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Front Mission port announced
The popular turn-based strategy franchise Front Mission is seeing an installment hit the DS in Front Mission The First. A port of the first game in the series, Front Mission The First is said to feature new mechs (Wanzers) that were not included in the original title, as well as Glen Duval from Front Mission 5. Other details are unavailable at this time, as well as any screens for the upcoming game.[Via Go Nintendo]
Pokemon pack-ins
It seems that limited edition DS Lites aren't the only thing designed to get gamers in Japan excited for Pokemon Diamond/Pearl. These exclusive keychain things are available to the first one hundred gamers who pick up either title at select retail spots in Japan. Gotta catch 'em all, amirite?See also: Pokemon Diamond/Pearl sites Pokemon Diamond/Pearl Wi-Fi details [Via Go Nintendo]
New DS colors this September?
The US has been very patient with our white DS Lite's. We have twiddled our thumbs while other countries got way cooler DS colors like blue, pink and black. Now, some of us have been lucky enough to get a black DS (not trying to brag here) and we understand that it is way sexy. Yes, white is appealing and it has a few advantages (fingerprints are harder to see, for example). But we are ready for variety. We want to have to rack our brains over which color we will spend $130 on. Rumors are floating around that we may have that choice yet. September 10, the appointed day, just might bring diversity to our DS Lite in the form of pink and black. Don't get too excited. These rumors have been heard before. We just hope they will turn out to be true. [Via Go Nintendo]
DS Lite + Sock = carrying case?
We remember seeing mistakes like this for the GameBoy Micro and yes, they are still a mistake. Well, if you have absolutely no need for more than one DS game and maybe one GameBoy Advance game? How about if you are wanting to travel light (no pun intended)? Maybe? No, there is no way to justify this. Best thing is they want you to pay $7 for it when you could easily go chop up one of your own winter socks and wham! Instant DS Lite case. We would feel safer keeping this in our backpocket than in that. [Via Siliconera]
Toys R Us DS Lite promo
So you don't want to spend $130 on a DS Lite? What about, say, $111? That number sounds a little better huh? Toys R Us has a special running where you can buy a Nintendo DS Lite for $110.49. We know that you can do this online by entering the code TRUS15P_sd2fh3 when checking out and shipping is included in the $110. But we aren't sure if this is available if you walk into a Toys R Us. Anyway, it saves you a few bucks if you are a saver and saving an extra 20 bucks means the world to you. [Via Go Nintendo]
"Mobile Battery Slim" DS Lite battery charger
Given the DS Lite's already impressive battery life, we're not sure how big a market there is for a mobile battery charger, but if you want to be able to bust out a few more Electroplankton tunes on your next cross-country road trip, this may be just your fix. Exact details are a bit hard to discern, but JTT's "Mobile Battery Slim" will apparently give your DS Lite's battery a boost when your stuck without a power outlet, although it's not clear how much of a charge it'll give you, or for that matter, if you can just power the DS directly from the battery for some non-stop gaming. What's more, while it's obviously designed primarily for use with the DS, it'll also work with FOMA or KDDI cellphones with the optional adapters, or even a digital camera or PSP. The battery itself is charged either through a USB connection or an AC adapter. Look for it to hit the streets in Japan later this month for a reasonable 3,800 Yen (just over $30 US).[Via DS Fanboy]
DS Lite external battery
This isn't the first external battery we have seen for the DS Lite but it is the sexiest if we do say ourselves. Granted the designs are similar, but this one comes with a normal plug and a USB charger. So we have established that the design is nice but one does wonder how much power this little gadget has. The pictures show it working along with a PSP and a camera. The site mentions the date August 19 as well. What do you think? Is this a must have accessory or DS Lite owners? [Via Go Nintendo]
Nintendo fesses up to DS Lite hinge defect, will fix for free
We suppose it's a bit of a stretch to call Nintendo's DS Lite hinge problem -- which according to Nintendo affects 0.02 percent of shipped units -- much of a defect, but the big N has heard the cries of its users, and will now fix the problem for free. Multiple Lite-o-holics have reported a small crack on the left side of the hinge that holds the two screens together, and even our pals over at Joystiq have encountered the problem. Up until now Nintendo was charging $50 to repair the incidental damage, as it was considered outside of warranty, but now they're changing their tune with free repairs for all. This keeps up with their track record of consumer love, which they established with the "single dead pixel" policy on the original DS. Thanks Nintendo, we love you too.
