Nintendo Mystery Console Rumours Unveiled

Nintendo Announces New Portable Gaming System
GameSpy scoops the world and gets the first real details regarding the newly announced Nintendo DS game system.
By Steven L. Kent | January 20, 2004

Nintendo DS is coming


Nintendo's Satoru Iwata
Nintendo executives today unveiled plans for a new portable game system tentatively called the "Nintendo DS"—short for "Double Screen."

According to Nintendo executives, DS is not seen as a replacement for Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP, but rather a separate line. "We have developed Nintendo DS based upon a completely different concept from existing game devices in order to provide players with a unique entertainment experience for the 21st century," said Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata in a press release.

DS, which is scheduled for release later this year, will feature two 3-inch TFT screens with the same edge-lighting as the Game Boy Advance SP. "Nintendo is known for amazing innovation and this is yet another example of it," Nintendo vice president of corporate communications told GameSpy. "The screens on DS have unbelievable clarity."

Advertisement
Nintendo has not gone into detail about the value of having two screens on a single handheld unit. "From information made available today, players can look forward to being able to manage their game progress from two different perspectives, enhancing both the speed and strategy of the challenge. For example in a soccer game, users can view the whole game on one screen while simultaneously focusing on an individual soccer player's tackle or goal on the other screen," was the only hint about the second screen in the official press release.

Nintendo has not announced what medium DS games will be stored on, processors speed, size, or make. Nor has it released details on the screen resolution, battery-life, or controls.

The release did specify that DS will have multiple processors and multiple banks adding up to one full gigabit of memory. It is known that several independent game publishers have already begun work on games for DS.

Having sold more than 150 million Game Boy units, Nintendo has long controlled more than 90 percent of the portable games market. Last May, Sony Computer Entertainment unveiled plans for PSP (a portable PlayStation) which many analysts view as a serious challenge Nintendo’s hold on the handheld market.
 

M.H.A.Q.S.

New member
I wanted to post that news...but anyways, I think it is a good one.
 

JAppi

New member
I don't really see anything much interesting about it other then the fact that it has 2 screens.

Which seems like a waste of time to me.
 

donkeyknob

New member
for that soccer game, perhaps i would get it... although it wont do anything for RPGS would it?
 

donkeyknob

New member
the only way it changes in RPGs is that during battles it can show more detailed attacks. for other games it can remove all of the "onscreen clutter" that pisses us all off
 

JAppi

New member
Originally posted by DJ Beefzibit@Jan 21 2004, 11:33 PM
for that soccer game, perhaps i would get it... although it wont do anything for RPGS would it?
They could put about a thousand menus on a seperate screen. But until someone give it a major, real use then it's just a novelty.

There are other important things we have to consider too. Like the price, the processor speed and all that jazz.
 

belmont

New member
The new console will be a waste of time...
GBA is very successful and PSP is coming...
There is no need for DS.
If they were to make a new portable console this should had powerful such as the Gamecube.
 
Hope everyobody knows that this is Nintendo's attempt to stop the PSP, once it comes out it will absolutely destroy the GBA in terms of hardware...did you just suggest them trying to make a handheld thats as powerful as a GC? Lmfao...
 

belmont

New member
I didn't say than Nintendo should release a new handheld.
I personally love my GBA SP and don't wan't to change it.
What I meant is that if Nintendo feared the PSP the new portable she would release should be something very powerful such as Gamecube.
 
Nintendo has a gender? No specs have even been released yet, so how do you know that the Nintendo DP wont be something powerful?
 

belmont

New member
If you search the net you will find these specs.It is not very stronger than GBA.In fact it has 2 32 bit processors instead of one that GBA has.
"Additionally the machine will be powered by 2 processors - the main one being ARM9-based and the sub-processor being ARM7-based. Software will come on semiconductor-based media up to 1 Gigabit in size."

ARM9

* 32-bit RISC processor core with ARM® and Thumb® instruction sets
* 5-stage integer pipeline achieves 1.1 MIPS/MHz
* Up to 300 MIPS (Dhrystone 2.1) in a typical 0.13µm process
* Single 32-bit AMBA bus interface
* MMU supporting Windows CE, Symbian OS, Linux, Palm OS (ARM920T and ARM922T)
* Memory Protection Unit (MPU) supporting a range of Real Time Operating Systems including VxWorks (ARM940T)
* Integrated instruction and data caches
* Excellent debug support for SoC designers, including ETM interface
* 8-entry write buffer — avoids stalling the processor when writes to external memory are performed
* Portable to latest 0.18µm, 0.15µm, 0.13µm silicon processes.

ARM7

* Established, high-volume 32-bit RISC architecture
* Up to 130 MIPs (Dhrystone 2.1) performance on a typical 0.13µm process
* Small die size and very low power consumption
* High code density, comparable to 16-bit microcontroller
* Wide operating system and RTOS support - including Windows CE, Palm OS, Symbian OS, Linux and market-leading RTOS
* Wide choice of development tools
* Simulation models for leading EDA environments
* Excellent debug support for SoC designers, including ETM interface
* Multiple sourcing from industry-leading silicon vendors
* Availability in 0.25µm, 0.18µm and 0.13µm processes
* Migration and support across new process technologies
* Code is forward-compatible to ARM9, ARM9E and ARM10 processors as well as Intel's XScale technology
 

ScotchGuy

Board Addict
Nintendo and the word owned are the same thing? You don't know any C++ do you? It looks like you were going out of your way to use C++ code which doesn't really fit.

You could have just said Nintendo = Owned, but you wanted to be fancy and stupid.
 

M.H.A.Q.S.

New member
I am looking forward to the PSP. The appearance of DS does not affect me. I have a GBA-SP and still I want to buy a PSP.

But the release of DS will effect GBA's market. Nintendo has something up its sleeve.
 
Top