Nintendo DSi system software

Last updated
Nintendo DSi system software
Nintendo DSi logo.svg
Nintendo DSi Home Menu.png
Screenshot of the Nintendo DSi's Home Menu. The top display shows photos taken using Nintendo DSi Camera, the bottom display shows apps and games on the system as selectable icons.
Developer Nintendo
Nintendo SDD
OS familyNintendo proprietary
Working stateDiscontinued
Source modelClosed source
Initial release1.1 / November 1, 2008;15 years ago (2008-11-01)
Latest release 1.4.5 / December 11, 2012;11 years ago (2012-12-11) [1]
Available in
  • Chinese (Simplified)
  • Chinese (Traditional)
  • Dutch
  • English (United Kingdom)
  • English (United States)
  • French (Canada)
  • French (France)
  • German
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Portuguese (Brazil)
  • Portuguese (Portugal)
  • Russian
  • Spanish (Latin America)
  • Spanish (Spain)
Update methodDirect download
Nintendo Game Card
Platforms Nintendo DSi (XL)
Preceded by Nintendo DS firmware
Succeeded by Nintendo 3DS system software
Support status
Unsupported

The Nintendo DSi system software is a discontinued set of updatable firmware versions, and a software frontend on the Nintendo DSi (including its XL variant) video game console. Updates, which are downloaded via the system's Internet connection, allow Nintendo to add and remove features and software. All updates also include all changes from previous updates.

Contents

Technology

User interface

The user interface of the Nintendo DSi has been redesigned from the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite. The DSi's user interface is a single row of icons which can be navigated by sliding the stylus across them. When you take a picture using L/R, it is then displayed on the home menu's top screen. From the home menu, the user can take a picture at any time by pressing the shoulder buttons. While the system is on, the power button acts as a soft reset button that returns the user to the home menu.

The Nintendo DSi provides some built-in applications. Initially, users are able to access five programs from the main menu: DSi Camera, DSi Sound, DSi Shop, PictoChat, and Download Play. The DSi's menu is akin to the Channel interface of the Nintendo Wii in that new programs can be downloaded and added to the interface. The DSi Camera application allows for taking images and applying various filters. The DSi Sound application is thematically similar to DSi Camera, serving as a sound recorder and editor (along with a low bitrate AAC music player). Features include themed equalizers and modulators that modify a user's voice to sound similar to a robot or parakeet ( Toy Story 3 is the only DSi enhanced game to use the DSi's audio modulator engine). The DSi Shop would serve as the DS counterpart of the Wii Shop Channel. [2]

Multimedia features

Unlike Nintendo's previous handheld consoles such as the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite, the Nintendo DSi has built in music playback support. The DSi Sound program is split into two modes: voice recording and music playback. Both offer plenty of entertainment value because of the tools and gimmicks Nintendo has included. The recording mode lets users record at most 18 clips of maximum 10 seconds length. Once they have recorded a clip, they can play around with it in various ways. For example, users can make the clip play backwards or forwards, isolate small sections using A-B repeat, and modify the speed and tone by dragging a pointer around on a 2D graph. They can also apply 12 effects to the clip, which can be used to transform the sound. The music playback mode also has many play options. Once a song has been loaded up, users can change the speed and tone just like with the recording mode. They can also overlay the recordings that has been made in the recording mode to songs at any point. In addition, Nintendo has provided a set of sound effects which can be selected quickly by using the stylus, then inserted freely using shoulder buttons.

Unlike the built-in DSi Camera application, which would not read any files that were not generated by the DSi itself, the DSi Sound application does not have this restriction when it comes to files and directory structure. When files are stored in a multi-level directory structure into the root directory of the SD card, the DSi parsed through them instantly and displayed all the internal directories for quick access. During playback, users have access to features such as forwarding, rewinding, and volume controls. Nintendo presumably envisioned DSi Sound as being a substitute for a real music player. However, there is an important drawback of the DSi Sound application, that is, it does not support the popular MP3 format. Instead, the player only supports the AAC format with .mp4, .m4a, or .3GP filename extensions. Furthermore, compared with Sony's PlayStation Portable it is more difficult to interface the DSi with a PC, as there is no USB port on the system. In order to transfer music and podcasts over, users will need to remove the SD Card and plug it directly into their PC. [3]

