GamerNode: Latest Nintendo DS News

DS Sales Top 21 Million

Nintendo announced this week that it's popular Nintendo DS handheld has sold 21 million units worldwide since its launch on November 21, 2004. In just two years, the system has managed to rise quickly to the top of its market, outselling the competing Sony PSP handheld by a wide margin in every territory.

Senior VP of marketing George Harrison stated "We attribute this success to Nintendo's overall strategy of offering something for everyone from five-year-olds caring for their Nintendogs to 65-year-olds tuning their mental agility with Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day."

It seems that the DS may be a good example of how Nintendo's new gaming-is-for-everybody strategy could end up as a great success story for the company. Though whether it will adapt well to Nintendo's upcoming ...

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Nintendo Defends DS Lite Hinge Defect

Yesterday,s story of DS Lite hinges cracking had Nintendo offering a canned response to customers who experienced such flaws and offered the usual company line for DS Lite owners to call customer service for warranty coverage or, in the event the machine was not covered under warranty, to pay a discounted repair price of $50.

Today, Nintendo released another company statement in their defense and regarded the incidents of defective hinges minor in nature and not widespread by saying, In the U.S., the reported number of small cosmetic cracks in the plastic hinge of DS Lite systems represents less than 0.02 percent of the total units sold. This cosmetic issue in no way impacts the gameplay or integrity of the DS Lite. Nintendo stands behind the quality of our products and encourages DS Lite o...

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Widespread Reports of DS Lite Hinge Breakage

First there were reports of dead pixels. Then there were reports of hairline cracks in the LCD screens. Now, the latest report of DS Lite quality control issues has come from MaxConsole, an industry news site. According to the reports, "The amount of people who have come forward to display and tell the community that the DS Lite hinge is cracked has been growing by the hours. We now have four pictures submitted by different DS Lite owners of the left hinge cracking and at least eight confirming the problem."

The news has reached ears and eyes of Mario and Company. Nintendo issued a formal statement on the matter by stating, "We are not aware of any problems with the hinge of the DS Lite, however if someone experiences a problem with their DS Lite they should contact their local customer ser...

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The Brain Behind Brain Age Speaks

Dr. Ryuta Kawashima may not be a name recognized by many individuals, but he is the brain behind the popular selling DS game, Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day and the upcoming title, Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? These "games" are a series of various activities that include reading exercises, math puzzles and other activities to help the brain.

According to Kawashima, "...a person was 2-3 times better [in memory skills] following the simple mathematics and reading aloud training than before such training. Furthermore, I had dementia patients perform simple mathematics and read aloud two to five days a week. When compared to those patients who did not perform the exercises, the results of those who did showed that activity levels in the prefrontal cortex, that can affect...

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New Super Mario Bros. Sells 500,000 In U.S.

Last month, Nintendo released New Super Mario Bros. to the delight of many gamers who've been itching to see the return of the beloved mushroom eating Italian to his original 2D roots. The title was exclusive to the DS, but the response was, nonetheless, overwhelmingly positive. With its blend of enhanced gameplay, revamped visuals, and Wi-Fi capability, New Super Mario Bros. proved to be a worthy addition to the Mario legacy with both critics and fans alike, hailing it as one of the top portable releases of the year.

According to a recent public announcement made by Nintendo, more than half a million copies were sold in the United States alone. Taking into consideration the thirty-five days that have passed since the game first launched, that comes out to roughly twenty copies being sold e...

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Concerns Raised In UK About Discontinuation of Ori...

Questions concerning the status of Nintendo,s original DS, possibly facing an early retirement, are beginning to surface as the new version of the unit (DS Lite) distances itself in sales from its predecessor. However, Nintendo UK has tried to quell these concerns by stating that the original DS will continue to be produced "as long as there is demand." But in spite of these reassurances, there is no indication as to what Nintendo considers "demand."A spokesman for Nintendo UK stated to GameIndustry that, "We're still committed to the old DS as long as there's demand. Don't forget that the Pink and Blue DS units are only available in the old model, which account for a large percentage of our sales to girls. And like Japan we haven't seen any drop off in sales of the old model in the run-up...

