DS Lite
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Two new DS Lite models, both branded & bundled
Nintendo's making a final push to indoctrinate the rest of the world's pet-deprived tweens and twenty-something geeks, according to a new Sears ad. Come "Black Friday," two more DS Lite models will hit retail ($150 ea.), each branded and bundled with a corresponding game.There's the metallic pink Pound Puppies Nintendogs case, complete with (bloody?) paw print and game -- which reminds us, our lil' pixelated Shih Tzu hasn't been fed in about two years ... Anyways, moving on: there's also the gold-sprayed Zelda unit, (spotted a few weeks ago and) bundled with Phantom Hourglass, featuring the Triforce logo for those of us not quite ready for the more-permanent expression of our faith.[Via DS Fanboy]
Sears ad shows off two new DS Lite models
Well, it looks like those that have yet to take the plunge on a DS Lite will soon have two more models competing for their attention, as evidenced by this Sears "Black Friday" ad that recently turned up online. As you can see, one of the models is a Zelda: Phantom Hourglass model, although it's a good deal more subtle than the one spotted earlier this month. The other is a metallic pink Nintendogs: Best Friends model, which gets in its cross-branding with equal subtlety. Both models also come bundled with their respective games although, at $150 apiece, those looking for the best bargain will likely be able to do better with a non-coordinated model.[Via Digg]
Nintendo DS gets 1seg tuner, too -- watch out PSP
Maybe you know the deal with 1seg, but in case you don't, it's Japan's new(ish) native-brewed broadcast digital TV service technology that devices like the PSP -- and now the Nintendo DS -- are rocking. Granted, we can't help but thinking the way this cartridge is going to jut out the back of one's DS is hardly elegant compared to Sony's much more densely designed solution, but the Japanese obsession with the DS knows no bounds, so godspeed, 'Tendo. This dongle will sell for ¥6800 (about $60 USD) when it goes on sale in Japan on November 20th.[Via Engadget Japanese and Akihabara News]
Gilded Zelda DS Lite on the horizon?
Apparently, the gold DS Lite you see tucked away in the lower-left hand corner of the picture above could soon be coming to retail stores, which to be honest, wouldn't shock us considering the smorgasbord of colors already out there. Reportedly, the photograph was snapped at the Nintendo World Store as Phantom Hourglass launched, and to make things even more interesting, a certain individual has also claimed that his company has received orders from the Big N to design graphics for a "BOX, SYST GOLD W/ZELDA: HOUR USG." Even if legitimate, it remains to be seen if the elusive new portable will simply be a limited run for contests or if it'll hit shelves en masse, but it's hard to argue how well a gilded Zelda DS Lite bundle would sell this holiday season.[Via DSFanboy]Read - Gold DS & Phantom Hourglass BundleRead - Zelda DS Lite Bundle Coming Soon?
Paste Donkey Kong on photo, win a DS lite and DK Jungle Climber
Do people exist somewhere that don't own this system? If the Japanese sales charts are to be believed, then there have been enough Nintendo DS systems sold so that every man, woman, child, and dog on the planet could have one of these. And a spare.However, if you are DS-less and have a hankering to get onboard with the action, and you have some rudimentary photochopping skills, then try your hand at the Nintendo DS/DK contest at SmugMug. All you have to do is paste the little guy climbing to the top of pretty much anything, and then submit it. Keep in mind though, images must be under 12 mb in size (good gawd).It's a pretty easy contest to enter, and the swag is well worth the time, so why not whip something up and get in? We made one in just a few seconds (hint, it's the image for this post) so you should trump our skillz easily and submit it to them. Check out the rules on their site. Also, the comment on the first (and only) entry that's up so far is ... priceless. Ahh, the internets.
Nintendo confirms red and black DS, launching August 21st
Plain white had a good run, but Nintendo is bringing other parts of the rainbow to the US at last, with a new red and black DS Lite that'll be shipping bundled with Brain Age 2. The rumored pair are officially hitting the shelves August 21st for $150, says Nintendo, and while we can't guarantee the new color scheme will help boost your IQ, at least you'll look a tad more refined scribbling furiously on a "Crimson and Onyx" handheld.[Via Joystiq]
Arkanoid DS keeps it real with attachable knob controller
Sure, using your fingertips to control gameplay was novel at first, but we scarcely-satisfied geeks are always looking for more elaborate control schemes to wrap our sweaty palms around. For DS owners who just so happen to adore Arkanoid, that fantasy will soon be coming true, as the Arkanoid DS title will reportedly play nice with "a special controller resembling the arcade controller (complete with the knob)," and will be available in silver, white, black, and pink. As if you couldn't have guessed, both the game and the oh-so-enthralling controller have only been confirmed for a Japanese release, but here's to hoping we Americans get our chance too, even if it's a few months later.[Via Joystiq]
Crimson / black DS Lite for sale in America?
