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Nintendo DS

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Nintendo DS
ManufacturerNintendo
Product familyNintendo DS
TypeHandheld game console
GenerationSeventh generation era
LifespanCanada November 21, 2004
North America November 21, 2004
Japan December 2, 2004
Europe March 11, 2005
Australia February 24, 2005
China July 23, 2005
Units sold16.15 million
(as of 2006-03-31)[1]
MediaGBA cartridges
DS cards
CPU67 MHz ARM946E-S (ARM) and 33 MHz ARM7TDMI coprocessor
Online servicesNintendo Wi-Fi Connection
Best-selling gameNintendogs (all versions)

The Nintendo DS (sometimes abbreviated NDS or DS) is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo, released in 2004. It is visibly distinguishable by its horizontal clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP, and the presence of two displays, the lower of which acts as a touch screen. The system also has a built-in microphone, and supports wireless 802.11b (Wifi) standards,[2] allowing players to interact with each other within short range (30–100 feet, depending on conditions), or over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service.

The name "DS" stands for both Dual Screen and Developers' System, the latter of which refers to the features of the handheld designed to encourage innovative gameplay ideas among developers.[3] The system was known as Project Nitro during development.

On March 2, 2006, Nintendo released the Nintendo DS Lite, a redesigned model of the DS, in Japan.

Design and specifications

Inputs and outputs

The lower display of the DS is overlaid with a pressure-sensitive touch screen, designed to accept input from the included stylus, the user's fingers, or the "thumb stylus": a curved plastic rectangle attached to the optional wrist strap. The touch screen allows players to interact with in-game elements more directly than by pressing buttons; for example, in Trauma Center: Under the Knife, the stylus may be used as a scalpel to cut an incision in a diseased patient. In other games, it may act as a computer mouse, for selecting items in a "point-and-click" interface (Advance Wars: Dual Strike), or for aiming and looking in a first-person shooter (GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, Metroid Prime: Hunters). Other applications include drawing (Pac-Pix, PictoChat), handwriting recognition (Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!), and analog stick simulation (Super Mario 64 DS).

More traditional controls are located on either side of the touch screen. To the left is a D-pad, with a narrow Power button above it, and to the right are the A, B, X, and Y buttons, with narrow Select and Start buttons above them. Shoulder buttons L and R are located on the upper corners of the lower half of the system. The overall button layout is similar to the controller of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

The DS features stereo speakers located on either side of the upper display screen. This is a first for a Nintendo handheld, as the Game Boy line of systems has only supported stereo sound through the use of headphones or external speakers.

A built-in microphone is located below the left side of the bottom screen. It has been used for a variety of purposes, including speech recognition (Nintendogs, Brain Age), online voice chat (Metroid Prime: Hunters), and minigames that require the player to blow or shout into the microphone (Feel the Magic: XY/XX, Mario Kart DS, and WarioWare: Touched!).

Technology

The handheld unit has a mass of approximately 275 grams (9.7 ounces). The physical size is 148.7 × 84.7 × 28.9 mm (5.85 × 3.33 × 1.13 inches). It features two separate 3-inch TFT LCD screens, each with a resolution of 256 × 192 pixels, dimensions of 62 x 46 mm and 77 mm diagonal, and a dot pitch of 0.24 mm. The gap between the screens is approximately 21mm, equivalent to about 92 "hidden" lines. The lowermost display of the DS is overlaid with a resistive touch screen, which registers pressure from one point on the screen at a time, averaging multiple points of contact if necessary. The console uses two separate ARM processors, an ARM946E-S main CPU and ARM7TDMI co-processor at clock speeds of 67 MHz and 33 MHz respectively, with 4 MB of main memory.

The system's 3D hardware performs transform and lighting, texture-coordinate transformation, texture mapping, alpha blending, anti-aliasing, cel shading and z-buffering. However, it lacks any kind of texture filtering, leading to some titles having a blocky appearance. The system is theoretically capable of rendering 120,000 triangles per second at 30fps. Unlike most 3D hardware, it has a limit on the number of triangles it can render as part of a single scene; this limit is somewhere in the region of 4000 triangles. The 3D hardware is designed to render to a single screen at a time, so rendering 3D to both screens is difficult and decreases performance significantly. However, games like Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble run 3D on both screens at once in gameplay, and still keep good performance and quality.

