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Nintendo DS Gets Sleeker Final Design, Same Name

Ravi Hiranand writes "Nintendo has announced the final name of their Nintendo DS handheld, and it will be called... Nintendo DS. The final design of the system is viewable on their official site (screenshot) - looks sleeker and far less chunky, but still a bit awkward. There's also an English-language press release full of waffly language, but the only things you need to know are that there are 120 DS games in development (20 from Nintendo) and that the price, release date and launch lineup will be announced later."

28 of 408 comments (clear)

  1. Crushing any competition by darth_MALL · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Offering 100+ games in the early stages of this things life is going to cement them a damn nice seat in customer heaven. They must have a lot of faith and support from the devs that this thing will be a hit. Good for them.

  2. GBA Compatible? by Schnapple · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Do we have a final word on GB/GBC/GBA reverse compatibility? I'd hate to get a GBA SP and then this thing come out and I could have saved my time/money.

    Of course that's probably the exact reason Nintendo hasn't said anything (if they haven't).

    1. Re:GBA Compatible? by harlingtoxad · · Score: 5, Informative

      Plays GBA carts in addition to DS games last I heard.

      --
      Gravity is not just a law, it's also a good idea.
    2. Re:GBA Compatible? by solive1 · · Score: 5, Informative

      According to what I've read around the internet, the DS will be backwards compatible with the GBA. However, older GBC and GB games will not be compatible. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

      By the way, I'm getting one of these as soon as it comes out. It looks so much hotter than it did at E3.

    3. Re:GBA Compatible? by brejc8 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yes it will. They have included an ARM7 processor on it (doubled the speed too) in order for it to be backward compatable as well as the ARM9 for normal operation.

    4. Re:GBA Compatible? by gamgee5273 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Nintendo said, at E3, that only GBA games will work. Any of the trade magazine sites can be looked at for that tidbit of info...

  3. Yes, I must have one... by scowling · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...because two screens are clearly superior to one screen. Logically, this machine must be exactly twice as much fun as a handheld game with only one screen.

    I can barely control my excitement, because it is a given that Nintendo will eventually release the QS with four screens. That amount of fun is sure to explode the heads of children and the elderly.

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  4. I also need to know... by DdJ · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ...the feature set.

    The one thing I'm dying to know that I haven't been able to discover is if this thing will be able to function as a GBA connected to a GameCube. Does it have the connector the Cube uses to connect to a GBA? Can it download code over that port and execute it as the GBA does?

    If so, I'll probably buy one. I was going to buy a second GBA just for when people come over to play Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. If this thing can serve that niche as well as do everything else they say it'll do, I'll buy one of these and delegate "backup GBA controller" status to my current GBA SP.

    1. Re:I also need to know... by crasher35 · · Score: 3, Informative
      I honestly don't know, but the fact that I heard that SquareEnix is working on Crystal Chronicles for the DS should be enough reason to buy it. Think about it. On the top screen you have the 3D part of the game, on the bottom (which is the touch screen) you have what would normally be the GBA menu and you can connect up with your friends wirelessly or possibly through the internet (considering it is 802.11 compatible).

      Here's a link to where I found out... http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/534/534070p1.html

      More about the DS here http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/534/534070p1.html.

      --

      I don't like to sit. Sitting is for people who like to sit.

  5. Codename DS by fbrain · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Its a good job Microsoft project code names don't get taken through to release. XP is easier to type the Whistler.

    Any one else know of any products being released with their code names?

    I know not all products have code names etc. I'm just interested.

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    Avontech | Play dirty! They started it!
  6. extra button?!? by Norb · · Score: 3, Interesting

    one thing i noticed was that button above the d-pad. i hope that is just the power and not like a regular button.. it would suck to have to move your thumb to use that one.

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    http://www.foowack.net/
  7. Homebrew Coding... by dmayle · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Let me just say that I want to be one of the first to start doing some homebrew coding on this. I imagine it would work wonderfully as a double-function PDA/Gameboy. What with the Wifi, Blutooth, touch screen, and the ability to scroll a web page across the two screens, I can't wait to get at it...

  8. Battery Life by bunburyist · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I find that battery life has been a big deal with new handhelds from nintendo, the gba and gba had excellent battery life, I hope I can expect more of the same out of the DS. I'm concerned that with higher performance will come lower battery life, which greatly limits the portability of the devices.

  9. Pt ? by Mateito · · Score: 5, Funny
    The retooled Nintendo DS features a thinner, black base and an angular platinum flip-top cover

    Platinum? Sheesh. They are going for the top end of the market, aren't they?

    1. Buy Nintendo DS
    2. Melt casing into ingots
    3. Profit!
  10. Portable Games by Klar · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I've been held back from buying portable systems for the last few years because of past problems. My first portable was the Atari Lynx(which came out just after the gameboy, and had a colour screen), within a few months of paying the big cash it took to buy, games became very hard to find, and stopped being produced. After this, instead of buying a gameboy, as I wasnt a big fan of the cartoony graphics, I bought a sega Gamegear.. although this system lasted me a bit longer than the lynx, games became much harder to find.

    Now, I think I will wait to see the actual release and game development of the new sony and nintendo portables before I shell out the cash. I guess I will have to settle playing games on my laptop for now.