Alright kids, no more complaining that Canada gets all the good stuff. 'Course, all of us North Americans still have a bone to pick with Japan and South Korea, but that's another story for another day. Apparently, the crimson / black DS Lite that snuck up on us last week at Future Shop has made its way south to the US of A -- or at least, it had. According to DSFanboy, GameStop had the specially colored bundle (which included Brain Age 2 but sadly omitted the carrying case) listed on it's website for $149.99, but now it seems that the item has been yanked. Keep your eyes peeled Americans, it ought to pop back up in due time.[Via DSFanboy]
An effortful DIY alternative to a rumbling DS Lite
Those with loads of disposable income probably wouldn't mind ponying up for the relatively inexpensive rumble cartridge made specifically for Nintendo's DS Lite, but the frugal (and engineering) sets will certainly appreciate Xyzzy's efforts. After dissecting a Pokemon Pinball GBA game and ripping the rumble motor from a salvaged Nokia 5100, he put his circuitry knowledge to work and conjured up a rumble device that fit flush in the DS Lite and cost him nothing more than a little blood, sweat, and tears. Be warned, however, that this guide isn't for the faint of heart (or those who don't natively speak in 1s and 0s), but feel free to tag the read link and get busy if you dare.[Via Joystiq]
Crimson / Black DS Lite up for pre-order at Canadian retailer
While there doesn't appear to have been any official announcement from Nintendo as of yet, Canadian retailer Future Shop is now offering a new "Crimson/Black" DS Lite, which so far appears to only be available in a bundle with Brain Age 2. What's not clear is if this is exclusive to Canada (or, less likely, exclusive to Future Shop), but it seems like we should be hearing more about it soon enough, as it's apparently set to be released on August 20th (coinciding with the launch of Brain Age 2). While those in the states are out of luck for the time being, our Canadian friends can pre-order order the bundle now (which also includes a nifty carrying case) for $159.99 Canadian (or just over $150US).[Via RedFlagDeals]
Gloss Silver and Metallic Pink DS Lites now available for import
The new DS Lites have been released in Japan and have shown up on import shopping sites. That's right, for only $179 + shipping, you can have a DS Lite in one of the two new Japan-exclusive colors! You have your choice of Like the Regular DS Phat Color but on a Lite, or Like the Pink One but Shinier. Sure, you pay a premium, but it may be worth it to have a DS that looks somewhat different from other DS's in the immediate area. Depends on how you feel about the new colors! What do you think-- Gloss Silver or Gross Silver? Metallic Pink or Me-tacky Pink?
Rumor: Enamel Navy no more?
The morning's whisperings, hushed under raucous E3 speculation, indicate that the Enamel Navy DS Lite's days could be numbered. Supposedly, Nintendo will be halting all production of the Japan-and-China-only version of the handheld by the end of the month. We don't favor its termination, but considering Nintendo's recent introduction of two new tints to the DS Lite line, Metallic Rose and Gloss Silver, trimming the number of available colors might be in the company's best interest. Expect to see import and auction prices for this endangered edition shoot up to the heavens.Farewell, Enamel Navy! We hardly knew ye.
