Nintendo DS Console

After dominating the handheld video game market for over a decade with the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance, Nintendo diverges from its winning brand with the Nintendo DS. First announced in spring of 2004 and launched simultaneously in Japan and North America in near November of that year, the Nintendo DS is based on an unusual design that suggests possibilities of innovative player interfaces and new styles of gameplay. The most prominent feature of the DS, or "Dual Screen," is its two backlit display screens.

The rectangular Nintendo DS is about the same size and shape as a contemporary PDA. It has a clamshell design, with a conventional display screen above, centered on the inside of the lid, and a touchsensitive screen, which can be used for both display and control, on the bottom of the unit. The two screens are aligned, one directly above the other, when the Nintendo DS is opened for use. Both screens are about three inches measured diagonally, comparable in size to the screen on a Game Boy Advance.

Games for the Nintendo DS are stored and sold on DS cartridges, which are similar in size to the flash memory cards used in digital cameras and PDAs; considerably smaller than Nintendo's previous handheld media formats. The DS is backwardcompatible, however, and can also play the sinlgeplayer modes of nearly all existing GBA games. The device features two separate cartridge slots to accommodate the two media formats. Game Boy cartridges fit in a slot on the bottom of the handheld, and Nintendo DS game cards go in a slot on the top.

The control buttons of the Nintendo DS are somewhat similar to those of a Super NES. A crossshaped Dpad is to the left of the bottom screen and four action buttons "A," "B," "X," and "Y" are arranged in a diamond to the right. In games that support the distinguishing dual screen design, the bottom display may also be a primary means of control. The touchsensitive screen can be used with a precision stylus that comes with the handheld, or simply with the player's fingers and thumbs. The Nintendo DS also has two shoulder buttons.

The overall performance power of the Nintendo DS has been equated to that of the Nintendo 64 console. The handheld is designed to produce audio, video, and 3D rendering of speed and quality comparable to the late1990s console. The DS supports both IEEE 802.11 and a proprietary format of wireless connectivity, allowing two or more players to join in multiplayer DS games without a physical "link cable" connection. The handheld also features a headphone jack (unlike its GBA SP predecessor) and microphone input for voicerecognition functions. A builtin, rechargeable battery provides an estimated 10 hours of gameplay. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide