Nintendo DS disassembled

By Tom Bramwell Published 11 May, 2004

We dissect the hardware side of Nintendo's latest handheld, considering every aspect of the unit premiered in Los Angeles just hours ago...

For the last few months, Nintendo DS has been the subject of much speculation, the victim of a misguided derision, and the recipient of certain amount of cautious optimism. But that could be about to change.

Judging by the overwhelming third-party commitment, vast array of innovative features and games, and undeniably impressive video footage on display at Nintendo's pre-E3 conference this year, the next few weeks could well be dominated by the screeching grind of changing gears. One journo in particular sat close to us at the conference was denouncing the console before it all kicked off, only to emerge from the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel Grand Ballroom as one of its loudest proponents.

Different System

'Nintendo DS disassembled' Screenshot 1

But you've heard all this before. Pre-E3 conferences and hyperbole go hand in hand. So much so in fact that when something genuinely intriguing and innovative like the DS comes along, the ranks of press and trade are forced to go out and try to convince people of its significance in new and innovative ways. For them to do so though will be a fitting tribute to the system, which is so different to every other console system we've seen in the past that each surprising revelation made by Nintendo representatives was soon topped by the next.

There is no question that it's different. The real question will be whether it's different in better and genuinely useful ways. It's a question we hope to start answering tomorrow when we go hands on with the DS software on the E3 show floor. If the amount of third party support and video testimonials were anything to go by though, it's so different that developers just aren't sure where to start - and this level of change is coaxing them all into thinking of wildly different ways of approaching the console.

It's exciting for developers - when Nintendo of America's Reggie Fils-Aime likened the current console cycle to driving a bit faster down the same road with each new generation of car, you could tell a lot of people in the room felt the same. Judging by the wide range of comments made with regards to this system, and the diverse range of software we've seen, we're not only looking at a new car in the DS, but a new road and a new set of pedals and gears to boot, and as a result developers are understandably signing up to the cause.

Touch screen, backwards compatibility

'Nintendo DS disassembled' Screenshot 2

First of all - Nintendo DS is a dual screen handheld comprising two 256x192 screens (compared to the GBA's 240x160), with a D-pad that ought to fit any human thumb on the left hand side of the lower screen, and an equally spaced diamond of function buttons on the right. What appear to be Select and Start buttons are located above the D-pad below the fold of the clamshell unit, with another similarly small function button located in the top-right corner of the lower half of the unit (its use still to be determined). Shoulder buttons weren't visible, but could still be there. At left and right opposite ends of the near side edge of the lower half are power and volume controls, the latter next to a headphone socket.

The lower of the DS' two screens will be touch-sensitive, responding both to a supplied stylus and fingertip, and we'll touch (ha!) on the ramifications of that development a bit later on. The cartridge slot for the DS own games, which are to be distributed on SmartMedia-sized cards with a capacity of "1 Gigabit", is located on the lower half of the unit beneath the hinge, next to a GBA-style link-up cable port.

The DS will also be backwards compatible with all Game Boy software, with a port for GBA/GB carts located in the centre of the nearside edge of the lower half. This is sure to rekindle speculation that Nintendo sees the DS as a GBA replacement, but the platform holder didn't touch on this in its lengthy presentation, despite telling the USA Today newspaper this week that the two units would co-exist. Perhaps it ran out of time. To anyone else, denying its the next gen Game Boy seems like haggling over semantics.

Voice recognition, wireless networking, hardware capabilities

'Nintendo DS disassembled' Screenshot 3

In addition to the touch screen, one of the DS' key developments is the addition of a microphone, which Nintendo hopes will encourage the integration of voice recognition software into games. DS also features two levels of wireless multiplayer support - Bluetooth will allow for up to 16 players to play with or against one another at a range of up to 100 feet, and a Sleep/wake-up alert system will actually allow the DS to spring to life when it receives a Bluetooth request. The other half of the wireless option is wireless networking. Nintendo didn't clarify which flavour of 802.11 networking it would support (either the 11Mbps 'b' or the 54Mbps 'g'), but even the former is likely to be sufficient, and Nintendo did expressly confirm that online multiplayer via wireless networking will be another tool in the developer's arsenal.