Internet features

One of the major updates the Nintendo DSi brings to the Nintendo DS line is full network connectivity. Unlike the original Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite which only featured minimal network connectivity, download content and firmware updates are at the core of the DSi experience, similar to the Wii and Sony's PlayStation Portable consoles. For example, when users first power up the system and click on the DSi Shop icon from the main menu, they are immediately prompted to run a firmware update. The Nintendo DSi supports WEP, WPA (AES/TKIP), and WPA2 (AES/TKIP) wireless encryption; [4] only software with built-in support can use the latter two encryption types, as they were not supported by the DS and DS Lite. [5] [6]

With the DSi Shop application users can purchase various DSiWare titles. The cute music and blocky interface are somewhat similar to the counterpart on the Wii. Users can permanently login with their Club Nintendo account to track purchase rewards, and the main shopping interface also lets users add DSi Points and read the DSi shop manual. As with the firmware updates, the DSi shopping experience is quite similar to that of the Wii, although a big problem with the DSi Shopping is the slow speed.

Furthermore, like the previous Nintendo DS and DS Lite, the Nintendo DSi includes a web browser, which is a version of the Opera browser. It has support for the HTML5 canvas object and CSS opacity. However, there are limitations for these features. In addition to slow download speeds, the browser has difficulty rendering pages. For example, many pages would not load completely, and it is not compatible with movie files, music files or Adobe Flash on multimedia content sites like YouTube. [7] Nintendo Life rated the browser 7/10 points, calling it "well worth having" despite its limitations, and improved from the Nintendo DS incarnation. [8]

DSiWare and backward compatibility

On the Nintendo DSi, there are a collection of games and applications specifically designed for the Nintendo DSi handheld game console and available for download via the DSi Shop, known as DSiWare. Since these games and applications are specifically targeted for the Nintendo DSi, they are not compatible with the original Nintendo DS or Nintendo DS Lite consoles. The Nintendo DSi is Nintendo's first region-locked handheld; it prevents using certain software released for another region, [9] [10] unlike original Nintendo DS models. But as a member of the Nintendo DS line, the Nintendo DSi is backward compatible with most original Nintendo DS games, and cartridge software compatible with previous models including original DS games, Internet browsing, and photo sharing are not region-locked. [9] [10] Later, its successor, the Nintendo 3DS consoles also adopted this approach, and as a result all Nintendo DSi and 3DS-specific games are locked to a certain region, while original DS games are still region-free. In addition to DSiWare, which are DSi-exclusive (although later they can also run on a 3DS), there are also "DSi-enhanced" games containing DSi-exclusive features, but can still be played with earlier Nintendo DS models. While most original DS games can run on the DSi, the DSi is not backward compatible with Game Boy Advance (GBA) games or original DS games that require a GBA slot, since the DSi itself lacks of such a slot, unlike the DS and DS Lite. Because of this absence, the DSi is also not backward compatible with accessories requiring the GBA slot, such as the Nintendo DS Rumble Pak. [11] Homebrew flash cartridges designed for previous DS models are incompatible with the DSi, [12] but new cards capable of running DS software (or even DSiWare) on a DSi were available. [13] While users cannot transfer purchased DSiWare on Nintendo DSi consoles between units, most DSiWare can be transferred to a Nintendo 3DS, although not saved data. [14] [15] Like the Nintendo DSi, the Nintendo 3DS is backward compatible with most Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi software.

History of updates

This is a list of major system updates of the Nintendo DSi.

