Nintendo DSi XL USA

With over 100 million units sold since it was introduced in 2004, the Nintendo DS has become the highest selling handheld platform of its generation. With a veritable plethora of games marketed toward a broad cross-section of users both young and old, the Nintendo DS in undeniably appealing platform. But as is typically the case, only a portion of a console's success (or failure) can be attributed to software alone, and it is often carefully timed hardware revisions that can make or break a system, and in this regard, Nintendo has shown incredible aptitude. The platform has only existed in three principal hardware configurations – the original DS, the DS Lite, and now the DSi – with a number of special and limited edition aesthetic variations therein. While the original DS laid the groundwork for the handheld, it was the DS Lite that trimmed some of the device's fat and delivered a much-needed aesthetic upgrade. Now, with the DSi, Nintendo has tweaked the system once again with some stylistic and functional upgrades, but are they enough to garner your hard earned cash? We render our verdict below.

When it comes to hardware, there are evolutionary redesigns and there are revolutionary redesigns, and the DSi would most readily be identified as the former. Although the DSi firmware brings brand new features to the system, such as downloadable content via the DSi Shop, the DSi lacks any ground breaking performance advancements. At its core, the DSi's processing capabilities are comparable to that of the DS Lite. On paper, the DSi boasts a significant processing speed boost over its predecessor, jumping from 67 MHz in the DS Lite to 133 MHz in the DSi, but during our evaluations actual speed variations between the two were negligible. The biggest hardware changes to the DSi are the addition of two integrated cameras, an integrated SD slot, enlarging the screens by 0.25", expanded RAM, and the removal of the much beloved GameBoy Advance cartridge slot.

Although the DSi didn't undergo as drastic of an aesthetic overhaul as the DS Lite, Nintendo did makes some noteworthy changes. For one, the DSi is slightly thinner than the DS Lite, coming in at roughly 18.9mm (as compared to the DS Lite's 21.5mm). Other than overall thickness, the DSi is actually wider and longer than the DS Lite, if only by a few millimeters. The two color variations (black and blue) currently available for the DSi come in a matte finish, which is more susceptible to grease stains from the natural moisture of a player's hands, but overall better for tactile response.

The DSi's cameras are located on the inside hinge and right corner of the outer facing panel of the flip up screen. Both the inside and outside cameras feature predictably low 0.3 megapixel resolutions, which work effectively enough for both the DSi's first and third party software applications. Outside of the context of taking silly pictures of yourself and others, however, the DSi's cameras are practically useless. Taking photos in dim environments is practically impossible, and if you do manage to take a photo where the subject matter isn't a shapeless black blob, the colors take on a bluish or greenish tinge. But again, this is the DSi we're talking about, not a Nikon D70.

Like we experienced with the DSi's CPU speed enhancements, the benefits of the expanded RAM are hardly noticeable despite being four times that of the DS Lite. Similarly, the slight size increase to the DSi's screens is hard to notice, even with both systems sitting side by side. The color representation and picture quality of the DSi's screens are identical to that of the DS Lite, so no big improvements there either.

Of the various hardware differences between the DS Lite and the DSi, the absence of the GameBoy Advance cartridge slot is the only thing that we could see as being a deal-breaker for some consumers. Backwards compatibility was a strong value-added selling point with the DS and DS Lite and it will be interesting to see how much, if at all, consumers react. It would have been nice to see the GBA slot make the cut, but we can understand how it was omitted in order to cut down on the size of the device.

 But as they say, when one door closes, another one opens and in the case of the DSi, that door is more of a floodgate in the form of support for downloadable software. Wi-Fi support has always been a staple of the DS platform since its introduction in 2004, but now for the first time users will be able to use wireless connectivity to download games and game content directly to their device via the DSi Shop. Like its full-fledged standalone console sibling, the Wii, the DSi features an online store for downloading new utilities and games for your DSi, opening up the console for constant expansion. While the firmware has created the method of delivery, it is the DSi's new built-in SD card slot that makes it all possible. The DSi can use standard SD cards with of just about any variety, including SDHC cards, which exceed 2GBs, and supports AAC audio, picture files and other assorted media.

In our assessment of the DSi's battery life, we found that Nintendo's claims that the portable can handle up to 14 hours of playtime were surprisingly accurate. While we lacked the stamina and/or supply of energy drinks to play the system for 14 hours straight, we were able to pick up and play the system for around 12 or 13 hours before having the recharge. Naturally, battery life will vary by system settings and feature usage, but overall we were quite satisfied by the DSi's battery performance.

All things considered, we found the DSi to be an overall worthwhile update to the DS Lite. Although we do miss backwards compatibility via the GBA slot, it is a reasonable tradeoff for access to the DSi Shop and SD card support. Ultimately, it'll come down to how much each individual user values those features, but all-in-all we think the DSi is worthy of the $169.99 down.

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Aside from the size difference, the DSi XL is nearly identical to the DSi. But when it comes to a handheld as tactile as the DS, where ergonomics are a crucial part of the experience, being bigger actually makes a sizable difference. You've probably seen pictures of a DSi XL set next to a DSi for comparison, but it's hard to visualize just how much bigger it is (93 percent, to be exact) until you see it in person. When fully opened, the XL approaches the size of a small book, measuring 6.3" wide by 7.1" tall. Most of that space is taken up by two 4.2" screens. For its size, the device is thin, light, and easy to carry, though it's not as portable as the smaller DSs. It'll fit in a large pant pocket, but you'll really need a bag to drop it into. Unlike the all-matte DSi, the XL has a glossy exterior on the top panel. Despite the extra display area, battery life on the XL is actually slightly better the DSi's. We got five hours of playtime on max brightness.

Overall the handheld feels a bit hollow and less sturdy than its smaller counterparts. The face buttons have more of a click to them when pressed, but they're the same size as the DSi's, which makes holding the XL somewhat awkward given its bigger dimensions. That combined with the giant touch screen means you'll find yourself using the over-sized stylus more often than the physical buttons.

The DSi XL comes in Bronze and Burgundy styles, both of which include a thicker pen-type stylus, a regular stylus that fits in the side slot, and pre-loaded copies of Brain Age Express: Math, Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, and Photo Clock.

Graphics-wise, Nintendo hasn't changed anything about the processor inside the DSi XL. You're getting the same resolution spread out over a larger area, which means more visible pixels. While disappointing, it's not like the DS had a pretty display to begin with. And it's even less of an issue when you consider how much more fun it is to play games on a big screen. Boot up any of your favorite DS games and you'll find yourself more involved in whats going on, thanks to the bright, vibrant colors and the fact that there's just more to look at. The DSi XL trades portability and sleekness for a bigger screen, and it works wonderfully.

If you're the kind of person that ends up playing your DS on the couch instead of on-the-go, investing in the super-sized DSi XL may just be worth the $189.99 price-tag - assuming you have no interest whatsoever in the upcoming 3DS. The Nintendo DSi XLis available in stores on Sunday, March 28.