Smattering Of New Nintendo DS Details Revealed 70
Thanks to 1UP for its article revealing several new technical details regarding Nintendo's just-announced DS dual-screen portable. In particular, Nintendo of Japan noted the DS will "...have two different processors, an ARM9 main CPU and an ARM7 subprocessor. Both of these are used in many cellular phones, PDAs, and other mobile devices - an ARM9 CPU is the heart of Tapwave's new Zodiac handheld, while the Game Boy Advance employs an ARM7." It's also confirmed that the screens will "...both be equipped with a backlight... with a light source behind each LCD. The Game Boy Advance SP, by comparison, uses a frontlight." Game Informer has an interview with a Nintendo of America spokesperson which reveals a little more, including confirmation that the screens "will be in the vertical position", not "side-to-side." The piece also features the spokesperson stopping short of a denial about GameBoy/GameBoy Advance backwards compatibility ("We haven't announced anything about that, yet.")
Far out, man, far out (Score:0, Informative)
The *only* good thing I can think of is the fact that these two screens might be side by side, therefore allowing "widescreen" games - imagine Metroid Fusion with an extra-long playing field, or Final Fantasy Tactics with more playing room. Interesting, yes, but until some actual specs come out I'm not sure that the big N is going to pull this one off.
Maybe they're trying to cross the Virtual Boy with a Game Boy... the DS starter package includes headgear which allows you to mount each of the screens in front of one of each eye :) Whoa, weird. That's all I got.
Game & Watch lives? (Score:5, Informative)
If anyone knows the history of nintendo, you might wanna check out something called the Game & Watch series... There are a couple of games in there that used two screens. I know at least Mario Bros. (Not the same game everyone is familiar with) and Donkey Kong used this display method.