 AM

      It also has a faster processor. It has new capabilities. I imagine we'll eventually see some good strong titles, downloadable or not, that wouldn't have been possible on the DS or DS lite.

      Besides, it'll probably have a "virtual console" too, so you'll be able to buy old GB and GBA roms from the nintendo store.

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      April 5, 2009 7:20 PM

      The cameras are 640x480 resolution, that's more than double the DS' resolution and the maximum SD resolution, wich is also the highest-possible resolution on Wii (480p)... so they are more than perfect for the small DSi, and is perfect for the Wii too...

      And what's so bad about piracy products not working on the new unit? It's a very good thing that robbers (pirates) don't get to steal any games on it, piracy kills the industry...

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