DigitalBattle.com » Nintendo DSi

Toys R Us now accepting console trade-ins

Jeff Baker — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:30:32 +0000

Toys R Us has today released a press release letting us know that they will now begin accepting used console trade-ins much like competitor GameStop has been doing for some time now.

This program allows you to trade in everything from the Xbox 360 and Wii to the PS1 and Nintendo 64. Of course, you’re only going to be able to get yourself a gift card for the trade-in instead of cold hard cash but you win some you lose some, right?

Check out the press release after the break.

Toys“R”Us Expands ‘Big Gift’ Layaway to include video game hardware; adds video game hardware trade-in for gift card program

Company Promises Aggressive Video Game Hardware and Software Deals Throughout Holiday Season, Including Buy One, Get One Half Off and $25 iTunes Gift Card with Purchase of Select Hot Games Beginning Sunday, November 22

WAYNE, NJ (November 18, 2009) – Toys“R”Us today announced it has expanded its popular “Big Gift” layaway to include video game hardware and is also introducing a new video game hardware trade-in program. Now gift-givers have even more convenient ways to pay and save with these additional value offerings just in time for the holiday season, whether they are looking to buy new hardware, rid their basement of old items or both!

“Since the introduction of the ‘Big Gift’ layaway last month, the number one request we’ve received from customers is to expand the program to include video game hardware, and we’re responding by providing more convenient payment options for these items,” said Jerry Storch, Chairman and CEO, Toys“R”Us, Inc. “At the same time, we’re adding a video game hardware trade-in program in our stores for customers who may be looking for ways to save on Christmas gifts for loved ones or to upgrade their own gaming systems.”

“Big Gift” Layaway Expands to Include Video Game Hardware

Effective immediately, video game hardware is now included in the company’s “Big Gift” layaway offering. Through the program, customers can reserve some of the hottest items of the season early when supply is at its best, and make a series of small payments over time. Video game hardware such as Nintendo Wii, DS and DSi, Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable systems and related accessories can be placed on layaway. Customers nationwide have been taking advantage of the “Big Gift” layaway as an option for gifting large items such as bikes, Power Wheels®, play kitchens, dollhouses, cribs and more since its introduction in October.

Placing a product on layaway at any Toys“R”Us store requires a deposit of 20% of the total purchase, including all applicable taxes, and a $10 service charge. Payments may be made at the store at any time in the form of cash, check, credit card, debit card or gift card. Items must be paid for in full by December 6 to ensure the gift is available for pickup before Christmas. A fee will apply to canceled layaway orders*.

*The program is not available in Maryland at this time. Stores in Ohio and Rhode Island have different policies for canceled orders. See stores for details.

Video Game Hardware Trade-In Program Introduced

Beginning Friday, November 20, customers can trade in used video game hardware at Toys“R”Us stores nationwide in exchange for Toys“R”Us gift cards**. Whether a dad trades in the Nintendo Game Boy Advance from his childhood and uses the gift card he receives to buy toys for his own kids or an avid gamer wants to upgrade to the newest gaming system, customers will appreciate being able to turn outdated video game hardware into savings on their next Toys“R”Us purchase.

Video game hardware systems eligible for the trade-in program include:

Microsoft – Xbox 360 Core/Arcade, Xbox 360 Premium 20 GB, Xbox 360 Premium 60 GB, Xbox 360 Elite, Xbox 360 Halo Edition and Xbox Original

Sony – PlayStation 3 20 GB, PlayStation 3 40 GB, PlayStation 3 60 GB, PlayStation 3 80 GB, PlayStation 3 160 GB, PlayStation 3 Slim 120 GB, PlayStation 2 Original, PlayStation 2 Slim, PlayStation 1, PlayStation Portable Original, Slim and Go

Nintendo – Wii, DSi, DS Lite, DS, Game Boy Advance SP, Game Boy Advance, Game Cube and Nintendo 64

Customers can participate in the video game hardware trade-in program at Toys“R”Us stores in the United States as follows:

* Used video game hardware may be brought to a Toys“R”Us Guest Services desk.
* Hardware will then be scanned and prices will be offered for each item.
* Customers confirm that they want to accept the offer to exchange any, or all, of the hardware they brought to the store.
* Once the transaction is complete, customers receive an activated gift card equal to the total worth of all hardware traded.
* Immediately upon receiving the gift card, customers can purchase any product from iPods and toys to candy and diapers at any Toys“R”Us or Babies“R”Us location or online at Toysrus.com.

