____________________________________________
| |
| # # |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |
| || || |
| || ---------------------- || |
| || NDS_Master || |
| || PRESENTS || |
| ...... || ---------------------- || ...... |
| ...... || || ...... |
| ...... |||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ...... |
| o ________________________ o |
|_________| |---------|--------| | |_________|
_________|_|_________|________|_|_|_________
| ___ \ ________________________ /__ __ |
| |___| | ||__| |__||
| | Nintendo DS FAQ | |
| _ | | |
| _| |_ | Version 1.1 | (X) |
| |_ _| | | (Y) (A) |
| |_| | Copyright 2006 | (B) |
| | NDS_Master | |
| |________________________| |
|________/ Nintend[]DS \________|
| |MIC. [] |
|____________________________________________|
________________________________________
| ________________________ |
| | | |
| | | |
| ... | DS Lite | ... |
| ... | Released in NA on | ... |
| | 6-11-06 | |
| | | |
| |________________________| |
|____ ____|
|____|______________|Mic____________|_||_|
| ________________________ |
| _ | | |
| _| |_ | 30% Smaller | (X) |
||_ _|| 20% Lighter |(Y) (A)|
| |_| | 4 Brightness Settings | (B) |
| | 1 Awesome Redesign | |
| | |OStart |
| | |OSelect|
| |________________________| |
|________________________________________|
==================================
Nintendo DS FAQ: Table of Contents
==================================
1. Copyright
2. Introduction
3. FAQs
4. History
5. Features
6. Specifications
7. Accessories
8. Menu Screens
9. DS Lite
============================
1. Copyright 2006 NDS_Master
============================
This guide is property of NDS_Master and is copyrighted and
protected by United States copyright laws and international treaties.
Therefore, the use of this guide in any websites, publications, or any
other public documents is illegal and strictly prohibited. This guide
may not be posted on the Internet, or any publications, without my
express, written permission. If you wish to use this guide you must
contact me with your request. To contact me, PM my My Nintendo account.
My user name is NDS_Master. Currently, there is no way for the general
public to contact me by e-mail.
===============
2. Introduction
===============
NDS_Master here, unveiling my latest FAQ to be listed under the category
of the Nintendo DS. This time it's about the Nintendo DS itself. I have
taken a temporary break from game guides to provide in-depth information
on the Nintendo DS hardware. This is the result.
Let me give you a little information on my personal experience with the
DS. I first heard about the Nintendo DS about a week after E3, 2004. I
hadn't really watched much of it, but a friend of mine had. He found
lots of pictures and information on the DS, and he was really excited
about it. When he showed me the information, I also got excited. For the
next few months while I waited for it to come out, I did everything I
could to learn all about the features of the system. During that time I
also decided to write FAQs for it.
I started writing my first NDS FAQ for the DS in October, two months
before the system actually came out. Since the first game was Super
Mario 64 DS, I figured I could start writing a guide for the N64 version
and make changes when I played the DS version. It worked well, though I
only finished the first world before the DS came out. I bought the DS
the day it came out and immediately went to work finishing the guide,
which was completed the day after Christmas. Since then, I have written
many more guides and reviews, and I hope to continue writing about the
DS for several more years. Well, onto the FAQ!
=======
3. FAQs
=======
You have questions, I have answers. This section is for comments and
questions about the Nintendo DS. Some I made up myself, others I got
from other people. If you have a question about the DS, you will have to
Private Message my MY Nintendo account. My user name is NDS_Master.
You'll need an account before you can send messages. I used to have a
public e-mail address, but some annoying person decided to sign me up to
receive spam. Out of every thirty e-mails I would receive, only one
would be a legitimate e-mail. Since my account had sub par blocking
abilities, I quit having a public e-mail altogether.
Q: What colors does the DS come in?
A: Several. The DS comes in at least four colors in North America, and
it comes in even more at Japan. Red, Electic Blue, and Titanium are just
a few examples of the DS's many colors. The DS Lite also features a
variety of colors in Japan (such as black), but in North America it
currently only comes in Polar White.
Q: Does the DS have online play?
A: Yes! On November 14, 2005, Nintendo released their first ever
Nintendo Wi-Fi game. It was Mario Kart DS, and the online play allowed
gamers from all over the world to connect and play against each other.
Numerous other Wi-Fi games have come out since then, including Metroid
Prime Hunters, and many more are on the way.
Q: Will online play have a ranking system?
A: To a degree, yes. Most games keep track of scores somehow, but
Nintendo does not have an online ranking system that allows gamers to
compare themselves to their other competitors. NintendoWifi.com does
have some statistics, but no overarching ranking system.
Q: How do I hook up to Wi-Fi?
A: To do this, you will need a Wi-Fi enabled game. Through the game, you
will be able to access a menu that lets you set up a connection. Simply
go within range of a non-secure wireless router (you can access a secure
router if you have its WEP key; however, you cannot use a router secured
by WPA because the DS does not support it) and connect to it via the
connection setup. Also, you can connect to the USB Connector. Once you
have established a connection and have tested it, you will be able to go
back to the game and start playing online.
Q: Does the DS have PDA capabilities?
A: No. Rumors have been flying for over a year about Nintendo coming out
with something to make the DS like a PDA. It still is possible that they
will release an add-on, but it is not official. Other companies could
possibly be making add-ons that allow you to use the DS as an organizer,
so we'll have to wait and see if anything happens.
Q: When are you going to write an FAQ on the Nintendo DS?
A: Well, I actually received this question back in February 2005. I told
the person that I would write a guide for it, but that I didn't know
when I would be able to do it. Here it is. It's a little late, but at
least it's here.
Q: Will the DS work with the Wii?
A: Yes! Nintendo confirmed this at E3. Because of the Wii's unique
control system, it may be possible to play DS games on the Wii. It is
also possible that the Wii and the Nintendo DS will connect like the GBA
and the GameCube did, though I am not sure how this would work. One
thing that Nintendo has confirmed is that you will be able to download
demos with the Wii, which you can then transfer wirelessly to the DS.
Many more forms of connection will probably be available, but we will
just have to wait.
Q: Why is there not a Super Smash Brothers DS?
A: I'm not sure. With its enormous success on the GameCube I would have
thought that Nintendo would create an SSB DS. Perhaps they are waiting
until next year's E3 to announce it. Maybe they'll release it alongside
Super Smash Brothers Brawl. I can hope, can't I?
Q: Does the DS require two game paks to play multiplayer?
A: Fortunately, no. Most of the games out for the DS use only one
cartridge for multiplayer games, using a feature of the DS called Single
Card Download Play. This feature allows one DS to transmit all of the
data necessary to play a multiplayer game to another DS, which can then
play against it. Some games even allow you to download demos onto
another system. The demos usually don't have much on them, but they do
allow other people to try out a game before they actually buy it. Who
knows? Perhaps Nintendo will transmit demos via online play so that
gamers across the world can test out games whenever they choose to.
Q: What is this I hear about a DS Lite?
A: In January of 2006, Nintendo of Japan official announced the redesign
of the Nintendo DS. Because of the popularity of the Game Boy Advance SP
many people had expected a redesign. The DS Lite is 2/3 the size of the
original DS, and it 20% lighter. Along with that, the DS Lite also has
four different brightness setting for the backlight, giving gamers more
control over how bright their games are. It also has a thicker stylus,
which provides for more comfort and better control.
Q: Is the DS Lite fragile?
A: While there have been some reports of cracked hinges on the DS Lite,
overall it is a very sturdy system. Perhaps it is not quite a durable as
the DS, but it is still strong nonetheless.
==========
4. History
==========
The Nintendo DS is an excellent portable gaming system that many people
enjoy. It has two screens, a touch screen, great graphics -- everything
that Nintendo fans could want. Of course, the Nintendo DS did not appear
overnight and send Nintendo into the portable gaming world. Nintendo has
fought many battles and gone through many trials to upgrade their
portable gaming systems, and the Nintendo DS is the latest result.
Whether you know it or not, Nintendo did not start out as a video game
company. It started out as a card company. Nintendo was originally
founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi. For nearly one hundred years
Nintendo remained a little known card company. When video games came
out, however, Nintendo went beyond playing cards.
Surprisingly, Nintendo actually appeared on the video game scene with a
portable system, not a home console. In 1980, Nintendo released Game &
Watch portable games, which allowed die hard video game fans to satisfy
their electronic desires no matter where they were. It wasn't until 1981
that Nintendo actually released a non portable system, and that was the
Donkey Kong arcade.
The portable gaming market slowed down for several years as Nintendo
picked up speed with its new Nintendo Entertainment System. The system
brought Nintendo world wide fame and gave it a comfortable home console
lead for many years.
But a home console lead was not enough. Portable games had brought
Nintendo into the market, and they would help keep Nintendo in the
market. The Game Boy was brought on the line in 1989, exactly one
hundred years after Nintendo began. The Game Boy remained Nintendo's
only portable system as the NES declined, the Super NES rose and
declined, the N64 rose, and the Virtual Boy made its failed attempt at
semi-portable gaming.
With its massive life span, the Game Boy featured many of the best black
and white games that ever existed. It had some competition from other
portable systems including the Sega Game Gear, but it always came out on
top. Nearly a decade after the Game Boy had arrived, Nintendo decided to
go with something new. Game Boy Color was born, immersing gamers in the
world of color.
The Game Boy Color did amazingly well, and it was the portable system
that started Nintendo's fascination with different colored systems. Many
different colors covered the different Game Boy Colors, so each gamer
could get the color they liked best.
The portable era was still not done for Nintendo. In 2001, the Game Boy
Advance hit the market with astounding success. Not only did it have a
larger screen, it also had graphics as good as those of a Super NES. It
was followed by the popular Game Boy Advance Special (SP), which
showcased a clam shell design, a backlight, and a rechargeable battery.
Fans went wild over the SP, discarding their old GBAs for the newest
thing in portable gaming. It still played Game Boy Advance games, so
those who weren't willing to hand out $99 bucks to make the switch could
still play the games.
The SP helped Nintendo win many battles in the portable gaming world. It
obliterated many companies attempts at stealing the portable gaming
market. Its price and game selection helped it win a solid victory over
the N-Gage, which tried to appeal to gamers with a cell phone and
wireless multiplayer. Its $299 price tag sent gamers to the SP with
their sides aching in laughter.
With the success of the SP, Nintendo was ready to make a new jump in the
world of portable gaming. It released its newest system, the Nintendo
DS, on November 21, 2004. The system had (and still does have) two
screens, a touch screen, and 3-D graphics. Nintendo fans went wild over
the new system, buying out the system in such a frenzy that some people
were able to resell their system on Ebay for over $200, well over the
$150 starting price.
In 2006, Nintendo showed the first pictures of the DS Lite, which is the
redesign of the Nintendo DS. It can still play DS and GBA games, but it
is much sleeker and smaller.
With its sleek, new look, the DS Lite was amazingly popular in Japan,
America, and Europe, as hundreds of thousands of gamers clamored to get
their hands on one. It launched DS sales sky high, giving Nintendo a
comfortable position in the portable gaming battle.
At any rate, the DS has started a new revolution for Nintendo. It has
shown that Nintendo does not concern itself with showy graphics and dull
game play. Nintendo is ready to move on to the world of interactive
bliss by using innovation. How far will Nintendo go with its innovation?
Only time will tell.
=================
5. Specifications
=================
Nintendo DS Specifications
Dimensions
Size in Inches (Closed): 5.85" wide / 3.33" long / 1.13" tall
Size in Millimeters (Closed):148.7 mm wide / 84.7 mm long / 28.9 mm tall
Weight in Ounces: 9.7 oz.
Size in Grams: 275 g
DS Lite Dimension
Size in Millimeters (Closed):133.0 mm wide / 73.9 mm long / 21.5 mm tall
Size in Grams: 218 g
Screens
Upper Screen: 3-inch, semitransparent reflective Thin Film Transmitter
(TFT) color Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) that has 256x192 pixel
resolution and .24 mm dot pitch, along with a built-in backlight
Lower Screen: Same capabilities as the upper screen, along with a
transparent analog touch screen
Color: Able to display 262,144 colors
Central Processing Units
Main Processor - ARM946E-S
Runs at 67 MHz; capable of running up to 200 MHz
Cache: 8 KB Instruction Cache, 4KB Data Cache
TCM: 8KB Instruction, 4KB Data
Sub Processor - ARM7TDMI
Runs at 33 MHz; capable of running up to 133 MHz
Memory
Main Memory: 4 MB
ARM9/ARM7 Shared - 32KB
ARM7 Internal RAM - 64 KB
VRAM - 656 KB
2D Graphics Engine
Background - Maximum 4 layers
Objects - Maximum of 128
3D Graphics Engine
Maximum 4 million vertex per second geometric transformation
30 million pixels per second maximum fill rate
120,000 polygons per second maximum
Wireless
Wireless Communication: IEEE 802.11 along with Nintendo's proprietary
format.
Sound
Sound: 16 Channel ADPCM/PCM surround sound provided by stereo speakers
Input/Output
Input: Port for DS game cards, separate port for Game Boy Advance
cartridges
Controls: Touch screen, A/B/X/Y Buttons, D-Pad, Start and Select
Buttons, L and R Shoulder Buttons, Power Button, Volume Control, Built-
in Microphone
Output: Headphone Port, Microphone Port
Battery
Battery: Lithium Ion Battery charged using an AC adapter; lasts 6-10
hours during regular game play and lasts several hundred hours on sleep
mode
Additional Information
Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese
Colors: Titanium, Electric Blue
Additional Features: Stylus holder, wrist strap connector, power light,
charge light, charging port, built-in PictoChat software, real time
clock, touch screen calibration
===========
6. Features
===========
The Nintendo DS is a new portable gaming system, but it is so much more
than that. It has so many great features that one cannot ignore. If you
want to learn about its exact technical specifications, check out the
specifications part of the FAQ. This section is for down-to-earth
information about all of the features in the Nintendo DS.
