PictoChat allows users to communicate with other Nintendo DS users within local wireless range. Users can enter text (via a small on screen keyboard), handwrite messages or draw pictures (via the stylus and touchscreen). There are four chatrooms (A, B, C, D) in which people can go to chat. Up to sixteen people can connect in any one room.
On Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite systems users can only write messages in black. However, the DSi and DSi XL includes a new function, letting users write in either black or rainbow colored pen.

Although the secondary port on the Nintendo DS does accept and support Game Boy Advance cartridges (but not Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridges), Nintendo has emphasized that its main intention for its inclusion was to allow a wide variety of accessories to be released for the system, the Game Boy Advance compatibility titles being a logical extension.
Nintendo announced at E3 2005 that it would launch "headset accessories" for voice over IP (VoIP) enabled games. (This will plug into the VoIP plug next to the Ear Phone jack, not the Game Boy Advance slot.)

The Nintendo DS is region free in the sense that any console will run a Nintendo DS game purchased anywhere in the world; however, the Chinese version games can only be played on the Chinese iQue DS, whose larger firmware chip contains the required Chinese character glyph images. Although the Nintendo DS of other regions cannot play the Chinese games, the iQue DS can play games of other regions. Also, as with Game Boy games, some games that require both players to have a Nintendo DS game card for multiplayer play will not necessarily work together if the games are from different regions (e.g. a Japanese Nintendo DS game may not work with a North American Nintendo DS game, even though some titles, such as Mario Kart DS and Pokémon Diamond and Pearl versions are mutually compatible). With the addition of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, certain games can be played over the Internet with users of a different region game.
Some Wi-Fi enabled games (e.g. Mario Kart DS) allow the selection of opponents by region. The options are "Regional" ("Continent" in Europe) and "Worldwide", as well as two non-location specific settings. This allows the player to limit competitors to only those opponents based in the same geographical area. This is based on the region code of the game in use.[citation needed]
The Nintendo DSi, however, will have region block for the DSiWare downloadable games, and perhaps DSi-specific cartridges. It will still run older DS games of any region.

The Nintendo DS contains a rechargeable lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 850 mAh. On a full four-hour charge, the factory 850 mAh battery lasts about 10 hours. (This decreases the more you charge it.) Battery life is affected by multiple factors including speaker volume, use of one or both screens, back lighting, and use of wireless connectivity. The biggest effect on battery life is caused by using the backlight, which can be turned off in the main menu screen, or in selected games (such as Super Mario 64 DS). The battery is designed to be removed only when it expires.
To sustain battery life in the midst of a game, users can close the Nintendo DS system, putting the DS in sleep mode that also pauses the game that is being played; however, closing the system while playing a Game Boy Advance game will not put the Nintendo DS into sleep mode; the game will continue to run normally, including the back light. Certain DS games (such as Animal Crossing: Wild World) also will not pause but the backlight, screens, and speakers will turn off. When saving the game in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Zoo Tycoon DS, SimCity DS, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, Mega Man Battle Network 5, or The Legendary Starfy, the DS will not go into sleep mode

On September 20, 2004, Nintendo announced that the Nintendo DS would be released in North America on November 21, 2004 for US$149.99.[18] It was set to release on December 2, 2004 in Japan (¥15000);[19] on February 24, 2005 in Australia ($199.95);[20] and on March 11, 2005 in Europe (£99.99/€149.99).[21] The console was released in North America with a midnight launch event at Universal CityWalk EB Games in Los Angeles, California. The console was launched quietly in Japan compared to the North America launch; one source cites the cold weather as the reason.[22] Regarding the European launch, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata said:
Europe is an extremely important market for Nintendo, and we are pleased we can offer such a short period of time between the US and European launch. We believe that the Nintendo DS will change the way people play video games and our mission remains to expand the game play experience. Nintendo DS caters for the needs of all gamers whether for more dedicated gamers who want the real challenge they expect, or the more casual gamers who want quick, pick up and play fun

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This article is about the original Nintendo DS. For the family of systems, see Nintendo DS (disambiguation).
Nintendo DS


