Nintendo’s DSi XL, the largest and neweest of DSis, will hit US shores on March 28th for $190.  In exchange for a swollen pocket you’ll score two 4.2-inch LCDs and a slightly thicker build.  When it first arrives it will be available in Burgundy and Bronze, but I’d expect additional colors to roll out as time transpires.  It will come preloaded with Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math and Photo Clock, as well as two free applications: the Nintendo DSi Browser and Flipnote Studio.  Also included is a larger pen like stylus.

Full press release after the ‘leap’

NINTENDO REVEALS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE LINEUP FOR THE FIRST HALF OF 2010

Nintendo Announces Launch Dates for Nintendo DSi XL,Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M

REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 24, 2010 – Nintendo of America issued a surge of new information today about what consumers can expect from the company in the coming months. Let’s get right to it:
The new Nintendo DSi XL™ hand-held system launches March 28 at a suggested retail price of $189.99. The screens of the Nintendo DSi XL are 93 percent larger than those of the Nintendo DS™ Lite model, providing a more vivid and engaging play experience. The screens of the Nintendo DSi XL also feature a wider viewing angle, letting friends and family members join the fun. The new system launches in both Burgundy and Bronze colors, and comes loaded with pre-installed premium software Brain Age™ Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math and Photo Clock, as well as two free applications: the Nintendo DSi Browser and Flipnote Studio™. Nintendo DSi XL will also come with a larger pen-like stylus that allows for a more comfortable grip and enhanced ease of use when playing games that use the Nintendo DS touch screen. America’s Test Kitchen: Let’s Get Cooking and WarioWare™: D.I.Y. will also launch for the Nintendo DS family of products on March 28, providing consumers with new content that can be enjoyed on any Nintendo DS system. Games like these demonstrate the enhanced experience available with the Nintendo DSi XL.

Super Mario Galaxy™ 2, the sequel to the smash-hit galaxy-hopping original game, launches May 23 for the Wii™ console. The game includes the amazing gravity-defying, physics-based exploration from the first game, but is loaded with entirely new galaxies and features to challenge and delight players. On some stages, Mario™ can pair up with his dinosaur buddy Yoshi™ and use his tongue to grab items and spit them back at enemies. Players can also have fun with new items such as a drill that lets our hero tunnel through solid rock.

Metroid™: Other M, the incredible new Metroid game developed for Wii through a collaboration by Nintendo and the world-renowned Team Ninja, launches June 27. The game looks at the classic franchise from a new perspective: While much of the game is reminiscent of 2-D side-scrollers, players can switch the perspective into 3-D at any time as they explore the twisting passages of a derelict space station and delve deep into a cinematic, never-before-told story of bounty hunter Samus Aran’s past. This new approach uses a new control scheme in which players use the Wii Remote™ controller held sideways to battle enemies and navigate the expansive, gorgeous environments in classic Metroid fashion, then aim at the screen with the Wii Remote pointer to blast foes in first-person and hunt the world for clues and hidden passages.

In a unique partnership with Square-Enix, Nintendo of America will publish Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies in the Americas when the game arrives in summer 2010. Dragon Quest IX has sold more than 4.15 million copies in the Japanese market. Nintendo and Square-Enix will now work together to bring this title to the Nintendo DS consumer base in the Americas.

Capcom’s Monster Hunter® Tri, an epic action game for Wii, launches in the United States on April 20. The game lets players customize their character, armor and weapons in order to protect a town from majestic monsters as that town rebuilds following a devastating earthquake. Online play will be available for all players with broadband Internet access at no additional cost. Online text chat is fully functional and online voice chat is enabled using the Wii Speak™ microphone, which is sold separately. At a suggested retail price of $59.99, limited quantities of Monster Hunter Tri will include the new Black Classic Controller Pro™, while both Black and White versions of the controller will be available separately at a suggested retail price of $19.99. The game will also be available without a controller at a suggested retail price of $49.99.

Sin and Punishment: Star Successor, the breakthrough shooter game for Wii from legendary developer Treasure, will launch across North America on June 7. The game features nonstop action with two playable characters and international online leaderboards to track high scores. Using the Wii Remote pointer functionality, the game offers unprecedented precision in the shooter genre.

FlingSmash™ for Wii will test players’ Wii Remote skills as they bounce a ball-like hero through countless side-scrolling stages, combining the precision of racket sports with the unpredictable fun of pinball. Playable only with the Wii MotionPlus™ accessory, the game will launch this summer.

Picross 3D is poised to become a puzzle game phenomenon when it launches for the Nintendo DS family of products on May 3. In Picross 3D, players start with a cube and smash away smaller blocks to reveal an object, shape or symbol. Delivering more than 350 unique puzzles and more made available for download on a regular basis after launch via the Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection service (broadband Internet access required), the game takes the mind-bending fun of Picross into the next dimension.