The system has two 2D engines, one per screen. These are similar to (but more powerful than) the GBA's 2D engine.

Games use a proprietary solid state flash card format resembling the memory cards used in other portable electronic devices such as digital cameras; this semiconductor technology is said to be far cheaper than conventional cartridges and can be used within a system without moving parts to jar out of place when dropped. It is currently supporting cards up to 1 gigabit (~128 MB) in size. These cards weigh around 3.5 grams (1/8 ounces).

The unit features wireless networking capabilities for multiplayer games or chat using Wi-Fi. The current software that uses IP is limited, however. Mario Kart DS, Tony Hawk's American Sk8land, Animal Crossing: Wild World, Metroid Prime Hunters, Tetris DS, and Lost Magic take full advantage of the Internet capability to find local as well as worldwide players to play with. Bleach DS and Contact also use the Wi-Fi capabilities, but are only released in Japan.

Firmware

Nintendo's own custom firmware boots the system: from here, the user chooses to run a DS or Game Boy Advance game, use PictoChat, or search for downloadable games. The latter is an adaptation of the Game Boy Advance's popular "single cartridge multiplayer" feature, adapted to support the system's Wi-Fi link capabilities: players without the game search for content, while players with the game broadcast it.

In November 2004, Nintendo announced its entry into the feature animation business, suggesting that theatres showing these features could install kiosks to broadcast game content to Nintendo DS units via this same feature. In March 2005, Nintendo tested broadcast kiosks in Japan, allowing players to download a demo of Meteos, extra content in Nintendogs, or extra songs for Jam with the Band. A similar download kiosk was at Nintendo's booth at E³ 2005, and had downloadable demos and trailers. It has been confirmed at D.I.C.E 2006 that similar kiosks will be available in Game Stop, EB Games, and Game Crazy stores in North America in the second quarter of 2006, with the possibility of Wal-Mart and Target being added later. As of May 2006, DS Download Stations have begun to start appearing in these stores, with a limited number of downloadable demos.

The PictoChat program, which is permanently stored on the unit, allows users to communicate with other DS users within range over the wireless network by text, handwriting, or drawings, using the DS's touch screen and stylus for input; an on-screen keyboard partially covers the touch-sensitive area while using this mode, allowing for typed and written messages. There are rumors of an Internet-enabled PictoChat in development, though this is unconfirmed.

The DS's main menu also features an alarm clock and the ability to set preferences for boot priority (booting to games when inserted, or always booting to the main menu), GBA game screen usage (top or bottom), and user information (name, date of birth, favorite color, time, etc.)

Download Play

Main article: DS Download Play

With selected titles (such as Mario Kart DS and Meteos), it is possible to play multiplayer games with other DS users using only one game cartridge. The DS unit downloads the necessary data from another unit running the game. Due to the game being stored solely in the console's RAM, the downloaded data is only retained until the DS is switched off.

Game demos can also be downloaded using this method at special kiosks in shops, several of which have been captured and can be played through Wireless Multi Boot.

Compatibility

File:DS-card.jpg
DS games are in memory-card form factor, as opposed to the larger cartridge format used by the Game Boy line. However, DS cards use flash memory so they are not classified as cartridges.

The DS is compatible with Game Boy Advance (GBA) cartridges; the smaller DS cartridges fit into Slot 1 on the top of the system, while GBA games fit into Slot 2 on the bottom of the system. The DS is not compatible with games for the Game Boy Color and the original Game Boy, due to a slightly different form factor and the absence of the Zilog Z80-like processor used in these systems. This may be an attempt to separate the DS and Nintendo's established Game Boy line of handheld consoles; the GBA, for example, has the Z80 so it can run legacy Game Boy games. It may also be to keep the DS's price down, since including another chip set would likely have significantly added to the cost of producing the unit. In light of this incompatibility, several projects have started to emulate this platform. One such product is the freely available Goomba emulator.[4]

The handheld does not have a port for the GBA Link Cable, so multiplayer or GameCube-Game Boy Advance link-up modes are not available in GBA titles.

The DS only uses one screen when playing GBA games. The user can configure the system to use either the top or bottom screen by default. The games are displayed within a black border on the screen, due to the slightly different screen resolution between the two systems (256 × 192px (approx. .05 megapixels) DS, 240 × 160px (approx. .04 megapixels) GBA).