____________________________________________
| |
| # # |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |
| || || |
| || || |
| d. || a. Dual Screens || |
|Speakers|| || |
| ...... || || ...... |
| ...... || || ...... |
| ...... |||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ...... |
| o __e. Clamshell Design___ o |
|_________| |---------|--------| | |_________|
_________|_|_________|________|_|_|_________
| ___ \ _____f. DS Card Slot____/__ __ |
| |___| | ||__| |__||
| | | |
| _ | | |
| _| |_ | b. Touch Screen | (X) |
| |_ _| | | (Y) (A) |
| |_| | | (B) |
| | | |
| |________________________| |
|________/ Nintend[]DS \________|
| |MIC. [] |
|______c. Microphone_________________________|
|
|
g. Game Boy Advance Card Slot
---------------
a. Dual Screens
---------------
It's one of the best features for the Nintendo DS and by far the most
obvious one. The Nintendo DS has dual screen (DS = Dual Screens).
Surprisingly, this basic fact about the DS is what has most people
confused. They simply cannot figure out why someone would need two
screens.
The answer is simple: enhanced game play. With two screens, game play is
actually simpler and easier than with one. One screen controls the
action, the other controls the statistics. With a full screen devoted to
statistics, there is no reason to clutter the top screen. It can be used
just for the action, and you don't have to look at specific information
unless you decide to look down (or up).
Obviously, some of the statistics still remain on the action screen,
mainly because the developers thought that they would be useful up
there. It's there choice. Besides being a place to shove statistics, the
lower screen also has many other uses. It can be used as a map, allowing
you to glance down to see exactly where you are and where you need to
go.
Also, game designers can put both screens together in a game, forming
one large screen. There is a slight problem because of the small gap in
between the screens, but it is not one that affects game play. With two
screens working as one you can get a huge picture of the game, providing
even more enjoyment.
---------------
b. Touch Screen
---------------
While the dual screens are the most obvious, the touch screen is the
most advertised feature of the Nintendo DS. The lower screen is a touch
screen, meaning you can play games by using a stylus. This opens up
unlimited opportunities, and it is debatably the best feature of the
Nintendo DS. Using the touch screen, you can play a variety of games
that would normally be impossible. If you survey the DS's library, you
will see that there are many games that rely on the touch screen for
their control.
The possibilities with the touch screen are endless. Many games use the
touch screen for mini-games. These mini-games give you ultimate control
with the touch screen, as you can interact with many aspects of the
mini-games. The touch screen is also used as an analog stick for some 3-
D games. With the touch screen, you can move your character to the exact
location you want at the exact speed you want. It is also used for
general control. Nintendogs, Yoshi Touch & Go, Kirby: Canvas Curse, and
many other games would not be possible without the full control that you
get with the touch screen.
Because of the many possibilities, the touch screen has given DS a new
meaning. Although it is typically considered the Nintendo Dual Screen,
it does have another name. Since the touch screen provides so many new
and different aspects in game play, DS has also come to mean Developer's
System, suggesting that it is more fun for the developer than the gamer.
After all, the developers can do virtually anything they want with it.
Yes, the touch screen is an awesome addition.
-------------
c. Microphone
-------------
No, this isn't a microphone attachment; it's an actual microphone built
into the system. Located just below the touch screen on the left side of
the system is the microphone. Now, why would anyone put a microphone
into a portable system? Nintendo put it in because of the added
enjoyment it could bring to game play. The touch screen is a great
innovation, and the microphone, though less popular, is also a great
innovation.
Because it can only be used in so many ways, the microphone is often
overlooked in game design. In some games, however, the microphone is put
to use. Yoshi Touch & Go, for instance, allowed gamers to use the
microphone. If they happened to draw clouds that they did not desire,
they could simply blow them away with the microphone. Nintendogs also
used the microphone in an amazing way -- gamers could teach their dogs
up to fifteen different voice commands! When the dogs had learned the
command, they would obey their master whenever he or she told them what
to do. Gamers could actually interact with their dogs by speaking.
Although the microphone is frequently ignored, it does have plenty of
uses and it makes a great addition to the Nintendo DS.
-----------
d. Speakers
-----------
Listen to Nintendo DS advertisements and you are bound to hear something
about the speakers of the Nintendo DS. While previous portable gaming
speakers have been largely ignored, the speakers on the Nintendo DS have
been advertised over and over again.
Nintendo has a good reason for advertising its latest speakers; they are
the best ones Nintendo has made to date. Instead of using mere speakers
that simply make noise, the Nintendo DS using high quality surround
sound speakers.
These speakers have really high quality, so the sound in the Nintendo DS
is better than ever. However, that is not what is best about them. Their
best feature is their surround sound. If a loud enemy is on the left
side of the screen, the majority of the sound will come from the left
speaker, making the game sound and feel realistic.
