DSi price + date (US)
– $169.99
– April 5
– Was close to Matt’s prediction
– Craig thought it would be $149, Matt said it would be $179
– Was going to be $179 but Nintendo decided to change it
– Bozon thinks it might have been helpful that the price got out there and then people freaked out
– Recap: Has 2 built-in cameras, built-in memory, SD card slot to save photos + AAC files
– Craig thinks it’s a cool system
– $40 more than the DS Lite – Daemon thinks that’s reasonable
– You are losing out on the GBA port + DS games that use the slot
– Red Octane won’t miss the boat on DSi – Craig believes they’re working on peripheral for Guitar Hero franchise on DSi
– Probably won’t make it so you can play the ones that already came out on the DSi
– Should upgrade if you have the first DS
– Bozon loves the d-pad on the DSi
– There are cool little things on the DSi like the ability to swap cartridges, if you hold down the select button and hold up or down you can adjust the brightness within a game
– Can update firmware
– Will have to deal with the mini-fridge problem like the Wii
– For the most part Craig thinks the DSi is a good step up but it’s not mindblowing
– Matt says it’s worth it
– No differences between Japanese + NA DSi systems
– No white color for launch
– Matt wishes there was white
– Craig surprised that Nintendo is offering two colors
– Bozon loves the black DSi but there are scuff marks
– Interface is much slicker
– Haven’t announced any DSiWare games for NA – will probably be more announcements from Iwata at GDC
– Last week Craig was shown the Japanese version of Wario Ware + one of the Art Style games
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The DSi, which was just announced for North America a few hours ago, is garnering big interest from fans. The system is available for preorder at Amazon.com and is already topping the sales charts. Right now, the black matte model sits at the number four position for bestsellers in the video game section while the matte blue finish is at the seventh spot. Not too long ago, both editions ranked at the second and third positions. Perhaps these stats are a sign of the long-term success that the DSi will experience once it is released in North America on April 5.
“Of course the Wii is a very important part of our multi-platform strategy. Games like RE4 on the Wii and Umbrella Chronicles have done quite well for us, and of course there’s Monster Hunter. Although it isn’t too popular, it was the number one selling title in Japan last year. So that goes to show we are very serious about the Wii as a company. People say that third-party Wii games don’t sell in Japan, but I can honestly say that we are cutting no corners with Monster Hunter Tri. There’s a lot of pressure to make it succeed, and I’m sure there will be a lot of shocked gamers out there when they see just how good Monster Hunter Tri looks. Please don’t worry. We are putting a lot of effort into Wii as well.” – Keiji Inafune
Mr. Inafune made these remarks on a recent Top Secret podcast, which is hosted on the Bionic Commando website.
Rating: Mature
Content descriptors: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
Rating summary: This is an “open-world” action game in which players assume the role of Huang Lee, a triad gang member who must recover a stolen item and gain revenge in the fictional setting of Liberty City. Presented from an overhead perspective, the game allows players to roam freely around the urban environment and perform various missions for underworld figures. Some missions involve recruiting characters into a gang, eliminating rival gang members and law enforcement personnel, dealing drugs (e.g., heroin, coke, ecstasy, weed, speed), and high-jacking cars. Players can use pistols, machine guns, flamethrowers, swords, Molotov cocktails, and grenades to kill enemies and occasionally civilians. Blood sometimes spurts out of injured characters, and certain weapons can cause decapitation or dismemberment. One still image depicts a character holding the bloody heart of a murder victim. The game also contains sexual references (e.g., discussions of multiple partners, homosexual activity, prostitution, pornography, etc.) and brief instances of sexual activity. Although sexual acts are not graphically depicted, there are sequences in which cars rock back and forth while female moaning is heard. Strong profanity (e.g., “f*ck,” “sh*t,” and “a*shole”) is also heard throughout the game.
These lines are particuarly nice…”Blood sometimes spurts out of injured characters, and certain weapons can cause decapitation or dismemberment. One still image depicts a character holding the bloody heart of a murder victim.”
Sounds lovely, doesn’t it?!
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VC
1 (1) – Super Mario Bros. 3
2 (2) – Super Mario Bros.
3 (3) – Super Mario World
4 (4) – Super Mario Bros. 2
5 (5) – The Legend of Zelda
6 (7) – Punch-Out!!
7 (6) – Pac-Man
8 (8) – Mario Kart 64
9 (10) – Super Mario 64
10 (9) – Donkey Kong
11 (11) – Donkey Kong Country
12 (12) – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
13 (13) – Sonic the Hedgehog 2
14 (14) – Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
15 (15) – Tecmo Bowl
16 (17) – Excitebike
17 (16) – Galaga
18 (20) – The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
19 (19) – Sonic the Hedgehog
20 (18) – Castlevania III Dracula’s Curse
WiiWare
1 (1) – Tetris Party
2 (3) – My Aquarium
3 (2) – World of Goo
4 (4) – CueSports – Pool Revolution
5 (5) – Dr. Mario Online Rx
6 (N) – LIT
7 (6) – Midnight Bowling
8 (7) – Fun! Fun! Minigolf
9 (14) – Snowboard Riot
10 (8) – Target Toss Pro: Bags
11 (9) – Brain Challenge
12 (11) – My Pokemon Ranch
13 (10) – Sandy Beach
14 (12) – Defend your Castle
15 (13) – Wild West Guns
16 (15) – TV Show King
17 (17) – Mega Man 9
18 (18) – Bomberman Blast
19 (19) – Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
20 (16) – Tiki Towers
Ready to go DSi crazy? GameStop will begin offering preorders for the DSi tomorrow all across North America. For $25, you can reserve a system, and that money will be reduced from the amount you must pay when you pick up the handheld in April.
Thanks to Dominic for the news tip!
