Nintendo DS

[Bojangle]

What Is The Nintendo DS?


Nintendo's latest innovation, code-named Nintendo DS, provides users with a unique game-play experience using features never before offered by any other home console or hand-held game system. This portable personal entertainment and communications unit provides owners with new perspectives on dual screens, new control using both touch and voice, and new connections with two kinds of wireless game play. It's a newfound canvas on which developers can express their creativity.

Dual Screens: Two LCD screens offer one of the most groundbreaking game-play advances ever developed: experiencing a game from two perspectives at once. Imagine the possibilities. In a racing game, drivers might see their own vehicle's perspective on one screen and an overall track view on the other. In a role-playing game, the action could take place on the first screen while the second provides a reference for a player's tools inventory. Game play also could use both screens at once, offering a giant boss for heroes to defeat. In the future, games could be created allowing users to play games on one screen while text messaging other DS users on the other. Each 3-inch screen can reproduce a true 3-D view and is backlit to assure comfortable play in any lighting condition.

Touch Screen: The lower screen will offer something never before provided by any game device: PDA-like touch capabilities. Players no longer have to rely on just buttons to move characters or shift perspectives. They can navigate menus or access inventory items simply by touching the screen with stylus or fingertip. A software-based keyboard might even allow the screen to be used as an input center for games and messaging. The possibilities are limited only by developers' imaginations. The screen will have a tougher film cover for durability, and will come with a stylus.

Microphone: An available microphone port means that in the future, players might need only to tell their games what to do. DS software could identify everything from voice commands to hand-clapping. Players might be able to move their characters simply by telling them which way to go. The voice capabilities also could allow gamers to chat with one another over the Internet while playing.

Wireless: DS users will be able to connect with a local wireless network of up to 16 players. Nintendo's guaranteed range is 30 feet, but will extend far beyond that depending on circumstances. It assures high response rates required for real time game play, and will make use of both IEEE 802.11 and Nintendo's proprietary communication protocol, which provides low battery consumption. Players will be able to chat and play games without any connecting cords, completely untethered. The DS technology also provides for a wireless LAN connection, which could allow a theoretically infinite number of players to connect at a hot spot and compete at a central game hub on the Internet, even if they're thousands of miles apart.

Wireless Game Sharing: If software developers desire, multiple players can compete in wireless games, even if only one person has a game card inserted. Players could also test-play games for themselves as long as they stayed connected.

3-D: With the newly developed graphics engine, DS can reproduce impressive 3-D renderings that can surpass images displayed on the Nintendo® 64. Games will run at 60 frames per second, and allow details like fog effects and cel shading.

Sound: The 16-channel sound allows for greatly expanded use of voices and music, and a richer, more immersive game experience. A plug for headphones transmits stereo sound.

Battery & Power Management: The battery is rechargeable and the unit features a low-energy-consumption design. The DS also has Power Management functions of Sleep mode and Standby mode. In Sleep mode, players can stop and resume game play whenever they like. If the user receives a message from a friend or user nearby, DS activates itself from Standby mode.

Processing: The unit will run on two processors, one ARM9 one ARM7.

New Media: For its compact cards, the unit uses newly developed semiconductor memory, which allows for lower cost, shorter manufacturing time and memory capacity of more than one gigabit of information.

Dual Slots: Nintendo DS makes a vast library of Game Boy® Advance games readily available. Developers could find ways to make new connections between GBA games and DS games. The GBA port could be used for new hardware, enormously expanding the functional expandability of the DS.