The surround sound is even better when headphones are added to mix, as
each headphone ensures that only one ear hears the intended sounds. It's
at its best, however, when the system is hooked to a surround sound
stereo section. With surround sound working, the subwoofer pumping, and
the speakers screaming, there is no better way to enjoy the awesome
sound capabilities of the Nintendo DS and its games. Whether you're on
the go or just relaxing at home, the Nintendo DS will have speakers
suited perfectly for you.
-------------------
e. Clamshell Design
-------------------
Protection. It's what every single person wants. Whether it's in a
secure home or a vehicle with a five star rating, protection is what
everyone wants. Because of the high demand for protection, Nintendo
packed the Nintendo DS full of it.
First, there's the clamshell design. When a gamer is done with the DS,
all he needs to do is to close the system. The clamshell design allows
the hard shell of the Nintendo DS to protect some of the weak features -
- such as the screens and buttons -- while the DS is not in use. Many DS
systems have been dropped during the course of their life, but the
majority of them survive the falls. My DS was also subject to a life
threatening fall when I set it on a high shelf that I did not realize
was secure. The shelf and the DS fell several feet, but when it was over
the DS barely had a scratch. It still works perfectly.
This section may be about the clamshell design, but since security is
what the design is for I though I should include some of the other
security features of the Nintendo DS. The touch screen is one of them.
Since the touch screen is subject to so much use, Nintendo made it more
secure than any of its previous screens. It is over three times as
thick, so it can withstand nearly all of the intense pressure that is
applied to. While it is not immune to scratches, it will still function
perfectly despite their presence. Unless you are extremely abusive to
your system, it will last many, many years.
Also, there is shock proof design. All of the functions of the DS are
controlled by many little processors, wires, and other technical
objects. If one of these objects became disconnected, it would cause
severe trouble for the DS, potentially causing it to no longer work.
Nintendo has solved this problem with shock proof design. Basically, the
design keeps all of the parts of the DS connected during abnormal
circumstances such as falls. As this design is completely hidden inside
the DS, it is impossible to see. Nevertheless it is still there, making
sure the DS is always safe.
---------------
f. DS Card Slot
---------------
The Nintendo DS is a coin operated machine. You stick a quarter in, and
you get great game play. Not really, but it is a fairly similar
comparison due to the minute size of the DS cartridges. They are only
about as large as a quarter, making them exceptionally portable.
What's best about the small size is that the DS cartridges have not
sacrificed any quality to attain the size. In fact, they are probably
Nintendo's best cartridges ever. Each cartridges has an amazing 128
megabytes of space. To put that into perspective, Super Mario 64 DS,
with its 36 touch screen mini-games, its 150 stars, and its 3-D game
play, only used up 16 megabytes of space.
The cartridges are also secure. When dealing with older cartridges, you
quickly realize that they can easily lose saved game data. I cannot even
recall how many times I have beaten all of the games in Super Mario All
Stars just because the cartridge lost information. Fortunately, the DS
cartridges are designed not to lose information.
Speed is also an attribute of the cartridges. When you select 'Start
Game,' the game will start. Waiting is not necessary. The cartridges are
small in size, large in space, slow in losing game information, and fast
in loading. You could not find a better combination.
-----------------------------
g. Game Boy Advance Card Slot
-----------------------------
The DS game card slot is no surprise; after all, almost any person could
figure out that a DS plays DS games. The GBA card slot, however, is a
little different. Not only can it play every single Game Boy Advance
game out, it can also be used in many other ways.
First, we will focus on the ability of the DS to play Game Boy Advance
games. Every single game in the GBA library will work on the DS. This
will provide hours of great GBA fun. Unfortunately, the DS cannot play
Game Boy Color or regular Game Boy games. It also cannot utilize the
mutliplayer function of any Game Boy Advance game, so you will have to
settle with single player.
What else is the GBA slot used for? Well, it can also be used for
accessories. When Nintendo displayed the DS, it specifically said that
the GBA slot would be used for DS accessories. Nintendo has already
created one accessory, called Play-yan, which can play MP3 files and
video off a SD card. Online play, available later this fall, also
requires an add-on which will probably fit snugly in the GBA slot.
And if you're looking for special secrets, the GBA slot is also the
place to go. If you have a certain GBA game in the slot along with a
certain DS game, sometimes bonus features will appear. For instance, if
you have a Kirby GBA game in the slot when you play Kirby: Canvas Curse,
you can unlock one of the characters long before you normally would have
been able to. Nintendo has already used this ability for many games
(Wario Ware Touched!, Kirby: Canvas Curse, Advance Wars Dual Strike,
etc.), and it probably will continue to use it in the future.
