Nintendo DS Hits Its Stride
By: Andrew JoyThe signs are all around us, and if you only know what you are looking for, it's clear that the Nintendo DS is at last getting into its stride. It may have taken it almost a year to do so, but the DS is finally getting the respect and attention it deserves, and mostly from Nintendo!
One of the biggest announcements of the year had to be the release of details concerning the DS' online capabilities. On November 14th Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection will go live, enabling the DS for world-wide play and laying the groundwork for Nintendo's new console, the Revolution, which is expected to come out of the box online ready sometime in 2006. And, second to that announcement came the confirmation that Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection would indeed be free (for the DS, at least, no official word on the Revolution yet)!
With the realization of its online play, the Nintendo DS is also expecting a new wave of enabled games, including the company's own Mario Kart DS, Metroid Prime Hunters, Animal Crossing: Wild World, and the first third-party game to be enabled, Tony Hawk's American Sk8land. But online is far from being the only big announcement this year.
Nintendo dealt another blow to Sony and its monstrously priced PSP by dropping the price of the Nintendo DS to $129.99, and even offering a copy of its smash hit Super Mario 64 DS with the purchase of the new Electric Blue Nintendo DS (the first of many new colors to be offered this year). This eventually led to announcements of new true bundles for the system.
Of the bundles being offered this year, Nintendo has a Pearl Pink and a Teal Nintendogs Nintendo DS Bundle, which comes with a copy of Nintendogs: Best Friends Edition (a new version of the game, which offers favorite breeds from the first three right from the start), a special paw print DS skin, a paw-shaped screen cleaner and whichever exclusive color of the DS you chose. The next to be offered is a Mario Kart Nintendo DS Bundle, which has a Hot Rod Red Nintendo DS, racing inspired decals, a checkered flag wrist strap and, of course, a copy of Mario Kart DS. The bundles retail for 149.99, and save you about $15. No other bundles have been announced yet, though don't be surprised if you see bundles for Nintendo's other big titles coming out this year like Animal Crossing: Wild World or Metroid Prime Hunters. Remember, most of these colors and others are already on sale in Japan.
While the system is far from reaching its prime, with numerous big name developers and titles promised for 2006 and beyond the Nintendo DS has at last gotten into its stride. With a barrage of announcements already this year, a price drop for the system and a variety of colors released, gamers without a Nintendo DS couldn't find a better time to get on board.
Posted: 11/12/2005