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Nintendo DS News is a News and downloads site for All Nintendo Handhelds and Consoles including the Gameboy, NES, N64, Snes, Gamecube, Wii, WiiU, NDS, 3DS, GBA and Snes, We have all the latest emulators, hack, homebrew, commercial games and all the downloads on this site, the latest homebrew and releases, Part of the
DCEmu Homebrew & Gaming Network.
THE LATEST NEWS BELOW
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December 9th, 2006, 23:04 Posted By: wraggster
Hiroki has released a new version of DarwiinRemote for the MacOSX:
DarwiinRemote is a tiny software which reads data from and sends data to Nintendo Wii Remote (aka. Wiimote). DarwiinRemote allows you to control your applications by using Wii Remote.
Heres the latest news:
Hi all!
DarwiinRemote 0.3 is released!! This version supports IR sensor and motion sensor calibration. Enjoy!
For developers:
I plan to divide Wii Remote Framework from DarwiinRemote.app. By using the framework, you might be able to use Wii Remote in your projects easily. It will include some additional functions such as various analyzing method like gesture recognition.
What do you think about this plan? I'm still not sure whether I can do that, please help this project if you interest.
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December 9th, 2006, 22:44 Posted By: wraggster
Info from Datel:
With MAX Memory 1GB SD Card you can store all your gamesaves and more! It's the ultimate memory solution for use with your Nintendo Wii. At last you can store gamesaves, images, music and downloads, safely and securely.
As every console gamer knows, you can never have too much memory space to store your gamesaves. Luckily, you can cram on a huge amount of data onto a 1GB card – enough to preserve all your gaming glory! Best of all, MAX Memory 1GB SD Card comes preloaded with some bonus Powersaves for the greatest Wii titles. These are gamesaves with built-in cheats which harness the power of Action Replay, the world’s best-selling game enhancer. Give yourself Infinite Lives, Infinite Health, All Levels, All Weapons and more!
MAX Memory uses high quality, solid state flash memory chips, so it’s extremely reliable and won’t let you down like some low-quality flash solutions. Its 100% secure digital technology means you never lose data.
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December 9th, 2006, 22:42 Posted By: wraggster
Heres the details from Datel:
WiFi MAX is your ticket to the exciting world of online gaming, and it couldn't be simpler to use. Just plug your USB WiFi dongle into your internet-enabled PC to create a Wireless Access Point. You can then connect to the internet and play online-enabled multiplayer games with DS and Wii gamers from all over the world. Just the thing if you don't have a wireless router! Best of all, WiFi MAX supports up to five ‘local' DS gamers at a time, so you and your mates can all play online at once with no loss of speed!
Don’t forget, there’s more to the Nintendo Wii’s online service than playing games. You can also download additional material such as new levels, skins, artwork and even retro games! That’s right – Nintendo is gradually making its back-catalogue classics for old Nintendo machines such as the NES, SNES and N64 available to Wii owners through the Virtual Arcade service. And with WiFi MAX, you can download them through your broadband internet connection! Just think what you’ll be missing out on if you don’t take your Wii online…
As WiFi MAX operates on the Wireless G standard, it's five times faster than an ordinary WiFi connection, and if you use our USB cable and dongle stand (supplied), you can position your dongle to maximise WiFi range. If you have other WiFi-enabled devices capable of using the internet, such as laptops or PDAs, you can take them online with WiFi MAX too. It's the ultimate device for internet surfing without a WiFi router!
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December 9th, 2006, 22:32 Posted By: wraggster
Datel the makers of Freeloader for the Gamecube and many other console products have posted that they are working on a Freeloader for the Nintendo Wii:
If you have one of the later versions of Action Replay or FreeLoader for GameCube, you can use it on your Nintendo Wii when playing GameCube games. It won’t work with Wii – titles – it’s a GameCube product after all – but those who trade in their Cubes and invest in a Wii can carry on playing their imported GameCube games with FreeLoader and enhancing the experience with Action Replay.
“But will there be a FreeLoader or Action Replay for the Wii?”, we hear you cry. “We want to play multiregion Wii games, and bust them wide open too!” All we can say at present is watch this space – we’re working on it, and if it’s possible, you’ll be the first to know.
Awesome news from Datel, the sooner the better for me 
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December 9th, 2006, 21:34 Posted By: wraggster
The SHOCK Replacement Cases for DS Lite have now been released, heres some pics of the cases in the colours available:
  
  
The saying goes, if everybody looked the same, we'd get tired of looking each other and the same goes for the Nintendo DS Lite. It's time to Shock! your DS Lite and give it a unique and vibrant look wherever you go via Xtreme Enterprises range of SHOCK! DS Lite replacement cases. Manufactured with the highest quality in mind, SHOCK! are a range of stellar replacement cases for DS Lite suitable for a fantastically aesthetically pleasing
makeover of Nintendo's handheld or as a replacement to damaged or defective
original casing. Every SHOCK! case is created with rigorously durable ABS
material which will ultimately preserve the shockingly wonderful appearance for the entirety of the handheld.
