GadgetReview

Nintendo’s DSi XL, the largest and neweest of DSis, will hit US shores on March 28th for $190.  In exchange for a swollen pocket you’ll score two 4.2-inch LCDs and a slightly thicker build.  When it first arrives it will be available in Burgundy and Bronze, but I’d expect additional colors to roll out as time transpires.  It will come preloaded with Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math and Photo Clock, as well as two free applications: the Nintendo DSi Browser and Flipnote Studio.  Also included is a larger pen like stylus.

Full press release after the ‘leap’ …Continue reading: Nintendo DSi XL Launch Date And Price Announced

Want a flash for your DSi?  Then be prepared to be emasculated because Thrustmaster’s Studio Kit is anything but manly. In the package they’ve included a snap on flash, a not so attractive shiny bag, in addition to a macro and telephoto lens.  And if you want to ‘add a touch of color’ to your photos you can pop in one of six colored lenses.  Expect it to go on sale for about $20. …Continue reading: DSi Studio Kit Adds Flash To Your DSi

It looks like Nintendo is feeling the pressure from the iPhone.  So much so, that the company’s President, Satoru Iwata, is perhaps considering an Amazon Kindle like wireless model to deliver games to the portable gaming unit.

I’m interested because it’s a new business model in which the user doesn’t bear the communications cost.

Currently Nintendo DSi users can access the Nintendo store to download a variety of content via WiFi, but that requires that the user be within proximity of a signal and seriously hinders the purchase anytime, anywhere impulse.  Of course, this kind of delivery system would be implemented in the next generation of Nintendo DSes and would add some significant cost to the handheld device, something Nintendo may not be willing to do.

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Not too long ago we posted on the expensive but cool TouchScreen Rubik’s Cube and today we have the Classic Nintendo version.  Though I don’t recognize all of these icons, I’m sure there are fanboys out there that have these tattooed in special places.

Designed by deviantARTist r4r3truffle, this item is not for sale at this time.  I have never been that great at puzzles and I definitely have never completed a Rubik’s Cube.  I’m not so sure this version could get me interested.

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Apparently, the Japanese are adopting an American mentality because their DSi portable gaming system, which has a 3.5-inch screen, just got bumped to 4.2-inches.  Of course with a larger screen comes larger components and the weight of the pocket gamer has gone from 214g to 314g, which is about .7lbs for all you US fans.  Outside of that everything seems to have remained the same.  The Japanese version will be called the ‘LL’ and Europe ‘XL’.

The DSi LL will hit Japan on 11/21, no word on the US and the EU can expect it in the first quarter of 2010.

Full specs after the ‘leap’ …Continue reading: Nintendo Super Sizes Their Nintendo DSi To 4.2-inches, Now DSi LL Or XL

For those of you that subscribe to the NetFlix-esque video game rental service, the GameFly GameCenter app is now available for free in the App Store.  More than just access to your queue, the GameFly GameCenter has a news feed, tons of user reviews, and instantly accessible “most popular” games list.

I’d go as far as to say that that even if you don’t belong to GameFly (it’s hard to get new releases but buying used games is the cheapest around), the app is still a cool alternative to the IGN app in terms of user reviews and news.

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Even though the Nintendo DSi was released this year, rumors are surfacing that Nintendo is gearing up to produce a more powerful portable system in 2010.  For purposes of this article, the DS2 we’ll call it, will receive some new processing power thanks to the Zune HD and Nvidia Tegra Chips (sounds organic doesn’t it).

Nothing has been confirmed obviously but you’d be a complete sucker to buy a DSi now.  The above concept picture looks pretty tight but we’ll have to wait and see what develops.

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People just like these kinds of posts.  Our pink DSi post from February 25th is still getting comments to this day.  On October 23rd, Europeans will have the luxury of choosing some new Nintendo DSi colors.  Those new colors are: Metallic Blue, Light Blue and Red.

Each new DSi will have Facebook connectivity and FlipNote Studio preloaded as well as 1,000 DSiWare points.  The colors will be available with the aforementioned supplements until March 2010.  Let’s see the US get some!

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You’ve heard about the cardboard gadget cover, and the cover you make yourself from old comic books, now try the newest thing in temporary gadget faceplating, the Wrappz system.

Wrappz are small self-adhesive packages that cover your gadgets and help protect against dust.  They come in a variety of designs, including Spongebob Squarepants, model Keeley, and Premier League sports teams.  Now you can cover your laptop with the damned United, and that’s not just a clever movie pun.