Moving further under the bonnet (or "hood", since we're in the States), we're told that the system uses a rechargeable battery system (presumably the same Lithium Ion tech as the GBA), 16-channel sound, and that each of the two screens will be programmable in either 2D or 3D at up to 60fps and to a visual standard reminiscent of the Nintendo 64, opening up a wealth of development options. Some of these the platform holder explored during its lengthy presentation - moving incidental data to the second screen to unclutter 3D presentation on the other, zoom views, or even spreading single scenarios over both screens, redefining the "screen-filling boss". It also speculated that, in the future, games could be created that allow users to play games on one screen whilst text messaging other DS users on the other.

Text messaging is already on the cards in one sense though, courtesy of the 16-player PictoChat software, which lets DS users link together and exchange instant messages and drawings. The bottom, touch-sensitive screen consists of a software keyboard, and the stylus will also allow for messages sent in handwritten form, and even pictures, which the recipient can modify and then send back. To be honest, it reminds us of the wireless Etcha-Sketch style tool Denise Richards used in the opening scenes of Starship Troopers. PictoChat will also allow for a game of wireless virtual hangman, and slightly covert message sending - the ultimate tool for school kids?

"Not simply new"

'Nintendo DS disassembled' Screenshot 4

And that's about as detailed as Nintendo is getting on the hardware front. At this point, it's tempting to call on something Satoru Iwata said during his section of the embarrassingly-applauded conference, and it's something that this writer and above all else hardened gamer believes in very strongly - that technical specs don't really matter, as long as the system's games offer a compelling experience. The DS is about innovations in gaming, rather than simply having a system that much more powerful than the PSP, and that's what makes it so exciting - even for a roomful of cynical hacks, some of whom took to reading off the autocue in time with Reggie Fils-Aime until the software shut them up. In fact, we're trying to get this technical overview out of the way quickly expressly so we can get down to the enjoyable task of dissecting the system's software. Since we mentioned the PSP though, we might as well get into that to close...

Nintendo knows all about the PSP. And as it's often said in the past, it doesn't look upon it as a competitor. It's easy to see why. The PSP is focusing on accepted forms of games, helping Sony to dominate our entertainment expenditure, and delivering varied forms of media on the go. It is, as Ken Kutaragi famously said, Sony's "Walkman for the 21st century". Nintendo DS is more like the Virtual Boy for the 21st century, except in this case it checks all the right boxes, and looks very much like it could deliver on its promises of innovative gameplay without falling victim to the traditional technological compromises and eccentricities that have driven GameCube into third place in Europe, Virtual Boy into obscurity, and lost N64 the support of key developers like Squaresoft. We're willing to give it a chance - it could be the window to innovation that everyone craves.

Nintendo DS will be released in North America and Japan before the end of 2004, and will appear in Europe and Australia in Q1 2005. For a full rundown on DS software seen at the conference, including Mario, Metroid Prime, and a rundown of the titles Nintendo is promising to show off tomorrow, including Mario Kart, Animal Crossing and others, head here...

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (43) Latest comment 8 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Sid-Nice #1 8 years ago

    It just shows how popular Sony's hand held is when there's not one comment on the DS one.

  • Kami #2 8 years ago

    Sad, when you think about it Sid.

    It's exactly this reason that games are sh*t today... when someone like Nintendo DARES to be different and innovate somewhat... no-one cares.

    *sigh*

    What a sad think the games industry is sometimes...

  • striker #3 8 years ago

    Nicely writen article, much more convinced now.

    That design scares many people away though, nice to know there's something better under the surface.

  • Daryoon #4 8 years ago

    Crappy exterior design hasn't stopped the PS2 and Xbox from selling!

  • striker #5 8 years ago

    Yeah, but you're supposed to be holding this amongst other people :)

  • Daryoon #6 8 years ago

    Yeah, and the second they see you playing video games on it is the second before they think "sad loser"

  • Tiger_Walts #7 8 years ago

    I've already decided to get one, with backward compatability and me having the old style GBA. I can put the idea of getting an SP out of my head.

  • Kami #8 8 years ago

    I doubt it Daryoon... Nintendo have a hand-held heritage so it'll still sell. It'll sell well I think, even just piggybacking off the GBASP.