Specifications & extra information
SHOCK! cases included everything required for a complete overhaul of your DS Lite. As standard the following is included in every professionally boxed case:
- Top and bottom casing, complete with battery compartment
- All buttons (both triggers, left control pad, right buttons, start/select and power/volume)
- GBA front cover
- Screwpads
Prices are £ 19.95
Buy them at Divineo UK
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December 9th, 2006, 20:06 Posted By: wraggster
The Nintendo Wii Review
Where to buy
Play Asia
Amazon UK
SuccessHK
Description (thanks play asia)
The cool look: The new console boasts high-quality materials and a smart, compact design, approximately the size of three standard DVD cases stacked together. It will come with a silver stand that makes the system a welcome, artistic component of any multimedia setup, whether it's displayed vertically or horizontally.
Backward compatibility: The new console plays all games from the current Nintendo GameCube™ generation.
The secret weapon: The console also will have downloadable access to 20 years of fan-favorite titles originally released for Nintendo64™, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System™ (SNES™) and even the Nintendo Entertainment System™ (NES™).
Easy expansion: A bay for an SD memory card will let players expand the internal flash memory.
Two disc formats, one slot: Instead of a tray, a single, innovative, self-loading media bay will play both 12-centimeter optical discs used for the new system as well as Nintendo GameCube™ discs.
The specs: The system boasts 512 megabytes of internal flash memory, wireless controllers, two USB 2.0 ports and built-in Wi-Fi access. A worldwide network of Nintendo™ players can gather to compete in a comfortable, inviting environment. Revolution's technological heart, a processing chip developed with IBM and code-named "Broadway," and a graphics chip set from ATI code-named "Hollywood," will deliver game experiences not previously possible.
The stars: Introduction of a number of new franchise properties will add to the world's richest stable of stars, including Mario, Zelda, Super Smash Bros., Donkey Kong and Metroid.
Wireless freedom: A number of Wi-Fi-enabled launch titles are in development that will employ Nintendo's newly announced wireless gaming service, Nintendo™ Wi-Fi Connection. A worldwide network of Nintendo™ players can gather to compete in a comfortable, inviting environment.
Freedom of design: A dynamic development architecture equally accommodates both big-budget, high-profile game "masterpieces" as well as indie games conceived by individual developers equipped with only a big idea.
An Introduction
I paid a lot for my Nintendo Wii as it is a USA Version console and with shipping and customs charges, But for me a US version is better for me as games are cheaper and accessories in the long run.
What do you get
The Nintendo Wii comes in a fairly small box and when you open it has what can be explained as shelves, in the shelves comes the Nintendo Wii Console which is roughly the size of a DVD Case and 3 times the depth, theres a stand and also an extra plastic bit that fits under the stand to make it steady, theres the sensor bar and small stand that can either be fit above your TV or below it, i stuck the sensorbar to the top of the TV.
Because it was a US Wii i had to buy a Step down transformer, so if you do import a console then make sure you buy the transformer. You get one Wiimote and one Nunchuka controller.
The Controllers
Before i go any further, you have to throw away everything you remember as a gamer because Nintendo have rewritten the book with the Wiimote and Nunchuka Controllers, gameplaying with these controllers will change the way gaming is forever.
The first time you play Tennis (wii sports), Boxing, Baseball, Bowling and Golf you will have realised what all the fuss was about, using a controller the normal way will never give you the same feeling as using a Wiimote.
Lets just say that the controllers on the games where they are utilised perfectly and youll believe your in the game and remember theres no crappy wires to get in the way, sure youll have to change the AA batteries in the Wiimote every once in a while but if i was you i would buy some 2500MAH Rechargeable batteries, then your only paying out the once.
One thing to note is that you must use the strap, maybe for adults they wont need it but for teenagers and children you dont want a Window breaking or the TV getting smashed. A firm grip on the Wiimote should be made clear to everyone who plays with it.
The Console
The Wii is a nicely compact console thats similiar in size to a PC DVD Player, to insert Games you just push into the slot and the Wii sucks the game in (for want of a better explanation).
On the front of the Wii you have the Game Slot, Power, reset and eject buttons and also an hidden compartment with a Sync button which when you add new controllers you must press the sync on both controller and console. Theres also a SD Card Slot in the same compartment.
On the side of the console theres 2 more hidden slots and behind them are 4 Gamecube Controller ports and 2 Memory Card Ports.
So the Wii is Perfect for Gamecube Games and will have no problems with the classics you like on that console.