DS games inserted into Slot 1 are able to detect the presence of a specific GBA game in Slot 2. In games such as Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Kirby: Canvas Curse, WarioWare: Touched!, Feel the Magic: XY/XX, and Advance Wars: Dual Strike, extra content can be unlocked by starting the DS game with the appropriate GBA game of the same series inserted. Mega Man Battle Network 5 : Double Team can unlock extra content with either games from its own series, or Konami's Boktai series. Also, some games take advantage of Slot 2 as a way to add extra game features, the first of these being an expansion pack for the music game, Daigasso! Band Brothers (announced as Jam with the Band in North America), which adds 31 new tracks to its song list. It is also believed that the first fully-fledged Pokemon RPGs for the DS, Diamond and Pearl, will allow players to link their game with a copy of the Game Boy Advance games, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Fire Red or Leaf Green, using the GBA's slot on the DS, effectively meaning players can trade Pokemon using only one system. One of the first uses of this feature in Western countries is a Rumble Pak included with Metroid Prime Pinball, which is also compatible with Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and Metroid Prime Hunters. It could also be used as RAM expansion in a cart form factor in some games; similar to the Expansion Pak for the N64.

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

Main article: Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

Nintendo recently launched Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which allows wireless gameplay. Connection to the Nintendo Wi-Fi network is currently available at public venues, such as coffee shops and libraries, as well as through a home Wi-Fi network. DS Wi-Fi hot spots are now available at some McDonald's restaurants in the U.S. through a deal that Nintendo made with Wayport.[5]. Additionally, Nintendo announced a similar partnership with FatPort to create free hot spots in Canada.[6]

Jim Merrick, former Director of Marketing for Nintendo of Europe, has confirmed there will be around 25,000 hot spots in Europe[7], including 7,500 in the UK alone.[8] Hotspots operated by BT Openzone or listed on TheCloud.net are, generally speaking, available to DS systems in the UK.

Nintendo DS Wi-Fi works with existing open and WEP secured hot spots, but networks that use a captive portal to authenticate users are incompatible because games do not currently include the web browser software necessary to communicate with most captive portals, and networks using WPA are incomptable because the DS lacks support for the protocols.

An official accessory to allow the DS to connect to the internet wirelessly (suitable for users without a wireless router), the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector, was revealed during the DS Conference 2005 in Japan.[9] It is available from the Nintendo.com store[10], the Nintendo World Store in New York City, and retailers such as Best Buy.

The Wi-Fi network expands multiplayer (exclusively for games designed for online gaming) capabilities beyond the range of 30–100 feet, allowing users at the hot spots to interface with each other from around the world. Mario Kart DS, Tony Hawk's American Sk8land, Animal Crossing: Wild World, Metroid Prime: Hunters,Tetris DS, and Lost Magic are the only games thus far to be released in the U.S. with online capability. Future titles currently scheduled for such online compatibility include Contact and other titles.

In its first week of release, Nintendo announced that out of all the copies of Mario Kart DS sold in the United States, 45% of those buyers went online using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Comparatively, only 18% of all buyers who purchased Halo 2 for the Xbox went online within its first three weeks.

As of March 7, 2006, over 1,000,000 unique users world wide have logged onto the Nintendo WFC, creating over 27 million unique connections. There is a scrolling counter on the official Nintendo Wi-Fi website counting unique players and connections.

Battery life

The Nintendo DS contains a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery. Although it is removable with the use of a Phillips-head screwdriver, it is only meant to be removed when it expires and must be replaced. Removing the battery will cause the DS to prompt the user to re-enter all of the unit's settings (user's birthday, user name, etc.), but it will not affect saved data on DS Game Cards or GBA Game Paks.

Battery life is affected by multiple factors including: speaker volume, use of one or both screens, back lighting, and use of wireless capabilities. Expected battery life ranges from six to ten hours on a full four-hour charge.[11] The biggest drain on battery life is the back light, which can be turned off on the main menu screen or on selected games (such as Super Mario 64 DS). However, because the screens only have a minimal reflective backing compared to the GBA or GBA SP, deactivating the back light renders the on-screen image very difficult to see, even with sufficient ambient light.

To sustain battery life in the midst of a game, users can close the DS system. That will pause any DS game they are playing and place the DS into a battery saving mode known as sleep mode. A sleeping system can run for a few hundred hours without losing its charge. Note though that closing the shell while playing a GBA game will not put the DS into sleep mode; the game will continue to run normally — even the back light will still be on. Because a GBA game only uses one screen, the expected battery life of playing a GBA Game on the DS system is much higher than when playing a DS game. In addition, many GBA games can be set to enter sleep mode from the game's pause menu.