----------------------
h. Lithium Ion Battery
----------------------
To keep game play lasting as long as possible, the Nintendo DS contains
a lithium ion battery. The battery fits securely inside the DS, and you
should never need to access it. If you ever do find the need to look at
it, just unscrew the tiny screw on the right side when your DS is
upside-down. I would not recommend that you do that, however; let a
trained professional handle any problems that arise.
The battery is charged with the free AC Adapter that comes when you buy
a Nintendo DS. Simply pull out the prongs on the main part of the
adapter and plug them into the nearest power outlet. Then, insert the
other plug into the External Extension Connector in the back of the DS
unit, right next to the DS card slot.
Now, two lights accompany the battery to give you vital battery
information. Each light is an LED light, and they are both located next
to each other on the lower right side of the system, just below the
touch screen. The light on the left will only turn on when you are
charging your DS system. It will be orange. When your system is fully
charged, the light will turn off. The light on the right will activate
whenever the DS is on. It will be green most of the time, but it will
occasionally flash red when the DS starts running low on battery power.
At that time you will still get around 30 minutes to an hour of play
time out of it, but you should probably charge it as soon as possible.
The light will also flash on and off when the DS is in sleep mode, and
it will double flash whenever the Wi-Fi is on.
The battery takes around four hours to charge, so keep that into
consideration whenever you start charging. On a full charge, the battery
will last approximately 6-10 hours, depending on what game you are
playing, whether the backlight is turned on, whether Wi-Fi is on or off,
and how loud the sound is. The average play time is around 8 hours. The
DS also has sleep mode for DS games (it does not work with GBA games).
Whenever you close the system, it will deactivate the screens while
still keeping the game at the same position. Open the system and the
game will return to the spot where you left it.
How long does sleep mode last on a full charge? I tested out sleep mode
on a full charge to figure out how long it would last. After 120 hours
on sleep mode, I finally gave up seeing how long sleep mode would last.
Then I played Super Mario 64 DS with both backlights on and full sound
for another 5 hours before the battery died. That being said, the DS
probably lasts a good several hundred hours on sleep mode.
If you have read the instruction manual, you have probably read some of
the information about the battery. One thing that is says is that the
battery will probably only be at 70% of its normal capacity after you
charge it 500 times. This may alarm some people, but it's no reason for
alarm. Let's say that each charge lasts eight hours. That would be 4,000
hours of game play before the battery would be 70%. That's 167 days of
nothing but DS gaming. I highly doubt anyone will play it that much
before the DS is well past its prime, and even then you still get 70% of
the battery life.
==============
7. Accessories
==============
Nintendo didn't put their portable system into the market with a few
games and leave it. Advertising heavily the GBA game slot, Nintendo
informed gamers worldwide that it would have special add-ons for the DS.
Already Nintendo has something for the GBA slot, along with regular
accessories. Check out accessories with the Nintendo Seal of Quality
here.
Case
$9.99
Need protection without high costs? Nintendo's smaller case is just what
you are looking for! It has room for the Nintendo DS to fit comfortably
inside of it, and it also has a small pouch for games and a stylus or
two.
Case
$17.99
Worried about your DS? Get a case. This higher priced case by Nintendo
has more than just a place for your DS; it has a place for your games
and accessories as well. A zipper pocket on the side of the case
provides a perfect resting place for your DS. The main case, when
unzipped, holds nine DS games securely. Two additional pockets contain
room for extra styluses, wrist protectors, games, and chargers.
Charger
$5.99
Nobody's perfect. Since no one's perfect, somebody is bound to misplace
their charger sooner or later. When they do, however, they still have
gaming hope. Nintendo has released a charger accessory that gamers can
buy whenever they need a new way to power up their DS. It also works
with the GBA SP, in case they lost that charger during their trip to New
Jersey.
Stylus Pack
$7.99
Need an extra stylus? Or two? Or three? This pack is just what you need.
Purchase the pack at you nearest video game dealership to receive three
Nintendo brand styluses for use with your Nintendo DS portable video
game system.
Play-yan
$49.99
For now, Play-yan has only been released in Japan. It is a media player
for the DS, and it fits in the Game Boy Advance card slot. By saving
songs and video files onto SD cards and inserting them into Play-yan,
gamers can listen to music and watch movies on the Nintendo DS.
===============
8. Menu Screens
===============
This is the "walkthrough" section of the game guide. Frequently asked
questions aside, this is the place where you will learn how to access
and fully utilize the many features contained in your DS system. This
section is divided into many sub sections, so you can scroll down until
you find exactly what you need. Let's begin.
Before you can use your DS, you first need to press the Power button to
turn it on. The Power Button is located just above the D-Pad. When the
system turns on, it will display health and safety information about
using the system. A message saying: "Touch the Touch Screen to continue"
will appear and start flashing. At this point you can press any button
on the DS or the touch screen to continue.
---------------
Initial Startup
---------------
Nickname
The first time you start up the DS, you will be asked to select the
settings that are right for you. This section deals with those settings.
