Games - Nintendo DS

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	Games - Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS, (sometimes abbreviated NDS or DS), is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo, released in 2004. The name "DS" is short for both Dual Screen and Developer's System.The DS has a horizontal clamshell design, similar to some Game & Watch video games, and the Game Boy Advance SP. A redesigned model, the DS Lite, was released in 2006.

Functionality

The Nintendo DS's primary function is as a video game device; no built-in multimedia support is included. Nintendo hopes that the new features present in the DS will both encourage the development of innovative games and also appeal to a wider demographic, previously alienated by input methods found in other current videogames.

While the most apparent differential of the system is its dual screens, it also includes a microphone and touch screen functionality on the lower screen. The DS also supports wireless connectivity, using 802.11b standards to allow players to interact with other DS owners within short range (30–100 feet, depending on conditions), or over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service by connecting to Wi-Fi hotspots.

Design and specifications

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 (76 mm) TFT LCD screens, each with a resolution of 256 × 192 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 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 ARM94E-S main CPU and ARM7TDMI 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, Metroid Prime Hunters, Tetris DS, and the yet to be released Lost Magic take full advantage of the Internet capability to find local as well as worldwide players to play with.

Inputs and outputs

The 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 D-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 notable use of the touch screen is for the emulation of other controls. For example, with use of the included "thumb strap" it can mimic an analog joystick, or with the conventional stylus it 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. WarioWare Touched! uses the microphone as well in a variety of mini-games in its originally touch screen based game. It has also since been 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 allows voice chat between friends (meaning you need their friend code) before and after matches, but not during.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Nintendo DS ]

Games - Nintendo DS

Functionality

Design and specifications

Technology

Inputs and outputs

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