iNintendo?
by Matt Fox
April 7, 2009
So the other day I found an interesting article concerning the IPhone and Nintendo's newest gaming console, the Nintendo DSi...hmm, where have I seen the letter i before? Sounds familiar, yes? Well that's not all Nintendo's modeling their new hardware after.
Sure, one could make the argument that the IPhone stole the DS' portability and "gaming on the go attitude," it's touchscreen (the IPhone uses capacitive instead of retro resistive, but whose counting), and a few other features like blowing into the microphone and such. However, the App Store is all Apple...until now.
The Nintendo DSi now has two cameras on it (one on the back and one on the screen facing you), the ability to connect to the internet (although WiFi only), and an App Store? Yup. They have an application store just like the IPhone/IPod Touch, although they're calling it the DSi Shop.
It works like this. You purchase Nintendo Points (previously know as Wii Points) in increments of $20 dollars (that sucks) and peruse around the store buying games, ad-ons and whatnot.
Now, stuff like this isn't really new to us gamer's though. Look at XBOX LIVE. Technically they've been doing this for quite a while now, so has the Wii. So why am I so annoyed by this?
I love Nintendo's products, always have. What the Wii lacks in graphics (and game titles at the moment) it more than makes up for in innovation and gameplay. The DS was the same way. If you want something a little different, but a lot of fun, go with Nintendo...right?
Now, doesn't this new DSi just seem like a poor man's IPhone/IPod Touch. Sure, you'll get exclusive Nintendo titles from it (which is why we haven't seen any licensed Nintendo products in the App Store aside from outside ports), and I'm sure lots of other fun little features that Nintendo is known for.
But I have to ask, if you're going to re-design a console, why model it after something that already exists and is doing extremely well? You've always been "left of center," why conform now?
This will just cause another console war, this time between Apple and Nintendo...sigh. Plus, this means zero Nintendo products on our phones for probably..well, ever. Which makes me sad.
I really don't want to have to carry two devices around. That's the reason I bought an iPhone in the first place...it has everything. Well, apparently not anymore.
Want to play the newest Zelda game on the IPhone/IPod Touch, sorry...there's not an app for that.
Game of the Week:
Here's something I'm going to do every week. There will be a screen shot of a game below this part of the article and I want to see who can guess what it's from. As I've been ranting about Nintendo all day, that's going to be your only hint: It's from the NES. Good luck and let's see who can guess what game it's from.
For now you'll only get kudos points (which sadly aren't worth anything...heh), but hopefully in the future I can start giving out small prizes or something. Either way, see you next week...