searchspell:dscorrected for nintendo ds
The Nintendo DS, (sometimes abbreviated NDS or DS), is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. The name "DS" is short for both Dual Screen and Developer's System, the latter of which refers to the features of the handheld designed to encourage innovative gameplay ideas among developers[1]. Its code name was "Project Nitro". The DS has a horizontal clamshell design, similar to some Game & Watch video games, and the Game Boy Advance SP. The DS is unique in that it has two screens (almost all game consoles use one screen), the lower of which is a touch screen. Additionally, it features a built-in microphone, and wireless connectivity with other DS users. Nintendo hopes that the new features present in the machine will provoke unique game development, attract developers, and appeal to both older gamers and non-gamers alienated by normal input methods. As such, Nintendo has placed the DS outside of its highly successful Game Boy line, which is targeted at the pre-existing gaming market. Some have suggested that this was a precautionary measure to ensure the Game Boy name remained untarnished if the DS were to fail commercially, but given the sales of the handheld to date, the issue is rather trivial. Nintendo announced on February 15, 2006 that in Japan the Nintendo DS reached 6 million units sold in less than 14 months after its launch which marks the fastest-ever pace for a video game system in Japan. As of the end of January more than 14.4 million Nintendo DS units had been sold. [2] On January 5, 2006, Nintendo issued a formal apology after the Nintendo DS had been sold out throughout Japan. [3] No Nintendo system has ever sold out in Japan before.
FunctionalityThe Nintendo DS's primary function is as a video game console; no multimedia support is included, although Play-Yan, a special Game Boy Advance cartridge that can read an SD memory card and play movies and music, is available in Japan (see Accessories). The system is hoped to provoke more original development of titles in an industry that Nintendo perceives as being stagnant. Nintendo believes that the unit's unusual dual screen format will inspire creative game design by developers, both its own and third parties'. While the most obvious unique selling point is the dual screens, the system also includes a microphone and touch screen functionality on the lower screen. To date, many games have used the touchscreen to emulate an analogue joystick or mouse. The DS also supports wireless connectivity, using 802.11b standards [4] to allow players to interact with other DS owners within short range (30–100 feet), or over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service by connecting to Wi-Fi hotspots. Nintendo has also confirmed Internet browsing capabilities for the Nintendo DS using the Opera browser. It will use any WiFi connection to browse the Web for no additional charge after purchasing the cartridge, which will be slightly less than a game cartridge at 3,800 yen. (32.15 USD). A TV Tuner is also confirmed for Japan, though it has yet to be confirmed for American or European release. Design and specificationsTechnologyThe 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 (76 mm) TFT LCD screens, each with a resolution of 256 × 192 and a dot pitch of 0.24 mm. The lowermost display of the DS is overlaid with a touch screen, utilizing a stylus, the user's fingers, or an included wrist strap with a thumb cover for use in place of a stylus. The console uses two separate ARM processors, an ARM9 main CPU and ARM7 coprocessor at clock speeds of 67 MHz and 33 MHz respectively, with 4 MiB of main memory. The system's 3D engine is theoretically capable of drawing 120,000 polygons per second, with a fill-rate of 30 million pixels per second. Games utilize 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, and the yet to be released Metroid Prime Hunters and Tetris DS (both March 20, 2006) and LostMagic (19th January for Japan but yet to be confirmed for America and Europe) take full advantage of the Internet capability to find local as well as worldwide players to play with. Inputs and outputsThe DS is the first portable console from Nintendo to incorporate stereo speakers. In addition to the touch screen, the DS has, to the left of the lower display, a traditional four-way control pad (with a narrow Power button above it which needs prolonged pressure to turn off), while to the right are four action buttons (with narrow Select and Start buttons above) A B Y X, following in the footsteps of the SNES controller while hearkening back to the N64 "three-part" digital, analog, and button scheme. On the back, there are the L (Left) and R (Right) buttons, also following the style of the SNES controller. Perhaps the most innovative use of the touchscreen is for the emulation of other controls. For example, with use of the aforementioned "thumb stylus," it can emulate an analog joystick, or with the conventional stylus, its behavior can replicate a computer mouse. The system also includes a built-in microphone. The first DS game to use this feature was Feel the Magic: XY/XX (also known as Project Rub in Europe, and I would Die For You in Japan), in which several minigames require the player to blow or shout into the microphone. Nintendo's pet simulation game Nintendogs uses the microphone and speech recognition to command and train a virtual dog to perform tricks or other actions. Nintendo has also suggested it could be used for communication over a wireless network. At E3 2005, Nintendo showed a demo of a Nintendo DS being used as a wireless VoIP Phone. Tony Hawk: American Sk8land allows the user to create custom taunts and such, that will play, for example, when one lands a trick. Metroid Prime: Hunters has been confirmed to allow voice chat between friends (meaning you need their friend code) before and after matches. FirmwareNintendo'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 Gamestop, EB Games, and Game Crazy stores soon, with the possibility of Wal-Mart and Target being added later. 