Also on the back of the console is Broadband ports but when you have Wifi in the console you really dont need them, get a wireless router 
The Graphics
In time the Wii will be pushed to the extreme on the Graphical Front, but at the moment you could say these are Gamecube Style Graphics but look more polished. One look at Zelda tells you that the graphics can be excellent, Dont expect PS3 graphics but they are still very good.
Console Accessories
On the controller front you have the Wiimote and Nunchuka but you also have the Classic Contoller which looks like a Snes controller of old, perfect for the Virtual Console Games. Already theres a racing game with a wheel that you stick the Wiimote in, Future accessories will hopefully include a Lightsabre attachment for Star Wars games but to be honest the skys the limit with the Wiimote controller.
Booting Up etc
On booting the console up you get the standard Nintendo Health and Safety warning, just press A to get past that. The main screen has little windows that you press to get to each section, i had the Wii Sports game in the console so it showed Wii Sports, Mii, Photo Channel, Wii Shop Channel, Forecast Channel and News Channel.
At the bottom of the screen you have Wii Options and Wii Message Board.
When you try to go to the Wii Shop Channel it will ask for connection details, as i had a wireless router it found it quite easily, funny thing was it found 3 other networks too, must be quite a powerful wifi finder on board .
Setting up the connection was very easy for me but maybe those who use wired broadband will find it a bit harder, best to get someone round who knows what they are doing than to spend hours getting frustrated.
You are also asked to give a name for your console and confirm the area of your Wii, i had to stick to USA as my country because it had no option for the UK but that must be down to the fact its a US console.
The News and Forecast Channels arent operational at this time but i suppose they will be a great way for Nintendo to alert you to future Wii games, very clever way to advertise .
The Mii Channel is your personal 3D avatar of sorts and you can take hours and make one to fit your needs, great for kids and people who like the personal touch, it has tons of features and options so making a cartoony version of yourself shouldnt be too hard.
The Photo Channel grabs photos from your Mobile phone although i didnt try that out or indeed an SD Card, again the features were great allowing you to zoom in and out and the photos were presented in thumbnails but decent sized ones allowing you to view them at ease. The photo channel can also be used to watch movies on SD Cards if they are in the right format.
The Wii Shop Channel is where you go to purchase your Virtual Console games, this is where the Wii console is off to another winner, the weekly release of say 3 new games that can be games from the Snes, Nes, Nintendo 64, Megadrive and PC Engine make this a killer feature for retro fans, prices are from £5 upwards so make sure your buying a game you really want. You can also buy new channels at the Wii Shop, on entering you get options including the Virtual Console and Wii Ware, i couldnt go any further at this although clicking on Wii Ware told me that the Internet Channel is coming soon and using the Wiimote has a mouse and you should have a decent way of browsing sites.
There is a great guide to show you though how to buy new games for the Virtual Console. It shows you which controller is compatible etc.
Overall Impressions and Score Rating
Nintendo since the Super Nes for consoles have released 2 good systems but both the N64 and Gamecube failed to capture the market but i feel that Nintendo with a console that isnt the most powerful have invented a machine that has gameplay in a way that has never been done before.
The fact that you dont need to be a gamesplayer to play the Wii Sports titles is an indication of what the future holds, familys can have parties and heres where Nintendo have got it right. This is a console aimed at Gamers and non gamers and the Virtual Console lets us Oldies play Retro classics from yesteryear and not to mention the FREE worldwide play unlike Xbox Live where you pay for that service.
Having Gamecube Hardware and ports also means that Backward compatability is there too and for newcomers to the Gaming scene a chance to play some of those excellent releases on the Gamecube.
Graphically it cant match the Xbox360 or PS3 but Nintendo dont need to worry about that because they have a console with gameplay attibutes that no console can match.
I have played consoles and computer games from 1980 onwards and ive never came across anything like this if Nintendo and others can release games and accessories to really make full use if the Wiimote then you are looking at the winner of the Next Gen console war, as it is if you are a serious gamer then i suggest you buy the Wii to go along side your 360/ps3.
Without a shadow of a doubt this is the console of the year in my eyes. Nintendo finally have repeated the amazing success of the DS Lite but in a Console form, who knows what tricks Nintendo have for us with DS- Wii functionality ?
Now if i was to give the console a mark out of 100 i would give it a 92% with only the graphics not comparing to the other next gen consoles but this is an experianced not to be missed, make sure you get Wii Sports and Zelda too , a few points are also knocked off for the region lock on games, luckily for the Gamecube you have the Freeloader but the Wii doesnt have one yet, but lets hope someone makes one
Homebrew Possibilities
Already the Wii can play Gamecube Homebrew and Emulators for the Gamecube using the SD Load/Action Replay Method but we dont know yet if that way can access the full wii capabilities. Wifi Homebrew gaming on a worldwide scale will be awesome if/when it happens
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December 9th, 2006, 15:46 Posted By: wraggster
The Nintendo Wii`s greatest new game now has a guide to help those who need a bit of help along, heres the details:
features
Pages: 432
Written specifically for the Wii version!