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DS Lite Sets Europe Aglow

The lighter, brighter and sexier Nintendo DS is finally available to purchase in Europe today. To date the original DS has sold over four and a half million units. Pushed by extremely gripping titles like Animal Crossing: Wild World, Mario Kart DS, and the canine styled Nintendogs, the DS has surprised both gamers and industry analysis. The DS was thought to be nothing but a flop, but when it was released the sales numbers grew and rose at an incredibly quick rate. The redesign of the DS brings to the system a combination of a sleeker design and brighter screens.

So if you are a Euro gamer, GamerNode wishes you the best of luck getting your hands on one of these new beauties. If you haven,t planned on picking one up, there,s no good reason not to.

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Nacho Libre Comes to the DS

Majesco has announced that it has signed a deal to obtain the video game rights to the comedy film Nacho Libre.

The film stars the likable Jack Black, who plays a cook in a Mexican orphanage. He dons the attire of a wrestling star during his off hours to raise money for the children. The game for the DS will offer more than 10 playable characters, four game modes, and mini-games played on the DS touch screen. In addition, there will be wireless access with which up to four players can drop kick one another to their hearts desire.

Ken Gold, vice president of marketing for Majesco said, "We're proud to announce the first Nintendo DS wrestling game for the U.S. and European markets. Nacho Libre is the perfect movie to translate into a handheld experience and our game captures all of the humorou...

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DS Lite Debuts To Lite Interest at Retailers

When Nintendo,s redesigned DS went on sale in Japan a month ago, it opened to long lines and anxious fans who showed up at stores and camped out on the street to be first to get their hands on the new unit. America,s DS Lite launch started on Sunday with a midnight debut at the Rockefeller Center in New York.

The event started with a mild pop, rather than a loud bang, as the first one hundred purchasers were rewarded with not only a DS Lite, but a free copy of the game Brain Age. Other reports throughout the country reported a mild consumer reaction to the release of the DS Lite, and did not indicate any rush on the product.

GamerNode reported from E3 that the DS Lite was nothing to write home about-the unit is smaller, with improved graphics and battery life, but not worth the price of admi...

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Pimp My DS

One of the disadvantages of the Nintendo DS handheld is its inability to play music and videos, unlike its competitors. Luckily, for DS owners everywhere, Datel has decided to change all that. With Datel,s new MAX Media Dock, you can play movies and music, view photos, and even run executables right from the mounted flash card!

The Dock comes with a cartridge that fits right into the slot used for DS games. This allows you to access the MAX Media Player, which features a browser to access absolutely anything stored on the Compact Flash card, which fits into a dock that is attaches to the GBA port.

Any Compact Flash cards can be used with the dock, so DS owners don,t have to shell out extra cash if they already own a card. The dock, without bundled cards, sells for $39.99 US. It comes with th...

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"Slim" Rumble Pak hits the DS Lite

Nintendo of Japan is now selling a "trimmed down" version of the Rumble-Pak for the DS on their website. This lies to rest a great concern shared by many that the original Rumble-Pak would not fit completely into the DS Lite's more shallow GBA slot. Although the old "larger" version of the Rumble-Pak will fit in the DS Lite and function properly, like all GBA cartridges, it would stick out which was somewhat of an annoyance as voiced by a number of users.

The site also notes that although the old Rumble-Pak will work with the DS Lite, the new Rumble-Pak will NOT work with the old DS due to its slim nature. There is currently no word on when, if at all, the new Rumble-Pak will officially be distributed outside of Japan, but one can only assume that it will coincide with the release of the DS...

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Nintendo Brands Casual DS Titles

Nintendo of America confirmed that it will begin slapping a Touch Generations label on its casual Nintendo DS titles. Beginning in June, this will let players know what titles are deemed "pick up and play" for less than experienced gamers. This move is just one of the many that Nintendo has made and will make to target a new demographic of gamers. Three games will be added to the new label in June, including a second brain-training game.

Nintendo of America,s senior VP of marketing and corporate communications commented, "We remained committed to turning video games into an inclusive mass medium that everyone can enjoy. Touch Generations will help novices and newcomers identify the fun and uniquely engaging experiences that are available only on Nintendo DS."

The first titles to be released ...

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Majesco Kicks it Up a Notch

Majesco Entertainment introduced its new Nintendo DS title Cooking Mama this year at E3. Despite its seemingly cannibalistic name, the title was met with universal praise, gaining several honors. Majesco's vice president of marketing beamed, "We are very pleased with the initial reaction to Cooking Mama since this fun and addictive title deserves attention. [This] is just one outstanding product within Majesco's diverse product line-up we will be introducing this year."

