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DSi Shop's American lineup is ... diverse
So, Nintendo has announced all the games you'll be able to purchase for your brand new DSi in the online DSi Shop on April 5. The list is ... well, we were going to say "eclectic", but it's just plain weird. You can Nintendo's full descriptions after the break, but here are the titles: WarioWare: Snapped! Bird & Beans Brain Age Express: Math Master of Illusion Express: Funny Face Art Style: AQUIA You can level a lot of complaints at Nintendo and be well within reason, but you can't say that it's not trying some different stuff. As previously announced, you'll also get $10 in credit (1,000 DSi Points) if you log on to the store by October 5, which leads us to ask: Which game will you be picking up?
Nintendo reveals early DSi Shop titles
With the release of the Nintendo DSi mere days away, we imagine many folks have chewed their fingernails right to the bone. Here at the office, we're mostly concerned with the DSi Shop and how we're going to spend those free 1,000 Points. Thanks to Eurogamer, we know of at least three new games that will be available in Europe and (hopefully) North America, adding to the games we already know about.The first title is from the Art Style series of games, called Art Style: Code. The game released in Japan under Art Style: DECODE and is a puzzle game that tasks players with correctly organizing a series of numbers. Next is Pyoro (Bird and Bean), a game where you catch fruit falling from a tree with Pyoro's long tongue. The other new game is Paper Plane, where players must successfully guide a paper airplane through a series of mazes. Sadly, a price or US release date has not been mentioned for any of these titles, but the fact that they're leaving Japan is a very good sign for the future of DSiWare in the US.%Gallery-39571%
Australia's DSiWare launch lineup
The Nintendo DSi has officially launched in Australia, and with it, the DSiWare service! Six downloads are already available, including, of course, the free web browser. This may be a hint as to upcoming content in other regions' DSi Shops, but it's definitely a hint that awesome times have started for Australian DSi owners. We wish we could be playing WarioWare:Snapped! right now! We've linked to Nintendo of Japan's site for each game so you can see screens and video. DSi Browser (free) Pyoro (200 Nintendo Points) Paper Plane (200 Nintendo Points) WarioWare: Snapped! (500 Nintendo Points) Art Style: Aquite (500 Nintendo Points) Art Style: D-Code (500 Nintendo Points) Not invited to GDC 2009? Don't worry -- we've got you covered on your DSi needs. Check out our unboxing of a Japanese system for a hands-on rundown of features, and have a look at the awesome DSiWare downloads that have come to Japan. Then torture yourself with the limited-edition FFCC: Echoes of Time DSi that probably won't make it here!
Reggie: No plans to reveal DSi-enhanced software until after launch
NOA president Reggie Fils-Aime spoke with MTV Multiplayer about the DSi and the GDC announcement of DSi-exclusive and DSi-enhanced software. Though Nintendo isn't making specific announcements about hybrid games until after the system is in stores -- "It would be reasonable to talk about that after we've launched" -- Reggie believes that the majority of DS software will either not take advantage of the DSi's features or be hybrid. "Why? One hundred-million installed base of DS. Developers are going to want to leverage that installed base and yet they'll want to provide extra content via the features of the DSi, like the camera. That's my expectation as to how it will play out."Reggie also offered impressions of his hands-on time with The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, providing a slight gameplay detail: "You do more in tracking and outlining. We showed it in the trailer. You move [an extra] character to a spot in order to unlock puzzles. I really like that." He responded only "Wouldn't that be nice?" when asked if Spirit Tracks would be DSi-enhanced.%Gallery-48535%
No official DSi launch event in the UK
In the US, Nintendo fans can celebrate the DSi's launch at the Universal CityWalk GameStop in Los Angeles. In Australia, early adopters can go to a launch party at the "Nintendo Experience" on Melbourne's Swanston St. Melbourne. Nintendo just announced that there will be no such event in the UK to celebrate the April 3 launch of the DSi.A Nintendo spokesperson told Eurogamer that no such event is planned "because the handheld is an evolution of the hardware - and not a replacement," in a baffling instance of Nintendo downplaying its own product. Why not just tell people, "Hey, it's just another DS, don't worry about buying one, guys!"According to the Nintendo spokesperson, even though there's no "official" shindig, you'll still be able to pick up a system at one of the 200 GameStations, 55 GAME stores and "select HMV outlets" that mistakenly think the DSi is a big product.%Gallery-33263% Don't worry if you haven't been following the DSi for the last few months -- your crazy friends at Joystiq Nintendo have been all over it. Check out our unboxing of a Japanese system for a hands-on rundown of features, and have a look at the awesome DSiWare downloads that have come to Japan. Then torture yourself with the limited-edition FFCC: Echoes of Time DSi that probably won't make it here!
