Nintendo unveils Wi-Fi dongle

By Ellie Gibson Published 5 October, 2005

Look! It's all small and white!

Nintendo has unveiled the new Wi-Fi USB connector that will allow DS owners who don't have a wireless router to take their handheld online.

Stick it in your PC and it'll open a window to establish a link between your DS, your computer and your Internet connection. (And we do mean PC - Nintendo is only supporting Windows at the moment, so bad luck Mac owners.) There are then three option screens to click through on your DS, and hey presto - you're online.

As previously announced, you'll be able to construct a Friends list but there are no usernames or passwords involved. Instead, 12 digit numbers or "Friend Codes" will be used - swap your Friend Code with a mate and they'll be added to your list so you can play with them whenever. If you prefer, you can pick a random stranger who happens to be as wicked/rubbish at the game in question as you via Nintendo's skill-mapping servers.

'Nintendo unveils Wi-Fi dongle' Screenshot 1

The USB Connector will go on sale in Europe on November 25 alongside Mario Kart DS, priced £30.

Nintendo unveiled the connector at the DS Conference 2005 in Japan, where three new titles for the handheld were also announced.

Eigo Zuke teaches Japanese speakers how to write and speak English using the DS's touch screen and microphone. It won't make it over here for obvious reasons, though we wouldn't mind a vice versa version.

And we're also hoping that since Motto Nou wo Kitaeru Otona no DS Training - Brain Training 2 - will be out in Japan by Christmas, we can expect an English version of the first instalment in the series some time soon.

The third game announced was Daredemo Asobi Taikai, a collection of more than 40 popular board games. Wireless multiplayer. Up to eight players opponents. Game sharing. Out next month. Couldn't care less.

But HURRAH for the USB Connector and for HURRAH for online multiplayer Mario Kart DS! Roll on November!

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (39) Latest comment 6 years ago

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

  • Hench #1 6 years ago

    Hmmmm....

  • RabidMonkey #2 6 years ago

    Mario Kart DS looks rubbish though. Whatever happened to Animal Crossing DS, wasn't that meant to be online also?

  • jiveguy #3 6 years ago

    Couldn't care less.

    Bit of a disservice to readers who might. :)

  • #4 6 years ago

    Free* online gameplay!

    You hear that MS? Huh?

    *You have you pay for your own internet connection... Some games may charge but are discoraged by Nintendo.... Expect very few of them...

  • BurnoutJunkie #5 6 years ago

    Ugh, way to not support Mac owners. I couldn't care less about the Wi-Fi dongle - I just need clarification as to whether my DS will be able to access my wireless network. I have MAC address filtering security on my already set up wireless connection, the thing is, i'm having trouble getting hold of my MAC address.

  • jiveguy #6 6 years ago

    Djini:

    If Nintendo can offer as good a quality of service as Live for free THEN we should probably start questioning MS's pricing scheme. As it is, the 5 euro a month I pay is well worth it.
    Edited by 1 at 05/10/05 @ 14:18

  • Psi #7 6 years ago

    What type of mac you got northy?

    and whats sony's alternative?
    Edited by 1 at 05/10/05 @ 14:29

  • smelly #8 6 years ago

    Well if it works.. and it's free.. then yay!

    My guess is nintendo will use this as a trial for the free revo online service, and fix any potential mess ups (if any) along the way.

  • speedjack #9 6 years ago

    Glad they've clearly marked what it is on the side...

    / thought it was a zippo

  • #10 6 years ago

    Jiveguy.... You see 3000 XBox Live hotspots (In Japan alone) like Nintendo's FREE offering? That's 3000 more hotspots than MS are offering... Not that you'd want to lug around that colossal console... ;P

  • Tonka #11 6 years ago

    Hooraahh for the skill-mapping
    I suck at Mario Kart but do enjoy it when I'm not constantly getting owned by a 40year old saltwater tank builder on the sauce (true story)

  • jiveguy #12 6 years ago

    Fair enough, but if Japanese cities are like many cities in the west, Nintendo would be competing against other free wifi hotspot services. It would be mad if they did charge. Besides, I'd regard that as being seperate from the actual online gaming service itself, because you can use any wifi access point, at your home, workplace or in town.

  • #13 6 years ago

    Excuse my ignorance (i'm new to all this wireless malarkey) but how does this thing work?

    I have a cable modem - do i plug that Nintendo attachment into a USB 2.0 socket on my PC, load the drivers on and start playing?

    Anyone?

  • smelly #14 6 years ago

    " have a cable modem - do i plug that Nintendo attachment into a USB 2.0 socket on my PC, load the drivers on and start playing? "

    Yes. You turn yer pc on, connect it to the interweb.. (with dongle plugged in).

    And away you go (obviously pc will have to be connected and turned on while yer playing).

    If you have a wifi router at home (i.e. yer computer isnt attached to the phone line via a cable), this isnt needed.

  • smelly #15 6 years ago

    joey mate.. be VERY careful about saying those kinds of things on the interweb boards if you were involved with testing...

    If you signed an agreement before the test, check it to make sure yer not being naughty.

  • GreasyWeasel #16 6 years ago

    That looks remarkably like the Buffalo Wireless USB key thingy.

    http://www.morecomputers.co.uk/textr a.asp?pn=WLI-U2-KG54AI-3&referer=Froogle

    The buffalo one has the windows drivers built into it on a bit of flash memory so I guess this is just a Nintendo'd version.