Nintendo plays numbers game, loses
Nintendo's most recent press release exhibits the interesting quality of simultaneously telling us something we already knew and something we didn't. The first part should be fairly obvious if you boast any familiarity with portly Italian plumbers: New Super Mario Bros. for the DS is a huge success in North America -- certainly nothing worthy of a collective gasp. Selling over 500,000 copies since its May release, the shell-smashing, block-bashing retro platforming trip has practically given Nintendo permission to nonchalantly reach into your pocket, feel around for a few seconds and make off with your wallet. What we weren't aware of, however, is that Nintendo really should have been sticking their hand into your front shirt pocket. That's where your calculator is. Nintendo claims that after "just 35 days on store shelves," the game has had a sell-through rate of "more than 20 every minute since the game went on sale May 15." O RLY?Be sure to mock us if our primitive thought processes are incorrect, but let's consider for a moment that there are 24 hours in a day and 60 minutes in an hour. That's 1,440 minutes a day, and so the 35 days that New Super Mario Bros. has been on sale (even though it's been longer than that now) equates to 50,400 minutes. Divide 500,000 by that number and we get ... just under 10 copies sold per minute. Had Nintendo actually sold 20 copies per minute, they would have already hit over a million, and we're pretty sure that would warrant a press release all on its own. Dr. Kawashima is going to be so disappointed.
Yu Yu Hakasho bound for DS
A new scan from Japanese magazine V-Jump reveals news that is sure to send some anime and manga fans into joyous poses amidst rapidly scrolling backgrounds. Yu Yu Hakasho is destined for our favorite dual-screen device, though our inability to decode the Japanese language prevents us from sharing anything further. Since Funimation's picked the show up for American distribution, there's a glimmer of a chance that this one might make it across the ocean, but don't hold your breath. You'll need the air to scream about that Bleach game which has yet to be localized.
Black DS Lite's flesh compared to PSP, DS Phat
Spudstercool, the tipster that sent us shots of the black DS Lite yesterday, was busy last night taking a few more photos of his black DS Lite alongside his PSP and now discarded DS Phat. This thing is hawt. Some answers to questions in the earlier comments thread: The DS Phat goes for around £70 on eBay.co.uk although GAME stores will give you £40 towards a DS Lite if you give them your DS Phat. The North American release date for the black DS Lite is, as yet, unannounced. You can import a U.K. DS Lite to your country without worrying about region encoding for games, but you'll still need to figure out a way of converting the UK DS Lite's 3-pin 230V/50Hz power adapter to your local mains power.
Behold the black DS Lite
A mysterious fellow, wishing only to be known as Spudstercool, managed to get his finely manicured hands on an unnervingly attractive Black DS Lite, several days before its anticipated European release. We're not sure what UK retailer he works for, but we now have to assume that trenchcoats and pencil-shaped cameras are integral to their uniforms. If you manage a games store and recently viewed one of your salesmen entering an office, only for bright shafts of light to briefly pour through the blinds, you'd best be suspicious. You've either got a spy or an unstable superhero in your midst.[Thanks, Spudstercool! You're our hero.]
An injeanious DS Lite case (and a very bad pun)
Having decided that a mere pocket wasn't enough to protect his brand new DS Lite and games, inventive blogger John Spain decided to grab a pair of old jeans and thoroughly molest it with a rotary cutter, copious amounts of glue and intricate Origami-style folding techniques. The DS-friendly end result is nothing short of amazing, proving yet again that pants are far better off in the hands of a bored man than on the legs of a busy one.That sounded a little weird.[Thanks jps!]
Poll: Did you get a DS Lite yesterday?
The DS Lite finally launched in the US yesterday, a fact which didn't go entirely unnoticed by the nation's Nintendo fans. We'd like you to take part in our vaguely comprehensive and entirely unscientific poll as we attempt to measure your post-purchase satisfaction, if indeed you were lured to stores in the first place. Did you get a DS Lite yesterday? Yes! I sense that my life has somehow improved. Yes! Too bad it's a piece of junk. Yes! It's not all that different from the old model. No! I'll get a Lite once the nerd rush has passed. No! I'm happy with my Phat, thank you very much. No! I imported mine like, a century ago. No! I don't even have the old DS. Or friends. It's not out in Europe yet. Thanks for rubbing it in, jerk.
