The Nintendo DS (ãã³ãã³ãã¼DS, NintendÅ DÄ«esu?), often abbreviated NDS or DS, is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo, and first released in 2004. The console features a clamshell design, with two LCD screens inside - one of which is a touch-sensitive screen.
The DS can stand for "Dual Screen" or "Developers' System," from Nintendo's belief that the system "gives game creators brand new tools which will lead to more innovative games for the world's players."[12]
On March 2, 2006, Nintendo released the Nintendo DS Lite in Japan, a redesigned system which is slimmer and lighter with brighter screens, a longer and thicker stylus for the touch screen, an improved battery, and a relocated microphone. It was released later the same year in North America, Europe, Australia, and China.
Input and output
The bottom display of the Nintendo DS is overlaid with a touch-sensitive screen, designed to accept input from the included stylus, or a curved plastic thumb tab attached to the optional wrist strap. The touch screen allows players to interact with in-game elements more directly than by pressing buttons; for example, the stylus is used in Trauma Center: Under the Knife as a scalpel to make an incision in a patient during an operation, in Pokémon Ranger to capture Pokémon, to change view in Bionicle Heroes and as a writing tool in the included chatting software, PictoChat.
The Nintendo DS stylus used for games played on the touch-screenTraditional controls are located on either side of the touch screen. To the left is a D-pad, with a narrow Power button above it, and to the right are the A, B, X, and Y buttons, with narrow Select and Start buttons above them. Shoulder buttons L and R are located on the upper corners of the lower half of the system. The overall button layout is similar to the controller of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
The Nintendo DS features stereo speakers providing virtual surround sound (depending on the software) located on either side of the upper display screen. This is a first for a Nintendo handheld, as the Game Boy line of systems has only supported stereo sound through the use of headphones or external speakers. A built-in microphone is located below the left side of the bottom screen. It has been used for a variety of purposes, including speech recognition (Nintendogs), chatting while playing online in some games (Wifi Talou Yakuman DS during gameplay; Metroid Prime: Hunters in lobby), and for minigames that require the player to blow or shout into the microphone (Feel the Magic: XY/XX, Wario Ware: Touched, etc).
Mass: 275 g (9.7 oz.)
Physical size: 148.7 x 84.7 x 28.9 mm (5.85 x 3.33 x 1.13 inches).
Screens: Two separate 3-inch TFT LCD screens, resolution of 256 x 192 pixels each, with dimensions of 62 x 46 mm and 77 mm diagonal, and a dot pitch of 0.24 mm. The gap between the screens is approximately 21mm, equivalent to about 92 "hidden" screen lines.[citation needed] Some games take this separation into account, treating the missing screen area as part of the play field; while other games disregard the gap, treating the screens as continuous.[specify] The lower display is overlaid with a resistive touch screen, which allows for touch contact with the screen (either with the included stylus, the player's finger, or the wrist strap's thumb pad) to be registered. The system is only capable of measuring one point on the screen at a time; pressing in multiple locations will result in a point in the middle of all the locations being registered.
CPUs: Two ARM processors, an ARM946E-S main CPU and ARM7TDMI co-processor at clock speeds of 67 MHz and 33 MHz respectively, with 4 MiB of main memory which requires 1.65 volts. There is also an additional 656 Kib of Video RAM[citation needed]. The ARM7 is tasked with handling audio output and the Touchscreen as well as GBA games, and the ARM9 handles the graphics and logic processing. This latter CPU interfaces with the system's custom 3D processors as well.[13]
The system's 3D hardware performs transform and lighting, texture-coordinate transformation, texture mapping, alpha blending, anti-aliasing, cel shading and z-buffering. However, it uses Point (nearest neighbor) texture filtering, leading to some titles having a blocky appearance. The system is theoretically capable of rendering 120,000 triangles per second at 60 frames per second and the pixel fill rate is 30 million pixels per second. Unlike most 3D hardware, it has a set limit on the number of triangles it can render as part of a single scene; this limit is somewhere in the region of 2048 triangles per frame at 60 FPS. This is mainly due to its use of a form of Scanline rendering which inherently restricts the number of polygons that can be drawn at a time. The 3D hardware is designed to render to a single screen at a time, so rendering 3D to both screens is difficult and can decrease performance significantly.[14]
The system has two 2D engines, one per screen. These are each quite similar to the Game Boy Advance's single 2D engine, though more powerful.