GDC09: Gameloft's DSiWare plans include popstar, soccer simulators
Even though Nintendo has been tight-lipped about its DSiWare plans, Gameloft showed us a couple titles it has coming to the system during GDC last week.Although Gameloft wouldn't show us Assassin's Creed or its other iPhone titles, it did showcase two titles currently underway for Nintendo's new DS revision. Wannabe pop stars will have a chance to climb the social ladder in the adventure/mini-game American Popstar: Road to Celebrity, while footy fans will get to flex their sports-sim muscle in Real Soccer 2009. The ESRB also lists both titles as rated for the Nintendo DS, which either means the pair will see a retail release for non-DSi adopters or that it's an overlap measure on the ESRB's side. Either way, mobile pop stars and cellular soccer players are coming to the DS ... um, yay?
Celebrate the DSi launch in Los Angeles
If you're in LA this week, you'll be able to pick up a DSi just a bit early, and do a little partying while you wait in line. Nintendo is hosting a midnight DSi launch party at the Universal CityWalk GameStop location from 9 to midnight on April 4, which will feature music from VJ Fader, "with manipulated video displayed on a giant 360° projection globe," free stuff from I am 8-Bit (totally not fair), and a countdown to midnight led by Cammie Dunaway and G4 talking head Kevin Pereira.What a perfect event to capture with the DSi's tiny cameras!%Gallery-33263%
Nintendo planning huge DSi marketing campaign, giving away 1,000 DSi Points
Rather than hoping that the merits of its soon-to-be-released handheld will sell themselves (a strategy commonly referred to as the "Game Boy Micro Maneuver"), Nintendo is apparently plotting a huge North American marketing campaign for the DSi. The company has already developed a schedule of television, online and in-store advertisements for the shutterbugged device from now until Christmas, making it Nintendo's biggest ad campaign of the year.Step one in this campaign is already in action to ensure early adoption of the revamped handheld -- anyone who purchases a DSi and signs on to the Nintendo DSi Shop by October 5 will receive 1,000 free DSi Points. It's a succesful promotion that also accompanied the system's Japanese launch -- not that Japanese game consumers needed additional incentive to purchase yet another DS.
Touch Ruminations: DSi Shop (and how it could be more important than WiiWare)
In Touch Ruminations, former DS and Wii Fanboy Lead David Hinkle talks about whatever he feels like. He's a jerk like that. This week, he talks about the Nintendo DSi and its compares its DSi Shop to WiiWare. The opinions expressed here belong to the author and don't necessarily reflect those of Joystiq, Weblogs Inc. or its affiliates.Have you had ample time to recover from Iwata's keynote? I have, and thinking about the DSi (I can't help it, I wants it), I believe that the DSi Shop is easily the most exciting and important feature of the new handheld. And I think it's a service that could be more important than WiiWare.
DSi project leader reveals unreleased Nintendo handhelds
Man, the folks over at this year's Game Developer's Conference are having all the fun -- and now the Joystiq crew just got a rare look at two Game Boy models that never made it to production, unveiled during a talk by the project leader for the development of the DSi, Masato Kuwahara. The first, developed around 1995, was labeled "Game Boy Advance Predecessor," and was based on a 32-bit ARM RISC processor. The project stalled in development due to poor graphics performance. The second device was essentially a touch-screen Game Boy Advance SP, with a clamshell case thrown in for good measure. Apparently, this one didn't make the cut due to its lack of a backlit display. We've got a picture of that one for you too -- and it does look somewhat familiar. Check it after the break.
GDC09: Nintendo confirms DSiWare titles for US
Tucked away in a press release that Nintendo dished out following Satoru Iwata's GDC09 keynote earlier today, was confirmation that certain Japanese DSiWare titles would be making their way out of the Land of the Rising Fun. But that's not all, as Nintendo also revealed that Japan's pricing structure will also make its way over here, with apps and games falling into the following price brackets: free, 200 points, 500 points, and 800+ points.Art Style: Aquia and WarioWare: Snapped! are among the first titles mentioned for the US DSi Shop, along with Moving Memo (tentative titlel). A date for these titles has not been set, but we're hoping they'll be available around the launch of the DSi in North America on April 5.%Gallery-48558% Not invited to GDC 2009? Don't worry -- we've got you covered on your DSi needs. Check out our unboxing of a Japanese system for a hands-on rundown of features, and have a look at the awesome DSiWare downloads that have come to Japan. Then torture yourself with the limited-edition FFCC: Echoes of Time DSi that probably won't make it here!