If you want to change the settings later, just consult the Settings Menu
later in this section.
First, you will have to choose a language. In case you couldn't guess,
they put this at the beginning so that you could read the information
later on. Six panels will appear with six different languages on them.
Tap the panel with the language you want on it and select Confirm.
Next comes the background color. The DS has sixteen of them to choose
from, so use that fresh, new stylus to select the one that is best for
you. Confirm your choice to move onto the next screen.
Your system needs a name, so you will have to give it one after you
choose your color. An onscreen keyboard will replace the many colors
that were on the screen, and ten little black squares will show up just
above the keyboard. Tap the letters that you want to go into the black
boxes to form your user name, and choose Confirm to move on.. If you
want to learn more about using the onscreen keyboard, scroll down to the
User Menu.
Next its time to set the internal clock of the Nintendo DS. You'll need
to choose both a date a time. To set the time, press the up and down
arrows that are above the hours and minutes. Press Confirm. The date is
set the same way, only with it you have to set the month, date, and
year. Once the date is confirmed, you'll need to enter you birthday
choosing the correct date a month. Upon confirming your birthday the
system will inform you that it needs to shut down. Give it permission to
power down, and it will do so automatically.
------------------------
Touch Screen Menu Screen
------------------------
The next screen will have seven different options for you to choose
from, which are accessed by seven panels. You can either touch the panel
you desire, or you can use the D-Pad. If you use the D-Pad, press the A
button to select a panel
The panel at the very top of the touch screen allows you to begin
playing the DS game that is inserted. It will display the name of the
game and a little information about it, as well as a picture. If you
select that panel, game play will begin immediately. Should no game
happen to be in the DS card slot, this panel will be faded.
Just below the DS Game Play panel on the left side of the screen is the
PictoChat panel. On the lower right corner of the PictoChat panel is a
Wireless Communication icon. That indicates that when you enter
PictoChat, the DS's wireless communication will activate. Tap the panel
to access PictoChat (see my PictoChat guide for information on using
PictoChat).
To the right of the PictoChat panel is the DS Download Play panel. It
also has a Wireless Communication icon. Select the panel and the DS will
go into another screen and start to search for software to download. If
it finds any, a panel will appear with information about the software
that is available to download.
Under both the PictoChat and DS Download Play panels is the GBA Game
Play panel. If a GBA game is the slot, you can select this panel to
begin game play. You can also select it when accessories are in the GBA
slot. When no GBA card is in the GBA slot, this panel will be faded and
you will not be able to select it.
At the bottom left corner of the touch screen is the Backlight icon. It
is represented by a little sun. Tap the sun (or select it with the D-Pad
and press A) to turn both backlights on or off. Because it is difficult
to see when the backlights are off, it is best to leave them on all the
time. The lower right corner of the touch screen is the Alarm icon,
which displays an alarm clock. Tap it to enter the alarm clock mode
(more info in the Clock Menu)
The Settings panel is at the bottom middle of the touch screen. It is
the smallest panel, and it displays a Nintendo DS system. When you tap
the panel, the DS will take you into the Settings Menu. From there you
can access many different menus that allow you to change many different
----------------------
Top Screen Menu Screen
----------------------
Although it is only for display, the top screen features many important
pieces of information. The top screen display remains mostly the same no
matter what menu you are in, though it does provide essential knowledge
about what you are doing.
At the top of the top screen there is a bar. I would name the bar's
color, but I can't. You get to choose which color you want for your DS,
and the top bar will be that color. On the left side of the bar you will
see a name. That is the user name that you have chosen for you DS.
A good distance to the right of the user name on the top bar you will
see some numbers. That is the time. Since you input the time into the
DS, you cannot blame the Nintendo DS if you are late for classes. It
tracks the time, even if its the wrong time. Also, the time is in
military time. Basically, that means that instead of starting at 1 again
after 12, it goes all the way to 24. If you see that the time is 17:34,
it is actually 5:34 PM.
Next to the time is the date. If your language is English, the month
will first and the date will follow. Some countries have the date first,
so if your language is not English then the date may come before the
month. Just a word of warning for you English speaking people who prefer
to have a language other than English show up on your DS.
Beside the date you will see a small, rectangular shape. The shape is
actually supposed to be a Nintendo DS system (couldn't you tell?). It
has two screens; one is red and the other is blue. Which screen is red
and which is blue? That is up to you. Whichever screen you choose to
play Game Boy Advance games on, that one will be red. Should you choose
to play GBA games on the touch screen, then the lower half of the
rectangle will be red. It's just a quick way of seeing which screen you
chose to play GBA games on.
To the right of the GBA Display Screen icon is a big letter. It is
either A or M. If an A is displayed, then you have the DS set on Auto
mode (meaning the DS will go straight to a game if a game is inserted).