Replacement batteries may be purchased for USD $15 through Nintendo's online store.

Regional division

The Nintendo DS is region free in the sense that any console will run a DS game purchased anywhere in the world; it is the same system everywhere. However, the Chinese version games can only be played on the Chinese iQue DS, whose larger firmware chip contains the required Chinese character glyph images. DS of other regions cannot play the Chinese games, while iQue DS can play games of other regions. Also, as with Game Boy games, some games that require both players to have a DS Game Card for multiplayer play will not work together if the games are from different regions (e.g. a Japanese DS game may not work with a North American DS game, though some titles, such as Mario Kart DS, are mutually compatible). With the addition of the Nintendo WFC, certain games can be played over the Internet with users of a different region game. For instance, players can compete in Mario Kart DS races around the world. Currently, American and Japanese DS systems can access download and demo stations to try out new games, but as of 2006, no DS Download Stations have been deployed in Latin America, Europe, New Zealand, or Australia.

Some Wi-Fi enabled games allow the selection of opponents by region (e.g. Mario Kart). The options are Continent / Worldwide (as well as two non location specific settings). This selects opponents based in the same geographical area as you. However it needs to be worked out if this is based on the region code of the console in use, the region of the cartridge, or geolocation of the IP address. This should not present problems except in two cases: First, round-trip delay time tends to be worse between continents. Second, people in different continents tend to be in different time zones and thus tend to be available for play at different times of day.

Software library

Main article: List of Nintendo DS games

The Nintendo DS currently has over 100 games available in its library with another batch of over 100 additional titles currently in development.

The Nintendo DS features games with the following ESRB ratings:[12]

  • Early Childhood: 0 games
  • Everyone: 85 games
  • Everyone 10 and older (E10+): 21 games
  • Teen: 16 games
  • Mature: 1 game (Resident Evil: Deadly Silence)
  • Adults Only: 0 games

Key Nintendo-published titles

The Nintendo DS software library contains such traditional Nintendo series as Super Mario, Mario Kart, and Metroid. Some of the more popular first-party titles include:

Major third-party titles

Official accessories

GBA game slot on GBA (above) and DS (below).

Although the secondary port on the Nintendo DS does accept and support Game Boy Advance cartridges, Nintendo has emphasized that its main intention for its inclusion was to allow a wide variety of accessories to be released for the system, the Game Boy Advance compatibility titles being a logical extension. Theorized accessories include GPS receivers, as well as accessories already included in certain GBA cartridges such as Tilt-Sensor and solar-sensors.

Nintendo announced at E³ 2005 that it would launch "Headset Accessories" for VoIP enabled games. (This will plug into the VoIP plug next to the Ear Phone jack, not the GBA slot.)

Rumble Pak

Main article: Rumble Pak

The Rumble Pak was the first official expansion slot accessory. In the form of a GBA cartridge, the Rumble Pak vibrates to reflect the action in compatible games, such as when the player bumps into an obstacle or loses a life. It was released on October 24, 2005 and bundled with Metroid Prime Pinball. It can be used in games such as Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time and Metroid Prime: Hunters, and is sold as a separate accessory.[13] However, currently in North America the Rumble Pak is being sold with Metroid Prime: Hunters.

A specially designed Rumble Pak was released in Japan in late May, 2006 for the DS Lite [14] The cartridge is about 1cm shorter to prevent it from protruding out of the DS Lite as standard GBA cartridges do. A North American version of the accessory is assumed following the June 11, 2006 release of the system.

Play-Yan

The Play-Yan is an adaptor which allows the Game Boy Advance SP and Nintendo DS to play MPEG-4 videos and MP3 music from SD memory cards. The adaptor bears a superficial resemblance to the AM3 player (which allowed playback of pre-recorded movie files from read-only memory cards on a GBA); the memory card slots into the right hand side of the adaptor, which then plugs into the cartridge slot of the parent console. The adaptor has its own integrated headphone port, but uses the parent console's power supply, controls, and display.