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.). CompatibilityDS games are in memory-card sized format, as opposed to the larger cartridge format used by the Game Boy line, though DS cards are still 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 chipset 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 [5]. 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. Similar connectivity, using the DS's wireless capabilities, will, however, reportedly be possible between the DS and Nintendo's successor to the GameCube, the Nintendo Revolution. 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. 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. The first use of this feature in Western countries is a Rumble Pak included with Metroid Prime Pinball, which is also compatible with future DS games. 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 hotspots are now available at McDonald's restaurants in the U.S. through a deal that Nintendo made with Wayport [6]. Additionally, Nintendo announced a similar partnership with FatPort to create free hotspots in Canada. [7] Jim Merrick, former Director of Marketing for Nintendo of Europe, has confirmed there will be around 25,000 hotspots in Europe, [8] including 7,500 in UK alone. [9] 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 hotspots, 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. A home Wi-Fi connection is also available via an official accessory, the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector [10], revealed during the DS Conference 2005 in Japan [11]. It is available from the Nintendo.com store [12], 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 hotspots to interface with each other from around the world. Mario Kart DS, Tony Hawk's American Sk8land, and Animal Crossing: Wild World 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 Metroid Prime: Hunters, Tetris DS, and more 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. In that same week, a website called DS Meet claimed to be working on a "patch" to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection's limitations concerning finding and meeting new friends online. As of February 14th, 2006, over 900,000 unique users world wide have logged onto the Nintendo WFC, creating over 22 million unique connections. Battery lifeThe 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 loss of all of the unit's settings (user's birthday, username, etc.), but it will not affect saved data on DS flash cards or GBA cartridges. Battery life is affected by multiple factors, including speaker volume, use of one or both screens, backlighting, and using wireless. Expected battery life ranges from six to ten hours on a full four-hour charge [13]. The biggest drain on battery life is the backlight, 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 backlight renders the on-screen image very difficult to see, even with sufficient ambient light. Replacement batteries may be purchased for USD $15 through Nintendo's online store. Regional divisionThe 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, some games which require both players to have a DS cartridge 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. Wi-Fi mode). Software library
The Nintendo DS currently has over 100 games available in its library. In addition, over 100 titles are currently in development. The Nintendo DS features games with the following ratings:
Source: ESRB Key first-party titlesThe 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 second and third-party titles
Screenshots
AccessoriesGBA 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 or television tuners, as well as a variety of accessories already included in certain Game Boy Advance cartridges such as tilt-sensors, solar-sensors, and vibration generators. The first official Slot 2 accessory is the Rumble Pak. It was released on October 24, 2005 and bundled with Metroid Prime Pinball; it is sold separately on the Nintendo.com store for $10. Nintendo has also released the Play-Yan, an adaptor which will allow 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 the Play-Yan was not available in the U.S. as of mid February 2006. Nintendo announced at E3 2005 that it would launch "Headset Accessories" for VoIP enabled games. On February 15th, 2006, Nintendo announced an Opera-based web browser that fully uses the two screens for either zooming in on certain sections of a website or having an longer vertical view. The Opera system will also have upgradeable firmware, enabling many features for a more complete web surf. The Japanese launch date is June 2006. They also announced a TV-tuner for the digital TV service being launched in April 2006 in Japan. No word on a US or European launch of either products has been announced. Third partyDatel has announced their forthcoming MAX Media Player, which features a removable 4GB hard drive to accompany a software media player [14]. The add-on is similar to the 4GB hard drive released late last year for the PlayStation Portable [15]. One potential issue is that the form factor for the hard drive is based on an extended GBA cart, and may not fit the DS Lite. [16]. The add-on is due late March and is expected to cost £129 ($225 USD). Marketing and salesThe 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. Nintendo particularly is attempting to differentiate the DS from other more traditional handheld game machines, including the PSP, and its own Game Boy line. By current total sales, the Nintendo DS is out-selling the Sony PSP with over 15 million units sold as of February 2006 [17].Recent figures have shown that Nintendo owns 83% of the worldwide hand-held market, with the Game Boy Advance holding 48%, and the DS at 35%. 