Nintendo itself claims on their website that the system can achieve superior graphics to the Nintendo 64 system. However, when it comes to 3D visuals the DS is limited more by its strict polygon budget than pixel fillrate, while the opposite is true for the Nintendo 64.[citation needed]
The unit has built-in Wi-Fi functionality, which allows communications with a standard access point to access the Internet, and with other DS units through a modified WiFi protocol created by Nintendo and partially secured using RSA security signing. The latter is used by the built-in wireless drawing and chat program, by games in non-online multiplayer mode, and to download game demos or multiplayer game software (used for DS Download Stations and multiplayer gaming with only one game card). The Internet capability is used to access the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, where users can compete with other users playing the same Wi-Fi compatible game and access other services.
[edit] Media specifications
Nintendo DS Game Card
Nintendo DS games are on small, thin "game cards", as opposed to the larger cartridges used by the Game Boy line and other previous Nintendo systems.
Media type: solid state ROM
Capacity: Up to 1 gibibit ( = 1024 Mib or 128 MB).
Write mechanism: flash media/EEPROM
Developed by: Nintendo
Physical dimensions: 33.0 Ã 35.0 Ã 3.8 mm. approx. half the width and half as thick as GBA cartridges
Weight: ~4 g
Usage: Nintendo DS media (data & storage)
Games use a proprietary solid state ROM "Game Card" format resembling the memory cards used in other portable electronic devices such as digital cameras. It currently supports cards up to 1 gigabit[15] in size. The cards always have a small amount of flash memory or an EEPROM to save user data, for example progress in a game or high scores. The game cards are 33.0 Ã 35.0 Ã 3.8 mm, and weigh around 3.5 g (1/8 ounces). Based on a blog on IGN by the developers of the game Mechassault, the 128 Mib cards have a slower data transfer rate than the more common 64 Mib cards. However the specific rates were not mentioned.
The system's code-name was "Project Nitro," which is where the letters NTR in the serial number written on the back of game cards and the system itself come from. NTR-XXX indicates the model numbers found on the original Nintendo DS and its accessories. Examples of common Nintendo DS model numbers:
NTR-001 = Nintendo DS system
NTR-002 = Nintendo DS power supply
NTR-003 = Nintendo DS battery pack
NTR-005 = Nintendo DS game card design
[edit] Firmware
Nintendo's own custom firmware boots the system. First, the user is presented with a "Health and Safety" reminder screen which must be bypassed with a button press or by touching the lower screen. Afterwards, the system boots into a custom touch screen interface, giving the player access to run either a Nintendo DS or Game Boy Advance game, use the built-in Pictochat software, or search for software to download via DS Download Play. The user can also choose to have the system automatically start any inserted game following the Health and Safety screen, bypassing the menu.
The PictoChat program, which is permanently stored on the unit, allows users to communicate with other Nintendo DS users within a small range over the wireless network by text, handwriting, or drawings, using the DS's touch screen and stylus for input, or a small visual keyboard on the screen. If one is to enter a chatroom with a gamecard inside, but then pulls it out while still in the room, both DS screens will display one single fill of color, and the system must be reset.
The DS's main menu also features an alarm clock and the ability to set preferences for boot priority (booting to games when inserted, or always booting to the main menu), Game Boy Advance game screen usage (top or bottom), and user information (name, date of birth, favorite color, time, etc.)
Nintendo has stated that DS firmware and games could be expandable with the Wii, thanks to the console's WiiConnect24 internet service.
[edit] Download play
Main article: DS Download Play
In selected titles (Including but not limited to Mario Kart DS, New Super Mario Bros. and Meteos), it is possible to play multiplayer games with other Nintendo DS users using only one game card. The maximum distance for this to be effective is about 60 feet. The Nintendo DS unit downloads the necessary data from another unit running the game. There is also a multiplayer Wi-Fi feature. At certain hotspots, or Wi-Fi enabled areas, you can hook up and play with DS owners around the world.
DS Download Play is an adaptation of the Game Boy Advance's popular "single cartridge multiplayer" feature, adapted to support the system's wireless link capabilities; players without the game search for and download content, while players with the game broadcast it. Some games also use this feature to transmit a playable demo of the game to players who do not own a copy. This downloaded data is typically available as long as the DS receiving the game remains on.
Also, in November 2004, Nintendo announced plans to make download kiosks available to certain retail stores and other public places that would transmit a signal for a Nintendo DS in the area to download a demo of a game using the DS Download Play feature. As of 2006, there are now download kiosks placed in select EB Games, GameStop, Game Crazy, Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, and Target stores. As with normal Download Play, the downloaded demo(s) are not permanent, and will be deleted when the system is shut down. Nintendo has also said that they may begin providing downloadable demos or other content directly from a user's Wii console system using the online store channel built into the system.