This new trade-in option for video game hardware supplements a video game trade-in program offered since September in Toys“R”Us stores nationwide.

** Video game hardware trade-in is unavailable at Toys“R”Us Holiday Express locations and select Toys“R”Us locations. See stores for details.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story review

James Hyde — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:01:38 +0000

Mario & Luigi have offered a little diversity (very little, by some accounts) to the never ending Mario based platform games. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story is the third time Mario and his green dressed bro Luigi play as a team on the DS, this time, the story is weirder than ever, as the arch nemesis Bowser swallows the mushroom kingdom, including Mario, Luigi and all their buddies. Actually, the story is a bit more complicated, but we won’t ruin it for you here.

The gameplay is very similar to the last Mario & Luigi DS game, where you basically control both characters at the same time, with one button for Mario and another for Luigi. This time however, you control Bowser as well, and actually, you’ll spend more time in the game playing as Bowser than Mario & Luigi, which might seem odd at first, but it feel quite natural. Yes, quite natural, controlling the antagonist.

If you like the humor of the previous game, you’ll be glad to know that it’s back, and everything from Mario & Luigi’s Italian murmur to the writing is just hilarious at times, even if you’re a bit older than the age group this game was intended for. The visuals of the game are strictly 2D, with the old-school pixelated style, but it’s very colorful and the use of the dual screen on the DS is take to its full advantage.

The main levels are comprised like this: you stride through the levels until you meet an enemy, and then you duel it out, old school, turn based style. You then pick which attack to use, and hope for the best. Well, not really, each attack does require some skill and finesse, but once you’ve gotten a hold of it, it’s very easy to do the simple attacks, while the more elaborate ones will require delicate timing to pull off. The game also includes a series of mini-games as well, which help break the main gameplay into larger chunks — always a good idea with a lengthy campaign. For instance, there’s a Space Invader-type game that helps boost Bowse’s adrenaline, and there is a notable RPG element with badges that you can collect an equip Mario & Luigi, giving them added bonus to their abilities.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story is a wonderful game that should satisfy a wide spectrum of DS owners, from kids to adults. The campaign lasts a good 20 hours, a solid chunk even for a Mario game, but the game has a tendency to repeat itself, especially during the end. Technically, it looks great, the sounds and music are top notch as well — the whole game screams of great production value, which is hard to achieve, since it’s still a “little” DS game.

The Good:
Great humor
Wonderful gameplay
Great story
Top notch quality and polish

The Bad:
Not much innovation
Can get repetitive

Overall score: 9/10

Scribblenauts review

James Hyde — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:16:07 +0000

Scribblenauts for the Nintendo DS is a kind of adventure game that you don’t see often — actually, there hasn’t ever been a game like Scribblenauts; an adventure game where your character progresses through the levels by you typing the name of an object, pretty much any object you can think of, from dinosaurs to cars, to monkey to trees, as long as it isn’t vulgar or trademarked, it’s probably in Scribblenauts. The core concept of the game is highly original and extremely entertaining, and if it wasn’t for a few issues, it would’ve been the ultimate must-have game for any DS owner.

The gameplay is simple and follows the standard 2D side scrolling fashion, but to solve puzzles in Scribblenauts, you need to use an object that might fit and help you move forwards. You “scribble” the object (say, a “meteor”) and poof! it appears on the screen. The goal of each level is to secure a Starlite at the end, and accumulate them. On top of that, you have dedicated puzzle levels, which don’t feature as much action but pack plenty of challenge for your imagination. Once you’ve settled in the gameplay and figured out how advance through the levels (maybe you need a club or a crowbar to break something, maybe you need a walking robot), you’ll be troubled by the rather frustrating controls the game has to offer. You control your hero (named Maxwell) via the stylus, where you point to an area on the screen, and he’ll run to it. But it’s far too easy to point a few pixels too far, and see yourself walk into certain death.

The vocabulary of the game, which is its greatest asset — and the entire concept — is staggering. There are over 30,000 items you can call up to help you, anything from a fruit to a black hole. Yep, black holes. It’s one of those games where your own imagination (not the developer’s) is the limit. Hell, you can even summon a Man-Bear-Pig to fight your enemies. However, despite the vast opportunities, they’re rarely used to their full potential. Out of the 3,000 items, you can complete the game with a few dozen, and the levels don’t challenge you to come up with something new. You can always strap wings to yourself and easily fly to where you need to be, and summon someone to kill your enemies for you. While you can get a special bonus for completing levels without using weapons or stuff like that, it’s not exactly the best use of a game with such a high concept.