The complete Twilight Princess compendium
Exclusive maps for every dungeon in the game, plus all hidden dungeons mastered–including the infamous Cave of Ordeals!
All Golden Bugs, Poes, Pieces of Heart, Fairies, Rare Gold Chu locations, dig spot caverns, overworld and dungeon treasure chests, and every major Rupee location in the entire world revealed!
Complete walkthrough showing the optimal path to take! Grab all the best items at the earliest possible points!
Outrageously fast times, cunning techniques, and secret unlockables for all mini-games!
Giant double-sided map poster inside!
Multiple methods for fighting against all of Hyrule's dark denizens!
Learn when and where to search for every item, upgrade, character, and dungeon. Includes how and where to fish for the legendary 27-inch Hylian Loach!
Dozens of combat, gameplay, and healing tricks, plus easter eggs you won't believe!
description
When Twilight Threatens, Prima Guides the Way
Buy here --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1rcy.html
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December 9th, 2006, 15:03 Posted By: wraggster
via ign
With Bandai Namco's Ennichi no Tatsujin, I've at last played all 16 of the Wii's Japanese launch titles. I'd like to say that I saved the best for last, but that's definitely not the case. In fact, looking just at all the mini game collections in the launch, I started off with Wario: Smooth Moves, then went on to Wii Play, Crayon Shin Chan, and Tamagotchi, in that order, before finishing off today with what appears to be the worst of the bunch.
Crayon Shin Chan and Tamagotchi aren't all that great, but at least they attempt to put some fluff around the mini games. Ennichi no Tatsujin makes no such attempt. The entire game involves selecting a mini game and playing through a series of challenges.
As detailed in our early preview, the mini games include 10 events you might find at a carnival. On the plus side, you'll find some events that you won't find in any other mini game collection. I was excited about the idea of making crepe and takoyaki and folding balloons.
Some of the games offer some interesting ideas. The balloon game, for instance, plays somewhat like a slow Taiko Drum Master, only you twist and bend the controller and nunchuck when prompted, creating balloon shapes.
Most of the mini games are poorly implemented, either with bad controls or boring ideas. The takoyaki game requires that you move and twist the Wiimote in order to pour out batter and flip the little takoyakis, but problems with the motion recognition make this frustrating. The crepe game has you spread batter over a hot plate, wait for the wrapping to heat up, then add toppings, taking care to not include anything on your customers' bad list. The batter controls might work okay, if you weren't twisting the Wiimote around in the air.
Ennichi no Tatsujin shows some of the growing pains Japan seems to be having with the Wii. Button placement is confusing -- instead of the standard B button to cancel and go out to menus, or even the + or - button that's used in some games, you're required to hold down the 2 button for a couple of seconds. You'll find no load times once you get into one of the ten gaming areas, but actually moving between events requires a few seconds of loading both on the way in and on the way out.
With its barebones presentation of ten mini games, Ennichi no Tatsujin reminds me of Nintendo's Wii Play. Only minus the fun, and the bundled Wiimote.
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December 9th, 2006, 15:01 Posted By: wraggster
via ign
I previously thought Bandai Namco's Tamagotchi was the worst of Japan's sizable Wii launch lineup. Then, I played Spike's Necro-Nesia. If you want a Wii horror adventure game where you kill screenfulls of insects... well, if you can do without the insect part, you can still play Resident Evil 4, you know.
Necro-Nesia somehow manages to do everything you don't want to do when using the Wiimote. It's like a guide to making a Wiimote compatible game using reverse psychology. All Wii developers should play this and think sarcastic thoughts.
The control scheme gets the part about moving your character with the nunchuck analogue stick right, but the part about using the system's fantastic new pointing device as a means of surveying your surroundings was somehow translated into players slashing the device in order to make the main character evade enemy attack. This move doesn't use any of the Wiimote's positional information -- you always get the same evasive dash to the right no matter how you swing the device (a left dash can be done by shaking the nunchuck). They made a control device for this type of input years ago. It's called a button, and there are a bunch of them that could have been used for this maneuver to free up the Wiimote for something more useful.
That's just an example of what's wrong with Necro-Nesia's control scheme. Why is a button as prominent as C used for switching your flashlight on and off? Why are the controls for slashing with your weapon and throwing rocks so complicated? Why do you still have to go into a menu in order to select weapons and items when there's a toggle button that's limited to just two items? Why do the controls switch to Resident Evil tank controls when you're inside a cabin?
And on the note of whys, why do the insects leave behind money exactly?