[edit] Compatibility
The Nintendo DS is compatible with Game Boy Advance (GBA) cartridges; the smaller Nintendo DS Game Cards fit into Slot 1 on the top of the system, while Game Boy Advance games fit into Slot 2 on the bottom of the system. The Nintendo DS is not compatible with games for the Game Boy Color and the original Game Boy, due to a slightly different form factor and the absence of the Zilog Z80-like processor used in these systems. The lack of a Game Boy Advance style Link port on the Nintendo DS also made it to be not compatible with connecting to the Nintendo GameCube using the GameCube cable or connecting to other Game Boy Advance using Game Link cable.
The Nintendo DS only uses one screen when playing Game Boy Advance games. The user can configure the system to use either the top or bottom screen. The games are displayed within a black border on the screen, due to the slightly different screen resolution between the two systems - (256 Ã 192px (approx. .05 megapixels) for the Nintendo DS, and 240 Ã 160px (approx. .04 megapixels) for the Game Boy Advance).
Some Nintendo DS games inserted into Slot 1 are able to detect the presence of specific Game Boy Advance games in Slot 2. In many such games, extra content can be unlocked or added by starting the Nintendo DS game with the appropriate Game Boy Advance game inserted. Also available are "Option Paks", namely the Rumble Pak that vibrates when used with compatible games, and the Nintendo DS Memory Expansion Pak, which supplies extra RAM for the Nintendo DS Browser.
[edit] Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
Main article: Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is an online service run by Nintendo to facilitate free Internet play in compatible Nintendo DS and Wii games through a wireless internet connection. The service was launched in North America on November 14, 2005 with the release of Mario Kart DS and Tony Hawk's American Sk8land, and later in Europe and Japan. The Nintendo DS Browser, a version of the Opera browser, allows the system to be used to read web sites.
[edit] Battery life
The Nintendo DS contains a rechargeable lithium ion battery. The expected battery life ranges from 14 to 20 hours on a full four-hour charge.[16] After five hundred charges, the battery capacity drops to about seventy percent[citation needed] and should be replaced. Battery life is reduced primarily by use of back lighting. It is also reduced by high speaker volume, use of second screen, use of the built-in Wi-Fi, and other factors such as temperature.
The battery is designed to be removed only when it expires and must be replaced. It is removable with the use of a Phillips-head screwdriver. Removing the battery will cause the Nintendo DS to prompt the user to re-enter the unit's settings (user's birthday, name, etc.), unless the battery is swapped within seconds of the previous battery's removal, but it will not affect saved data on Nintendo DS Game Cards or Game Boy Advance Game Paks.
To sustain battery life in the midst of a game, users can close the Nintendo DS system, which will then put the DS in sleep mode with the game being played paused. A system in sleep mode can run for several hundred hours without completely draining the battery. However, sleep mode does not function with Game Boy Advance games; the game will continue to run normally, including the back light. Certain DS games (such as Animal Crossing Wild World) also will not pause, but the backlight, screens and speakers will turn off.
[edit] Regional division
The Nintendo DS is region free in the sense that any console will run a Nintendo DS game purchased anywhere in the world; it is the same system everywhere. However, the Chinese version games can only be played on the Chinese iQue DS, whose larger firmware chip contains the required Chinese character glyph images.[citation needed] Nintendo DS's from other regions cannot play Chinese games, but the iQue DS can play games of other regions. Also, as with Game Boy games, some games that require both players to have a Nintendo DS Game Card for multiplayer will not work together if the games are from different regions (e.g. a Japanese Nintendo DS game may not work with a North American Nintendo DS game, though some titles, such as Mario Kart DS, are mutually compatible). With the addition of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, certain games can be played over the Internet with users of a different region game.
Some Wi-Fi enabled games (e.g. Mario Kart DS, or Animal Crossing: Wild World) allow the selection of opponents by region. The options are Continent and Worldwide, as well as two non-location-specific settings. This allows the player to limit competitors to only those opponents based in the same geographical area. This is generally determined through the internal region of the software (i.e. Japanese releases will automatically search for other users of the Japanese version, and so forth).
