Nintendo aún no está listo para dejar ir al DS...

The DS Lite is now two hardware iterations old. It launched back in 2006, and was a major redesign *of the original DS, from 2004. In 2010, Nintendo says it's not quite ready to part ways with the Lite.

"Our current plans are to continue manufacturing Nintendo DS Lite globally", a Nintendo spokesperson told website MCVUK. "The DS Lite has been a highly popular handheld console and has brought fun to an expanded audience of gamers — male and female; young and old — and sales remain strong. That said, it is true that our key focus in the UK for 2010 will be the Nintendo DSi and DSi XL."

The DS Lite will get support just like the Game Boy Advance did in 2005 or 2006. No, we imagine it will get less support. Why ever would Nintendo continue to support the DS Lite? The console can easily run R4-type devices that can be used to run pirated video games. The newer DSi would not initially run R4 cartridges. It has since been cracked, but the DSi has a layer of protection that just does not exist on the DS Lite. The DS Lite is the wild west, do whatcha like.

So why would Nintendo, a company who is spearheading a lawsuit to take down R4s, want to support hardware that can play R4 devices no problem? Why would Nintendo, a company that has an online store for its DSi, want to support the DS Lite?

None of this is to say the DS Lite is bad hardware — hinge cracks aside, it's Nintendo quality.

The DS Lite costs US$129.99, while the DSi is priced at $169.99. The recently launched and considerably larger sized DSi XL is priced at approximately $220 in Japan.

Source: Kotaku

New GTA for DS

During their quarterly conference call Thursday, Take Two confirmed the first Nintendo DS GTA title would arrive this winter.

Coming soon during colder months
During its quarterly conference call Thursday, Grand Theft Auto publisher Take Two confirmed the DS iteration of their record-breaking franchise would definitely hit this winter.
If we're going by fiscal year calendars, that would mean anywhere from November, to no later than January 31, 2009.
No further details were provided  but according to a post at Joystiq one reporter asked if the game was due before Christmas, and Take-Two responded, "We didn't say that. We're not confirming that."

Source: GamePro.

Nuevo Hanheld de Nintendo para 2009!!

Se rumora que habrá una nueva consola portátil de Nintendo para abril o mayo del 2009. Por el momento los rumores no han sido comprobados, pero esperemos esto sea cierto. Para mi, en lo personal, debe ser verdad ya que el poder gráfico del DS se ha depreciado bastante en los últimos años.

Les dejo una imágen. Los mantendremos informados en cuanto haya más información.

Quick Ones from Japan... >_<

Mindscape announced Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? for NDS, a remake of the classic adventure/edutainment game from PC, which was also released on various console systems.

- Capcom will release Ryuusei no Rockman 3 for NDS in Japan on November 13, 2008.

- Nintendo will release Nintendo DS Pokemon Limited Edition Pack in North America on August 17, 2008, for US$129.99. The package will include a special Onyx edition of NDS Lite with image of Dialga and Palkia on the system; as well as a special cartoon video of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkenss, a pouch and poster.

Source: The Magic Box

A dream come true... Hands On over Chrono Trigger!!

Many classic role-playing games have been remade lately, and they have been generating a lot of excitement among fans, especially fans of classic Super Nintendo RPGs. Chrono Trigger is one of those games, and for those who are worried about how Chrono Trigger will look, have no fear: Your favorite characters will resume their spritelike appearances. From our brief play session at the Square Enix booth during E3, there seem to be only some minor changes to accommodate the touch screen; otherwise, the look and feel of this game is the same.
Anyone who didn't have the opportunity to play it on the SNES or the PlayStation when it was rereleased with Final Fantasy IV as Final Fantasy Chronicles, this is your chance, and it's portable. We only got to play the beginning, but your adventure begins with Crono heading to the Millennial Fair to meet up with his friend Lucca. Along the way, he bumps into Marle, but Lucca's new transportation device sends her back in time.
Chrono Trigger DS plays the same way, and the only difference now is that there are options to use the touch screen in battle or when you are prompted with a question. You don't have to use the options, but they're there, and they're unobtrusive. Battles are active, and your character is ready once his or her active time bar is full. The bottom screen provides a map and icons to access your menu, tech information, and enemy details. During battle, you can still use the D pad and A or B to make your selection, but you also have the option of tapping the attack button that shows up under each character. This makes the action in the top screen less cluttered because the only thing showing is your health and active time bar. The stylus can also be used to move around if you choose not to use the D pad.
From what we've seen, Chrono Trigger DS stays true to the original and looks fantastic on the DS. The full-motion videos from the PlayStation release will be included, and the reps have said that there is also multiplayer available, but they cannot give details yet. The memorable music is all there, so fans who want to relive this fantasy can look for it this holiday season.

Source: Gamespot

Sonic is back and in RPG with Bioware!!!