Having said that, there are still over 200 levels, most of which will give you a great time, and some of which are really amazing. On top of that, the game features a level editor as well, and you can share the levels with other players online. The visuals are fairly decent considering it’s a DS game, while the music seems bland and a bit out of place. Overall, Scribblenauts is a game you should try if you own a DS, despite its issues, its originality and concept far outweigh the quirks with the game.

The Good:
Wonderful concept
Huge amount of items
Original
Tons of levels

The Bad:
Concept isn’t used to its full potential
A few control issues
Mission objects aren’t always clear
Bland soundtrack

Overall score: 8/10

Nintendo DSi XL coming Q1 2010

Jeff Baker — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:45:36 +0000

Earlier today Nintendo officially announced the DSi XL, a Nintendo DSi with 4″ screens as opposed to the pervious 3.25″ screens. However, at the time we had no idea when we could expect the device to hit store shelves in the United States.

Now, a Nintendo spokesperson has come forth to let us know that the DSi XL will in fact be made available in the States in Q1 of 2010. Unfortunately, we still don’t know how much it will cost but as soon as we know we will let you know.

via joystiq

Nintendo announces DSi XL

James Hyde — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:04:48 +0000

Nintendo has gone ahead and confirmed various rumors of a new DSi with larger screens, by officially revealing the DSi XL, which the console will be called in Europe. The new console will have 4″ screens instead of the regular 3.25″, and the whole system will be substantially larger (as you can see above) and will even include a full sized stylus. So far the console has only been announced for Japan (as the DSi LL) and Europe (as the DSi XL), but we expect a North American announcement to come shortly.

Nyko launches DSi camera accessory

James Hyde — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:33:19 +0000

Nyko, the master accessory maker — well, not really, but they do make a ton of accessories for games of all kinds — have released a lens attachment to the Nintendo DSi camera, which offers 8X zoom to the rather weak 0.3 Megapixel camera. But at least it works, as you can see on the image above. Won’t win you a Pulitzer in photojournalism, but at least it won’t burn your pocket; $25 is all it set your back.

Konami bringing Monster Finder to the US?

Jeff Baker — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:19 +0000

In early September we were notified that Alpha Unit’s Monster Finder was to be the first ever Nintendo DSi exclusive title on the market. However, there was no word on when, if ever, the game would be hitting North American Shelves.

However, a recent listing on GameFly’s website has let us know that Konami will be publishing the game in January 2010. Is this to be believed? Well, GameFly is a pretty credible source but until Konami, or anyone involved, says something there

Super Mario voice actor confirms new Mario game

James Hyde — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:51:25 +0000

Charles Martinet, the legendary voice actor behind the voice of Super Mario, spilled the beans on a new Mario game, saying his latest gig involved voice acting for a new Mario game that is not New Super Mario Bros. Wii or Super Mario Galaxy 2 — both of which are announced and will ship this year and next year, respectively. He wrote on his Twitter page, “Mama Mia!!!! I’m going to Seattle this week to record a new Mario game! Woo Hooo!!!!! I can hardly wait!!!!1″, followed by another tweet saying, “Awesome new Mario Game! And it’s not NSMB Wii, and it’s not Galaxy 2, but it’s going to be crazy fun!”. As usual Nintendo doesn’t comment on rumors, but you can always guess.

Nvidia Tegra to be used in next Nintendo DS

James Hyde — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:21:15 +0000

Nvidia’s Tegra chip, which includes CPU and graphics in the same, lower powered chip, is rumored to be featured in Nintendo’s next DS update. The Tegra chip can already be found in Microsoft’s Zune HD, which can, among other things, play 3D games and stream HD video. The basic Tegra chip configuration runs at 600 MHz, while the two chips found in the DS run at a meager 67 MHz and 33 Mhz. The rumors suggest that the new DS might wait and get the next generation of Tegra chips, which are due in about a year from now.

Walmart biggest Nintendo customer

James Hyde — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:08:17 +0000

In an interview with CNBC, Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime revealed that most of the Nintendo systems have been sold through mega-retailer Walmart, which is quite surprising, as Walmart would have to beat Gamestop and Best Buy — who are usually at the top when game sales are in question. However, considering that Nintendo targets a more casual audience than its competitors, it’s reasonable to understand how Walmart is their best customer in the retail space. Reggie also revealed that the newly released Nintendo DSi had already sold 2.2 million units in North America.