100 Classic Books transforms the Nintendo DS family of products into a library of timeless literature when it launches on June 14 at a suggested retail price of $19.99, highlighted by 100 works from authors such as William Shakespeare, Jules Verne, Jane Austen, Mark Twain and more. Readers can adjust the size of text, place bookmarks and even download new content via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service (broadband Internet connection required).

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands™ from Ubisoft will launch May 18 on both the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms. Boasting amazing graphics with fantastic action and puzzle-solving game play, the Wii version will be the first in franchise history to feature a two-player cooperative experience. As an added bonus, the Wii version of the game will exclusively include the 1992 Super NES™ version of the original Prince of Persia game.

Disney Guilty Party is the official title of the highly anticipated first collaboration between Disney Interactive Studios and its recently acquired studio, Wideload Games. The fun and hilarious mystery party game is set for release in the second half of 2010, exclusively for Wii.

Majesco’s Nintendo DSi exclusive Ghostwire: Link to the Paranormal uses incredible augmented reality technology through the Nintendo DSi Camera. Launching this October, the game lets players become a ghost hunter as they interact with the paranormal.
Nintendo also announced a variety of games available to download directly to the Wii console from the Wii Shop Channel via the WiiWare™ service, and directly to the Nintendo DS via the DSi Shop and DSiWare™ services. For WiiWare:
Launching on March 1, Capcom’s Mega Man™ 10 builds upon the huge impact of Mega Man 9, a completely new adventure rendered in classic 8-bit style. This new game looks and sounds as awesomely retro as its predecessor.

Launching on March 8, Max & the Magic Marker from Press Play turns the Wii Remote into an orange magic marker that’s literally magic. Players draw lines and objects to help Max reach objects and his ultimate goal.

The long-awaited indie cult classic Cave Story comes to WiiWare with new game play, artwork and music enhancements on March 22. It’s classic gaming reborn for 2010.

Launching on March 29, WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase is a standalone product exclusive to the WiiWare service and available only from the Wii Shop Channel. The game contains more than 70 new microgames and features interoperability with the WarioWare: D.I.Y. game for the Nintendo DS family of products. Players that own both games can transfer content between the two via a local wireless connection, and can even play user-created microgames on their television using WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase.

As the techno music pulses, Nintendo’s Art Style™: light trax™ puts players in charge of a white beam of light as it engages in a surreal race against other beams across a dark track. Players must keep away from obstacles, use items and look for power boosts if they want to finish first. Art Style: light trax launches this spring.

Swim and spin through the primordial ooze in Nintendo’s Art Style: Rotozoa™ as you absorb tiny organisms that match the colors of your tentacles. As you absorb more organisms, your tentacles grow. The challenge increases as additional tentacles are gained, but power-ups can help you survive and thrive. Art Style: Rotozoa launches this spring.

Launching this spring, Rage of the Gladiator from Ghostfire Games is an intense fighting game that asks players to perfect their well-timed moves against an array of opponents. The game is compatible with the Wii MotionPlus accessory.

Launching this spring, And Yet It Moves from Broken Rules requires players to rotate the world to help their line-drawn protagonist progress. Walls become floors and floors become ceilings in this surreal twist on the platformer genre.

Launching this summer, Independent Games Festival Seumas McNally Grand Prize Finalist Super Meat Boy from Team Meat sets a cube of meat off on an adventure to save Princess Bandage. This off-the-wall game is not for the faint of heart.
For Nintendo DSiWare:
Nintendo’s Photo Dojo™ is poised to be the cult hit of 2010 when it launches this spring. The game first asks players to pose for 13 pictures and input 10 sound effects. Once that’s done, the player becomes the main character in a hilarious side-scrolling fighting game. Create up to eight characters and do battle alone or against a friend on a single Nintendo DSi or Nintendo DSi XL system.

Launching this spring, Nintendo’s Metal Torrent™ delivers a frantic barrage of gunfire that fills the screen. Players try to convert opponents’ bullets into cubes that, when collected, increase their score and fill an energy meter that powers special weapons. Online Leaderboards record scores and movies of top games.

Launching this spring, X-Scape™ from Nintendo immerses players in an exploratory adventure involving more than 20 planets. Players will pilot their tank through 3-D tunnels, fire at enemies and even battle ancient weapons that resemble giant robots.
“Nintendo finished 2009 with a bang, and we’re continuing our momentum into 2010,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “With Nintendo DSi XL, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M coming in the first six months of the year, we’re making sure all our fans have great game content to enjoy year-round.”