Crappy controls make me throw my Wiimote. Stupid videogame logic makes me do something much worse: swear while throwing my Wiimote. So, you're trying to escape this bug-infested island. But you're not the first! Some previous adventurer was kind enough to leave notes at strategic locations, providing details on the background story. These notes also serve as the starting point for puzzles of varying stupidity. "By the way, I dropped my lighter somewhere in the area." Maybe by finding the lighter -- say, by defeating this enemy spore point -- and lighting the lantern in the cabin, something will happen.
How you progress through the game, by finding the required lighter or whatever other absurd quest you're given, is the best part. All you do is walk around until you see a yellow dot glowing on the map. This indicates where you should go next for things to happen. So, you go there, and things happen. Necro-Nesia is a game about finding yellow dots.
The only redeeming factors with Necro-Nesia are its story and characters, but only because you'll laugh at them. The opening sequence sees Ray, the main character, arrive on a bug-infested island with his friend Mike and his love interest Michelle. This island has lots of rare bugs, as Michelle points out (do make sure and download the intro video from our video page). Uh-oh! It seems that Mike has the hots for Michelle too, and he decides to confess to her right there on the spot.
The only thing missing is the crappy English voice acting. Someone should pick this title up, give it the worst translation ever, and release it in America under a new "B-Game" label.
Unless you're planning on making fun of it, Necro-Nesia has nothing going for it. Visually, it has progressive output, but the bland colors and poor insect models would look bad on the Cube.
Necro-Nesia might suddenly get better once I've advanced beyond the 3 hour mark, but I'm not planning on finding out (I just couldn't take it anymore!). Years from now, if someone should ask you to name the worst title from the Wii launch, you can't go wrong with Necro-Nesia.
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December 9th, 2006, 14:53 Posted By: wraggster
Via IGN
According to a new Famitsu Marketing survey, Sony's PlayStation Portable is getting walloped in Japan by Nintendo's DS. In November alone, the PSP sold a mere 86,000 units compared to nearly 550,000 DS Lites. More shocking are numbers for the first 11 months of the year, which show that Nintendo may have all but closed the door on PSP in Japan. The DS and DS Lite have sold more than 7.5 million units so far this year, with PSP selling just 1.6 million units.
Further troubling for Sony's portable system are its software sales in comparison to Nintendo. PSP has sold 2.8 million games to date this year, while Nintendo has sold 27 million games. This is what is referred to in business as a clobbering.
The battle is a bit closer in the U.S., though Nintendo retains a strong lead month-to-month. In November, likely the busiest sales month of the year, twice as many DS Lites were sold as PSPs.
Publicly, Sony has shown nothing but confidence for the future of the PSP. Despite having weaker sales numbers compared to DS, the PSP had a strong year in terms of quality software. Nine of the twelve PSP games to receive a 9.0 or higher from IGN were released in 2006.
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December 9th, 2006, 14:19 Posted By: wraggster
Heres whats posted on the official site
The interesting “thing” about posting “news” is the expectation that is inevitably incurred or assumed or created from the “news” post. In the past dealing with situations that require some sort of feedback, has always led to more situations requiring more intense and frequent feedback. You see this not only in smaller business such as Ds-X but in some of the largest corporations out there today. Many of the larger companies simply choose to ignore or stay silent, and in some ways I can see why, but is this the correct move ? In the recent days there has been some interesting debates in our internal structure with respect to what we should and should not say, especially in times of high anticipation and stress. Personally I am very much in two minds, every time we have said something either formally here or informally in our forums/support system, it has ended up in simply creating more anticipation and more situations. I guess the heart of the problem stems from not being able to give hard facts and figures, in the time frame expected by the general public. Why not ? Simple, we are all human, and in every aspect of a business we deal with multiple humans, people like you and me, all of which have their way of working and your own way of thinking.
Production Delays.
Since I have covered a lot of this in both our support system and forums, I will briefly highlight the situation here. In order to eliminate/reduce the plastic mold quality issue we experienced in a very small % of the initial units shipped, we made some changes to quality control in our supply chain. These changes we though would be actioned quickly and cost very little in terms of delays, as it turned out we were very wrong ! . The changes resulted in some major confusion with customs and the final assembly plant in China. Long story short, we ended up in a situation with 0 production for about 1 month. Yeah, for those of you who are in the industry and know what time of year and how recent our launch is .. that’s a very big OUCH. This panic month is now over and things are back on track.
Universal updater:
This is probably the most heated internal debate. The reason for delay: Perfectionism . The temporary win32 release posted below, was an internal compromise. Technically we could have released a universal updater that would have done the job for the 1.0.2 update. However it would have needed an update to do any further updates. Hence the debate. Release a half done incomplete universal updater, that would need to be updated the very next release, or delay. Now comes the interesting part of this post:
The Ds-Xtreme: What is it that makes this product so unique, and at the same time so complicated and difficult to fully grasp.
