Posted 10/30/09 at 12:52:09 AM by Nathan Grayson

Here at Maximum PC, we love the Nintendo DS and its two suave screens just as much as the next tech publication, but now, we think we’re finally coming down with a case of DSitus. Let’s have a look through the recently updated DS family photo album, shall we? There’s DS phat, DS Lite, DSi, and – now introducing – the DSi XL.

So, what makes next year’s model so special? Well, for one, there are bigger screens, and then, well… pretty much just the bigger screens. More specifically, the DSi XL sports two 4.2 inch displays – as opposed to the DSi’s formerly formidable 3.25 inch displays, and the DS Lite’s pint-sized 3 inchers.

The latest heir to Nintendo’s portable dynasty – which also includes a bigger stylus, if you’re into that sort of thing – is expanding into America during quarter one of 2010. So far, there’s been no word on price other than that it’s "expected to be higher than that of the Nintendo DSi."

So, are you interested in nabbing a DSi XL, or is your portable game system fund still tapped after 2009’s DSi-PSP Go double-whammy?

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Posted 10/14/09 at 03:27:18 PM by Paul Lilly

Nvidia's Tegra platform continues to woo big-name customers, most recently attracting Nintendo, who reportedly is in talks with Nvidia to provide some extra oomph for its next-gen DS handheld console.

The deal marks a win-win situation for both involved. For Nvidia's part, no other handheld console would put Tegra in more hands, courtesy of the DS's 68.3 percent worldwide market share. And for Nintendo, tapping into Tegra gives the company's console a power boost sure to be well received by consumers and developers alike.

Until more details are released, we can only speculate on what the next DS might be like, but it's at least feasible that on top of the added muscle, it will also sport backwards compatibility with the existing DS library, assuming Theo Valich's sources prove reliable.

What will also be interesting to watch is how this relationship between Nintendo and Nvidia plays out in the home console market. Might Nvidia replace ATI as the graphics vendor of choice in whatever supersedes the Wii? We'll have to wait to find out.

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Posted 01/30/09 at 04:47:06 PM by Andy Salisbury

According to a recent study at the University of Rennes, Brittany, Brain Age’s mind workout is no better than playing Scrabble or completing Sudoku puzzles.

The study, which was conducted on a group of 67 10-year-old children, had four groups; the first two did a seven-week memory course using the Nintendo DS, the third group completed puzzles using just pencil and paper and the fourth group did no extra work outside of their school curriculum. According to the results, children who trained on the DS didn’t show any significant improvements in memory tests.

“The Nintendo DS is a technological jewel. As a game it’s fine, but it would be charlatanism to claim that it is a scientific test,” stated Alain Lieury, a professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Rennes.

Despite this research, it’s expected that Brain Age will still sell very well thanks to Nintendo’s clever marketing, and gigantic casual gamer crowd (many of whom will probably never see this study).

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Posted 10/02/08 at 10:39:04 AM by Paul Lilly

If you just unloaded your original DS on Ebay and replaced it with a DS Lite, you'll soon be outdated again. During their Fall Press Conference in Japan, Nintendo announced its new DSi, the "third platform" in the DS handheld gaming hardware series.

The new version comes a little thinner than the model it's replacing while offering 17 percent larger screens at 3.25 inches each. Certain "audio enhancements" have been made, but arguably the biggest addition is the inclusion of a .3 megapixel camera capable of 640x480 resolution.

Old school gamers won't have any place to put their Gameboy Advance cartridges, as the GBA slot has been removed. Instead the DSi comes with an SD memory card slot. The DSi also features a built-in browser, and gamers will be able to download games and other DSiWare from Nintendo's DSi Shop. As is sadly the trend, pricing is based on a points scale, and customers will start off with 1,000 free points that must be used by March 2010.

Japan will get first crack at the DSi this November for roughly $180 USD, with other markets to follow sometime next year.

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Posted 07/11/07 at 11:23:54 AM by Will Smith

From beautiful Santa Monica California, Will's your man on the street at E3 2007. Microsoft was last night, today's Nintendo, Sony, and a whole lotta meetings

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Posted 05/01/07 at 02:30:59 AM by Will Smith

Will Smith loves Nintendo's game console, and he's going to tell you about it. (Mainly because he didn't have time to finish the cool thermal imaging post he started this afternoon)

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