Nintendo DSi system update releases
System versionSystem version (China/Korea)RegionsRelease datesNote
1.4.51.4.6 Flag of the United States.svg Flag of Japan.svg Flag of Europe.svg Flag of Australia (converted).svg Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Flag of Korea (1899).svg December 11, 2012 [16] - December 13, 2012Final version. [16] [17] [18] [19] Ninth update on Japanese consoles, sixth update on USA/Europe/Australia consoles, fifth update Chinese/Korean consoles.
1.4.41.4.5 Flag of the United States.svg Flag of Japan.svg Flag of Europe.svg Flag of Australia (converted).svg Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Flag of Korea (1899).svg March 22, 2012 [16] Eighth update for Japanese consoles, fifth update for USA/Europe/Australia consoles, fourth update Chinese/Korean consoles.
  • Behind the scenes changes to block Nintendo DSi cartridge exploits. [20]
1.4.31.4.4 Flag of the United States.svg Flag of Japan.svg Flag of Europe.svg Flag of Australia (converted).svg Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Flag of Korea (1899).svg June 29, 2011 [16] Seventh update for Japanese consoles, fourth update for USA/Europe/Australia consoles, third update Chinese/Korean consoles.
  • Behind the scenes changes to block additional Nintendo DS flash cartridges. [20]
1.4.21.4.3 Flag of the United States.svg Flag of Japan.svg Flag of Europe.svg Flag of Australia (converted).svg Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Flag of Korea (1899).svg May 10, 2011 [16] Sixth update for Japanese consoles, third update for USA/Europe/Australia consoles, second update Chinese/Korean consoles.
  • Behind the scenes changes to block game save based DSiWare exploits. [21]
  • Behind the scenes changes to block additional Nintendo DS flash cartridges. [20]
1.4.11.4.2 Flag of the United States.svg Flag of Japan.svg Flag of Europe.svg Flag of Australia (converted).svg Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Flag of Korea (1899).svg September 7, 2010 [16] Fifth update for Japanese consoles, second update for USA/Europe/Australia consoles, first update Chinese/Korean consoles. [18] [19]
  • Behind the scenes changes to block additional Nintendo DS flash cartridges. [20]
1.41.4.1 Flag of the United States.svg Flag of Japan.svg Flag of Europe.svg Flag of Australia (converted).svg Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Flag of Korea (1899).svg July 30, 2009 - August 3, 2009 [16] Fourth update for Japanese consoles, first update for USA/Europe/Australia consoles, initial pre-installed version on Chinese/Korean consoles.
  • Added Facebook integration to the Nintendo DSi Camera application. [22] (USA/Japan/Europe/Australia only)
  • Increases the speed of showing photos in the Nintendo DSi Camera application. [17]
  • Updates the Nintendo DSi Browser application. [16]
  • Behind the scenes changes to block Nintendo DS flash cartridges. [20]
1.3 Flag of the United States.svg Flag of Japan.svg Flag of Europe.svg Flag of Australia (converted).svg March 26, 2009 - April 5, 2009 [16] Third update for Japanese consoles, initial pre-installed version on USA, Europe, and Australia consoles. [16]
  • Adds "Search for Software" feature to the Nintendo DSi Shop. [17]
  • Matches the L/R button sound effects to the music volume in Nintendo DSi Sound.
1.2 Flag of Japan.svg December 18, 2008 - April 3, 2009Second update for Japanese consoles.
  • Changes made for distribution of paid DSiWare. [17]
1.1 Flag of Japan.svg First update for Japanese consoles.
  • The Nintendo DSi Shop is now available. [17]
1.0 Flag of Japan.svg November 1, 2008Initial pre-installed version on Japanese consoles.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo DS</span> Handheld game console

The Nintendo DS is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tandem, a built-in microphone and support for wireless connectivity. Both screens are encompassed within a clamshell design similar to the Game Boy Advance SP. The Nintendo DS also features the ability for multiple DS consoles to directly interact with each other over Wi-Fi within a short range without the need to connect to an existing wireless network. Alternatively, they could interact online using the now-defunct Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. Its main competitor was Sony's PlayStation Portable during the seventh generation of video game consoles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Action Replay</span> Brand of video game cheating devices

Action Replay is the brand name of a cheating device created by Datel. The Action Replay is available for many gaming systems including the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and the Xbox. The name is derived from the first devices’ signature ability to pause the execution of the software and save the computer's state to disk or tape for future “replay”. The ability to manipulate the contents of memory in this paused state permitted the cheat functions for which the brand is now better known.