[edit] Accessories
Main article: Nintendo DS accessories
Game Boy Advance game slot on Game Boy Advance (above) and Nintendo DS (below).Although the secondary port on the Nintendo DS does accept and support Game Boy Advance cartridges (but not Game Boy, and Game Boy Color cartridges), Nintendo has emphasized that its main intention for its inclusion was to allow a wide variety of accessories to be released for the system, the Game Boy Advance compatibility titles being a logical extension.
Nintendo announced at E³ 2005 that it would launch "Headset Accessories" for VoIP enabled games. (This will plug into the VoIP plug next to the Ear Phone jack, not the Game Boy Advance slot.)
[edit] Rumble Pak
Main article: Rumble Pak
The Rumble Pak was the first official expansion slot accessory. In the form of a Game Boy Advance cartridge, the Rumble Pak vibrates to reflect the action in compatible games, such as when the player bumps into an obstacle or loses a life. It was released in North America and Japan in 2005, as a separate accessory and bundled with Metroid Prime Pinball[17] A specially designed Rumble Pak was released in Japan in late May 2006 for the Nintendo DS Lite[18] The cartridge is about 1 cm shorter to prevent it from protruding out of the Nintendo DS Lite as standard Game Boy Advance cartridges do.
[edit] Nintendo DS Headset
The Nintendo DS Headset is the official headset for the Nintendo DS. It plugs into the headset port (which is a combination of a standard 3.5mm headphone connector and a proprietary microphone connector) on the bottom of the system. It features one earphone and a microphone, and is compatible with all games that use the internal microphone. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2006.[19] The headset was released on April 22, 2007 in North America, along side Pokemon Diamond & Pearl, the first game to have built in voice chat. It is also being released in Australia on June 23, 2007, along side Pokemon Diamond & Pearl.
[edit] Opera Internet browser
Main article: Nintendo DS Browser
On February 15, 2006, Nintendo announced a version of the cross-platform web browser Opera for the DS system.[20] The browser can use one screen as an overview, a zoomed portion of which appears on the other screen, or both screens together to present a single tall view of the page.[21] The browser went on sale in Japan[22] and Europe[23] in 2006. Releases in other regions are expected in 2007. A release date has been set for the US release June 4th, 2007. Read: http://ds.ign.com/articles/771/771323p1.html for more information.
[edit] Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector
Main article: Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector
This USB-flash-disk-sized accessory plugs into a PC's USB port and creates a miniature hotspot, allowing up to five Nintendo DS units to connect to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service through the host computer's Internet connection. The only operating system currently supported by the Wi-Fi USB Connector's software is Microsoft Windows XP.
[edit] Nintendo MP3 Player
Main article: Play-Yan
On December 8, 2006, Nintendo launched an MP3 player accessory for the DS in Europe for a €30 price tag. The add-on uses SD cards and an odd 8-bit style GUI. The cause for such a low bit GUI is that to run MP3s the DS is forced to use the ARM9 processor, which is also used for running the GUI and most of the game code. Running MP3s on the ARM9 is claimed to use about 95% of it, however this is unlikely as ARM cores running at less then half its speed can easily decode MP3 and handle a simple display.[24] Other non-Nintendo brand compact flash (CF) memory card readers which claim to turn the DS into a "multimedia powerhouse" have been released and are available at retail stores such as Wal-mart. The CF readers can view MPEG4 videos and play WMA and MP3 music files, as well as being commonly used to hold pirated Nintendo ds games. Among the most popular are the Revolution4 slot 1 device, the M3 perfect, and the Supercard. They retail for $40.
[edit] Marketing and sales
Manufacturer Nintendo
Product family Nintendo DS
Type Handheld game console
Generation Seventh generation era
First available NA November 21, 2004
JP December 2, 2004
AU February 24, 2005
EU March 11, 2005
CH July 23, 2005
CPU One 67 MHz ARM946E-S (ARM) and one 33 MHz ARM7TDMI
Media GBA cartridges
Nintendo DS Game Cards
System storage Cartridge save, 4 MiB RAM
Connectivity Wi-Fi and Local Wireless
Online service Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, LAN
Units sold Worldwide(including DS lite): 37.6 million+ see below[1]
NA 10,419,000 as of January 31, 2006[2]
JP 16,207,298 as of 16 April 2007[3]
Other 11,000,000 as of December 31, 2006[1]
Top-selling game New Super Mario Bros. (8.64 million, 4.26 million in Japan,[4] 2.13 million in US,[5] 1.0 million in Europe)[6]
Predecessor Game Boy micro - technically; The DS is not the successor to the Game Boy line[7][8][9][10][11]
Successor Nintendo DS Lite (redesign)