    As for it being ugly... so are most mobile phones. People still buy 'em though...

    It's the replacing the SP which bugs me... I don't get why Nintendo would put in GBA support when to be honest, it can have it's cake AND eat it well with the SP in the market as well. Two bites. One cherry.


    But theres certainly a lot more to DS than meets the eye. Text messaging on the cards (odd... but it'll work) and bluetooth... interesting. (Though I do admit it reeks NGage a bit... ok. A lot.)


    I'm just sorta thinking, "Why no shoulder buttons?"... maybe that is what the buttons up top are for? Left side, L and Select... right side, Start and R?


    PSP... yeah. It does games and I'm sure it's going to be a big hit... but I'm sure the DS will be as well. Albeit for more reasons than just "games".


    And Striker is onto something... crap design hasn't stopped consoles selling in the past. GET OVER YOURSELVES! Nintendo aren't the "Fashion Statement" side of things - want hollow fashion items? Go elsewhere, which you are already going to do so thats a bit of an idle threat... I think it looks fine myself. I wouldn't be too concerned playing it on the train every day. Seen things that look much worse...

  • Feanor #9 8 years ago

    What utter nonsense, Kami. Just speaking for my wife and myself, in the past year or so we have played a bunch of fantastic games like Devil May Cry, FFX, SSX 3, ESPN NHL Hockey, Soul Calibur 2, Fatal Frame, Magic Pengel, Ratchet & Clank 2, Midnight Club 2, Champions of Norrath, Xenosaga and Beyond Good & Evil. Please tell me which of these games are "shit"?

  • Sid-Nice #10 8 years ago

    It was a joke, at the time the DS and PSP threads were beside each other, the DS had 58 comments to the PSPs 47. Then all of a sudden the DS thread disappeared and ended up in the GBA home page.

  • Sid-Nice #11 8 years ago

    Feanor, Why can't your wife speak for herself, you've got her tied up and your forcing her to play shit PS2 games. Aren't you, your evil.

  • Ginger #12 8 years ago

    As long as I can get a properly old school version of donkey kong for it like the old orange game and watch I used to have I'll be as happy as an 8 year old with a new toy :)

    edit: 8 year olds spelling :(
    Edited by 1 at 12/05/04 @ 04:31

  • beep #13 8 years ago

    Well I still don't see the "killer apps" I was expecting Nintendo to unveil with the DS. All I can see is a waste of a screen/ processing power.

    Oh well, there's still time to be surprised.

  • Killerbee #14 8 years ago

    A microphone... hmmm, I can just see the concerned looks from other passengers on the train whilst I sit there and shout things at myself...

  • UncleLou #15 8 years ago

    It's exactly this reason that games are sh*t today... when someone like Nintendo DARES to be different and innovate somewhat... no-one cares.

    *sigh*

    What a sad think the games industry is sometimes...

    What's so innovative, please? It all sounds quite gimmicky to me. I'd rather see innovative games, and so far there aren't any for the DS, nor for the PSP.

  • Blerk #16 8 years ago

    The stylus is a killer for me. I'm very, very worried about the number of games that seem to be using it. I just don't see it being usable with a handheld system.... unless you have three hands?

  • Salvia #17 8 years ago

    Kami;Innovate? By going back to what is essentially the Game and Watch design?

  • Philip Gumm #18 8 years ago

    Well then if you complain that DS is too similar to the Game And Watch, then surely all other consoles should quit because they are too similar to the NES!

  • steven #19 8 years ago

    And it IS awesome too. I am waiting in anticipation.
    Edited by 1 at 12/05/04 @ 11:58

  • bluebird #20 8 years ago

    I second Blerk on the stylus. It would break game flow to have to let go of the machine with one hand, get the stylus and start pointing, then back to gaming.

  • Xinch #21 8 years ago

    "above all else hardened gamer believes in very strongly - that technical specs don't really matter, as long as the system's games offer a compelling experience. "

    This is true when the manufacturer supplies games or companies that can provide games equivalent in price to these "technical specs". I will not be paying full price for 1/2 N64 game or other butchered classics. Some people will. And some people will be offended by my view.