  • rodpad #17 6 years ago

    Why buy their official one? You can get Belkin ones, and most other brand ones, for £15-£25

  • #18 6 years ago

    Rodpad... That's sort of the same argument for controllers and memory cards (and countless other peripherals). The 'Official' peripherals are almost ALWAYS the most costly.

    Buy aftermarket if you want...
    Edited by 1 at 05/10/05 @ 15:18

  • Tomo #19 6 years ago

    This is very, very exciting news.

    With this and Quake 4 soon, my oh my is uni going to be a struggle :s

  • AtomicBanana #20 6 years ago

    Jiveguy.... You see 3000 XBox Live hotspots (In Japan alone) like Nintendo's FREE offering? That's 3000 more hotspots than MS are offering... Not that you'd want to lug around that colossal console... ;P

    ^^^

    Erm, exactly, it'd be pointless, hence there aren't any Live hotspots because it makes no sense? Yeah, good argument there.

  • speedjack #21 6 years ago

    Just so I'm clear - if I bought a generic one and plugged the USB Wifi dongle into the back of my PC (its got a standard BT router attached)... would my PSP be able to access the web using the Wifi feature too ?

  • timo180 #22 6 years ago

    http://www.play.com/play247.asp?pa=stcs10& page=title&r=DS&title=731691

    Play have it for £14.99. Mmmm.

  • Xerx3s #23 6 years ago

    Djinji, thats the single crappiest statement ever. (of course this one is worse for actually commenting, but thats not the point atm) ^_^

  • smelly #24 6 years ago

    "speedjack" - yes.

    All a generic wifi dongle will do is take the web connection from your home pc (which is connected to the web), and fire the connection around your house.

    If you have ANY other device which can pick up on the wifi signal (say, a laptop, another pc, a psp, or a ds) you'll be able to plug into that connection.

    Simple?

    My guess is the nintendo branded one wont do anything special other than looking different, im GUESSING it'll still alow you to connect another pc/psp/whatever to the wireless network.

    Im also hoping that they may even give it away for free with the game (so parents dont get too confused), but i doubt it.

  • smelly #25 6 years ago

    Im also guessing that (knowing nintndo) the software for the dongle at the pc end will be more simple and easy to follow than a generic dongle..

    but we'll have to wait and see.

  • MARKIV #26 6 years ago

    In the long term your better off buying a WIFI router. This dongle means you'll need your PC turned on to play your DS online. A WIFI router by it's design is always on ( unless you turn it off of course ). You can pick them up for around £50 from various online computer part retail sites.

  • #27 6 years ago

    Yes. You turn yer pc on, connect it to the interweb.. (with dongle plugged in).

    And away you go

    Thanks mate! That sounds reassuringly simple for non-techies like me.

  • jcafarley #28 6 years ago

    Doesn't explain how it will work with a wireless router though. I really hope Nintendo or someone releases some web browsing and e-mail software for the DS, that'd be handy.

  • smelly #29 6 years ago

    "Doesn't explain how it will work with a wireless router though."

    like the psp does, automatically?

    If you have a wireless router firing out net signals.. it'll pick it up.. you'll probs need to give it a password if yer router is encrypted (and if it isnt.. you should seriously consider doing just that).

    The dongle is ONLY required if you dont have a wireless router. The dongle effectively becomes your wireless router (but obviously will require yer pc to be turned on while a router wont).
    Edited by 1 at 05/10/05 @ 18:10

  • asha #30 6 years ago

    -------------------------------------------------------
    Northy-
    Mac owners are teh gayers!!!!
    -------------------------------------------------------

    Mind your lip! Me and my Mac friends are pretty nerdy, but we pack a good punch. *POW!* [-That was us collectively punching the air]

  • jcafarley #31 6 years ago

    Yeah, I imagine it would be like the PSP, however, there are no options in the DS set up to change Wi-Fi settings, unless it happens through the games you buy. Perhaps the DS firmware will be updated.

  • smelly #32 6 years ago

    "Hyoushi" I dont read japanese.. what does that say?

  • Zero Beat #33 6 years ago

    Whoever designed the new Mario Kart logo should be sacked.

  • Kami #34 6 years ago

    Or shot.

    Or perhaps sacked, then shot as they leave the building?

    Either way, I don't like that logo either.

  • UncleLou #35 6 years ago

    The DS WiFi menu they showed at the conference has a "Manual Configuration" option, so you should be fine unless you use WPA encryption, which does not seem to be supported.

    Hm, which encryption is supported, then? WPA-PSK?

  • dr_zoidthrob #36 6 years ago

    hmm... from http://www.ni ntendo-europe.com/NOE/en/GB/news/article.do?elementId=xFc7fE o-5Rpq5GFwYo7OW8ocdlzquQi2


    " Mario Kart DS provides excitement and challenges to keep players, both young and old, entertained and in the driving seat. This highly addictive, fun and fast paced racing game launches on the Nintendo DS in Europe on 25 November 2005, at the estimated retail price of around £30. Also launching on the same date is the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector which will enable players who have Broadband at home to join in the Wi-Fi fun. The Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector will be priced at around £30. "


    So... £60 to play Mario Kart online (or £40 if you get everything from Play.com)

  • SlackMaster #37 6 years ago

    I think £30 is quite steep for a dongle... I was thinking it would be more like £20.

  • ChigusaLover #38 6 years ago

    I cant wait to get it on Christmas..but i cant stand the wait.I'm also getting nintendogs and Animal crossing and their both online games i think.

  • The Old Bill #39 6 years ago

    Don't believe Nintendodogs is.