GDC09: DSi-only and DSi Enhanced cards announced
At Nintendo's GDC panel on the DSi's design, Project Leader Masato Kuwahara revealed a bit of news regarding DSi software. that will either terrify or thrill you based on the status of your DSi preorder. Two new types of DS cartridges are on the way: "DSi Cards," which will only work on the DSi, and "DSi Enhanced Cards," which work on all DS systems, but will have extra features when played on a DSi.We knew that Gameloft was planning to use some kind of hybrid DS/DSi card. But we didn't think that Nintendo would make DSi-only cards! And to be clear, by "didn't think" we mean "saw it coming a damn mile away." Confirmed: you're buying another DS.
April DSiWare for Japan: More like Appril
Nintendo wants small non-game apps on DSiWare, and it is leading by example, as evidenced by the lineup it has announced for April in Japan: just two of the six downloads announced for April 1 are games! Luckily, the announced apps sound pretty interesting. Nintendo DSi Clock (200 Points): A clock app in two varieties: Famicom Mario Type and Animal Crossing Type. The Mario version lets you jump and hit coins, and the Animal Crossing version lets players create a new town tune that is played on the hour. Chotto Magic Taizen: Suki Kirai Hakkenki (200 Points): This magic trick from Master of Illusion uses the mic to determine how someone feels about you. Kuru Kuru Action Kuru Pachi 6 (500 Points): A puzzle game about rotating numbered pieces to line up matching pairs. Band Bros. Radio including Photo Stand (500 Points): A photo-viewing app featuring Barbara the Bat from Band Bros. -- and a music player for songs created in Band Bros. DX by both players and staff! Kakonde Keshite Wakugumi no Jikan (500 Points): A puzzle game about surrounding pieces of an opposing color with pieces of your color by moving them around the screen. Ganbaru Watashi no Osaifu Ouendan (500 Points): Literally "My Wallet Cheer Squad," this budgeting app allows players to export data as a CSV file for use in PC money management software. Nintendo is starting to build up a pretty good catalog of DSiWare for ... whenever it decides to announce the launch lineup worldwide!
DSi surpasses 2 million sales mark in Japan
It's been roughly five months since the Nintendo DSi launch in Japan (144 days, actually) and the updated handheld has been selling like gangbusters. Famitsu (via VG247) is reporting the landmark number of 2 million units, a figure that amounts to roughly 14,000 units being sold per day in the country since its launch. To put that in some perspective, the DSi has been outselling the now totally boring DS Lite at roughly 7:1 on a daily basis in the country since its launch last November. 100k every week in Japan -- on average, no less! Our hats are off to you Nintendo, patiently awaiting some soup. You see there's this recession thing you might've heard of. We're not doing so hot ...[Via VG247]
Rumor: Downloadable Game Boy and GBA games as DSiWare
According to a secondhand report from one of last night's GameStop Club Nintendo DSi preview events, Nintendo is planning to release Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games as downloads in the DSi Shop. According to Kombo's "man on the scene," only first-party Nintendo titles will be offered at first.Other details from the event: Apparently, North American DSiWare includes three pricing levels: free, 500 Points, and 800 Points, which differs from the Japanese model in that there's no 200 Point category. The event seemingly confirms the Mario and Animal Crossing calculators for North America as well, though both of those are in the 200 Point category in Japan.Of course, like all news that comes from something heard at GameStop, take this with as much salt as you can find.%Gallery-33263%
Gamestop executive thinks DSi is 'priced right'
As those of us who have spent enough time staring at the preorder pages know, the DSi costs a bit more than the DS Lite: $169 for the new handheld versus $129 for a Lite. Bob McKenzie, GameStop's senior vice president of merchandising, doesn't think that's a big problem. Even if he doesn't have the details quite right off the top of his head.Talking to Gamasutra about GameStop's success in the portable market, McKenzie said, "Now with the DSi coming out, I think that's going to help too. Even with that, [Nintendo has] a $179 retail on that, so it's a $30 upcharge from the original DS Lite." We believe he's referring to the original $149 price of the DS Phat here. As for the $179, no idea where he got that. But if he thinks it's priced right at $179, he must think the real price is a bargain!He said that Nintendo has "got the value there. It's great; I think it's priced right. They've done a good job. Seeing the demo of that thing really makes you realize how much different it is from the original DS Lite." As for the loss of GBA compatibility: "I don't think that the consumer is really going to look at that as a negative." Speaking of GameStop DSi pricing, if you use the coupon code 3DAYDSi at checkout, you can get free three-day shipping on a preordered DSi from the retailer. Not invited to the Club Nintendo event? Don't worry -- we've got you covered. Check out our unboxing of a Japanese system for a hands-on rundown of features, and have a look at the awesome DSiWare downloads that have come to Japan. Then torture yourself with the limited-edition FFCC: Echoes of Time DSi that probably won't make it here!
