The concept of downloadable content and micro transactions is pretty well established in the home console realm. You’ve got the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and the Wii Virtual Console. The mobile world is getting involved too with the iPhone App Store, BlackBerry App World, and Android Market. Given all of this expansion, it’s great to see Nintendo enter the game (no pun intended) with the recently released Nintendo DSi.
Introducing the DSi Shop for the Nintendo DSi
In addition to new features like the dual integrated cameras, built-in music player, and SD card slot, the Nintendo DSi also gets equipped with the all-new DSi Shop. This effectively works the same way as the iPhone App Store and Nintendo Wii Shop, except it’s for Nintendo’s latest handheld. This could be the single biggest reason why you may want to upgrade from your DS Lite.
As is usually the case for these kinds of things, the Nintendo DSi launched in Japan several months ahead of the North American release, but it’s here now and Nintendo fanboys couldn’t be happier.
When the DSi and DSi Shop arrived at the beginning of April, we were only provided with five DSiWare titles to consider. That’s a pretty tiny launch, but it also leaves room for a lot of potential for growth. Just as Xbox Live Arcade and the iPhone App Store are filled with gems, I fully expect the DSi Shop to be equally stocked. It’d better get some great games and apps (and hopefully fewer fart apps).
Peering into the future (with a dash of wishful thinking), here are five titles that I would like to see released on the Nintendo DSi in the form of DSiWare. So long as they launch at under ten or fifteen bucks, I could be seriously interested.
Knocked Out with Punch Out!!
Yes, I know that this classic boxing franchise has been reimagined and reinvented on the Nintendo Wii, but how awesome would it be if the original Punch Out!! from the NES was re-released on the Nintendo DSi. Yes, I also know that this original game is also available on the Wii Virtual Console too, but I want to take that dose of NES nostalgia with me on the road. I want to pummel that stupid King Hippo while I’m waiting for my turn at the optometrist’s office.
If they wanted to provide a little extra innovation, touchscreen-based controls could be offered as an option. Swipe to punch high or low, and then dodge with the d-pad. This would be similar to how Star Fox Command updated itself for the DS. Going further, maybe you map the face from a self-portrait onto an opponent or just replace Little Mac in the between-round segments.
As cool as it may be to include “Iron” Mike Tyson in the release, I can understand if Nintendo isn’t able to swing the licensing rights. Even without the former world champion ear-biter, we could have a real knockout on our hands. This would also pave the way for legitimate portable NES emulation on a real Nintendo handheld.
Twitter Client: TweetDeck as TwitterDSi
Twitter has absolutely exploded onto the scene in the last year or so, not only being used be savvy social media enthusiasts, but also news outlets, sports professionals, and Hollywood celebrities. When everyone from Shaquille O’Neal to Martha Stewart is on this thing, it’s pretty obvious that Twitter has gone mainstream. Even Futurelooks has it’s own Twitter Profile.
Everyone is microblogging their thoughts and interacting with the community. Some of the most popular apps on mobile platforms like the iPhone and BlackBerry are Twitter clients, since the mobile Twitter site leaves so much to be desired. As nice as Twitterfon and Twitterberry may be, they don’t hold a candle to the robust feature set offered by TweetDeck and other Twitter Desktop Applications.
Integrated TwitPic uploads, 12 second videos, URL shortening, and group management make it terrific for managing all of your tweeting desires, especially for “power users” who follow thousands of other people. Wouldn’t it be awesome if there was a Nintendo DSi version of TweetDeck? You could jump between the columns using swipes on the touchscreen or simple taps of the L/R shoulder buttons.
I sincerely hope that I don’t see the Twitter fail whale on the screen of my Nintendo DSi, but I do want to see a proper Twitter client of some kind released for Nintendo’s WiFi-connected handheld. Tweet at school, at Starbucks, and while at the airport without racking up SMS or data charges on your cell phone. Upload TwitPics using the integrated cameras. You’ll have your DSi with you anyway, right?
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo: DSi Remix
Not everyone is going to agree with me here, but arguably one of the greatest puzzle games to ever be released has to be Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. It was so good that Capcom didn’t even bother releasing a Puzzle Fighter I or a non-turbo edition of SPFII. Maybe it was a tongue-in-cheek attempt at self-mockery. I don’t care. Puzzle Fighter is freaking amazing and it’s still the game that gets the most play on my DS Lite, despite being released as Game Boy Advance game.