It is estimated that it will offer over 15 hours of MP3 playback and 4 hours of MPEG-4 playback from a fully-charged GBA SP.The adaptor launched in Japan in February 2005 for approximately 5,000 yen ($47.47). Nintendo originally planned to release the adaptor in the U.S. by the end of 2005, but it appears their plans have changed, as Nintendo has not delivered an announcement of a U.S. release with specific dates as of June 2006.

Opera Web Browser

On February 15, 2006, Nintendo announced a version of Opera, a cross-platform web browser which will take advantage of the dual screens for either zooming in on certain sections of a website or having a longer vertical view. Opera for the DS will have an upgradeable firmware, which will enable software updates. The browser will go on sale in Japan in July 2006, for 3,800 yen. ($32.15 USD). So far, no European release has been mentioned[15][16]. Screens of an English version and promotional material were released at E3; however, Nintendo did not make any announcement of when the browser will be coming to the US.

DS Terrestrial Digital Broadcast Receiver Card

Starting in April, a service called 1seg (pronounced One Seg) will begin airing digital broadcasts for cell phones and other mobile devices throughout Japan.[17] Nintendo has announced the tentatively named "DS Terrestrial Digital Broadcast Receiver Card", which will enable the DS to receive 1seg television broadcasts. Channels are switched using the stylus, with the broadcast viewed on the top screen. The prototypes Nintendo had at the press conference were running in the Game Boy Advance cartridge slot, but the final version of the card will use the DS card slot. The date for the Japanese release is yet to be announced. 1seg has not yet announced any plans to broadcast these services outside of Japan, meaning that a US or European release of the receiver card is unlikely.

Third party accessories

MAX Media Player

Datel has announced their forthcoming MAX Media Player, which features a removable 4GB hard drive to accompany a software media player. The add-on is similar to the 4GB hard drive released late last year for the PlayStation Portable.

A new version compatible with DS cards has been released in two separate versions; one for the DS and a separate one for the DS Lite.[18]

Marketing and sales

Nintendo announced on February 15, 2006 that in Japan the Nintendo DS reached 5 million units sold in less than 13 months after its launch which marks the fastest-ever pace for a video game system in Japan.[19]

On January 5, 2006, Nintendo issued a formal apology after the Nintendo DS became sold out throughout Japan.[20] No Nintendo system had ever sold out in Japan before.[citation needed]

In Nintendo's press conference at E3 2006, George Harrison (Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communication at Nintendo of America) stated that the DS sold over 16 million units world wide since its launch.

Current Sales of Nintendo DS: 16.6 Million as of May 2006 (Japan: 6.66, The Americas: 5.25, Other: 4.75)

Current Sales of Nintendo DS Lite: 1.92 Million (Japan as of May 2006)

Nintendo has placed the DS outside of its highly successful Game Boy line, which is targeted at the pre-existing gaming market. It has been speculated that this was a precautionary measure to ensure the Game Boy brand remained untarnished if the DS were to fail commercially.[citation needed]

The system's promotional slogans revolve around the word "Touch": in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand: Touching Is Good; in Canada: Don't Touch, Touch; in Japan, and China: Touch!; and in Europe: Touch me!. The only exception to this is the new campaign slogan in the United Kingdom, Open up and play and the Spanish A tocar (Let's Touch) since the music duo Estopa is performing all DS advertisements, and in Brazil: tocar é legal (Touching is cool)

Sony PSP pictured above the Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS is currently seen by many analysts to be in the same market as Sony's PlayStation Portable, although representatives from both companies have stated that each system targets a different audience. At the time of its release in the United States, the Nintendo DS retailed for $149.99 USD. The price dropped to $129.99 USD on August 21, 2005, one day before the anticipated North American releases of Nintendogs and Advance Wars: Dual Strike.

As with Nintendo's previous handheld consoles, the DS has been produced in a number of different colors. As of August 2005, eight official colors are available through standard retailers. Titanium (silver and black) is available worldwide, Electric Blue is exclusive to North and Latin America. Graphite Black, Pure White, Turquoise Blue and Candy Pink are available in Japan. Mystic Pink and Cosmic Blue are available in Australia. Japan's Candy Pink and Australia's Cosmic Blue are also available in Europe through a Nintendogs bundle, although the colors are just referred to as pink and blue.

