Five games for Euro DSiWare launch
Hands-on with the new DSi Shop.
The DSi Shop launches today in Europe offering five games and the free Opera-based web browser.
The five games are WarioWare: Snapped!, Pyoro, Paper Plane, Art Style: AQUITE and Art Style: CODE.
Before accessing the shop, DSi owners (welcome!) must download a system update, which took three attempts for us, perhaps because of service congestion.
Once done it's off to the shop, which resembles the Wii Shop in theme tune and layout, and immediately gives you 1000 free DSi Points as part of a launch promotion. You can also link up your Club Nintendo subscription.
You can then browse and download games in the different pricing categories - Free, 200 Points, 500 Points and Premium.
For cheapos, Paper Plane and Pyoro both go for 200 DSi Points (GBP 1.80), while the two Art Style games and WarioWare go for 500 Points (GBP 4.50). There are currently no Premium games on offer.
As with the Wii, each game download tells you how many blocks of memory it will occupy (the Browser is 91 blocks, Paper Plane 13, Pyoro 12, WarioWare 77, Art Style: AQUITE 92, and Art Style: CODE 99).
You're then treated to a little download animation of Mario, Luigi, Peach and Toad walking into the centre of the screen and throwing blue balls into a box, which rolls over when it's full and closes itself in wrapping paper.
Games are then accessed through the main DSi menu.