DSiWare purchases tied to the DSi that downloaded them

Jeff Baker — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:44:59 +0000

Usually, when you purchase digital content it is assumed that if you migrate hardware you will be able to bring the software with you. However, with the DSi and DSiWare purchases, that doesn’t seem the be the case.

Nintendolife questioned Nintendo of Australia if users who were to purchase one of the new colored DSi’s would be able to transfer their DSiWare purchases over to which they replied no, you won’t be able to.

If however, your DSi is rendered unplayable and you purchase a new one, you can send both of the consoles into Nintendo to get your DSiWare purchases transferred. But honestly, who wants to do that?

New Pokemon sells close to 1.5 million in its first week

Jeff Baker — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:36:16 +0000

Yesterday we let you know that Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver have hit Japanese shelves but I bet you didn’t think it would be this successful of a launch. Then again, it is Pokemon, and it is Japan.

Anyways, it was recently made known that the two latest versions of Pokemon have collectively sold 1,480,980 copies in their first week on the Japanese market. However, since the game was released on a Saturday it only had 2 days of the week to show numbers for which means it sold all of those copies in just 2 days.

Now all we have to do is wait until Spring of 2010 to see if Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver will make the same impact in North America.

via rpgsite

Monster Finder to be first DSi only game

Jeff Baker — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:23:03 +0000

As of now, there is arguably no incentive to buy the DSi over the DS Lite other than the camera and the fact that it’s the latest and greatest. However, it seems that the handheld console will be getting its first exclusive game from Alpha Unit entitled Monster Finder, not to be confused with Capcom’s Monster Hunter.

Players will reportedly use the DSi’s built-in camera to collect various monsters, but that’s all we have to go by for now.

In terms of a release date, our sources say it will hit Japan sometime this winter with no mention of a worldwide release.

via andriasang

New DSi firmware launched, upload photos to Facebook

Gibran Nawaz — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:54:28 +0000

The new 1.4 firmware is now available for the Nintendo DSi. This firmware deems flash cards useless. All pirates are advised not to update if they want to keep using their ROMs and such.

Back in March, Nintendo revealed plans to expand to social networking options. Today, Nintendo has released a new application for the Nintendo DSi which allows players to upload their photos directly to Facebook.

To get setup, you need to link your DSi with your Facebook account via Facebook Connect. Once that’s done, a Facebook logo will appear on top of your photos. Users are allowed to upload entire albums at once (200 photos), and every photo after that, a new album is created.

The firmware is only exclusive to Japan, Europe, and Australia. No word on when the update will be released for North America.

Rabbids Go Home on DS this holiday season

Jeff Baker — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:05:16 +0000

It seems that the Wii isn’t the only Nintendo getting some Rabbids love as Ubisoft has just let us known that a Rabbids Go Home title will be released for the Nintendo DS this holiday season.

If you’re familiar with the Wii version of this game you’re in luck as the DS version shares the same storyline. However, instead of the collecting gameplay featured in the console version players will find themselves in a puzzle-adventure oriented Rabbids Go Home. You will be tasked with completeing puzzles, collecting garbage and ultimately creating a tower to the moon.

Again, expect Rabbids Go Home to hit store shelves for the Nintendo DS sometime this holiday season.

Read (Kotaku)

Nintendo updates services, adds My Life as a Darklord

Jeff Baker — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:19:05 +0000

If you’ve played Square Enix’s WiiWare exclusive My Life as a King you’ll be glad to hear that the game’s follow-up, My Life as a Darklord, has recently hit the service.

This game will apparantly take the empire-building elements from My Life as a King and adapt them in a darker way. Players will be pitted against an onslaught of adventurers from who they must protect a tower from with an arsenal of traps and monsters.

There are two more WiiWare titles along with a DSiWare title included in this same update all of which you can read more about after the break.

WiiWare

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a Darklord
Publisher: SQUARE ENIX
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Step into the royal shoes of the Darklord’s daughter as she installs traps and monsters inside her tower to fight back the endless waves of invading adventurers in this world-conquest RPG. Known as Artifacts, these monsters and traps are your only hope in keeping the adventurers from destroying the Dark Crystal on the top floor. Fly your tower across the land and conquer every stage on your way to dominating the entire world.

Battle Poker
Publisher: Left Field Productions
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Battle Poker is a family-friendly card game with up to four players battling against the clock to make the best five-card hand possible. Battles are played across multiple rounds, and points are scored for each round based on the quality of the hand. Each player uses a Wii Remote™ controller to point and click on a standard deck of cards on the screen. The first click flips the card over, at which point it can be grabbed by anyone else. You’ve got to have fast fingers and eyes to grab the cards you need before someone else snatches them.

