Also with the PSP, the Nintendo DS at E3
Nintendo unveiled its mysterious dual-screen portable system today
during its E3 press conference. Prior to the event we had the
chance to get some quality time with the hardware to see what it's
all about.
While the units we tried were obviously playable, Nintendo reps
noted that the design wasn't quite final as yet and would likely
still undergo a few cosmetic tweaks--perhaps even a name
change--before the device ships this fall.
The rectangular system is slightly larger than a standard PDA and
features a clamshell design similar to the GBA SP and the old
school Game-in-Watch systems from back in the day. The system uses
two backlit screens that are each roughly the size of the GBA
screen. The DS features a total of six buttons, in a configuration
reminiscent of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System controller.
You've got buttons A, B, X, and Y on the face as well as left and
right shoulder buttons. The twist to the system's control inputs is
the lower screen's functionality as a touch screen. The screen will
respond to input from the included stylus, or your finger
instead.
The system will be backward compatible with the Game Boy Advance
(and, therefore, with other, earlier Game Boy models). The GBA
cartridges fit in a slot in the front of the system, and the DS
cartridges fit in the back. The DS cartridges will be noticeably
smaller than the GBA carts, and while we weren't able to see one,
they were described as being roughly the same size as a standard SD
media card used for devices such as Pocket PCs and digital cameras.
The system will use a rechargeable battery that's estimated to last
roughly 10 hours. In addition, the system includes a few extra
perks such as a built-in headphone jack and a microphone input,
which suggests that voice support of some kind will be in some
games. The most impressive extra built into the system is its
wireless connectivity, which is composed of Nintendo's own wireless
technology as well as standard Wi-Fi. Of note, it was hard to get a
sense for how heavy the system was, as the units were firmly bolted
into their respective kiosks, and we'd left our industrial strength
bolt cutters at home.
As far as the system's graphical muscle goes, there was plenty of
evidence of the DS' versatility. In addition to a selection of
first- and third-party offerings, there was also an assortment of
eight technology demos to show off the hardware's potential. The
most notable demo starred Sega's own Sonic the Hedgehog. The demo
proper was displayed in the top DS screen and featured Sonic
running through a familiar island setting. You could control
Sonic's movements by using the stylus on the lower touch screen.
Tapping the screen made Sonic jump, while sliding the stylus across
the power meter style image on the lower screen let you build up
Sonic's speed. The more you slid the stylus, the faster an onscreen
meter built up. Every time the meter filled, Sonic's speed would
bump up to a higher level. Another component of the demo let you
manipulate the camera on Sonic--you could switch between different
angles on the fly by tapping icons on the touchscreen. The graphics
in the demo looked good and ran at a smooth clip. Texture detail
and polygon count were respectable but didn't quite match the
quality of console hardware. The effects used as Sonic's speed
leveled up were pretty slick and made use of a wide variety of
color and particle effects.
the Bear's bottomline: wait and see.. but the GBA and GBC
backward compatibility is a good touch 
