GamerNode: Latest Nintendo DS News

DSi XL confirmed, slated for Q1 2010 release

Seems those rumors of a bigger DSi being released were true. Nintendo has confirmed that it will be releasing a new, bigger DSi, dubbed the DSi XL. The system looks to be about 1/3 bigger than the current iteration of the DSi and come with a fatter stylus. You know, for us gorilla pawed gamers.

If you haven't already purchased a DSi because you feel the current design is just too small and would get lost amongst your other electronic devices and in your pockets, the DSi XL is perfect for you. You'll be able to snatch one up sometime in Quarter 1 of 2010.

[Joystiq]

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Korg DS-10 Plus coming to America courtesy of XSEE...

XSEED Games announced today that it will bring Korg DS-10 Plus to North America for Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi. Developed by AQ Interactive, Korg DS-10 Plus is a sequel to the original DS game which was a replica of the Korg synthesizer. It brings all the features and user experience of the real synthesizer to the handheld. It's less a game and more of a music application that allows you to create your own music to share or export. You can also have up to eight systems play music together or swap tunes.

The new version will include four analog synthesizers, eight drum synthesizers, up to twelve tracks on one song, and real-time editing. DSi owners get two extra effects layers. No release date has been set of yet.

If you want a taste of what the tool can do on DS, check out this recreation ...

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Ubisoft announces new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...

Ubisoft today announced a brand new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game in celebration of the brand's 25th anniversary.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Arcade Attack will be a side-scrolling beat-em-up in the same vein as the many TMNT arcade classics. It will have an original storyline and will be available in the last quarter of 2009. The game will also feature a new combination system and two-player cooperative play via local ad hoc wireless.

Said Ubisoft senior vice president of sales and marketing Tony Key, "Gamers all over the world recall the countless hours of fun these types of arcade games provided. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Arcade Attack plans to recapture that nostalgia and add an entirely new level of sophistication. Given the success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in...

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DSi-exclusive games coming this fall

According to the wild west of videogame industry news, the internet, the first DSi-exclusive game cards will be hitting retailers sometime this fall. 

At this year's Game Developers Conference, DSi hardware project lead Masato Kuwahara explained that special DSi games were in the works that would be unplayable on DS and DS Lite hardware. This would be different from currently available titles that function on all models, but have special enhanced features when played on the DSi.

When they arrive, DSi-only games will be packaged in distinct, all-white cases, so they stand out against the current DS library in stores, and will have a warning that they are only playable on the newer hardware. The game cards themselves will be manufactured from white plastic, as well.

This news seems to fall in l...

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Scribblenauts toots its own horn in trailer

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has got a good thing on its hands in 5th Cell's DS puzzle adventure, Scribblenauts. Nearly everyone in the gaming press has fallen head-over-heels for the game (check out vs. Node #6 for proof), and WB wants you to know it. With the newest trailer, not only do we get to see some of the game's wildly imaginative gameplay, but also boatloads of accolades from numerous gaming publications. Like Babe Ruth said, "It ain't braggin' if you can back it up."

Click through to see the trailer.

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Pre-order Scribblenauts and receive...

...a rooster hat.

That's right, if you put $5 down on the highly-acclaimed DS title at Gamestop (US) or EB Games (Canada), you will receive a free rooster hat to wear as you solve puzzles with flamethrowers, gas cans, and babies.

For those that don't know about it, Scribblenauts is an action puzzle game developed by the studio behind Drawn to Life and Lock's Quest. Players are tasked with collecting "Starites" from over 200 different puzzles. The main draw of the game is the ability to write virtually anything on the touch screen and summon it into the puzzle, so long as it's appropriate. Starite stuck in a tree? Write "ladder" and climb up to it, or write "axe" and chop it down. Have to get across the stage quickly? *Roller Skates" "Jetpack," or "Motorcycle" will get it done. Appropriatenes...

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Dragon Quest IX trailer

I'm not going to try to figure out how someone managed to smuggle the trailer from Dragon Quest IX out of the TGS. I don't really care, because it's too awesome looking to care about the little things. You can check it out below. (Remember, this is a DS game.)