5 Spots Party
Publisher: Cosmonaut Games
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Have fun with the entire family and compete in three different play modes. 5 Spots Party is a game of skill for all ages based on the popular game of finding five differences. The goal is to find the greatest number of differences in the pictures shown. In the party modes, you must compete with other players and find as many mistakes as possible. In the 1-Player mode, you must find the differences before time runs out in order to beat the game’s highest scores. How far do you think you can go?

Nintendo DSiWare

Art Style: ZENGAGE™
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Do you dream of relaxing with a great puzzle game? Art Style: ZENGAGE revolves around sliding cells (squares) to match colors with cores (beads) located on the board. Clear each stage by matching all of the cores and cells. As you progress through the game’s 100-plus stages, you’ll encounter cells with special characteristics, such as immovability, which further add to the challenge. To truly master ZENGAGE, you must keep your mind sharp and employ careful strategy to complete stages in as few moves as possible. Combining wistful graphics and mesmerizing sound, ZENGAGEcreates a surreal world that should be experienced by all puzzle gaming fans.

NPD Sales Results for June 2009, Prototype tops charts

Gibran Nawaz — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:29:18 +0000

The NPD Group have released the sales figures for the month of June today.

The DS is currently holding the top spot in hardware sales, with its home console counterpart trailing behind. Amazingly, the PlayStation 2 is still almost selling as much as the PlayStation Portable. The price is obviously a big factor in consumer decisions, with the failing economy and other circumstances.

As for software, Prototype debuted and sold over 400,000 copies, topping the charts. Many sports titles follow the sandbox action game, including Tiger Woods PGA Tour and Fight Night Round 4.

Hardware:

Nintendo DS 766.5K

Wii 361.7K

Xbox 360 240.6K

PlayStation 3 164.7K

PSP 163.5K

PlayStation 2 152.7K

Software:

PROTOTYPE (360) 419.9K

UFC 2009:UNDISPUTED (360) 338.3K

EA SPORTS ACTIVE BUNDLE (Wii) 289.1K

TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 10* (Wii) 272.4K

WII FIT (Wii) 271.6K

FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 4 (360) 260.8K

FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 4 (PS3) 210.3K

MARIO KART W/WHEEL (WII) 202.1K

RED FACTION:GUERRILLA (360) 199.4K

INFAMOUS (PS3) 192.7K

via NeoGAF

Nintendo to offer Professor Layton DS Lite bundle in UK

Jeff Baker — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:10:50 +0000

Yes you read that right, despite the DSi’s availability Nintendo has announced that they will be offering a Professor Layton DS Lite bundle in the UK on June 19th.

The bundle will include a black Nintendo DS Lite along with a copy of Professor Layton and the Curious Village. There is really no telling why Nintendo decided to throw a DS Lite into this bundle instead of the newer DSi but who cares, at least the box looks cool.

On a different note, Nintendo is gearing up to drop this game’s sequel, Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box sometime this September.

Read (MCV)

Nyko brings optical zoom to the DSi

Gibran Nawaz — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:16:33 +0000

In case you have the urge to get 8x optical zoom with your DSi, Nyko has a solution with their upcoming Zoom Case. The case itself offers protection from surface scratches, but the main idea is to have a budging zoom lens flying out of your “portable” system.

The camera itself is detachable so it doesn’t render your DSi to look permanently ugly, but one has to question what Nyko was thinking when they created this contraption. Nyko’s Zoom Case will hit American retailers later this year from $20-$40.

Read (Nyko)

DSi Moves One Million Units In Europe

Will Prusik — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:35:11 +0000

The Nintendo DS seems posed to take the crown as the most successful gaming device ever sold. Since its original design the handheld has leaped to the top of the sales charts and sat there like a cash-spewing frog. The DSi, the newest iteration of the system doesn’t have much of significance to offer when compared to its predecessor the DS Lite, at least where gamers are concerned. It offers a relatively poor quality camera, takes away the GBA cartridge slot and lets owners listen to certain kinds of music files.

It seems that the system is even more popular than its predecessor; it has already sold over a million units across Europe since its launch in April of this year. It took a mere eight weeks to reach this milestone, a significant accomplishment when you consider that the DS Lite took thirteen weeks to sell over a million units. The previous models are still popular too, with half a million units of prior iterations being sold since the launch of the DSi.