    1. Re:Portable Games by Kirby-meister · · Score: 4, Interesting
      After this, instead of buying a gameboy, as I wasnt a big fan of the cartoony graphics

      Well, there's the problem right there - you generalized all Gameboy games as cartoony, and figured cartoony graphics makes for bad gameplay. While you do have Pokemon and such, you also have your Zeldas, your Metroids, and your Castlevanias.

      I really think it weird people let cartoony graphics get in the way of having a good time with a game. It sounds like the person is a teenaged boy who wants to prove his "matureness" by buying what he perceives as adult things.

      I guess I'm comfortable with my maturity enough that I can play games like Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo or Zelda: The Wind Waker without feeling like I'm playing a kid's game; I'm just playing a fun game, after all.

      You should really rethink your priorities on what you think makes handheld gaming goodness...

  11. Based on E3, I'm glad they changed design by larsoncc · · Score: 4, Informative

    While playing the DS, I noticed that my hands were sometimes pushing a couple of buttons at the same time - basically, the buttons were small and pretty close together.

    Comparing the old button design to the new (old design), you can see that they've altered the layout.

    This is an absolutely welcome change in my book. With the buttons in a side-by-side, wider layout, they'll feel a lot more comfortable for adult hands.

  12. Re:DS stands for...? by KDR_11k · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because we all know how the NGage outsold the GBA...

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    Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
  13. Nintendo's got twenty? by mblase · · Score: 3, Informative

    Let's see... there's going to be a Super Mario game, a Mario Party game, a Mario Kart game (watch the drivers in front of you and behind you at the same time), a Metroid game, a Zelda game, two Pokemon games ("Fuschia" and "Teal"), and probably a version of Tetris that uses both screens as a single play area.

    That's eight right there. Any obvious franchises I've overlooked?

  14. Re:Nice try! by Darth+Maul · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Wha? Are you just a Sony fanboy, or do you have some logic to back up that statement?

    Let's see ... Nintendo has complete dominance of the handheld gaming market. They have 120 games in development for the DS already.

    So why will the PSP "mop the floor"? Because it can do so many polys per second? Or has such-and-such megahertz chip? The PSP has *zero* backwards compatibility with earlier PSone and PS2 discs. So they're basically starting from scratch to compete with the player who already has complete dominance *AND* is building in backwards compatibility with older GBA carts.

    Care to rethink your statement?

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    --- witty signature
  15. Re:DS stands for...? by acvh · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I know many people whose phones can play mp3s, and none of those people listen to mp3s on their phones. Similarly I know many people whose phones can take pictures, and once the novelty wore off (and it did, quickly) they stopped taking pictures with their phones.

    Give me a game machine that plays good games, a phone that makes good connections and a camera that takes good pictures and I'll be happy. A hybrid device that does all three poorly is useless.

  16. 100+ in dev does not mean 100+ at launch by LordZardoz · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Do not confuse games currently in development with games available at launch. Besides, Do you really think that EB / Walmart / whatever will want to give up the shelf space for 120+ games for an unproven console?

    And while there is a chance that the in development also includes the GBA titles currently on the go, I dont think that Nintendo is going go play that sort of game with this launch.

    END COMMUNICATION

  17. Original Ideas: 0 by koi88 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Quote:"Original Ideas: 0 /only half joking"
    Actually, Nintendo is one of the few gaming companies where you can expect original ideas.
    The whole device is a nice new idea (more original than "play PS2 games everywhere", isn't it?)

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  18. Re:DS vs PSP by tuffy · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Since Sony announced 100 developers for their device and its portable music/vid capabilities, will the DS lose out to the PSx juggernaut (can 20 more games make/break a game)?

    If the PSP comes to market at $300 with 3-5 hours of battery life compared to 10+ hours for the DS and a probable $150 price tag, the DS will bury the PSP easily - despite the PSP's obvious technical merits. Battery life and initial cost are everything in the portable market, and the backwards-compatibility with the huge GBA library gives the DS even more of an edge.

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    Ita erat quando hic adveni.

  19. Re:Release date and price by rayde · · Score: 3, Informative
    the link you mention...

    Note that it does state: "The ship date and retail price have not been confirmed and therefore are subject to change. If the retail price is decreased you will receive the lower price."

  20. Finally! A/B/X/Y! by Kredal · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's about time a portable Nintendo device has four right-thumb buttons! Now they can do GOOD ports of every SNES game, and not have to mess with the controls to make them fit in the confines of the GBA!

    --
    Whoever stated that signature sizes should be limited to one hundred and twenty characters can just go ahead and kiss my
  21. Re:Is it just me? by Spleener12 · · Score: 3, Informative
    remember king kong and the one with the 'walking' jaws and vines you had to climb in a green case?

    That's Donkey Kong- DK Jr, if I recall correctly.

    Somewhat off topic, a company sued Nintendo back in the 80s claiming that DK was a rip off of King Kong. (Monkey kidnaps girl, etc etc) If I recall correctly, the lawsuit ended when it turned out the company didn't even own the rights to King Kong in the first place.

    And the resemblance to the G&W system is probably a coincidence, but given the recent surge in old school Nintendo stuff, you probably are right with the fashion comparison.

  22. How the fuck do mods rate you up? by Inoshiro · · Score: 4, Informative

    As you can clearly see from this image that's been on PlanetGamecube since this morning, it's a power button! Why do mods reward people who can't be bothered to look at the zoomed version of pictures? It's not hard!

    What is hard is to RTFA and actually make an insightful comment, or draw attention to something not covered by the subject material. The parent post does not do this!

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