Well the answers lie in the same “Perfectionism” that was mentioned above. From concept we set some very tough to meet goals. The toughest of all was the integrated hardware design. From our very fist announcement we advertised a key feature that I think very few (if any) of our users have caught on to. I think the quote was “ Fully updatable hardware” to explain this I need to get into some technical insight of the DS-Xtreme design, so here goes.
What’s inside that tiny package. ?
The DS-Xtreme is made up of multiple levels of integrated systems. From a distant view it’s a piece of hardware running some software. Bring on the magnifying glass and it becomes a lot more. There are 3 main parts to the design each very much individually updatable and reconfigurable.
THE DS-Xtreme OS
The most obvious and the only part updated so far is our DS side operating system, this is by far the most complicated and advanced operating system put together for any such device to date. The heart of the OS is the skinning engine. No other device available can offer anything near what the DS-Xtreme OS offers currently. While we hopped this would be taken advantage of from day one, it seems we need to incentivise this avenue more in order to prove just what exactly can be done with this unique and highly advanced skinning engine. (more about this incentive later) While the OS is critical to the correct operation and seamless integration of the complete package, it is only part of the design.
THE onboard CPU
Running internally at 48Mhz , with exceptionally low power consumption there is a tiny CPU running our customized firmware. This little beast is currently in charge of USB and basic memory management.
THE FPGA
Field Programmable Gate Array. What is this ? Well this ingenious piece of hardware is the sole reason devices such as this as well as many other integrated electronics exist today. In a very basic nutshell this is a device that can be programmed to become almost any configuration of electronics or logic in hardware. It is extremely fast, and very flexible. Today you can have it to handle communication and encryption routines, tomorrow you can have it take care of memory management and complex audio decoding. Its limitations are very much based on the physical size of the internal fabric. An interesting side note: At time of launch we were only using a little over 50% of the available fabric, and that’s with very little optimization. We could have easily opted to go for half the cost of the FPGA and put a device half the size.
Now comes the original statement “ fully upgradeable “ .. One of the requirements was that we leave the door open to be able to completely reprogram each subsection, including the FPGA. Take a quick look at most designs out there, very few if any allow their FPGA to be updated, there are many reasons for this, most stemming from security of IP. We opted to go against the grain and take the route that best benefited our customers and not ourselves. The reason? Simple, we in this for the long haul, the Ds-Xtreme is still a baby, barely able to crawl, its has a lot yet to offer , and in the coming year or so, we hope to prove this. Yes right now its core features are amazing and ground breaking, but in six months when other devices hit the market, we want our customers who have paid good money for their device to feel that they have invested in us and our design , not just spent some hard earned cash on a disposable unit. Yes we will have multiple products, but NO we will not let our “older” designs die off in just a few months with lack of support or updates. We will strive to prove that contrary to today’s “norm” for consumer devices, there is still a way to roll out new hardware and keep old hardware updated and running with the latest features and benefits. We don’t believe it’s fair to doll up a device sell it as is, and then make a simple software change and bring out a new “updated” device. This obviously stands true for what is physically possible with the hardware present.
To wrap up the FPGA talk, picture this, the FPGA device sitting inside your DS Xtreme has enough “room” to fit a complete ARM9 core and can be clocked at over 300Mhz !. While we would never venture into such an extreme implementation ( simply cause there is no room left over for anything else J) it does go to show just how much power is locked inside that tiny package. Yes ! by simply plugging your DS-Xtreme into your PC and performing a complete update we could re-program your device into something completely different . With a click of a button its even possible to completely implement one of the most popular and state of the art cpu architectures out there today. (and run it at 10 times the speed your ds is running at ;-) ) So the doors are open. Our challenge is massive, but we believe in our concept and we will succeed to make each and every one of our customers proud to own our design and be part of our belief.
Together with our skilled and talented staff, and more importantly the skill and brilliant talent of the open source community, we all have a lot to look forward to. In an effort to spear head the development and support for the DS-Xtreme, we have allocated the first sample units to the many interested parties who have shown their talent in the development scene.
For the thousands of you who are currently having fun with the DS-Xtreme, how about some experimentation with the skinning engine? Yes I know a lot has to do with us dragging our feet in releasing the skin preview app. (again that damn perfectionism ! ) but its perfectly safe to mess with the skin in the default folder. Worst case you simply remove the folder and the internal backup copy will take effect ;-)
For those who havent heard of this Flashcart heres more info:
The DS-X (DS-Xtreme) is a revolutionary storage, homebrew and media player flash cart compatible with all DS Lite and original DS consoles.
Offering a SINGLE unified solution which allows you to do the unthinkable and push the limits of Nintendo’s ™ top selling handheld console. The DS-X does NOT require the use of a passme, external memory or any unsightly GBA cart, just one intelligently designed piece of kit, the same size as an ordinary DS cart, giving an unrivalled experience to any DS enthusiast.