And therein lies the rub. One of the sacrifices that you’ll need to make should you choose to upgrade from a DS to a DSi is that the latter lacks a GBQ slot. As such, you will not be able to enjoy that classic library of titles directly.
I have a feeling that Nintendo can make a fair bit of profit repackaging old GBA games in the form of DSiWare. It’s a harder sell to buy a new retail boxed DSi game that’s just an old GBA title in a thinly veiled disguise, but a cheaper DSiWare title can be an easy impulse buy. I’d pay ten bucks for Super Puzzle Fighter on the DSi, especially if it grants access to online play via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
There is an HD Remix version of Super Puzzle Fighter Ii Turbo on PSN and XBLA, so CAPCOM could conceivably repackage that “updated and rebalanced” puzzle game as a DSi Remix of some kind. Look at how many times Nintendo managed to re-release Tetris in some form or another. They could do the same for Dr. Mario (as they did on the Wii) and CAPCOM could do it for Puzzle Fighter. It’s quite clear that CAPCOM has no issue with updating old franchises while heavily exploiting our desire for nostalgia. A dash of novelty mixed in with a heaping serving of nostalgic gaming makes for a huge hit.
I Can Haz Video Playing Too?
The Nintendo DSi comes equipped with an SD card slot and pre-installed software for playing sounds and music from said memory card. This makes the handheld perfectly capable of operating as a rudimentary portable MP3 player and a possible alternative to an iPod. Many MP3 players these days also happen to play video files, including the hard drive based Microsoft Zune and certain selections from the Sandisk Sansa series. The hardware requirements seem to be relatively simple and inexpensive, especially when you look at the cheap generic MP4 players that populate eBay. I’m pretty sure the DSi can handle it.
In fact, I know it can. On my DS Lite, I was able to find a homebrew application that could run on one of those flash cartridges. As a completely unsanctioned and unauthorized piece of software, it worked quite well at playing video files on the DS Lite. If there is an endorsed video player app that hits the DSi Shop, I’m sure that its performance would be even better.
The screen resolution on the Nintendo DSi may not be particularly impressive, but this inclusion (as well as the MP3 player, Opera web browser, dual cameras, etc.) make the handheld much more competitive against the iPods and PSPs of the world. A sanctioned DSi video player would also open the doors for downloadable videos (both paid and free) for the DSi. Going further, this may also open the possibility of video recording (or even live video casting) using one of the DSi cameras. Record a video clip and not just a still snapshot.
World of Goo and Other Surprises
The fifth title on my wishlist of DSiWare offerings for the Nintendo DSi remains to be determined. This is, by no means, meant to be a cheap cop-out. This is more a strong belief that the best is yet to come, assuming that Nintendo is able to market the DSi Shop properly. The Wii Shop and the Wii Virtual Console have not received enough marketing attention and, as such, have become more of a place for existing enthusiasts and die hard fans. Further still, the WiiWare titles themselves aren’t getting enough attention and some real gems can easily fly under the radar.
One such game, which I only really learned about from a recent video game podcast, is World of Goo. This imaginative, addictive, and progressive puzzle game is a real diamond in the rough. Its simple yet effective use of the Wii Remote as a pointing device is great, and it could easily be ported to the touchscreen of the DSi. Those who have played World of Goo love it, but most of us haven’t tried it. Nintendo needs to tell us about these games.
Looking ahead to what has yet to come to the DSi Shop, it’s really hard to say which title will wow us next. When we were first introduced to Xbox Live, we didn’t know how much we’d love Castle Crashers. In like manner, we don’t know how much we’ll love XYZ title as DSiWare either. But I expect to be surprisingly impressed at some point by some little known independent developer.
The Future of the Nintendo DSi and DSiWare
Downloadable content and micro transactions appear to be the wave of the future. This concept of quick and easy DLC is only beginning to pick up steam now, but based on the roaring popularity of impulse buys on the iTunes App Store for the iPhone, Nintendo has some real potential with DSiWare.
In many ways, the DSi is only a mild upgrade over the DS Lite. I don’t see too much immediate value to the dual cameras, for example, but creative utilizations through new games and DSiWare could make for a richly rewarding experience. The ball’s in your court, Nintendo. Wow me again.
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