Nintendo to Counter PSP Media Features

docdude316 writes "Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo has just announced a new media player add-on which is compatible with the Game Boy Advance SP and the Nintendo DS. The media player will let both the GBA SP and the DS play MPEG-4 and MP3 files off of a SD card. It will retail for 5,000 yen ($48 US), and will only be available off of Nintendo's website. There are currently no plans for a North American or European release."

DS Net?

[mwielgosz]

Since the DS has wireless networking...how long until we see internet capabilies and browser software on this thing? Sure the screen is a bit small for a page to look correct, but it would be suitable able to read news articles or messageboards on it. I guess you could use a text only browser line lynx to make it readable for blogs/news. Maybe even a POP3 email client for on the go email? The touchscreen would make a good way to emulate mouse input. With some cities planning free wireless hotspots, could this be a reality?

Is this even possible on the DS or am I way out there on this one?
I know that this would be the number one selling point for me if this became reality. It would be really convient to have a device that had the great gaming library from Nintendo, music, movies, and slashdot.

Re:SP only?

[Guppy06]

"What's the difference in hardware between it and the regular GBA?"

One is selling better than the other. It probably runs fine on the ordinary GBA, they probably just threw in the "SP" part because they could.

The only way this wouldn't work on a GBA is if it required a dongle that plugged into the SP's and DS's multi-port (power, sound, and whatever the hell else that port can do).

Re:SP only?

[gauauu]

Nope. GBA and GBA SP have the same hardware internals.

GBA - 32 bit ARM7 16.7 Mhz processor
GBA SP - 32 bit ARM7 16.7 Mhz processor

The SP has some changes like the rechargeable battery, backlight, no built-in-headphone jack (!?), but as far as functionality, they are the exact same.

As a programmer, you can't even detect which platform the game is running on. (which would be nice, because it would be great to be able to adjust the screen coloring based on whether there is a backlight present). Some commercial games, like I think Legend of Zelda 4 swords, allow you to switch the palette manually based on whether you have an SP or not, but no games can do it automatically.

So if it works on the SP, it works on the GBA, unless the actual physical form factor of the cartridge is huge and bulky and strangely shaped, and is designed to not fit into the regular GBA.