A softmod is a method of using software to modify the intended behavior of hardware, such as video cards, sound cards, or game consoles in a way that can overcome restrictions of the firmware, or install custom firmware.

Homebrew, when applied to video games, refers to software produced by hobbyists for proprietary video game consoles which are not intended to be user-programmable. The official documentation is often only available to licensed developers, and these systems may use storage formats that make distribution difficult, such as ROM cartridges or encrypted CD-ROMs. Many consoles have hardware restrictions to prevent unauthorized development.

iQue Chinese joint venture between Wei Yen and Nintendo

iQue, Ltd. is a Chinese video game/game localization and support development company located in Suzhou. It was founded as a joint venture between Wei Yen and Nintendo in 2002 as a Chinese video game console manufacturing company. The following year, the company released the iQue Player. The company had manufactured and distributed official Nintendo products for the mainland Chinese market under the iQue brand until 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection</span> Former online multiplayer gaming service

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection was an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo to provide free online play in compatible Nintendo DS and Wii games. The service included the company's Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop game download services. It also ran features for the Wii and Nintendo DS systems.

The Virtual Console is a defunct line of downloadable video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo DS Browser</span> Portable web browser software

The Nintendo DS Browser is a port of the Opera 8.5 web browser for use on the Nintendo DS, developed by Opera Software and Nintendo, and sold as a standalone game cartridge. Two versions were sold, one for the original Nintendo DS and one for the Nintendo DS Lite, each with a different Slot-2 memory expansion pack to fit the respective system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wii Menu</span> System menu for the Wii

The Wii Menu is the graphical shell of the Wii and Wii U game console, as part of the Wii system software. It has four pages, each with a 4:3 grid, and each displaying the current time and date. Available applications, known as "channels", are displayed and can be navigated using the pointer capability of the Wii Remote. The grid is customizable; users can move channels among the menu's 48 customizable slots. By pressing the plus and minus buttons on the Wii Remote users can scroll across accessing empty slots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wii system software</span> Operating system for Nintendos Wii home video game console

The Wii system software is a discontinued set of updatable firmware versions and a software frontend on the Wii home video game console. Updates, which could be downloaded over the Internet or read from a game disc, allowed Nintendo to add additional features and software, as well as to patch security vulnerabilities used by users to load homebrew software. When a new update became available, Nintendo sent a message to the Wii Message Board of Internet-connected systems notifying them of the available update.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo DSi</span> Handheld game console

The Nintendo DSi is a foldable handheld game console released by Nintendo. The console launched in Japan on November 1, 2008, and worldwide beginning in April 2009. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival was Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP). The fourth iteration, entitled Nintendo DSi XL, is a larger model that launched in Japan on November 21, 2009, and worldwide beginning in March 2010. Development of the DSi began in late 2006, and the handheld was unveiled during an October 2008 Nintendo conference in Tokyo. Consumer demand convinced Nintendo to produce a slimmer handheld with larger screens than the DS Lite. Consequently, Nintendo removed the Game Boy Advance (GBA) cartridge slot to improve portability without sacrificing durability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo 3DS</span> Handheld game console

The Nintendo 3DS is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo. The console was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generation console, its primary competitor was Sony's PlayStation Vita.

<i>Art Academy</i> (video game) 2009 video game

Art Academy, also known as Art Academy: Learn painting and drawing techniques with step-by-step training in the PAL regions and Artistic Taste Classroom DS in Japan, is an art training software for the Nintendo DS. It was developed by Headstrong Games and published by Nintendo. Art Academy was originally a two-part training application only available for download via the DSiWare service since 2009. It was later re-released in 2010 as a fully compiled, retail-able DS Game Card with added features, thus also making it available for original Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite users.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo 3DS system software</span> Operating system for the Nintendo 3DS

The Nintendo 3DS system software is a updatable operating system used for the Nintendo 3DS handheld system. The Nintendo Switch system software is believed to have evolved from the Nintendo 3DS operating system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo eShop</span> Online service for Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo eShop is a digital distribution service for the Nintendo Switch, and formerly available via the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. The Nintendo eShop was first launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS via a system update that added the functionality to the HOME Menu. It is the successor to both the Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop. Unlike on the Nintendo 3DS, the eShop was made available on the launch date of the Wii U, although a system update is required in order to access it. It is also a multitasking application, which means it is easily accessible even when a game is already running in the background through the system software, though this feature is exclusive to the Wii U and the Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo eShop features downloadable games, demos, applications, streaming videos, consumer rating feedback, and other information on upcoming game releases.