Some of the best DS titles make clever use of the handheld's stylus, and Cooking Mama is no exception. Players must slice, dice, shake, and bake--all using the handheld's stylus tool. The player becomes so physically involved in the detailed process that the game doubles as an educational experience. Players can even blow in...

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E3: DS Lite Hands-On

Nintendo,s DS Lite is scheduled for release on June 11th for the surprise price of $129.99 - the same price as the bulkier original DS. But while at E3 we had the opportunity to check out the unit before its official release date.

During our meanderings through the E3 convention halls, the Nintendo DS Lite exhibit caught my eye. I had almost walked by without noticing because the section in which the displays were showcased. It was in a subtly lit area, no doubt in order to enhance the visibility of the DS screens.

There were standup displays and several long tables of DS Lites. Each DS display unit was firmly bolted down to the table surface in order to prevent any pilferage. Upon reflection of the past event, they had nothing to worry about, at least as far as I was concerned. But I am ge...

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New Super Mario Bros. Pushed Back A Week

According to the official Web site, Nintendo's anticipated new title, New Super Mario Bros., will now be released one week later than expected. The game will be released on May 21 instead of May 15, as it was stated in the GN preview of the game posted today.

This is the third release date change for the game so far, as it was first supposed to be released on May 7. Hopefully Nintendo will get everything on track and have the game ready to ship May 21.

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Scalpers Unhappy with Capcom

An odd departure from typical game fare came in the form of a courtroom simulation game. The title was called "Phoenix Wright-Ace Attorney" for Nintendo,s handheld DS game console. The game, published by Capcom, received good reviews, but for some reason, Capcom did not replenish supplies of the game to retailers. The game finally sold out in many retail stores and subsequently became a very hard item to find. The shortage gave some individuals the opportunity to exercise their entrepreneurial spirit by scalping the suddenly rare title. Copies of the game selling for close to $90 were seen on eBay. Not a bad profit, when you consider that the original MSRP was only $29.99. You gotta love those scalpers. But this situation has changed dramatically, as Capcom has put out the word that they w...

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DS Lite A Smash In Japan

March 2nd, 2006 is the day when Nintendo™s DS Lite launched in Japan, and the response has been of Godzilla proportions. According to Yamakiyo, lines for the smaller, gentler DS handheld gaming machine appeared everywhere in Japan. The unit is already in short supply as news about problems with delivering the blue colored DS Lites were reported by Nintendo. However, in spite of the shortage of the preferred blue, fans of the new console lined up in droves for a chance at purchasing a new DS of their very own. Crowds were forming the day before as some camped out, to get a better position in line, for buying a DS Lite.

In related news, Nintendo also announced its shipping numbers of the DS Lite. Nintendo plans to make 450,000 of the DS Lites for the month of March with an additional 2...

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Nintendo's DS Lite Has the Blues

The new DS Lite handheld game console will be released on March 2nd, in Japan. As previously reported here on GamerNode, the DS Lite will come out in three colors; Ice Blue, Enamel Navy Blue, and Crystal White. But according to an official Ninrwnso statement released today and translated by Yamakio, the two blue colored editions will not be available on launch day. Nintendo said, An unexpected obstacle has arisen in the manufacturing process. The Ice Blue and Enamel Navy versions of the DS Lite are of a satisfactory build, but the assurance of a sufficient quantity [of Ice Blue and Enamel Navy DS Lites] has become difficult. We would therefore like to announce that we will be delaying the release date for these 2 DS versions to 3/11. Yamakio speculates that, ¦ [Nintendo™s] manufactur...

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DS Boktai Coming

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Downloadable DS Content Coming

North American gamers will now be able to catch up a bit with their Japanese counterparts now that Nintendo DS download stations are headed west, at least until the newest and coolest thing comes out over there and we're left to only dream. At the 2006 Dice Summit in Las Vegas, it was revealed that Nintendo has agreements with retailers such as Best Buy and GameStop while negotiations will continue with larger retailers like Wal-Mart. The DS download stations would host content such as game demos and trailers, among other things. One thing to keep in mind is that the content will be lost if the handheld device is switched off, though it is unclear when such stations will be available and what the costs may be, if any.

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