BioWare and Sega may make an unlikely pair, but with Bioware's impressive resume, it is difficult to ignore Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Bringing together Sega's beloved characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog series and making an in-depth role-playing game might have some gamers confused, but from what we've seen at Sega's booth during E3, it looks like a charming RPG that gamers of all backgrounds can enjoy.
For Sonic fans, you do get to run around the Green Hill Zone to collect coins and the familiar sounds from the original games will bring back memories. The back and forth conversation between Sonic and his friends definitely wouldn't be called "deep," but this game is aiming for an E rating so it's appropriate. Characters like Amy will join you early on, but as you go through the main storyline there are options to do side quests which will allow you to meet more new characters and learn more about everyone's back story. The story starts off with Knuckles being kidnapped by Marauders who are also stealing chaos emeralds.
We had a chance to look at Chapter 7 of the game, a little more than halfway through the game, where Sonic is now in a new place called Kron and meets these heavily armored individuals and needs to earn their trust. We are told that once you beat them a few times, they will send you on missions and you need to prove that you're trustworthy. The way the game is set up is like a BioWare RPG where you have options to do missions, collect items and do side quests. Sonic Chronicles seems to have all the makings of a solid RPG, except that the characters are in the form of a hedgehog.
Combat is turn-based and the game can be played entirely with the stylus. Characters who move quickly like Sonic can select three actions per turn so the battle seems to move at a faster pace. Each character has power moves which are executed using your power points. Power points are recharged if you decide to defend a turn, and items will allow you to refresh your points as well. These special moves vary with each character and when you level, you have the option to upgrade these moves and the menu does a good job with explaining what upgrades to purchase. After you level, your stats will automatically increase but you also get points to spend as you see fit.
Throughout the game there are little artificial creatures called chao that hatch from eggs. There are about 40 to collect in the game and each come with their own special ability when equipped. We came across one early on that gave Sonic ice damage when he attacked, which does extra damage to creatures vulnerable to ice. These cute alien-like creatures hover behind your character and you can also acquire more chao via Nintendo's wireless trading to complete your collection.
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood will have over 40 hours of gameplay if you go through all the side quests and missions. Those who want to fly through the main storyline should expect about 20 hours. Look for Sonic and his friends on the DS this fall.

Source: GameSpot.

Rock Revolution Hands On

Our friends from GameSpot were able to play of what is Konami's response to RockBand. Here are the details:

Konami is getting into the rock rhythm game business and bringing Rock Revolution to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Nintendo DS. In addition to rocking out on other platforms, we sat down with the DS version at Konami's E3 2008 booth and put each instrument through its paces. Drums, guitar, and bass all require fancy stylus handling, and vocals use the DS microphone to detect your pitch as you sing your heart out. That's a lot of rock in a small package.
Rock Revolution tracks the progress of your average astronomically successful rock band, starting in a friend's basement and ending in a massive arena full of thousands of screaming fans. You'll work your way through the robust track list that includes diverse hits like "Blitzkrieg Bop," "Detroit Rock City," "Spoonman," and "Sk8er Boi." These songs are also available for on-the-go listening in Rock Revolution's Media Player, so you can enjoy them without actively playing them.
Playing instruments is a matter of swiping and tapping the stylus on the touch screen while your avatar wails away on the top screen. The drums, like the physical peripheral for other platforms, consist of six pads that represent cymbals and drums. The notes scroll horizontally along the top of the bottom screen, and you tap the six areas in time with the beat. Keeping an eye on the scrolling symbols while keeping track of which pads are where is initially tricky, but as you become familiar with the layout it begins to feel more comfortable.
When you play guitar, an image of an actual guitar appears onscreen. There's a large circle drawn around the area where a real guitarist would strum the strings, and this is the area where you'll need to swipe the stylus up or down, depending on the symbols. Up and down arrows fly into this circle from the top corners of the screen, and you have to strum appropriately when they enter the circle. Some speed variation and tricky alternation increase the challenge here, but this is tempered somewhat by the fact that you always strum in the same area.
The bass is a different story. It requires you to strum one of four horizontal strings that stretch across the screen. Up and down arrows will scroll across each of these strings, and you'll have to strum each icon as it arrives on the left side of the screen. It can be tough to track them all, especially if you're right-handed and trying to avoid blocking the screen. Though the challenge is stiffer, the success is more satisfying, and for that reason Rock Revolution for the DS might be one of the first games where people choose bass over guitar.
Rounding out the band is the vocals, which have you singing into the DS microphone. The area we played in was too loud to really try out this feature, but aspiring lead singers will be happy to know that there is a tonal training tool that instructs you in how to properly match pitch. This will hopefully make it easier to belt out solos, providing you can find a place to play where such activity isn't frowned upon.
Rock Revolution will also support multiplayer, though we weren't able to try that on for size. The audio was noticeably compressed, but the overall quality was quite impressive, given the range of instruments. You certainly won't feel like you're in an actual rock band while playing Rock Revolution, but it is shaping up to be an engaging rhythm challenge. With varied gameplay and a good variety of songs, Rock Revolution could turn out to be an entertaining DS game. Check back for more coverage as we try to squeeze in a multiplayer session in the coming months, if not sooner

Source: GameSpot