The Nintendo Network was an online service run by Nintendo which provided free online functionality for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U systems and their compatible games. Announced on January 26, 2012, at an investors' conference, it was Nintendo's second online service after Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Former president of Nintendo Satoru Iwata said, "Unlike Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which has been focused upon specific functionalities and concepts, we are aiming to establish a platform where various services available through the network for our consumers shall be connected via Nintendo Network service so that the company can make comprehensive proposals to consumers."

Art Academy is a series of edutainment video games beginning in 2009 with Art Academy. Its most recent release was Disney Art Academy. One of Nintendo's franchises, the series has been released on Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wii U system software</span> Operating system for Nintendos Wii U home video game console

The Wii U operating system is the official firmware version and system software for the Nintendo's Wii U home video game console. Nintendo maintains the Wii U's systemwide features and applications by offering system software updates via the Internet. Updates are optional to each console owner, but may be required in order to retain interoperability with Nintendo's online services. Each update is cumulative, including all changes from previous updates.

References

  1. System Menu and Feature Updates
  2. "DSi Specs Revealed". IGN . 2008-10-02. Archived from the original on 2023-03-24.
  3. "DSi Music Playtest". IGN . 2008-11-03. Archived from the original on 2022-08-19.
  4. Nintendo 2009, p. 94.
  5. "Wireless Home Router Support". Nintendo of America. Nintendo. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
  6. 青山; 畑山; 藤原 (2008). "社長が訊く「ニンテンドーWi-Fiネットワークアダプタ". Iwata Asks (Interview: Transcript) (in Japanese). Interviewed by Satoru Iwata. Kyoto, Japan: Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2009-05-01. Retrieved 2009-09-24. Though the new browser and those programs designed exclusively for the DSi will use a high level of security, existing DS software will use existing encryption.
  7. "DSi Versus The Internet". IGN . 2008-11-01. Archived from the original on 2023-06-10.
  8. Adam (2009-04-06). "Review: Nintendo DSi Browser (DSiWare)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  9. 1 2 Craig Harris (2009-09-22). "Yes, DSi Carts are Region Locked". IGN. Fox Interactive Media. Archived from the original on 2010-12-12. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
  10. 1 2 Tom Bramwell (2008-10-06). "Nintendo DSi software region-locked". Eurogamer. Eurogamer Network. Archived from the original on 2009-01-26. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
  11. Craig Harris (2008-10-17). "DSi: Bye Bye GBA Slot". IGN. Fox Interactive Media. pp. 1–2, 4. Archived from the original on 2009-03-01. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
  12. Joe Martin (2009-03-17). "Nintendo DSi Review". Bit-tech. Dennis Publishing. p. 2. Archived from the original on 2009-03-20. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  13. Christopher Dring (2008-12-04). "Hackers crack the DS". Market for Home Computing and Video Games. Intent Media. Archived from the original on 2009-05-30. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
  14. "What Is Transferred During the Data Transfer Process?". Nintendo of America. Nintendo. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
  15. "What DSiWare Games Cannot be Transferred to the Nintendo 3DS?". Nintendo of America. Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Nintendo Support: System Menu and Feature Updates". en-americas-support.nintendo.com. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 "ニンテンドーDS:DSサポート情報:Q&A". www.nintendo.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-05-10.
  18. 1 2 "iQue DSi". iQue DSi Q&A (in Chinese (China)). Archived from the original on 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
  19. 1 2 "NINTENDO DS". Nintendo DS Q&A (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2020-02-22.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "GBATEK DSi SD/MMC Firmware Version Data File". www.problemkaputt.de. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
  21. "DSi System Update 1.4.2". HackMii. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  22. "Facebook photo application released for DSi". VG247. 2009-07-30. Retrieved 2022-05-10.