Plus, if you’re big into European soccer, you can advertise your love of the beautiful game with these covers.  Wrappz come in sizes sufficient to fit iPods, almost every major console except, for some reason, the Xbox 360, laptops, and the option to create a custom size Wrappz case in case your laptop model isn’t available.

Further, if you hurry, you can get fifty percent off your order by following the directions at the “via” link.

[via Daily Mirror]

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A few choice words come to mind when I think about the Nintendo DS.  Those words are, in no particular order: Imaginative, innovative, and children.  The DS has made a name for itself with its unique brand of gaming that cannot be found on other systems thanks to its touch screen and penchant for new ideas.

Having never really considered myself an actual adult, it’s easy for me to relate to DS games to find the good and bad in them from an open minded “manchild” like perspective.

The movie tie-in G.I.Joe: The Rise Of Cobra game is definitely geared towards a much younger crowd, but contains enough simple carnage to satisfy anyone looking to blow things up.

Storyline/Plot:

In direct correlation with this past summer’s blockbuster movie of the same name (I haven’t seen it),  Cobra is bent on evil and world conquest and it’s up to the “Joe’s” to foil their dubious intentions.  Simple as that the, story has to be the absolute worst part of the game.  Boring as all hell dialog plagues the flow of the game and really detracts from the destruction.  Due to the turtle like pacing of the dialog, you can’t help but grind your teeth as you try and hurry up the scrolling text as fast as you can so you can get on with the game.  I can’t imagine even anyone younger finding the story presentation one bit compelling.  Anyway enough about that.  On to the better stuff.

Graphics:

I know I just said “on to the better stuff” but the graphics, unfortunately, are not that.  Pixeled-out to the point of chunky, the top down view, while mildly effective in the gameplay department, is not at all flattering.  Some of the effects are cool, but the graphics are just plain ugly.  Let me try and find something nice to say about the graphics.  They compliment the storyline?  Nope.  Okay, the gameplay is not totally marred by the graphical limitations.  That’s positive right?

Sound:

Average at best.  Gunfire and explosions are the stars of the show with little to no supporting cast.  Background music is your stock action adventure fare with some mixed in dialog bleeps to let you know you should be looking at the bottom screen.  The guns and explosions are not all that varied between characters but it the midst of battle it is often hard to gripe on that anyway.

Gameplay:

Playing G.I.Joe is a mixed bag.  The controls are accurate and it’s easy to figure out what you’re doing, but you often get hung up on objects that surround the battlefield.  From enemy cover to barbed wire fences and rock formations, getting stuck on these things is a regular occurrence.  Not that it hampers gameplay entirely, but you might end up losing some lives because of it.

The leveling up of characters adds a nice bit of depth and the weapons are fun to use.  As you level up you unlock different colored uniforms and upgraded weapons.  I ended up using my stronger characters more often because the game got harder as it progressed and therefore making the weaker characters obsolete. Vehicles and fixed weapons are also a great feature that brings some immersion to the game and some of the vehicles are throwbacks from from the early days of G.I.Joe toys.

What could have added to the immersion level would have been the use of the touch screen.  It goes largely under utilized and is only used to display the map and dialog boxes.  Bomb setting and defusing, inventory management, weapon load outs, and dialog options are all easy ideas that would have made the game differ from say a GameBoy Advance game.  It also makes no use of the DSi camera which could have also added some innovative ideas.

Multiplayer:

Offering a local only multiplayer scenario, I didn’t get the chance to play.  Simply guessing I would think that this could be a fun way to play this game because you could negate the story entirely and skip straight to the core gameplay.  It would have been nice if there was WiFi connectivity so you don’t have to actually know anyone else with the same game.

Replay Value:

The game itself is very point-A to point-B with each level requiring the same basic linear objectives, but you could play through it a couple times by leveling up different characters to mix it up a bit.  If you can find someone to play multiplayer with I’m positive it would add some quality replay value to this game as well.

Final Endings:

Despite all the shortcomings I mentioned above, G.I.Joe: The Rise Of Cobra is actually a fun game.  A mildly lengthy single player campaign coupled with some visceral action makes for some appealing gaming.  The game would have received higher marks if it weren’t for the constant dialog interruptions and weak graphics.

In the end, The Rise Of Cobra is a game for those of you who like top-down shooters in the vein of the retro Ikari Warriors with some modern twists thrown in.  Give it a shot if you are looking for some simple, destructive fun.

Pros:

• Intuitive control scheme makes it easy to play
• Mild depth
• Decent replay value if you care about playing with different characters

Cons:

• Dated and uninspired graphics
• Dialog and story poorly implemented
• No use of touch screen or DSi camera

Buy it here for $28!