Special editions

  • Five variants of existing DS colors were produced for the Japanese online Super Mario Club. Each color has a wireframe of a character's face imprinted on the front cover of the system. The designs include Titanium/Mario, Graphite Black/Bowser, Gray/Wario, Candy Pink/Princess Peach, and Turquoise Blue/Yoshi.
  • Additionally, Nintendo auctioned off three custom DS systems for charity at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The systems went to Jay Mohr for $10,000, Poppy Montgomery for $2,500, and Alan Cumming for $1,500. Nintendo added money to the final bids, and a portion of the funds went towards victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
  • As a special gift, approximately 60 people who attended the May 9th 2006 VIP party at the Nintendo World Store were able to get a commemorative E3 engraving put on the cover of their Nintendo DS.

Limited editions

Various other colors have been made available in limited quantities:

  • Special dark blue DS systems were released at Poképark in Japan and Wal-Mart in the US. The systems have the Poképark logo on the front cover, and a Pikachu silhouette superimposed over the right speaker grill.
  • A light blue DS, with a limited run of 1,000 units, was released in Japan as part of a joint promotional offer with Pepsi.
  • Nintendo released a gold-colored DS system in Japan; exclusive to Japanese Toys "R" Us stores.
  • A DS with Mew has been released in Japan. It is tinted purple with the Pokémon lightly printed on the front and adjacent to the top screen.
  • Sega is currently holding a contest whose prize is a white DS with a skin of Doraemon on the front.

Promotional packages

File:Nintendogs-bestfriends-na.JPG
Promotional package bundled with Nintendogs Best Friends Version
  • In October 2005, Nintendo released two new colors to North America: Teal and Pearl Pink (not the same Candy Pink as was released in Europe and Japan, but a tint identical to that of the Mystic Pink model released in Australia). These systems are bundled with the game Nintendogs Best Friends Version, as well as a bone-shaped screen cleaner.
  • The Electric Blue was released in North America, initially bundled with Super Mario 64 DS, for the same price as a lone DS ($149.99) on June 30 2005. 1 million copies were sold, making SM64DS the best-selling game during that time. As of February 27, 2006 Animal Crossing: Wild World is included with the Electric Blue system.
  • The Nintendo DS: Blue and Pink Nintendogs Bundles were released in Europe on October 7, 2005. The two packs contain a pink Nintendo DS system and the Dachshund version of Nintendogs, or a blue Nintendo DS system and the Labrador version of Nintendogs. These were priced at the same price as a lone Nintendo DS (£99). On that same day, the Nintendo DS received a price cut to £89. There are also Animal Crossing - Wild Side, packs with the DS included.
  • The Mario Kart DS Pak was released in Europe on November 25, 2005, which contained a silver-colored Nintendo DS and a copy of Mario Kart DS.
  • The Red Hot Bundle was released in North America on November 29, 2005, including a red & silver DS system ("Hot Rod Red"), optional racing decals, a normal DS wrist strap/thumb pad, a bonus checkerboard wrist strap (strangely, with no thumb pad), a Mario Kart metal charm, and a copy of Mario Kart DS.

Software development

Nintendo only accepts official companies with a game development team, and sufficient experience in certain areas for their official developer support program. Additional information is available from [22], the Nintendo Software Development Support Group.

An alternative method is to use publicly available knowledge from sites such as NDSTech[23], and to use the tools available to create one's own programs. This development route requires a method for running DS programs from the GBA port. There are four methods available: PassMe, PassMe2, WiFiMe and FlashMe.

Hacking the DS

Main article: Nintendo DS homebrew

PassMe

After the first pass through (patching card information) got home brew code running, several people started to produce and sell the so-called PassMe devices. Currently, the BIOS of the DS has been disassembled and will lead to pass through-less cards.

NoPass Devices

Datel has introduced to the market the first of the aforementioned pass-throughless cards, dubbed "NoPass" by the homebrewing community. [24] It functions similarly to a PassMe, and unlike previous generations, does not need an official game card or an SRAM-enabled storage device. This opens up the option of using the GBA Movie Player with newer-firmware DS's.

DS Wi-Fi over the Internet

Ever since the Nintendo DS's release on November 21, 2004, several groups have been attempting to extend and build upon the DS Wi-Fi protocol. Darkain was leading the reverse-engineering of the DS Wi-Fi and Ni-Fi protocols at the time the DS came out, which has influenced many of the available Nintendo DS Wi-Fi hacks and applications today.

Interestingly, two groups (Project Nitro [25] and Team Xlink[26]) had claimed to be successful in tunneling the DS WiFi protocol over the internet creating online multiplayer possibilities around the world using the handheld and multiplayer-enabled Nintendo DS games.