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. 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 highly-anticipated North American releases of Nintendogs and Advance Wars: Dual Strike. The DS has come packaged with several deals. One such deal is the Teal and Pearl Pink bundles (the latter being exclusive to Toys "R" Us and Target stores) that include the "Best Friends" edition of Nintendogs, which is not sold separately. The most recent bundle is a Red DS bundle that includes Mario Kart DS. Both sell for $149.99. 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 Wario World, the Nintendo Software Development Support Group. An alternative method is to use publicly available knowledge from sites such as this one, 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 three methods available. PassMe, WiFiMe and FlashMe. Hacking the DSDS Wi-Fi over the InternetEver 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 has led 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 and Team Xlink) 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 (however, the developers moved on to create DSmeet, 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, claiming 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. However, recently a new project entitled DSTunnel 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 successfully been used to tunnel some games over the internet, it still has the requirement of the user having a RAlink RT2500 based Wi-Fi card for it to work. DS LinuxThere is currently an ongoing project aiming to bring the Linux operating system to the DS [18]. As of February 2006, this project has successfully executed a 2.6 kernel, shell, some text games, and added touchscreen, sound and wifi support. Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
Nintendo brought the Nintendo DS online in November 2005. The first games available for Nintendo's service were Mario Kart DS and Tony Hawk's American Sk8land, followed shortly by Animal Crossing: Wild World. The Nintendo Wi-Fi service is completely free, and only requires a compatible router or Nintendo's own USB adapter.[19] A list of compatible home routers, which have been approved by Nintendo, can be found here [20]. Web BrowserA version of Opera, a cross-platform web browser, has been announced for the DS. Right now a June release date is expected for Japan. So far no U.S. or European release has been mentioned.[21][22] Launches
ColorsAs with Nintendo's previous handheld consoles, the DS has been produced in a number of different colors. As of August 2005, six 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 America and Europe through a Nintendogs bundle, although the colors are just referred to as pink and blue.
Special editions
Limited editionsNintendo DS Mew Edition limited edition, exclusive to Japan.Various other colors have been made available in limited quantities:
Promotional packagesThe "Red Hot Bundle" featuring the Mario Kart DS game.
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 also has a brighter screen with four adjustable brightness levels. It will go on sale on March 2 in Japan, at 16800 yen (around $143 US). Later, Nintendo said that the DS Lite would be released to the west "following spring," suggesting a simultaneous release with Japan's March 2 date will not happen. [24] Reggie Fils-Aime recently announced the regular design of the DS will be phased out completely once the DS Lite is launched. Some differentations with the first design are that the Start/Select buttons are moved down and the stylus is slid in sideways. The Nintendo DS Lite also shows marked similarities with Nintendo's upcoming home console, Nintendo Revolution, in particular the design of the D-Pad and face buttons. The system retains backwards compatibility with Game Boy Advance games, although the catridges stick out of the system by about 1 centimeter. The system will be released in the following colors: Crystal White, Ice Blue and Enamel Navy. DS TV TunerStarting in April, a service called 1seg (pronounced One Seg) will begin airing digital broadcasts for mobile devices throughout Japan.[25] A number of cell phones capable of receiving the broadcasts have been announced, and now Nintendo is getting in on the action with the tentatively named DS Terrestrial Digital Broadcast Receiver Card. This card turns your DS into a television capable of receiving 1seg 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 via the Game Boy Advance cartridge slot, but the final version of the card will plug into the DS card slot. The date for the Japanese release is not yet announced, and it is unlikely to be released elsewhere because 1Seg only broadcasts Japanese programming. EmulatorsThere are a number of emulators for the Nintendo DS. These are mainly used for homebrew game development, given that many commercial DS games require use of the DS's unique hardware, making them cumbersome to play on a PC. The current DS emulators available include iDeaS, DeSmuME, DUALIS, and DSemu. Ensata developed by Intelligent Systems is the only emulator able to play NDS ROMs fully. Trivia
See also
References
External links
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