What Developers Think Of The Nintendo DS

The code name of the new portable Nintendo DS refers not only to its dual screens, but also to the fact that it’s a true developers’ system. When Nintendo made the rounds to the world’s biggest developers to showcase the potential of Nintendo DS, eyes lit up and smiles broke out. One group of engineers was even said to drool a little. Better than anyone, developers know that Nintendo DS represents a true shift in the portable experience. They don’t see just two screens and a list of features – they imagine what those features can do to make game play more exciting, more personal and more social. But let’s let them speak for themselves:

“When Nintendo came down and presented the DS platform to us, … I think everyone was in shock. It was amazing. … Our technical and central technology guys were kind of drooling at the abilities and wanting so much to program and dive into programming for the system. … Nintendo DS, I believe, is a revolution in change for hand-held gaming.”
– Will Kassoy, vice president, global brand management, Activision

“I believe that Square Enix has a promising chance in the platform, since Nintendo DS allows users to experience whole new game play with both its input system and its output system.”
– Yoichi Wada, president and representative director, Square Enix

“The Nintendo dual screen is something that we’re really excited about developing for. It’s very innovative, which is classic Nintendo.”
– Nick Earl, vice president and general manager, Electronic Arts

“The fact that touch panels can be associated with many terms about touching that we never had, such as touch, push, feel, rub, slide and pat is wonderful. … I have been working in this industry for 20 years. During that time I made many games. But I think this is the first time that we have a new input device.”
– Yuji Naka, senior corporate officer, development division, Sega

“Once again Nintendo is taking another leap in the gaming experience for the gamer by providing totally new game-play experiences, developing new gaming habits. Very characteristic of a Nintendo maneuver.”
– Jay Cohen, vice president, publishing, Ubisoft

– more –


Nintendo DS is “a new game machine that will build the future of the game industry. … Our frontier spirit has been awoken.”
– Tsunekazu Ishihara, chairman and CEO, Pokémon

“This has a huge potential. … It is very nice that we can create games using DS that were not even possible before.”
– Yoichi Haraguchi, vice president and executive officer, Namco

“Nintendo has a reputation for doing extraordinary things in the hand-held space. The DS is an extraordinary device, and we are going to do everything in our power to support it.”
– Michael Pole, executive vice president, worldwide studios, Vivendi Universal Games

“Nintendo DS is going to push the hand-held technology to really uncharted territories. By that I mean that it’s going to bring amazing new game mechanics, new game design.”
– Yves Blehaut, senior vice president, Atari

“I think the DS will stimulate the process of game development.”
– Tomofumi Gotsubo, president and CEO, Konami of America

“DS is deceptively amazing. … Touch screen is a very blank canvas for a game designer to be able to design their own input features. … DS really could be a killer to PSP. … I really think the Nintendo DS could kick the crap out of Sony PSP.”
– Kevin Ray, chief technology officer, Majesco

“The wireless capability potentially allows game players to connect wirelessly literally around the world.”
– Brian Farrell, president and CEO, THQ

“I am sure people have nice memory of yelling at a controller. Now, we have a more established function of inputting our voice. … Nintendo always pleasantly surprises us with interesting projects and interesting ideas.”
– Keiji Inafune, producer, Capcom

Currently Announced 1st Party Titles

Animal Crossing DS
Mario Kart DS
Metroid Prime: Hunters
NEW Super Mario Bros.
PictoChat DS
Super Mario 64X4
WarioWare Inc. DS

Currently Announced 3rd Party Titles

Activision: Spiderman 2
Atari: Project TBA
Bandai: One Piece, other games TBA
Banpresto: Dragon Ball Z
Capcom: Megaman Battle Network, Viewtiful Joe DS, Gyakuten Saiban
Electronic Arts: Need for Speed
From Software Project TBA
Hudson: Bomberman, other projects TBA
Koei: Dynasty Warriors
Konami: Frogger 2005, Yu-Gi-Oh: Nightmare Troubadour
Majesco: Project TBA
Namco: Mr. Driller, TBA RPG
Sega: Project Rub, Sonic DS
Square Enix: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Egg Monster Hero, Dragon Quest Monsters
Tecmo: Monster Rancher
THQ: Spongebob Squarepants
Ubisoft: Rayman
Vivendi: Project TBA

Anybody who wants more info on any of the games or the system itself, simply say so and I'll post it.