Nintendo DS latest news

Entr0pi3 · Post by **Entr0pi3** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 1:44 pm

http://ds.advancedmn.com/article.php?artid=3341

So, the new NDS looks like an Apple product. Nice, though a bit unoriginal (I like the dark blue version, though. Yet no reason to switch as long as my old NDS still works)

But the most interesting part of the news, IMO, is the Opera web browser add-on (sold as a regular game card) :

Confirming our original report, the Opera Web browser add-on has been confirmed for DS. In addition to this, the browser will not be firmware. It is also now known that the forthcoming Nintendo DS web browser will fully utilize the properties of the portable device. Web pages on the DS will span both screens of the handheld, with the touch screen functioning for forms of input. The browser will also fully recognize stylus movements associated with the touch screen in order to adjust the viewing angle of the bottom screen.

The Opera software is currently slated to release in Japan during the month of June at the price of 3800 yen, roughly $30, and will include ATOK Kanji conversion software.

The Opera browser is well known for being the best browser for handeld devices (PDA or smart-phones).
And this version might actually be the best one so far: by using the top screen as a close-up and the bottom screen as a global view of the page, it gets rid of the biggest problems with browsers for handelds, aka how to deal with the small screen size/low resolution (when web pages aren't optimized for such devices)

To me, this is great news, as such connectivity functionality (teh interweb in my pocket, with a convenient input scheme

) interests me much more than, say, multimedia features. It would be nice to have some official PDA software as well, now (my old PDA is quite le suck, especially when it comes to battery life... + I have no room for both a NDS and a PDA in my pocket

)

The TV tuner thingy isn't as exciting, IMO, since it will probably only work in Japan, and I don't really care much for TV programs to begin with, anyway (especially on such a small screen).

Calbrena · Post by **Calbrena** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 2:21 pm

Turning my DS into a cheap PDA sounds delightful, hope this will be available in Europe soon

And I'm not really interested in the TV tuner either, watching TV on such a small screen sounds as retarded as watching movies on the PSP to me

Lord Golbez · Post by **Lord Golbez** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:01 pm

I agree, but the thing is, I don't see how watching TV on a small screen is any worse than playing games on a small screen. Thus I continue my perennial rant against all things portable.

Calbrena · Post by **Calbrena** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:39 pm

hmmm actually maybe it's not that bad for TV, it's just that I'm not interested in TV anyway.

But watching movies on a portable is retarded as even a TV screen is often too small for movies as they're made to be watched on a big screen. As for games it depends what you play I suppose, but puzzle games and 2D rpgs are fine on a small screen imo

Lord Golbez · Post by **Lord Golbez** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:53 pm

Mrh...I'd like to be able to see the numbers and words without straining....

Entr0pi3 · Post by **Entr0pi3** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 6:54 pm

LG, there's a typo in your sig

Games from the 8-16 bits era were all pretty low res, you know. But still quite playable (even for text heavy games), weren't they?
The NES was 256x224, same thing for the SNES! (though it had a special 512x448 hi-res mode, this one got barely ever used in any game)
This isn't much different from the GBA (240x160) or the NDS (256x192).
Sure, the screen is smaller, but you're closer from it, so things normally balance themselves.

However, the resolution of a regular TV screen is roughly 720×486 (ntsc) or 720×576 (pal). Which means TV programs are quite likely to look like shit on a grid which is about 3 times too small (this is even more true for movies, which are initially supposed to be seen on a big screen

)

BTW, the PSP screen is "only" 480 x 272: certainely larger than the NDS (256x192, x2 => a maximum of 384x256 if both screens are used as one single display), but still not as you good as your average TV screen (and far, far worse than any computer screen, obviously...)

Lord Golbez · Post by **Lord Golbez** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:07 pm

OMG! English embarrassment!

WaWard · Post by **WaWard** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:26 pm

wow, browser on a handheld gaming console is such a revolutionary idea! GO NINTENDO. NINTENDO = INNOVATION.

[spoiler]To be frank, Opera will surely better than the half-assed browser sony put in the psp. Sony software that's not games=

!
I like the DS lite design. Reminds me of GBA:SP design, which was awesome in its awesomeness.[/spoiler]

Brody · Post by **Brody** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:30 pm

We are one step closer to nintenporn.

WaWard · Post by **WaWard** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:35 pm

handhelds will be pron machine of choice very soon!

BlueDragon · Post by **BlueDragon** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 1:41 am

Nintendoggy style!

Kakeru · Post by **Kakeru** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 8:12 am

hawt

Mitsurugi CP · Post by **Mitsurugi CP** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 2:33 pm

Ward wrote:handhelds will be pron machine of choice very soon!

Found in bathrooms the world over! Buy stock in tissue paper and hand lotion!

Calbrena · Post by **Calbrena** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 3:47 pm

Ward wrote:wow, browser on a handheld gaming console is such a revolutionary idea! GO NINTENDO. NINTENDO = INNOVATION.

We know it's not innovation but me has no PSP so...

WaWard · Post by **WaWard** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 3:56 pm

well as i said, the chances are that opera is going to me much better.

my main issue with the psp's browsing is the screen's resolution. it'll probably be even worse on the DS.

Yuka · Post by **Yuka** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 4:01 pm

Wo.

Calbrena · Post by **Calbrena** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 5:03 pm

How comes one DS says it's 3:05 and the other one says it's 3:28?

man of txt · Post by **man of txt** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 5:07 pm

Calbrena wrote:How comes one DS says it's 3:05 and the other one says it's 3:28?

the new DS probably keeps time better too!

Brody · Post by **Brody** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 5:30 pm

im sure its an illusion due to the smaller body, but the screens look bigger by comparison.

they are definately brighter tho. this would be so

in black.

edeo · Post by **edeo** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:43 pm

Lord Golbez wrote:Mrh...I'd like to be able to see the numbers and words without straining....

That's what glasses are for.

Lord Golbez · Post by **Lord Golbez** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 3:54 pm

I have those. Thanks.

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:23 pm

Looks like the new DS will be better for hi score photos

The power off button not being directly above the d pad and looking rather like an action button is a good call.
DS internet should be fun and TV could be amusing (no need to miss IT Crowd while doing the shit bin challenge anymore

).

I'm worried about swapping over the the new DS simply because Mario Kart and Animal Crossing both told me that I need to connect that cart with that console every time in future

Entr0pi3 · Post by **Entr0pi3** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:06 pm

Ward wrote:my main issue with the psp's browsing is the screen's resolution. it'll probably be even worse on the DS.

Well, not necessarily: as I said, the big +++ of this browser is it will use the top screen as a close-up view, and the bottom one as a larger view. I've already used such kind of GUI (not for browsing the web, but in another application requiring a detailled view and a wide-range view of the same document), and if implemented well (AKA good interaction between both views) it's quite efficient.
Low screen resolution certainely is the biggest problem with handhelds devices for browsing the web, but this "dual-zoom" approach might just be the solution.

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:06 pm

Yup, it's a good idea.
When combined with the touch screen facility, it should make the whole experience a lot easier than PSP browsing

Calbrena · Post by **Calbrena** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 10:48 pm

Damien wrote:I'm worried about swapping over the the new DS simply because Mario Kart and Animal Crossing both told me that I need to connect that cart with that console every time in future

Good point, didn't think about that

But I guess it just means we would get new friends codes and people would have to re-add us to their list?

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 11:50 pm

Maybe we'll get 4263556 then