Its plug and play in its finest hour, an in-built USB port on the DS-X paves the way for you to communicate easily between the DS-X OS and your computer. Drag ‘n drop all your favourite media and homebrew as you please directly onto the included 4GBit (512-Mbyte) memory with minimal effort as the DS-X will be instantly recognized by your machine.
Specifications & extra information
Xtreme Functionality – One device, Limitless Opportunity:
- One single unified device, no need for GBA Cart, external memory or passme/flashme
- Functions as a flash cart, compatible with homebrew, media and other image files
- Plug ‘n Play, no PC software required allowing for some seriously sweet Drag ‘n Drop file transfer
- Intuitively designed custom operating system which is fully upgradeable
- Included 4GBit (512Mbyte) onboard flash memory
- Bespoke hardware design compatible with all current and future DS consoles, same size as original DS cartridge – does NOT stick out!
- Custom engineered components such as a High-Speed USB 2.0 mini-B connector and full sized EEPROM.
You can BUY this latest new flashcart for the Nintendo DS from Divineo Spain, Divineo Germany, Divineo USA, Divineo China, Divineo UK
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December 9th, 2006, 14:12 Posted By: wraggster
Kirby has a wide array of powers, among them the little known aura that inspires complete adoration. Who could look upon the puff and not smile? In that, most of us agree. But there's something that no one can agree on when it comes to the newly released Kirby: Squeak Squad -- and that's the difficulty of the game. Sure, reviewers may be extolling Kirby's virtues, but the list of virtues is not quite the same from one write-up to another.
Yahoo! Games - 70%: In terms of difficulty, this is one of the easier platformers on the DS ...This game definitely catered to the less patient and less experienced DS owners. Mini-games are another beloved aspect of Kirby titles, but Squeak Squad's are disappointing: Play a variation on bumper cars, engage in speed eating, or avoid bombs in a treasure hunt. Even the prospect of multiplayer competitions can't add much longevity to these quickly cast-aside diversions.
Cubed3 - 90%: ...people oft complain that Kirby's adventures are far too easy, thus do not manage to scale the heights of Mario's platform games. They generally point out that it is especially due to the fact that he can inhale fresh air and then just float along at the top of the screen until the end of a level. However, this really is not the case with Squeak Squad as the levels are extremely intricate, housing so many secrets that it is practically impossible to find them all on your first play through. There are eight worlds in total, broken down into separate levels, with a final boss at the end of each one. Altogether there are 37 stages, seven hidden ones and eight boss battles. The main stages and boss battles alone should be enough to keep the average gamer happy, but thankfully for those Kirby masters out there, much more is added on top of this to make the package truly complete.
GamePro - 80%: The only thing we didn't like about Squeak Squad is that it's a tad on the easy side. To say that it's forgiving is an understatement. Food, which replenishes your health, is readily available and the bosses don't put up much of a challenge. Also, the cartoonish visual style might turn off more mature gamers who like their games to have a little hair on their chests. But there is no denying the ineffable charm of this title and gamers looking to give their DS a workout should gobble this one up like it was made of sweet, sweet candy.
via dsfanboy
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December 9th, 2006, 14:11 Posted By: wraggster
via dsfanboy
What the blurry image above is showing you is yet another mod for the DS Lite. Gamer Grandpasmurf found a tutorial on AcidMods that helped him put blue LED lights underneath transparent buttons that he purchased on NDS-Central. To demonstrate their glowing power, he filmed himself playing Final Fantasy III. They seem to work great and no real damage was done to his DS. Call it the angle of the camera, but we find these a little too bright for our taste.
Video Here -->
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December 9th, 2006, 13:52 Posted By: Sektor
REminiscence is a rewrite of the engine used in the game Flashback from Delphine Software.
REminiscence was coded by Gregory Montoir.
This Nintendo DS port was coded by Sektor and uses code from GPF's REminiscence DS port.
v0.23- Added a version with GBA_NDS_FAT from picodriveDS 0.1.6. Use this on MMD, EZ4 and SC miniSD. Untested.
- Support for Italian language files.
- Updated libcartreset to 0.72 (fixes return to menu on SC Lite). Return to menu only works on libfat version.
- Level select. You can now scroll through level codes on the password screen. Up/down for skill, left/right for level.
Todo:- Improve sound and music playback quality
- Speed up cut scenes and fix cut scene glitches
- Make fonts easier to read (scaling issue)
- Sleep when lid is closed
- Add cheats
You will need the data files from the PC DOS version of the game. Copy the Flashback files to X:\data\flashback\data\ , replace X: with the drive letter of your DS media device.
To hear music, you need the mod.* files from the Amiga version. They should be named like mod.flashback-introb , without a .mod extension.