Remember that Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit www.Nintendo.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo DSi™ systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.3 billion video games and more than 558 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.Nintendo.com.

Game features:

• Own the World¿When you¿re in first place, the walls of the city become covered with your graphic style. Now everyone knows that you¿re the one leading the pack.
• Pick Your Ride¿The style and spirit of the game are rooted in car culture, with 30 classic and modern licensed cars including muscles, exotics, tuners, and more. Plus, race on 15 tracks featuring traffic, jumps, canyons, and events.
• Battle to the Finish Line¿Increase other racers¿ heat levels to sick the cops on them, manage car damage to maintain maximum speed, and build up nitro with skilled driving to take the lead. The race is never over until you cross the finish line!
• Extreme Customization¿Trick out your car¿s appearance using an incredibly deep yet intuitive customization system unlike anything seen on the Wii. Never before in a Need for Speed game have you had this much control over the look of your ride.
• Coop World Tour Campaign¿Take part in illegal street races across five cities to unlock new cars, parts, tracks, and challenges. Up to three players can also join you to play cooperatively.

It looks like Activision has plans to bring the Call Of Duty series to the Nintendo DS.  Called ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilised’, it will debut on the same day as the console version, 11.10.09 and will be what sounds like a comparable, albeit portable version of the ultra popular FPS.  But unlike Modern Warfare 2, multiplayer will be limited to 6 people but will include a ’survival mode’, which requires players to fight off hordes of oncoming enemy forces.  Unfortunately, at the time of this posting no screen shots or a trailer were available.

Full description after the ‘leap’

On the 10th November get ready for more high-speed action, as Activision Publishing, Inc. revealed plans today to deploy Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilised for Nintendo DS. Developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS by n-Space, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilised will deliver an arsenal of cutting-edge weaponry, vehicles and tactics, arming players with precision controls for battle across the world’s most dangerous hotspots. Gamers will fight on the ground in intense building-to-building tactical combat, hack into enemy computer terminals, take the controls of military vehicles like Battle Tanks and UAV spy drones, or man the guns of an AC-130 gunship.

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilised will bring the epic Call of Duty intensity of Modern Warfare to Nintendo DS fans through a unique storyline and companion narrative. The title will also serve up a array of features, including a six-player online multiplayer mode that allows friends to host their own server, as well as the brand new Survival Mode, giving players a variety of weapons to hold off waves of oncoming enemy forces and an expanded six-player online multiplayer mode. Also, Arcade Mode will allow gamers to replay the game’s single-player with a time limit and running score, with extra points awarded for specific achievements.

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilised will release worldwide on 10th November, in conjunction with Infinity Ward’s highly-anticipated Modern Warfare 2, the next instalment to the record-breaking Call of Duty series and is rated 12+ by PEGI.

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Last week we saw the UK and Japan receive a Nintendo DSi firmware update that enabled the handheld gaming system to upload photos directly to Facebook.  Now, according to Crunchgear, Nintendo will issue the same update to North American DSi owners that will allow them to post photos directly to their Facebook page.   The update will be available sometime today after 5pm PST.

I’m still surprised this update wasn’t initially issued in the US, where FB is much larger, than in Japan.

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Sometime this fall Band Hero for the DS will launch and hordes of die hard Guitar Hero Fans, with DS and DS Lite’s mind you, will rush to the stores to purchase the latest in portable gaming gadgetry.  Included with every copy of Band Hero DS will not only be a guitar attachment, but a rubberized skin that fits over the face of your DS or DS Lite, that converts the directional pad and buttons into a set of rubber drums.  That means you and three of your closest cohorts can link up and squabble over who gets to play the drums, guitars and vocals.

For DSi owners though, your shit out of luck as the peripherasl aren’t compatible with the latest iteration of the Nintendo DS.

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Talk about lazy!  The Blaze NDS Lite 3-in-1 Game Selector lets you switch between 3 different Nintendo DS games with the flick of a switch.  It connects to your DS via a cable that plugs into the game cartridge slot and a green LED light indicates which game has been selected.  What’s cool is that is attaches to the hood of the DS Lite making it all the more portable.

[via Technabob]

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Geek out all you want, but that still means you gotta eat.  Everyones gotta eat, right?  Nintendo has a new DS bundle on the market that includes a fancy case, lime green DS and ‘Personal Trainer: Cooking’.  Yup, DS not DSi, so if you wanna get this bundle you’re gonna have to sacrifice newness.  Available May 3rd.

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In case you ain’t heard, Nintendo’s DSi is finally shipping here in the US.  Amazon has it in matte black or blue for $169.99.

[Amazon]