Nintendo launched a new hand-held this afternoon.  Some have called it underwhelming, I call it fail.

Physically the DSi is slightly thinner than the DS Lite, and boasts a slightly larger screen.  New additions also include a 3 megapixel camera on the back, because you don’t already have one on your cell phone, and a low res version on the front, which will presumably be used for some kind of chatting or facial detection gaming.  The DSi also features an SD Card slot, providing storage options for a range of new features.  So lets talk about those features.

The DSi now has a browser built-in, instead of having to put Opera into the slot, which I think is cool, but not exactly revolutionary.  There’s a built in music player as well, which is quickly becoming a standard feature on every single electronic device that could potentially be put into your pocket.  Not really impressed there either.  What I do find cool is that there is an online DSi Shop where you can buy DSiWare, which I guess is similar to WiiWare, to be stored on the DSi.  To my knowledge this is the first time a full blown handheld has implemented an end-to-end digital distribution retail channel.

In my mind, however, other than the new online retail channel, none of that is very exciting.  All of those features are implemented, and better, in any cell phone you would care to choose, and for most the cell is a device you carry around constantly, where your portable gaming system is probably not (although if it was also a phone, I would consider it).  Which brings me to another point: Battery Life.  The new DSi has 50% less battery life than the DS Lite.  Apparently the WiFi is faster as well, which to me means either higher processing speeds or wider bandwidth, both of which mean more power consumption, so don’t even get me started on what having the WiFi on will do to your battery.  Additionally, the GBA slot is gone, ending the backwards compatibility of the DS with the slew of highly excellent GBA games that were still being released a year ago. 

On the other hand, maybe the new DSi won’t have shoulder buttons that stop working after a year and a half, and hinges that break for no appearant reason.  One can hope.  Also, Club Nintendo will be available in North America by the end of the year, so that’s a plus too.