Everyone on the Internet should buy Spelling Challenges
Well, this is a start to solving the Internet's problems. Next up: Learning the Difference Between "Your" and "You're" Challenges!We've received some screenshots of Crave's Spelling Challenges and More!, the spelling-based game show game with over 25,000 words to spell. We can see a sort of Jumble-style anagram game called "Mish Mash" and a "Bomb Blast" game that gives players a limited time to pick out a correctly spelled word from a group of horrible mistakes.The game uses a very simplistic, clean presentation that we find appealing. Not every educational game needs a charismatic floating head.%Gallery-4721%[Via press release]
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games screens
Everyone's eager to see what Sonic and Mario's first collaboration will look like, right? Well, here it is! The DS version, anyway. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games looks pretty okay! We don't really know what else to say about it. It's in 3D, and includes, at the very least, long jump, archery, hammer throw, and some kind of track event.Sonic and Tails are participating in the manner of the ancient Olympians-- nude. We don't know if they've covered themselves in olive oil as the Greeks did, and we hope we never find out. We hope nobody ever finds out.%Gallery-4700%
Kururin Doughnuts randomly appears on Gametrailers with English subtitle
Is Kururin Doughnuts getting localized? You probably don't remember this as the donut-starring platformer with bonus dessert recipes that we highlighted back in March. It was released in Japan last week, and now some gameplay footage has appeared on Gametrailers.The mere existence of the video on Gametrailers isn't conclusive proof of anything, since undeniably Japanese clips of Stock Trader Shun, Let's Try Fortune Telling DS, and our favorite, Doki Doki Majo Shinpan, were uploaded on the same day. But what piqued our interest was the subtitle given to the game: Enchanted Pastry. It's not just a translation of the Japanese subtitle, Okashi na Recipe (Recipe for Sweets)-- so where did Gametrailers get it? Either they made it up or there's a US trailer involved. Or something else. Enjoy some video after the break![Via Game|Life]
Touching is good at Safeco Field
The Seattle Mariners baseball team is trying a new pilot program at Safeco Field that lets fans watch replays and live feeds of the game, answer trivia questions, and even order food from the relative comfort of their sticky bleachers. Sound interesting? Oh, we forgot one detail: all of this uses the DS.For a $5 fee ($30 for 10 games), access to the Nintendo Fan Network software is granted. Two download points in the stadium broadcast the software wirelessly. We're glad to see Nintendo getting some mileage out of that baseball team they bought. They've certainly got our interest with this context-sensitive non-game. We want to go to a baseball game now.[Thanks, Dave and Matt!]
Animal Crossing styli to help Tom Nook pay for his hot tub
Hey, a thing with Animal Crossing characters on it! Must buy! Seriously, Nintendo did a bad thing by making a game full of super-adorable characters and then designing it such that players are required to interact with these characters on a daily schedule. Then, when you see Tutu or whoever on a toy, you feel more compelled to buy it because you've formed somewhat of a relationship.We recognize this manipulation, but it still works. We may have to buy that Snowman stylus. We love the snowman.
User-created content in N+
Metanet just announced the winners of their SUBLIME (Submit Unique and Brilliant Levels to Metanet Event) competition, in which they asked fans to do their work for them design new levels for the DS, PSP, and XBox Live Arcade versions of N+. 29 user-created levels made the cut for the DS version, including "Endless Flight?" seen above. User-created levels on the retail cartridge? So awesome.In addition to the honor of having their level in the game, winners get a free copy of N+. As cool as this contest is, we hope it isn't a substitute for an in-game level editor.[Via GameSetWatch]
Namco Museum screens are as new as Namco Museum screens can be
We've seen countless releases of the Namco Museum collections over the years. We remember feeling quite special about the Playstation versions-- they were the real versions of real arcade games! At home! But now the Namco Museum series is, itself, old. How old?Valkyrie no Densetsu (1989) was eight years old when it was released on Namco Museum Vol. 5. The original Namco Museum Playstation game is eleven years old. In other words, Namco Museum is now older, in relative terms, than a game that was old enough for Namco Museum.Speaking of the Playstation editions, the new Namco Museum DS has something not seen since those days: an actual museum mode, in the form of a trophy collection and music player, as well as scanned instructions and flyers. Relatively newer features include bottom-screen maps and hints for Galaga (?), Xevious, and The Tower of Druaga. Of course, the most exciting relatively-new thing is Pac-Man Vs., which, now that it won't require so much of a financial outlay, we may actually try with another person.%Gallery-4650%
Find painting zen on the DS
Mercury Games is planning to release a series of Ertain's non-competitive DS games in the West as "Zen Games." The first game scheduled is something that recently popped up at the Renchi sale, in its Japanese incarnation as Kokoro wo Yasumeru Otona no Nurie DS. It'll be called Paint by DS here, and its user interface appears to have undergone a cosmetic makeover. Since it obviously has the same pictures, we assume that the minigames and puzzles are still there as well.We were pretty interested in the Japanese version (as some of you seemed to be), so we're pleased to have the chance to check this out whenever it comes out in the US. It'll be out in Europe on the 24th of August.[Via Game|Life]
