Nintendo DS
From Gamedatawiki
The Nintendo DS (sometimes abbreviated NDS or DS, and as iQue DS in China) is one of many handheld game consoles developed and manufactured by Nintendo. The DS which was released in 2004. The console features a clamshell design, with two LCD screens inside - one of which is a touch sensitive screen. The Nintendo DS also features a built-in microphone and supports wireless (WiFi) standards, allowing players to interact with each other within short range, depending on conditions, or online with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. The system's code-name was "Project Nitro," which explains the NTR in the codes written on the backs of game cards and the system itself.
The console's name officially refers to Dual Screen, the system's most obvious feature, and Developers' System, in reference to the new game design the system was meant to inspire. On March 2, 2006, Nintendo released the Nintendo DS Lite in Japan. It is a redesign of the Nintendo DS. It was later released in North America, Europe and Australia in June 2006. The DS Lite is a slimmer and lighter version of the Nintendo DS and has brighter screens.
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Design and specifications
Input and output
The lower display of the Nintendo DS is overlaid with a touch-sensitive (but not pressure-sensitive) touch screen, designed to accept input from the included stylus, the user's fingers, or a curved plastic rectangle attached to the optional wrist strap. The touch screen allows players to interact with in-game elements more directly than by pressing buttons; for example, in Trauma Center: Under the Knife, the stylus may be used as a scalpel to cut an incision in a diseased patient, or as a writing tool in the included chatting software, PictoChat.
Traditional controls are located on either side of the touch screen. To the left is a D-pad, with a narrow Power button above it, and to the right are the A, B, X, and Y buttons, with narrow Select and Start buttons above them. Shoulder buttons L and R are located on the upper corners of the lower half of the system. The overall button layout is similar to the controller of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
The Nintendo DS features stereo speakers providing virtual surround sound (depending on the software) located on either side of the upper display screen. This is a first for a Nintendo handheld, as the Game Boy line of systems has only supported stereo sound through the use of headphones or external speakers.
A built-in microphone is located below the left side of the bottom screen. It has been used for a variety of purposes, including speech recognition (Nintendogs), chatting online between gameplay sessions some games (but not during gameplay) (Metroid Prime Hunters), and minigames that require the player to blow or shout into the microphone (Feel the Magic: XY/XX, Mario Kart DS etc).
Specifications
- Mass: 275 grams (9.7 ounces).
- Physical size: 148.7 x 84.7 x 28.9 mm (5.85 x 3.33 x 1.13 inches).
- Screens: Two separate 3-inch TFT LCD, resolution of 256 x 192 pixels, dimensions of 62 x 46 mm and 77 mm diagonal, and a dot pitch of 0.24 mm. Note The gap between the screens is approximately 21mm, equivalent to about 92 "hidden" lines, some games include this space in the play field, whilst others ignore its existence. The lowermost display of the Nintendo DS is overlaid with a resistive touch screen, which registers pressure from one point on the screen at a time, averaging multiple points of contact if necessary.
- CPUs: Two ARM processors, an ARM946E-S main CPU and ARM7TDMI co-processor at clock speeds of 67 MHz and 33 MHz respectively, with 4 MB of main memory which requires 1.65 volts.
Card Size
- Data size: Up to 1 gigabit or 128 MB.
- Physical size: 33.0 × 35.0 × 3.8 mm
- Weight: About 4 grams
The system's 3D hardware performs transform and lighting, texture-coordinate transformation, texture mapping, alpha blending, anti-aliasing, cel shading and z-buffering. However, it uses Point (nearest neighbor) texture filtering, leading to some titles having a blocky appearance. The system is theoretically capable of rendering 120,000 triangles per second at 60 frames per second and the pixel fillrate is 30 million pixels per second. Unlike most 3D hardware, it has a limit on the number of triangles it can render as part of a single scene; this limit is somewhere in the region of 4000 triangles. The 3D hardware is designed to render to a single screen at a time, so rendering 3D to both screens is difficult and decreases performance significantly.
The system has two 2D engines, one per screen. These are similar to (but more powerful than) the Game Boy Advance's 2D engine.
Games use a proprietary solid state ROM "Game Card" format resembling the memory cards used in other portable electronic devices such as digital cameras. It currently supports cards up to 1 gigabit in size. The cards always have a small amount of flash memory or an EEPROM to save user data, for example progress in a game or high scores. The game cards are 33.0 × 35.0 × 3.8 mm, and weigh around 3.5 grams (1/8 ounces).
The unit has built-in Wi-Fi functionality, which allows communications with a standard access point to access the Internet, and with other DS units through a modified WiFi protocol created by Nintendo and partially secured using RSA security signing. The latter is used by the built-in wireless drawing and chat program, by games in non-online multiplayer mode, and to download game demos or multiplayer game software (used for DS Download Stations and multiplayer gaming with only one game card). The Internet capability is used to access the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, where users can compete with other users playing the same Wi-Fi compatible game and access other services.
Firmware
Nintendo's own custom firmware boots the system (first requiring the player to read health information): from here, the user chooses to run a Nintendo DS or Game Boy Advance game, use PictoChat, or search for downloadable games. The latter is an adaptation of the Game Boy Advance's popular "single cartridge multiplayer" feature, adapted to support the system's wireless link capabilities (players without the game search for content, while players with the game broadcast it. The game host is able to set the rules of the game).
In November 2004, Nintendo announced that there could be some sort of "download kiosk" that would transmit a signal for a Nintendo DS in the area to pick up, and download a demo of a game (Just like the "Download Play" feature that it in fact, uses). As of 2006, there are now download kiosks placed in select EB Games, GameStop, Game Crazy, Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, and Target stores.
The PictoChat program, which is permanently stored on the unit, allows users to communicate with other Nintendo DS users within range over the wireless network by text, handwriting, or drawings, using the DS's touch screen and stylus for input, or a small visual keyboard on the screen.
The DS's main menu also features an alarm clock and the ability to set preferences for boot priority (booting to games when inserted, or always booting to the main menu), Game Boy Advance game screen usage (top or bottom), and user information (name, date of birth, favorite color, time, etc.)
Download Play
it is possible to play multiplayer games with other Nintendo DS users using only one game card. The distance for this to be effective is about 60 feet. The Nintendo DS unit downloads the necessary data from another unit running the game. There is also a multiplayer Wi-Fi feature. At certain hotspots, or Wi-Fi enabled areas, you can hook up and play with DS owners around the world. Also, many stores that sell DS games have DS Download Stations where a player can download demos of games (although the demo is not permanent).