Target reveals free 1,000 DSi Points with DSi purchase
All DSi systems in Japan come with 1,000 free points with which to explore the DSi Shop. Nintendo hasn't said anything about such an offer in North America, but it seems that Target has broken the news ahead of time. The store's product listing (for either the black or blue model) includes the following text within its fine print: "Free downloadable games from Nintendo DSi Shop included with the purchase of a Nintendo DSi system. Upon initial access to Nintendo DSi Shop, 1,000 Nintendo DSi Points will be credited to your account, which you can then use to download your free Nintendo DSi-exclusive games and applications." The listing directs people to dsioffer.nintendo.com for more information, confirming that this is a Nintendo offer and not just a Target promotion. Unfortunately, that site is not yet active. In other DSi Points news, the image (via Amazon) shows what the new cards are going to look like. So what DSiWare are you going to buy with your free points? Oh, right, Nintendo hasn't announced any. Pop Plus Solo?%Gallery-33263%[Via NeoGAF]
Rumor: Nintendo pushing developers to make small DSiWare 'apps'
Develop reports that at a secret Nintendo developer conference this week, the company outlined a strategy to encourage developers to create short applications for the DSi's new DSiWare download service. Unnamed developer told Develop that Nintendo wants DSiWare developers to consider both short games and non-game apps, rather than the games-only selection found on WiiWare. The emphasis on small utilities and extremely brief games does call to mind a certain other device.One dev said that "Given the advanced functions in the DSi, such as the microphone and camera, the company told us that there are a variety of opportunities for a variety of apps, both in a games sense and a non-games sense, that we could offer."Nintendo of Japan already has a few non-game apps on the DSi Shop, including Nintendo-themed calculators, two clocks, and a travel guide. The rest of the service consists of small games, many of which are miniature versions of existing DS games. It seems that Nintendo's western branches have the same kind of thing in mind for third-party DSiWare offerings. We'll most likely find out next week, when Nintendo will present two talks at GDC: one about the DSi's design, and the other from Satoru Iwata called "Discovering New Development Opportunities."
Ask Joystiq Nintendo: Downloadable edition
This week in Ask Joystiq Nintendo, we have a variety of reader questions, most of which related to downloadin' in some way, from predicting new downloadable content, to setting up a DSi for use online (presumably for getting DSiWare games), to saving the stuff that's already been downloaded. Also there's a Street Fighter question, which doesn't really fit the theme, but yay Street Fighter.If you'd like us to address any Nintendo-related questions you have, or post a picture of the blue DSi again (which we really like doing), send us an e-mail at asknintendo at joystiq dot com!
DSiWare Master of Illusion, Brain Age, Art Style rated by OFLC
While we can't be sure what the launch lineup for the DSiWare shop outside of Japan will look like, we can guess that the Australian shop will feature at least one of these games, thanks to OFLC ratings: Master of Illusion Express: Shuffle Games Master of Illusion Express: Funny Face Master of Illusion Express: Deep Psyche A Little Bit Of ... Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: Maths Edition D-Code (probably Art Style: Decode) The standard ratings board disclaimer applies: we don't know when these will be out, or if this release implies other regions. But if you wanted to know if Nintendo planned to localize any of its Japanese DSiWare lineup, here is evidence that yes, it is. Also found on the OFLC: The WiiWare version of Rainbow Islands (yay!) and Adventure Island: The Beginning. Also, Karate Phants. %Gallery-39571%