Manufacturer
Nintendo
Product family
Nintendo DS
Type
Handheld game console
Generation
Seventh generation era
Retail availability
NA November 21, 2004JP December 2, 2004TW December 13, 2004KOR December 29, 2004AUS February 24, 2005EU March 11, 2005CH July 23, 2005
Units sold
Worldwide: 128.89 million, including DS Lite DSi and DSi XL units (as of March 31, 2010)[1] (details)
Media
Game Boy Advance cartridgeNintendo DS Game Card
CPU
One 67.028 MHz ARM946E-S[2] and one 33.514 MHz ARM7TDMI
Storage capacity
Cartridge save, 4 MB RAM
Connectivity
Wi-Fi
Online services
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
Best-selling game
Nintendogs, 22.27 million, all versions combined (as of March 31, 2009)[3]New Super Mario Bros., 19.94 million (as of September 30, 2009)[4]
Backwardcompatibility
Game Boy Advance (Original and Lite iterations only)
Successor
Nintendo DS Lite (redesign)
The Nintendo DS (ニンテンドーDS, Nintendō Dī Esu?, sometimes abbreviated to DS or NDS) is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in 2004 in Canada, the United States, and Japan. The console features a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP, with two LCD screens inside—with the bottom one being a touchscreen. The Nintendo DS also features a built-in microphone and supports wireless IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) standards,[5] allowing players to interact with each other within short range (10–30 m, depending on conditions) or online with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service, which launched later in the console's lifespan. The Nintendo DS is the first Nintendo console to be released in North America before Japan.
The system's code name was Nitro,[6] which can be seen in the model number that appears on the unit (NTR-001).[7] The console's name officially refers to "Developers' System", in reference to developers of new game designs the system was meant to inspire, and "Dual Screen", the system's most obvious and distinct feature.[8]
On March 2, 2006, Nintendo released the Nintendo DS Lite, a redesign of the Nintendo DS, in Japan. 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. Nintendo of America refers to the older model as the "original style" Nintendo DS.[7] It is often affectionately referred to by fans as the "DS Phat."[9] On October 2, 2008, Nintendo announced the Nintendo DSi, another redesign of the Nintendo DS, at the Nintendo Fall Media Summit.[10] It was released in Japan on November 1, 2008. It was later released in North America, Europe and Australia in April 2009. The DSi's codename has been changed to "TWL" due to it being a substantial hardware upgrade including a faster CPU and more RAM, and requiring new development kits.
As of March 31, 2010, the various models of the Nintendo DS had sold 128.89 million units, making it the best selling handheld game console to date, and second best selling video game console overall, behind the PlayStation 2.
Contents[hide]
1 History
2 Launch
3 Hardware
3.1 Technical specifications
3.2 Media specifications
3.3 Firmware
3.4 Battery life
4 Features
4.1 Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
4.2 Download Play
4.3 PictoChat
4.4 Compatibility
4.5 Regional division
5 Accessories
5.1 Rumble Pak
5.2 Headset
5.3 Browser
5.4 Wi-Fi USB Connector
5.5 MP3 Player
5.6 Guitar grip controller
6 Hacking and homebrew
7 Emulation
8 Reception
8.1 Marketing
8.2 Sales
8.3 Editions
9 Redesigns
9.1 Nintendo DS Lite
9.2 Nintendo DSi
9.3 Nintendo DSi XL
10 Software development
11 Successor
12 See also
13 References
14 External links
//
[edit] History
On November 13, 2003, Nintendo announced that it would be creating a new console for release in 2004.[11] Nintendo stated that it would not be the successor to either the Nintendo GameCube or the Game Boy Advance,[11] but rather it would be considered a "third pillar" alongside the other two consoles.[12] On January 20, 2004, the console was announced under the codename "Nintendo DS"[13] (which stands for Developer's System). Nintendo released a few details at that time, only saying that the console would have two separate 3-inch TFT LCD display panels, separate processors, and up to 1 gigabit of semiconductor memory.[13][14] Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said, "We have developed Nintendo DS based upon a completely different concept from existing game devices in order to provide players with a unique entertainment experience for the 21st century."[13] In March, the codename was changed to "Nitro" and a document containing most of the console's technical specifications was leaked.[15] In May, the codename was changed back to "Nintendo DS" and the console was shown in prototype form at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). All of the features of the console were revealed by Nintendo at E3.[16] On July 28, 2004, Nintendo revealed a new design, one that was described as "sleeker and more elegant" than the one shown at E3. Also, the codename "Nintendo DS" became the official name of the console that day.[17]
The Nintendo DS bears a striking resemblance to the company's first handheld, the Game & Watch, specifically the multi-screen versions such as Donkey Kong.

Shigeru Miyamoto is the electronic artist who designed Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., and other smash Nintendo video games of the 1980s and 1990s. As such he is regarded as one of the video game industry's great pioneers. Miyamoto was only 24 when he became a staff artist of the Nintendo company in 1977. Donkey Kong (1981) was a breakout game in the early era of Pac-Man and Asteroids, and it introduced Miyamoto's signature character, Mario, a mustachioed everyman in blue overalls and a cap. Miyamoto's creative influence -- and his signature blend of of playful fantasy and cheery humor -- spread as Nintendo expanded into home video games and hand-held Gameboy systems over the next decades. Donkey Kong was followed by Super Mario Bros. (1985), The Legend of Zelda (1986), the racing game F-Zero (1990), and the 21st-century Wii home system, among many other games. Time magazine dubbed Miyamoto "the Spielberg of video games" in 1996, and in 1998 he was the first inductee into the newly-created Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame.
Extra credit: Miyamoto attended the Kanazawa Municipal College of Industrial Arts and Crafts, graduating in 1975... Mario was called simply "Jump Man" in the original incarnations of Donkey Kong... In a 2003 interview with Nintendo's official magazine, Miyamoto said, "What's kind of a mystery is, why did I title the game Donkey Kong? The main character, the player, was Mario. That much was decided. But really Donkey Kong's personality was the most fleshed-out of all of them. I really think it's best to name a game after its strongest character."
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