January 27th, 2009 by admin

Nintendo have announced the next batch of games for the DSi are being prepared for release in Japan. The new games seem to be taking the handheld console into a slightly different direction away from the gaming market and further into the PDA arena as the new “games” will involve the addition of an alarm clock and a train map – how fun!

Nintendo are planning on releasing 8 new games under the cloak of what they are calling DSiWare, including a card game, two artistic shortform games and a to-go version of Planet Puzzle League. These additions to the DSi are fine, but when you start throwing in an alarm clock and calling it a game, that’s when you know the ideas are pretty thin on the ground. In a time when 5 year olds are given iPhones, I don’t think many DSi users will be too over the moon about getting an alarm clock to play with.

Nintendo have even taken the alarm clock game a little further allowing the user/player to pay 200 DSi points for the ability to set alarm sounds recorded through the microphone. Is this really coming from the creators of the record breaking Wii and DS consoles? At least the train maps provide useful information for its users. The map application will allow Japanese train-goers to plan their routes using the DSi stylus.

The DSiWare games will be ready for release on the 28th January. With the likes of the alarm clock and the train map application, Nintendo are also releasing Chotto Panel de Pon, an updated version of the classic puzzle game. They’re not stopping there, however, as another puzzle game will be available called Chotto Suujin Taisen which allows its players to connect to up to 3 other DSis over the Wi-Fi Connection mode.

The two artistic games involve moving and matching blocks that are dropping in a game called PicoPict, which sounds a little too similar to Tetris. The other artistic game involves matching coloured balls and moving about panels that again are coloured in a game called Somnium. Each of these games would cost the average user (residing in Japan) a mere 500 DSi points, or £4.25 to those who work in pounds.

The card game that will also be made available is actually a collection of five different card games for the DSi user’s entertainment. Blackjack, American Page One, Page One, Daifugou and Poker make up the five card games that will be found in the game entitled Chotto Asobi Taizen Jikkuri Trump.

Although the games are only available in Japan, as is the case with the actual DSi console itself, there is still no word as to when we will be able to get the chance to have a go at either games or console in Britain. It will be interesting to see how successful this DSiWare idea is in this country.