DSiware – Hey, Those Aren’t Games!

The DSi launched last April to mixed reviews and public confusion. The DS lite was by far the best selling platform every month. So, why did Nintendo have to release a hardware revision that added 2 cameras, a new UI and better wifi capabilities when they didn’t have to? The answer was DSiware. Similar to Wiiware, DSiware was a place for fun sized Nintendo games and a way to get more value out of your handheld device.

With my recent purchase of a DSi XL I am now the proud owner of the DSiware platform. Alot has been said about the mostly bite size downloadable games for the DSi, and many devs are loading up the stores with their respective wares. However, as someone who has been legitimately excited about the prospect of cheap small DS games, I feel that we as the consumer need to make our purchase habits a bit more clear.

DSiware will turn 1 year old tomorrow (yeah it doesn’t seem that long for me either) and the library is thickening, but after scrolling through the store I am finding that there is a very small amount of stuff worth downloading. Sure games, like Dark Void Zero, Trajectile and Mario Vs Donkey Kong 3 are legit games that fit perfectly where they are. Even small chunks of older games like Dr. Mario Express and Planet Puzzle League Express are a good fit. I know I will be picking up both of those because everyone needs a quick puzzle game fix.

However in the past year DSiware has failed to establish itself as a gamer’s platform and has really given itself a flimsy identity. Most of the Nintendo published app/games are either chopped up versions of previously released casual DS games or silly Nintendo themed skins for app like calculators and clocks. Just like Wiiware, it seems like Nintendo is fine with halfassing the service. Outside of the weekly email to subscribers, Nintendo is doing zero to promote the service and there seems to be very little interest in developing quality new games in house.

The major 3rd party companies are taking a que from that and are all but ignoring the service. Activision has 1 title on the service, Ubisoft has 3, EA has 8 and Capcom only has the afformentioned Dark Void Zero. The virtual DS shelf is quickly starting to mirror the physical shelf. Most of the devs on it are unknown and they are releasing card games and Sudoku copies. If someone doesn’t step up soon at in or outside of Nintendo, this platform will end up in the pile of abandoned Nintendo stuff along with the GBA to GC link cable, Super Scope 6, Rob the Robot, and the DS rumble pak.

Finally, the most shocking omission to the DSIware store is the lack of a virtual console equivalent. Giving devs the ability to rerelease old portable titles from systems like the GB, GBC, GBA, Game Gear, and Neo Geo Pocket Color is like printing money. Alot of people complain about the lack of backwards compatibility on the DSi, with it having no GBA slot, and this is a perfect remedy and would put old back catalogs to work. Now that all of the old Mario Classics are on the Virtual Console and Nintendo is racking up cash selling Super Mario Bros to everyone, is Nintendo shifting their focus away from Virtual Console? I don’t know, but what I do know is that outside of Super Mario Kart, the VC on the Wii has recently seen few quality titles pop up.

Am I asking too much? Should I be expecting 8 different Electroplankton toys and 6 different Master of Illusion chunks of game? Al I’m asking for is games not apps, not tools, not calculators, just games. You would think that it wouldn’t be hard considering Nintendo is a VIDEO GAME COMPANY.