The Nintendo DSi is upon us, and the video gaming world is in a state of absolute frenzy once again.Nintendo’s newest portable gaming superstar is a stark improvement over its predecessors, the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo DS Lite. Possessing of a smaller, sleeker body (3mm thinner than the DS Lite), the Nintendo DSi also boasts of the following exclusive features:

-Dual cam for a variety of applications;

-External memory storage for the new data formats the DSi can read and process;

-Better audio capabilities. The music-playing feature of the DSi can now rival the best MP3 players in the market today;

-Extra level of brightness added to the dual screen display;

-A more powerful processing engine, composed of 16MB RAM compared to the mere 4MB of its predecessors. Truly, the Nintendo DSi is pretty nifty gaming machine.

But it doesn’t come cheap.

With an SRP of $180, many people – including avid gamers – are quite hesitant to buy the new Nintendo DSi. In this day and age of economic uncertainty when a global recession is threatening every facet of our lives, $180 becomes an even steeper amount.

Is the Nintendo DSi worth $180. Yes, it is.

But can people afford $180 these days? That is the pivotal question.

For enterprising folks, there are number of ways by which they can get a Nintendo DSi unit for free. Here are some of them:

1. Join online contests. Most gaming companies, Nintendo included, send console units to popular gaming websites. These gaming websites use the units for review purposes, but some of them would rather capitalize on the marketing mileage that the particular console’s popularity can provide. They sponsor contests – be it an electronic raffle, a creativity-based competition, and the likes – with the winner being awarded the console that the website received for free.

2. Earn easy cash online and buy a Nintendo DSi. There are many ways by which you can make a living on the World Wide Web. Look for a drop shipper and help sell its products in popular outlets like eBay.com and Yahoo Auctions. Create your own digital product and sell it over affiliate networks like ClickBank.com. Look for hot selling products and help promote the same for some amazing commission. Offer your services – be it writing, programming, or your time to fulfill menial tasks – for a fee. You’ll be surprised with the earning potentials that are possible on the internet. In due time, you’d have enough cash to buy a Nintendo DSi, among other things.

3. Join an online gaming store’s affiliate program. Refer customers to the said gaming store. As reward, you can be paid with cash or with store credits. Either way, if you earn enough, you can redeem them for a brand new Nintendo DSi.

As they always say, if there’s a will, there’s way. Don’t let the recession ruin your dreams of owning a Nintendo DSi. With hard work and a little luck, you can be playing the newest Fire Emblem game as soon as next week.