However, Project Nitro never put out any software or evidence to support their claim, and has since completely disappeared (the developers moved on to create DSmeet[27], a place to meet other NDS WiFi users). Team XLink claimed to have a workable system, but later publicly announced they were no longer working on tunneling the DS, saying they were not making enough progress to warrant their continued efforts.

In both cases, it is all but certain there was never any tangible product created.

Recently a new project entitled DSTunnel[28] has come into being. It is a culmination of a hacker's work in reverse engineering the DS's Wi-Fi hardware. While it has shown promise, and a beta version has shown some success, it still has the requirement of the user having a RAlink RT2500[29] based Wi-Fi card for it to work.

DS Linux

There is currently an ongoing project aiming to bring the Linux operating system to the DS, "DSLinux".[30] As of February 2006, this project has successfully executed a 2.6 kernel, the retawq text-only web browser, simple shell, telnet, SSH, telnetd, some text-based games, touchscreen support, sound (beta) and Wi-Fi support.

Nintendo DS Lite

Main article: Nintendo DS Lite
Nintendo DS Lite

On January 26 2006 Nintendo revealed the Nintendo DS Lite. It features a smaller form factor, at 133.0 x 73.9 x 21.5mm. It has a brighter screen with four adjustable brightness levels. The battery life has been increased to 18 hours on the lowest brightness setting (roughly equivalent to the brightness of a standard DS). It was released on March 2, 2006 in Japan, at JAP 16800 (around US$130). Australia received the DS Lite on June 1, 2006 for a retail price of AU$199.95. It was also released in North America on June 11, 2006 at US$129.99. [31] The European release date is scheduled for June 23, 2006. Europe will see the white DS Lite, as well as a black version.[32] Reggie Fils-Aime later announced the regular design of the DS will be phased out completely once the DS Lite is launched.

Some changes from the first design are that the Start/Select buttons are moved down, the microphone is centered between the two screens, and the power button has been changed to a spring-loaded switch on the right side of the console. The stylus is thicker and longer, and is stored in the right hand side of the unit. The screen brightness has also been vastly improved, with four adjustable settings. The DS Lite has similar design elements with Nintendo's upcoming home console, Wii, such as the design of the D-Pad and face buttons. Game Boy Advance cartridges are still supported, but stick out of the system by 1 centimeter due to the smaller size (similar to the way original GameBoy cartridges work on the GBA). The system is available in Japan in the following colors: Crystal White, Ice Blue, and Enamel Navy. Australia and North America recieved only a white version while the European launch is black.

Emulators

There are a number of emulators for the Nintendo DS, which are commonly used for homebrew game development,

The current DS emulators available include iDeaS, DeSmuME, Dualis, and DSemu.

Ensata developed by Intelligent Systems as well as iDeaS can play DS games completely (although gameplay is slow).

Trivia

Reaction

The system was mostly originally panned by critics, due to the small library of games and overall new direction, writing off the touch screen as a "gimmick". Since the DS was released around the same time as Sony's PSP, it was labeled inferior, due to the lower-tech hardware. Soon after the system had amassed a large enough lineup of games, the reviews generally became positive. They have stayed that way since, and the DS has successfully outsold the PSP.

  • In February 2005 Wired Magazine described the design of the original DS device as "clunky."[33] In a later article, they criticized the screen size and limited game selection at the time (particularly in the area of professional sports games).[34]
  • In March 2005 The Register acknowledged that while the DS had inferior hardware specifications to the PSP, "Nintendo hasn't lost its magic, just taken it in a weird new direction".[35]

Controversy

In February 2006, WPVI-TV ran a story about how pedophiles might use the DS's Pictochat feature to lure kids via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.[36]