It should work on M3CF (tested), GBAMP and Supercard. Backup anything important before using any homebrew that writes to your media device. I haven't had any file corruption but I haven't tested every device and backups are always a good idea.
DS controls:
----------------------------------------------
d-pad move Conrad
A draw/holster gun
B talk / use / run / shoot
X use the current inventory object
Y display the inventory / skip movies
L display the options
R toggles fast mode
High automatic jump, run then release direction arrow
- Sektor
- www.GTAMP.com/DS
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December 9th, 2006, 13:50 Posted By: wraggster
Via Deadketchup
UPDATE, Thanks Hawq
0.4a is out now:
-Certain roms did not function any more of with a bad interpretation of opcode HALT. It is now corrected.
-Addition of a menu allowing the posting of the framerate.
- Large profit speed (real time on much of plays)
- New module CRT which brings the support of the overscan (Thank you Demoniak)
- Beginning of a design for the keyboard
- Finely of configuration (green monitor color)
- The sound functions (but there remains a problem of envelope of volume)
Download and Give Feedback & Compatibility Reports Via Comments
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December 9th, 2006, 13:42 Posted By: wraggster
Via liquidice
vkapadia has posed several scripts for GlovePIE, a Windows program which lets you use the Wii-Mote as your mouse, or to control games on your PC. You will need to successfully connect the WiiMote to your PC using a compatible bluetooth adapter first. Once you have GlovePIE and the wii-mote successfully connected, download one of the following scripts (right click and save-as) and then load it into GlovePIE.
Scripts for using the Wiimote in Windows with GlovePIE:
WiiMouse IR
Point with your Wiimote and click! REQUIRES SENSOR BAR
Chances are, this is the one you want.
WiiMouse Accel
Tilt and rotate the Wiimote to control the mouse.
WiiMouse IR Relative
Moves the mouse based on the Wiimote's position relative to the center of the screen.
Two WiiMice
Connect two Wiimotes to control two mice. REQUIRES SENSOR BAR
WiiMouse IR Odd Bar
Before version .24, some sensor bars were not functioning properly. REQUIRES SENSOR BAR
Generic Joystick Driver
This uses the tilt/rotate as two axes, and all 11 buttons to emulate a joystick. REQUIRES PPJOY
Nintendo 64 Emulator - Ocarina of Time
A little awkward, but not too bad.
Nintendo 64 Emulator - Goldeneye (basic)
All buttons are digital in this script.
Nintendo 64 Emulator - Goldeneye (advanced)
In this, there is analog control support.
Nintendo Entertainment System Emulator
Basic controls for an NES emulator. Turn the Wiimote sideways for this one.
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December 9th, 2006, 13:19 Posted By: wraggster
New US version Wii Game released, heres the details:
Rapala Tournament Fishing lets players embark on all new angling adventures in 16 of the world's most desirable fishing locales utilizing authentic gear from Rapala, the world's largest manufacturer of fishing lures and #1 fishing brand in the world.
Buy Here --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1po9.html
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December 9th, 2006, 13:08 Posted By: wraggster
Finally the English Speaking version of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin has been released and remember all DS games are worldwide region free, heres the details:
features
Two new playable characters, each with their own unique style of play and abilities
Strategically switch between characters in the heat of the action
Call on your partner and execute Summon Attacks to decimate your enemies
Collect items, weapons and magic as you explore the castle
Explore several environments new to the series, such as the Desert, abandoned cities and more
description
Celebrating 20 years of vampire hunting action, the legendary Castlevania series is back with an all-new action packed adventure. Take control of two heroes, Jonathan Morris, a vampire killer and his close friend Charlotte Orlean, a girl with tremendous magical ability. Amidst the chaos of World War II, two mysterious sisters emerge, working to resurrect Dracula and David and Charlotte are all that stand in their way.
Buy Here --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1d81.html
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December 9th, 2006, 13:00 Posted By: wraggster
via kotaku
If you found yourself drooling over the Swarovski crystal covered pink DS Lite designed by Paris Hilton we posted a few weeks back, then not only is their something wrong with you, but there is also a spark of hope, as one is now up for auction on eBay UK. I am assuming the seller simply had too much taste to keep the item for himself.
He also mentions that only 20 of these were made, a fact that I cannot seem to back up from any source. Everyone knew it was limited edition, but only 20? For an item this spectacularly fabulous? Come on. There's gotta be a warehouse full of these somewhere, and that warehouse needs to be bombed.
I do like how it comes with spare crystals and a glue kit, as if they expect someone to actually play this monstrosity and not lock it in a vault deep underground somewhere so it never hurts anyone again. The auction starts at approximately $670, with a buyout of $1465, depending on which conversion rates you believe. A small price to pay to save humanity from shiny pink doom.
Screen Via Comments
Ebay Auction
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