    Let them pay.

  • timo180 #22 8 years ago

    If you don't like using the stylus use your finger.

  • Blerk #23 8 years ago

    You still have to let go of the machine and point. That's not good for 'action' games, surely?

  • malloc #24 8 years ago

    I would hope that developers would make sure that you can play it OK (playtesters and all that). I'm slightly worried that some developers may try and make sure that they use all the functions, just for the sake of it, forgetting the actual game.

  • bainbrge #25 8 years ago

    I think your missing the point re the stylus- it just adds a method of more complex interaction, e.g. you could conceivably run a stripped down EVE Online client on the DS, mini keyboard etc

  • hamsterdance #26 8 years ago

    Here's a very nice pic of someone actually holding and playing the DS.

    http://www.dailygame.net/news/archives/NinDS_thumb.jpg

  • Jerryseinfeld #27 8 years ago

    It kind of motivates you to stay inside while playing. Unless you're 9 years old and are expected to use this kind of device.
    Edited by 3 at 13/05/04 @ 01:51

  • Kami #28 8 years ago

    "Kami;Innovate? By going back to what is essentially the Game and Watch design?"

    Why not?

    People are so dismissive about the old Game'n'watch machines, I happen to have enjoyed them. I still have one in my attic, as far as I can remember. It was a good way then.

    Innovative? Why not? I mean, for example, this is the first time a handheld CONSOLE has included wi-fi - that to me is innovative. The touch-screen, being able to do things on-the-fly and instantly, with no menus to trawl through - that, to me, is innovative. Voice recognition that can be mapped to ONLY your voice, allowing you to lock a system so others are unable to play it, or unable to play games thus rendering the console useless if stolen - that, to me, is innovative. Being able to blend 2D and 3D independantly on either screen - to me, thats innovative.

    PSP was a bit, "meh" for me. I agree with Reggie and Satoru Iwada - the time when horsepower and specs made an impact - especially on me - is over. I don't want to go faster down the same paths I've been down before - although it's fine in part and I'm sure some games won't use all this new stuff the DS includes. I DO want something different. I DO want something which is quirky. I DO want something which opens up new watys of playing games, because I WANT TO SEE THINGS CHANGE.

    It's all well and good beefing up the graphical power of your system. That is cool. But we've been doing it now for well over two decades... and it's only prolonging the inevitable. That is, all the concepts have been used up. There is nothing fresh in the market now - granted, some SWEET games happening. But the market, in terms of game ideas, is now getting stale and it is marred for me when I can compare two games. I don't like doing that... games are growing increasingly stale, and every company this year has demonstrated that - even Nintendo - by showing sequals to games.


    Do I think DS will make a difference? I bloody HOPE SO! It is different. It is quirky, and yes, the new layout of some games will force us to play them in an entirely new way.

    But is that a BAD thing? I don't think so.


    Yes, I do have my doubts. I do wonder if the control system will work reliably. I do wonder about the battery life. I do wonder about the wi-fi and how much THAT will cost.

    But utimately, I respect Nintendo for gunning from a different battleship. I am certainly interested in how the DS will change games. 1Gb of data on those small carts? That is good and allows for bigger games on their system (especially when you consider Mario 64 was what? 34 megs in size? I can't remember, but it was pretty small for it's size). Backwards compatability? Why not? SP's will depreciate rapidly but thats a part of life and we've been through it enough to know that is how the industry works sometimes. And touch screen? Apart from getting smudges all over from my fingers, I can't see any reason why it couldn't work and increase accuracy, change aiming...


    I have some doubts. Of course I will. This is something that even I am going to find hard to grasp until I... err... grasp a DS in my hands.


    But why can't Nintendo pull it off? I for one think if theres anyone who can get away with such a giant change in the way their system operates and the way that their games are played... it's Nintendo.


    I can't wait to play DS games. But from what I've seen, graphics-wise, DS will MORE than hold it's own... by combining chat, instant-messaging, and games, they have a system that does challenge how we currently play games.


    And I, for one, am looking forwards to seeing how far things change after the DS... if they can keep the costs down (Which Nintendo seem to be pretty good at for some reason, I can't quite place my finger on that), then it stands a VERY good chance of dominating the market and doing what Nintendo have always done so well...

