New DS or rehash? (Nintendo DSi)

Member Name: chucklingMonkey

Product:	Nintendo DSi
Date:	10/07/09 (29 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: If your kids are under 8 they will worship you for buying this.

Disadvantages: If your kids are teenagers then just buy them vouchers.

I decided to take advantage of a deal at GAME where you trade in your DS for 75 pounds of a DSi. Its the same old DS, but a few additions - less of an upgrade more of an enhancement.

You get a bigger, brighter screen, two cameras (facing the user and in front), an SD card slot and it seems thinner and lighter than the DS.

On device software has been improved, you have access to the new DSi store, some interesting tools to manipulate and tweak sounds and images that you record, and a free enhanced web browser.

My initial reactions when using this new beast were not overwhelming love for the changes. They add something, but nothing I was particularly after from my DS.

I think this is the key though - I'm in my thirties. Something bizarre happened when my DS owning neice and nephew visited me recently. They absolutely loved the DSi. They spent ages on the photo manipulation tools, messed with the sound manipulation app - I had to physically remove the DSi from their hands or they would have stayed all week.

The features that I found 'meh' after 5 minutes of playing are going to keep your 6 year old busy for a year. It may be 134 quid on amazon at time of writing but your kids will love you if you buy them one (for five minutes - then they will love the DSi). My rating, therefore, reflects who I think the target audience the DSi is aimed at.

Summary: Great, fantastic 'time sink' updates that us grownups just don't get.