DS Lite buyer's guide -- pimp my Lite
With the US release of the DS Lite close enough for us to begin using the word "impending", our favorite quad-colored insurrectionists have posted an excellent buyer's guide to aid you in the inevitable hunt for games and accessories. The guide details the Lite's many improvements over the old model, explains how to transfer your Wi-Fi settings between the two and lists 7 DS games you cannot be without. We found the section on accessories to be particularly informative, with several popular rappers chiming in on the hottest items you can use to pimp and protect your Lite.Who knew that Snoop Dogg was dependent on a USB charger? "He is a busy man, what with all the pimping his schedule requires and the dropping of items as if they were hot. This is why the Doggfather keeps a USB cable for his DS handy. Using one of these, you can charge your DS Lite anytime and anywhere a USB PC port is available. Though its convenience may sound expensive, the $5 cost ain't nuthin' but a cheap thang." 4 Color Rebellion has the guide in flash, PDF, and shizzle formats. [Thanks, shiftup!]
Nintendo to Touch Generations
Nintendo of America have announced that as of June, they'll be rebranding many of their DS "non-games" under the Touch Generations label. As the name suggests, this move supports Nintendo's continuing desire to expand the gaming demographic and to reach out to those who are under the impression that gaming's all about shooting space pirates and smashing blocks with your head. Currently available games to fall under the brand are Brain Age, Nintendogs, Tetris DS and True Swing Golf. These will be followed by Big Brain Academy, Magnetica and Sudoku Gridmaster later in the year. If all goes according to Nintendo's plan, it won't be long before Grandma and Grandpa start swinging canes because someone forgot to feed the little Nintendoggy. [Thanks AssemblyLineHuman!]
Nintendo urges Australia to train brains
When they're not busy putting shrimp on the barbie or rolling their eyes at annoying stereotypes, Australians are enjoying gaming just as much as the rest of us are. In particular, they'll get to enjoy the DS Lite before most of America, with the system already launching down under on Thursday, 1 June. It seems that the system will also include a demo version of Brain Training (as it's called in Japan) in the box, something we hope is repeated for the US Lite launch. Let's hope they have better luck saying "BLUE!" than the rest of the world did. [Via 4cr]
Japan feels Lite rumble
Sickened by enormous GBA cartridges protruding awkwardly from their precious DS Lites, the folks over at Nintendo of Japan have seen fit to release a teeny tiny version of the Rumble Pak, that wondrous device that shakes about in your DS in unison with the blasts of Samus' arsenal. The new Lite Rumble Pak is made to suit the stylings of the newer system very closely, fitting snugly into the GBA slot for some discreet vibrating action in-between train stations. A US release shouldn't be too far behind the Lite launch. [Via DSLite Blog, thanks Thomas!]
Is that a black DS Lite?
Straight from the pages of a new Famitsu issue comes this gobsmacking black beauty--or is it just that tricky paintjob on the Enamel Navy unit fooling us again? Regardless, we're still betting on that color showing up at the Lite's North American launch. Anyone care to translate that text for us? We'll pay you in red herrings.[Via 4cr]
Japanese hardware sales: Now with added numerical goodness!
Several readers suggested last week that, for the next sales chart update, I should increase the general number of, uh, numbers. Since you all asked so nicely and threatened me so politely, I have done just that. In addition, I'll post a summary sales chart at the end of each month - I don't want to clutter things up too much in the weekly updates. Right, on to the Japanese hardware sales charts for the week ranging from 10 April to 16 April. The ranking, according to number of units sold, is a follows: DS Lite: 140,969 13,762 Phat DS: 37,204 12,621 PS2: 27,549 1,347 PSP: 26,340 4,225 GBA SP: 6,372 1,161 Game Boy Micro: 3,676 573 Xbox 360: 1926 14 Gamecube: 1,080 144 GBA: 46 64 Xbox: 30 16 Lots of mean, red arrows this week. Just about every platform fared a little worse, with the DS Lite taking the biggest dive. Luckily, all those other platforms will break its fall at the bottom.Previously: Lite still on top (3 April - 9 April) The Lite fantastic (27 March - 2 April) Lite on its feet (20 March - 26 March)
