News

According to Japanese newspaper Nikkei, a revision of the Nintendo DS sporting a screen twice as big as the existing version is on it’s way to Japan, possibly by the end of the year.

The larger screens are expected to attract elderly people who complained that the existing version is hard to look at. In addition, new applications such as watching videos and reading electronic books can be introduced.

Now you may think, ‘But we only got the DSi a few months ago!’ which is indeed very true but remember that the DSi was released in Japan a year ago so it’s not unusual for Nintendo to be thinking of a new, improved version.

Of course, a spokesperson for Nintendo denied this report stating it was ’speculation’.

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The Guitar Hero series has been one of the biggest game franchises of recent years, racking up millions of sales, and thankfully a new version of the music game is on its way to the DS. Guitar Hero Modern Hits will feature a set list of more than 25 master tracks from artists including Coldplay, The Strokes and Weezer, and you play the game using the Guitar Hero Guitar Grip, an accessory that mimics a guitar fret board.

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As well as a single player mode that challenges you to raise a band from humble beginnings on the underground music scene to worldwide stardom, you can rock out with friends in multiplayer modes and share songs via local wireless connectivity. We’ll have more details on the game for you in the near future.

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Professor Layton And The Curious Village has won the Nintendo DS chart battle for another week, with Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training holding onto second place. Mystery Case Files: Millionheir jumped six places to third, followed by New Super Mario Bros. and Mario Kart DS.

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Hit the link for the full top ten…

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The arrival of Nintendo’s DSi could herald the end of the road for the current version of the handheld, the DS Lite. Nothing’s set in stone yet though, as Nintendo says that ultimately the DS Lite’s fate will be down to consumers.

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Asked in an interview with MCV whether the company plans to end the DS Lite’s presence in stores following the DSi’s April 3rd release, Nintendo UK general manager David Yarnton said: “We’ll let the market decide. We expect some people will upgrade, but we also anticipate that we’ll win over people who were still undecided on DS – the extra features will help convince them. There’s an extra incentive…

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The creators of the DSi have been talking about the design process behind the new handheld and their ultimate aims for the product. In a revealing discussion, which explains in detail many of the DSi’s new features, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata says that the system wasn’t designed to compete with the iPhone or other mobile devices, despite the inclusion of cameras and a music player.

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Essentially, as with the Wii and DS before the DSi, Nintendo says its aim was to make the product enjoyable to use, plain and simple. “We want to make something you can play with, something fun, and we dedicate ourselves to that end,” says design legend Shigeru Miyamoto. We wholeheartedly recommend you check out the roundtable DSi discussion here for some great insight into what the system will offer straight from the horse’s mouth.

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Nintendo has warned shoppers hoping to get their hands on a DSi this year to buy one as early as possible. The DSi, the latest iteration of the DS handheld gaming system, doesn’t launch in the UK until April 3rd, but Nintendo’s already saying that it may have trouble meeting demand in the run up to Christmas.

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“I always advise people to buy early,” Nintendo UK General Manger David Yarnton told The Times. “One of the things that people don’t seem to understand is that factories are producing constantly; they don’t peak and trough. So we’re producing product all the time, but then everyone wants it all at the one end of the year. It’s just so hard to try and keep up.” Coming from some companies this might sound like a cheap ploy to get shoppers reaching for their wallets, but those who’ve ever tried to pick up a Wii or a Wii Fit around Christmas will know how hard it can be. You have been warned!
Nintendo DSi Handheld Console (White)
Price: GBP 113.99

46 used & new available from GBP 87.63

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Professor Layton And The Curious Village has retained the top spot in the weekly DS chart. The game held off Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training, a non-mover in second, to make it two weeks in a row at the top of the rankings.

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Mario Kart moved up a place to third, Disney’s Bolt climbed two places to fourth, and New Super Mario Bros. remained in fifth. Click through for the full top ten.

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A number of scientists have disputed claims that brain training games can improve your memory and keep your mind healthy. Consumer magazine Which? assembled a team of experts to examine the research behind such claims and found that there wasn’t much evidence to back them up.

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Brain Training’s instruction booklet says “training can help consolidate memory and creativity and may hopefully help develop a resistance against decline in later life”. But the Which? panel of scientists disagreed. “There is no evidence that using this product will have any functional impact on your life whatsoever,” they said.

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Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars has been granted an 18 certificate by the British Board of Film Classification, making it the first DS title to receive the adults-only rating. According to the BBFC, the game contains “very strong language and drug references”, and it’s also known to include drug-dealing and safe-cracking mini-games. It was passed by the body with no cuts made to its content.

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Having conquered other gaming platforms such as PC, PlayStations, and Xboxes – GTA IV grossed $500 million in its first week on sale – Chinatown Wars will become the first game in UK developer Rockstar’s series to launch on Nintendo’s DS this March. So will the mature themed title find an audience on the platform, and how will a free-roaming, city-based series big on scale and exploration handle on Nintendo’s pocket-sized console?

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Professor Layton And The Curious Village has returned to the top of the DS chart, with last week’s bestseller, Mystery Case Files: Millionheir, dropping to number three. Sandwiched between the pair is Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training, which moved up one place from last week.

professor-layton

Mario Kart DS took fourth place and New Super Mario Mario Bros. fifth. Click through for the full top ten.

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