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Nintendo says DSi software will be region locked

It seems that there was confusion over the status of the new DSi. Will the software for the DSi be region locked or not?

Earlier this morning the answer seemed to be "no." Carmmie Dunaway, VP of Nintendo of America said, "I believe that just as you can currently buy a DS in Japan and use it here in the U.S., that you should be able to do that with DSi."

Later today, Nintendo said that the DSi will be region locked as far as DSi software is concerned.

"DSi is region locked because DSi embeds net communication functionality within itself and we are intending to provide net services specifically tailored for each region. Also because we are including parental control functionality for Nintendo DSi and each region has its unique age limit made by different independent."

The region lock only aff...

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Nintendo has a new DS model: The DSi

Nintendo added a new member to its family of handheld game machines and it's called the DSi--a slightly smaller and thinner version of the DS Lite.

So just what is different about this latest iteration of the DS? For starters, the LCD screen has expanded a bit from 3 to 3.25 inches. The image quality doesn't seem to be much different than the previous version of the DS Lite, however. A new feature, the DSi camera, allows you to take pictures. Software for the DSi lets you have some fun by altering the faces in the photos you shoot.

As far as the audio part of the new machine, the onboard recorder lets you manipulate the pitch and speed of sounds or voices, and the device will be able to play back users' mp3s.

The overall footprint of the DSi is thinner but at the sacrifice of the familiar GBA...

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Sonic Chronicles behind-the-scenes

Are you ready for BioWare's new Sonic RPG which comes out in North America tomorrow? If so (or if not) enjoy the final of Sega's behind-the-scenes videos with the developers of Sonic's latest (and greatest?) adventure.

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British gamer killed over Advance Wars forum dispu...

Even though Jack Thompson was crazy, we all (unfortunately) have to recognize from time to time that sometimes games DO lead to violence in some individuals. A British gamer named Matthew Pyke (20) was killed in Nottingham, England over an alleged dispute with a fellow Advance Wars forum user, David Heiss. Pyke, who ran an Advance Wars website and forum with his girlfriend, supposedly got into a dispute on the forums with Heiss, which ultimately led to Heiss flying from Germany to England where he murdered Pyke.

Heiss then left messages on Pyke's girlfriend's wall apologizing for "having caused so much trouble lately." Original reports on the story in the Telegraph and other newspapers had police refusing to comment on whether or not Heiss was taken into custody, but later reports have con...

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New Kirby game officially announced as Kirby cloud...

Yesterday, Nintendo dropped some pretty obvious hints that a new Kirby game was in the works, telling residents of certain Kirby-named areas to be on the look out. Today, the next installment in the Kirby franchise was officially announced.

Unfortunately for people who hoped otherwise, the new Kirby (Kirby Super Star Ultra) is an upcoming DS game, not a Wii title. Early screenshots and gameplay descriptions make it sound like a traditional Kirby game. To see those, head on over to the new Kirby Super Star Ultra homepage. Perhaps most surprising about the announcement is the game's release date: September 22. For those who aren't good at using a calendar, that's next Monday.

To celebrate the new Kirby title, Nintendo unleashed Kirby-shaped clouds across the US. Look below to see what some o...

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Self-taught coder finishes DS game after 5 years

When Robert Pelloni was just a little boy, he had a dream; he wanted to make his own video game.

When he was twenty, he set his sights on the Gameboy Advance. But as time went on, Nintendo unveiled a new handheld, the DS. Robert took it all in stride and changed course to learn how to program for the DS.

Now, five years later, at the ripe old age of 25, he has accomplished what he set out to do.

The title is simply called, Bob's Game. The DS title is a 2D adventure game. It has 20 hours of gameplay, over 200 hand-drawn characters, weather effects that change with real time, dialogue, and originally composed music.

Pelloni programmed the game, wrote the script, did the artwork, produced the music, and learned all the skills necessary to do it all on his own. If Pelloni can finish a game all b...

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Sonic Chronicles combat trailer

BioWare's upcoming Sonic RPG is causing a mixed reaction. On one hand, it's an RPG...with Sonic.  On the other hand, it's BioWare. One aspect many wondered about was the combat. Thanks to the newest trailer, we get a glimpse of the combat mechanics in The Dark Brotherhood.