    Times change. PSP has more power. It has the gadgets you buy to add-on. DS has more power, and all the funky and sweet gadgets so far are built in as standard... yes, times change. And so do consoles - handheld or home.


    As far as the N5 is concerned... I will be "Meh" on that until I see the obvious - demos and features... specs don't bother me so much. But "revolution" has yet to convince me... I - like anybody else - want to see hard proof of that first.

    Which, I'm going to go out on a limb for this comment, I expect at next years E3...

  • sir_tripod #29 8 years ago

    Sure, the DS design that's been seen is a prototype but when you're having the time of your life playing a game, who CARES what the system looks like?

    I love the DS. I love its purpose: to innovate. Does anyone remember seeing the analogue stick on an N64 pad for the first time? What about feeling a rumble pack in action for the first time? People need to embrace the vision.

    The whole point is for new ideas, new challenges and new forms of gameplay. I don't want to be playing the same kind of games that I am now in a year-or-two (albeit with better graphics.)

    I'm from a time when you appreciated the fact that the gameplay was great, the graphics were, even then, pretty poor and you were thankful you didn't get hit with an "R loading tape error".

    Nintendo (and its third parties) aren't stopping developing for the GBA(SP) so what's the problem? I love the dual bays for GBA and DS carts. Add-ons and expansion packs, anyone?

    A point made on the thread is that you have to take your hand on and off the touch-screen and that would break the gameflow. I can't ever imagine that you'd have to do it constantly. If you did, then the game would be poor due to lack of foresight on the developer's part. I'm more concerned about whether the B, A, Y and X buttons can be used as a joypad (or vice-versa) depending on the gamer's dexterity.

    There are just so many possibilities that it will take a while for people to see the bigger picture. I'm sure Nintendo have many, many wierd and wacky ways in which to use the set-up. I, personally, just can't wait.

    Go, Nintendo!

  • ruttyboy #30 8 years ago

    Kami, I share your enthusiasm about the DS, I should point out though that you are wrong in one respect. I'm pretty sure they said the cards were 1 Gbit, which works out to 128MB (I think).

  • ruttyboy #31 8 years ago

    I really hope that the Instant Messenger software (especially where you write it yourself rather than hitting a keypad with the stylus) comes as standard with it, perhaps even as part of the OS. If they do, then I think the DS stands a much better chance of being a huge success. However this is Nintendo, so I can't see them giving it away for free somehow...

  • malloc #32 8 years ago

    >Nintendo cant do work on 4 platforms, they cant even handle 2...

    That's a bit unfair when they really look like they've gone out of their way to get 3rd parties on board. Not to mention opened up a new EAD, who did the Jungle Beat game, which looks nice. This however is what I worry about most, being able to support multiple platforms. GBA, DS and GC, should be OK.

  • OnlyMe #33 8 years ago

    About the instant messaging feature, being able to write yourself on the display with the stylus. Won't the screen be incredible small to handwrite on?

    Anyway, the DS looks okay. There's no true innovation with this thing, and it won't change the way games are played forever. It's a pure gimmick, and a very typical one of Nintendo. Nintendo always like to bring out small gimmicky things and call them revolutionary and innovative. I've always believed successfully transfering a game that was originally 2D into a 3D world wasn't innovative. It was a logic evolution, the consoles had turned away from the 2D and 3D was the next thing. It was just natural that Super Mario and Zelda went 3D.

    If the DS is innovative, then every new console that has ever come out has been innovative. It's evolution people, not revolution.

  • Kami #34 8 years ago

    Meh. Misheard. 128 megs is still twice as big as most N64 games. So thats not so bad.

    The reason I spit out the terms is because I actually AGREE WITH NINTENDO. I mean, seriously. We're getting to a point in gaming where there is nothing fresh in the way of ideas. Companies look at what sells and mimics it. Thats how the market works.

    What DS seems to have done is breathe some fresh air into the developers worlds. They all seem eager to fully utilise everything they are given. And that will hopefully mean new concepts, newer types of games and reworking older games in a new light. The possibilities are there now, and there as standard too. Which can't be ALL bad, surely?


