Hobbies And Interests
Nintendo DS
Released in 2004, the Nintendo DS is the successor to the Game Boy line of hand-held systems. The most obvious difference in the Nintendo DS is that it features two screens instead of one; the bottom screen doubles as a touch screen. Also included in the system is a built-in microphone along with the ability to play all Game Boy Advance cartridges. The Nintendo DS hardware is markedly improved over the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo's previous system, allowing for games with more complex visuals.
Nintendo DSi
Released in 2009, the Nintendo DSi can best be described as an enhanced Nintendo DS. The core features remain the same: it includes two screens, a touch screen and a microphone, but the DSi includes two new hardware features: a camera and the ability to read SD cards. The DSi also has a front-end menu for browsing the DSi online shop or the Internet. The Nintendo DSi has more powerful hardware than the Nintendo DS, but it doesn't play Game Boy Advance games.
DSi Enhanced Games
Due to the DSi's increased hardware and additional features, some developers opted to include special features in their games when they're played in a Nintendo DSi. When a game includes features for the DSi not found on the DS, the cartridge is called an enhanced, or hybrid game. Examples of enhanced game features include using the DSi's camera to take pictures while in-game or using the DSi's improved hardware to run a Nintendo DS game at a better frame rate. However, an enhanced game never requires any task on the DSi that can't be performed on a regular Nintendo DS, such as requiring a picture using the DSi camera to advance the story.
Examples of DSi Enhanced Games
Nintendo has never provided an official list of DSi enhanced games; however, you can tell if a game has DSi enhancements by looking at the back of the game box. To the right of the bar code is a string of characters; if this string starts with TWL, your game is a DSi enhanced game. Enhanced games "Pokemon Black" and "White," for example, allow video chat among players when played on a DSi. Other examples include "Sonic Classic Collection," which results in a faster frame rate and less slowdown when played in a DSi, and "Solatorobo: Red The Hunter," which allows you to take pictures using the DSi's camera.