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Chrono Trigger coming to Europe in 2009

Hello Europe, it's 1995 calling.

The popular rpg Chrono Trigger is finally coming to the European market after a long, 13-year absence. Square Enix announced yesterday that their revival of the Super Nintendo classic will be hitting the Nintendo DS in early 2009 in PAL territories. Said John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix's European and North American arms:

"It gives me great pleasure to see Chrono Trigger being released in Europe and the PAL territories. With its ground breaking story and gameplay, this epic RPG with multiple endings has already won the hearts of many fans and I hope it delights a whole new audience of players into revisiting the Chrono Trigger world time and again."

As for a North American release, nothing has been officially announced beyond...

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Metal Slug 7 DS video and release date

Metal Slug 7 for the DS has a release date and will be launching on November 18 in North America and September for Europe.

If you've played any of the Metal Slug arcade games, you'll be happy as a slug as you can play this game when you're standing in line for a movie, waiting for your boyfriend/girlfriend to finish shopping or just enjoy blasting the stuffing out of the baddies.

Interestingly enough, Metal Slug 7 will not appear in arcades which means the DS version is an "exclusive."

New features will include:

* 7 levels altogether (without branching paths) * Two new vehicles, the Slug Truck and Slug Gigant * Slug truck works similar to the Metal Slug * Slug Gigant is a heavy, giant robot capable of massive firepower * The return of Combat School Mode (originally from Metal Slug X) * All-ne...

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Countdown ends, Chrono Trigger looks the same

The countdown over at Square-Enix's Chrono Trigger site has come to an end, revealing but a single trailer for the DS game. Fans who were hoping for a 3D remake a la Final Fantasy III & IV will be disappointed, however, as the game looks identical to its Super Nintendo counterpart. The video didn't show any dual screen or touchscreen gameplay, and didn't update the vague "Winter 2008" release window we read about last week, either. Take a look:

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Nintendo not training any more brains

It looks like Nintendo won't be brining any additional Brain Training games to the DS anytime soon, especially since the first two games are still selling very well.

Talking to UK game mag MCV, Nintendo marketing director Dawn Paine said that the Big N has no current plans to expand the series.

"The idea behind More Brain Training is that people can move across to it once they have played the first one, and vice versa, and are looking for new challenges and training exercises. Given that both titles continue to perform well, there are no plans for any more titles in the series."

I can't say that I really care much about Brain Training either way, but I guess this means I should cancel my plans to interview Nicole Kidman at the recording of the next commercial for the series, huh?

[via CVG]

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Update: Chrono Trigger coming to the DS

A rumor was circulating the last few hours about a Chrono Trigger port coming out for the Nintendo DS. With Square-Enix's tendency to release older games on Nintendo's handheld, it wasn't a completely unbelievable rumor, but still, any fans of Chrono Trigger knew better than to get their hopes up by getting excited.

Well, get excited. While there's been no official word yet from Square-Enix about a Chrono Trigger DS, a page on Square's official site popped up a short while ago, all but confirming the existence of the project. All that remains to be seen now is whether or not Chrono Trigger DS will feature new or updated features, a la some of the ported Final Fantasy titles. 

In other news, if you've been sitting on a Chrono Trigger SNES cart in hopes the prices continued to rise, you may w...

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Wizard of Oz RPG coming to the DS

It's somewhat amazing that the actual implementation of this idea for an RPG hasn't come around sooner, but the good news is that it finally has--an RPG based upon the Wizard of Oz. The game is slated for release sometime in winter of 2008 for the DS.

Media Vision, the developers of WildARMS, an RPG that was released a few months before another little RPG made its debut, Final Fantasy VII, will take the helm in producing the game that will be titled, Riz-Zoawd.

Some of the original production members of WildARMS will be on this project such as game designers Tetsuya Ookubo and Nobuo Nakazawa, plus music composer Michiko Naruke.

Riz-Zoawd will be in 3D and will reproduce some of the locations that many Wizard of Oz fans are familiar with. Dorothy will be the main character in the game along wi...

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