The facts of the story are erroneous as Pictochat is only a short-range communication application, and does not support use over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. It was later found that ABC went public with the story even after its reporters were told these facts. As of May 2006, the only two DS games that support text messaging over Wi-Fi are Animal Crossing: Wild World and Metroid Prime: Hunters, with the latter also supporting voice chat. However, both games require explicit approval from both parties, via the exchange of "friend codes," before any such communication can be made.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Earnings Release Fiscal Year 2006" (PDF). Nintendo of America. 2006-05-25. p. 30. Retrieved 2006-06-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month=, |curly=, |accessyear=, and |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ Darkain (2005-01-21). "Nintendo DS - WI-FI vs NI-FI". Retrieved 2006-04-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "Nintendo DS Frequently Asked Questions". Nintendo. Retrieved 2006-04-02.
  4. ^ "Goomba - The Official Site". Retrieved 2006-04-02.
  5. ^ "Nintendo and Wayport Join Forces to Bring Free U.S. Wi-Fi Access To Nintendo DS Users". Nintendo. October 18, 2005. Retrieved 2006-04-02.
  6. ^ "NINTENDO AND FATPORT JOIN FORCES TO BRING FREE WI-FI ACCESS TO CANADIAN NINTENDO DS USERS". Nintendo of Canada. October 19, 2005. Retrieved 2006-04-02.
  7. ^ Jane Pinckard (October 31, 2005). "Nintendo of Europe on DS Chat, Revolution - Interview with Jim Merrick has some juicy details". 1up.com. Retrieved 2006-04-02.
  8. ^ Tom Bramwell (November 4, 2005). "7,500 Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection hot spots in the UK alone". Eurogamer.
  9. ^ Ellie Gibson (October 5, 2005). "Nintendo unveils Wi-Fi dongle". EuroGamer.
  10. ^ "Nintendo and Wayport Join Forces to Bring Free U.S. Wi-Fi Access To Nintendo DS Users". Nintendo. October 18, 2005.
  11. ^ "Nintendo DS Rechargeable Battery Frequently Asked Questions". Nintendo. Retrieved 2006-04-02.
  12. ^ "Entertainment Software Ratings Board". ESRB/ESA. Retrieved 2006-05-31.
  13. ^ "Nintendo Online Store". Retrieved 2006-04-02.
  14. ^ "Nintendo Japan Product Page". Retrieved 2006-06-14.
  15. ^ "Giving gamers two windows to the Web: The Opera Browser for Nintendo DS™". Opera Software. February 15, 2006. Retrieved 2006-04-02.
  16. ^ Chris Playo. "Japan: Nintendo DS Press Conference". Retrieved 2006-04-02. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publsher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ Tim Surette, Hirohiko Niizumi (February 15, 2006). "DS will surf Web, watch TV". GameSpot. CNET.
  18. ^ "4GB HDD Drive" (JPEG). Retrieved 2006-04-02.
  19. ^ "The Legend Builds: Nintendo DS Offers Bold New Features". Nintendo of America Inc. 2006-02-09. Retrieved 2006-06-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ "Nintendo Apology" (Japanese). Nintendo of Japan. Retrieved 2006-04-03.
  21. ^ Chris Playo (March 4, 2005). "Rapper Has A Custom DS Made". NintendoDS Advanced. Advanced Media.
  22. ^ "Wario World". Nintendo. Retrieved 2006-04-03.
  23. ^ "NDSTech - The homebrew Nintendo DS(TM) technical reference". Retrieved 2006-04-03.
  24. ^ ["Max Media Launcher". Code Junkies. Retrieved 2006-05-21. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  25. ^ "Nintendo DS Online (Nitro Online)". OSTG. Retrieved 2006-04-03.
  26. ^ "XLink Kai". Retrieved 2006-04-03.
  27. ^ "DS Meet". Retrieved 2006-04-03.
  28. ^ "dstunnel: Wifi Tunnelling for DS Multiplayer". Retrieved 2006-04-03.
  29. ^ "Products - RT2500 Chipset Solution". Retrieved 2006-04-03.
  30. ^ "DSLinux : The home of Linux on the DS". Retrieved 2006-04-03.
  31. ^ "NEW NINTENDO DS LITES THE WAY FOR MARIO". Nintendo of America. May 4, 2006.
  32. ^ "DS superior model appearance DS Lite (Press Release)" (Japanese). Nintendo of Japan. January 26, 2006.
  33. ^ Chris Baker and Tim Rogers (February 2005). "The Handheld Wars". Wired Magazine 13.02. Lycos.
  34. ^ Brendan I. I. Koerner (July 2005). "Wired Test: Mobile Media". Wired Magazine 13.07. Lycos.
  35. ^ "Nintendo DS handheld games console". The Register. March 16, 2006.
  36. ^ "The Nintendo DS System". 6abc.com. Action News. February 14, 2006.

Official sites

Fan sites

Template:Nintendo Wi-Fi

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