    I just agree with Nintendo. Whether they can pull it off is another matter entirely (Although I do hope they can). I just agree with their take on gaming today... and the developers seem to be in a buzz over it, so they are clearly willing and able (Have my doubts about EA. What are the odds their first DS game will be a 007 one? And can't see how FFCC can be ported over...)


    Whether they are able to get it right is a seperate debate. But they're not wrong. I hear specs now and I don't get as excited as I used to... the specs HAVE become meaningless. It's about the games - the way they look, play and connect to the person playing. We want to see stuff moving, rolling demos. That is where you get excited.


    Nintendo may not be "in" the market as much as they'd like. But their take isn't unheard of and it was good to hear it from them... as long as DS and the N5 have some good titles and the graphics shine, then they stand as good a chance as anyone.


    But hey. Forgive me for getting excited over the DS. I think it is great that Nintendo are brave/foolhardy/clever/ballsy (delete where applicable) enough to do the DS. As someone sad in another topic, according to the fanboys "Nintendo haven't got much credibility to lose" (Not entirely true, but for sake of argument I'll go along with that for the purposes of this next comment). So where's the harm? If it fails, it fails and Nintendo will - I agree - be up a creek without their proverbial paddle. If it works, we might see a resurgence of Nintendo worldwide, pushing PSP out of the market and hitting Sony in a soft, fleshy spot.


    You do have to admire Nintendo in a way though... while most gamers have given up on them, Nintendo are trying to show that they've still got what it takes... they got courage and a fair bit of fight. And I like that attitude.

    Don't agree with Nintendo? Thats your opinion. But for me, I happened to agree and actually take in (eventually) what Nintendo were getting across.


    That is, they ain't dead, so don't count your chickens JUST yet...

  • Gastrian #35 8 years ago

    There aren't exactly mainly killer apps for the PSP, most PSP owners will be disappointed when they find out that their Metal Gear Solid game is merely a card game and not the type that appeared on the PSOne or PS2.

    Metroid Prime Echoes is looking extremely good and is showing how to use the stylus properly, A d-pad and stylus, no other buttons required.

    The DS will actually have a Square Enix game on launch unlike the PSP which gets a movie thats also being released on DVD.

    Also the PSP has no chance of beating the DS. How can I say this? Simple, Sony plan on having 3 million units distributed worldwide by the end of the financial year, not 3 million units sold just 3 million units in the market spread over Japan, US and Europe - so us Europeans can pretty much forget having one before Easter, Nintendo plan on having SOLD over 3 million units in Japan and the US alone which isn't too hard considering the original GBA sold more than that in its first month in Japan.

  • Gastrian #36 8 years ago

    For us British people, about £119.99 + P&P

  • westernmusic #37 8 years ago

    Patience! It's late! The kids have to wake up first!

  • westernmusic #38 8 years ago

    Over where?

  • Gastrian #39 8 years ago

    DG, we don't use the Euro be cause we use a currency that actually works. And no offence to my fellow Europeans, but politically we want nothing to do with you guys. We are our own country(ies) and wish to stay that way.

  • westernmusic #40 8 years ago

    Pimping the PC vs handheld gaming? That has to be the lamest...

  • Gastrian #41 8 years ago

    £130 - £300 for a portable console against £1200+ for a laptop with a 2 hour battery life and heat issues? hmmm I wonder what I'll be playing on the train?

  • Nause #42 8 years ago

    "Nintendo knows all about the PSP. And as it's often said in the past, it doesn't look upon it as a competitor. It's easy to see why."

    Yes nintendo often the best way to win the race is to ignore the fact that anyone else is running it, that'll put you back on top..................

    EDIT: btw, Gastrian I think the major factor with people playing laptops on the move isn't that they're not cheap enough etc, it's the fact that they'll get nicked. I mean I haven't even nicked anything in my life, but if I saw a guy playing the laptop on the tube home I might be tempted to nick it myself.
    Edited by 1 at 15/07/04 @ 01:58

  • Gastrian #43 8 years ago

    That was part of my thinking but I thought just putting the price there would be an "all of the above" answer. Not just a case of it getting stolen, what if someone bumps into you and knocks it out of your hand or accidently tips coke over it.