An M indicates that the DS is set on Manual mode (which does not take
you straight to a game).
Finally, we come to the last item in the bar. Pushed to the top right
corner of the top screen is the Power Indicator. The Power Indicator, as
it is called in the "Official Nintendo DS Instruction Booklet," is
actually a picture of a battery. Hopefully, yours is green. Now, you may
be thinking that this Power Indicator is cool like the one in the PSP
that tells you how much battery life is left. Wrong! It stays green for
the majority of the time, and it becomes red when the battery is running
low. It is exactly like the Power Indicator LED that is just below the
touch screen, which turns red when the battery begins to run low. So, if
you ever get a strong urge to take a pencil and jab the Power Indicator
LED until it breaks, then you will find the Power Indicator icon on the
DS useful. If not, well, it's pretty much a waste of space.
NOTE: I do not advise taking pencils and attempting to destroy the Power
Indicator LED. Doing so will cause many negative effects to your DS
system, including ugly graphite remains near or in the place where the
Power Indicator LED was.
Now that the bar is done, we can move on. Underneath the bar, on the
left side of the screen, is an analog clock. It tells the time with
moving hands. It's what people used for telling time around four hundred
years ago. Unless you have mastered the art of telling time with hands,
just look at the digital time.
The calendar is the last things on the screen. It is just below the bar
on the right side of the screen. Depending on the month and year, it
will have between 29 and 31 little boxes in it that are number. They
show the days of the months. At the very top of the calendar is the
month and year, and directly below that are the abbreviated days of the
week. They allow people to know which day it is. The current day is
highlighted by the color you chose. So, if the 8 is highlighted and it
is in the Th column, then you know that it is Thursday the 8th of
whatever month it happens to be (again, different languages cause
different abbreviations). I'll assume you can figure out the other
abbreviations on your own.
---------------------
DS Download Play Menu
---------------------
When you select Download Play from the main menu, you will go to the
Download Play menu where you can search for and choose games that you
want to download. Upon entering the Download Play menu, a panel will
appear on the touch screen saying: "Looking for software available for
download..." Little orange blocks will move around next to the words in
a triangular shape. Another panel will appear at the bottom of the
screen saying Quit, which you can select if you want to leave Download
Play. A panel will also appear on the lower part of the top screen
showing two DSs and saying: "Download software via DS Download Play."
You'll also notice that the Power Indicator LED will flash twice every
so often to indicate that the wireless feature is activated.
If the DS finds software to download, a new panel will pop up with
information about the download, such as the name of the game, the signal
strength, and the person sending the download. Versus downloads also
show the maximum amount of people per download and how many people are
in the versus. A Select panel will also appear on the bottom of the
touch screen. With each new software that the DS finds, a new panel will
appear on the touch screen with information about the content. Just tap
the panel that you desire.
After selecting the panel that you desire, a message will appear on the
top screen giving more information about how to play the game. A message
will also appear on the touch screen saying: "Would you like to download
this software?" If you want to start downloading, select the Yes panel
on the bottom of the touch screen. If not, tap the No panel. The A
button also works for selecting yes, and the B button automatically
selects no.
Press yes, and a new message will appear on the touch screen that reads:
"Downloading." You can cancel the download at any time by pressing
Cancel. The game will not start downloading until the person sending the
download agrees to send it to you, so make sure that he sends it as soon
as everyone is ready to download. Sometimes it takes a while to download
a game, even if the signal strength is high, so just be patient. When
the game totally finishes the download, you will be ready to play.
=============
Settings Menu
=============
This is the main part of the DS system; it is where all of the important
things take place. When you select the Settings panel on the main menu
screen, all of the other panels will disappear and four square panels
will appear. (Quit and Select panels also appear on the bottom of the
touch screen.) The first panel is purple and has a wrench on it. The
second is blue with a clock and calendar. The third is green with a
person, and the fourth contains a target in front of an orange
background. Tap one of the panels to see its options.
------------
Options Menu
------------
Touching the wrench will bring you into the options menu. Three new
purple panels will appear above the wrench with different pictures: a
globe, a Game Boy Advance system, and an arrow pointing at a rectangle.
The first is the globe; this is Language menu. When you select the globe
panel, you will enter another screen with six panels. Each panel has a
language on it. If you tap a panel and then select Confirm, the system
will use that language. The six languages are English, German, French,
Spanish, Italian, and Japanese.
To the right of the globe is the Game Boy Advance. Press it to go to the
GBA Mode menu. The touch screen will display a Nintendo DS system, and
to the right of the system will be two panels -- a Top Screen panel and
a Touch Screen panel. This menu allows you to select which screen you
will play Game Boy Advance games on. Tap either panel to select it, and
then press Confirm to finalize your choice. You can also touch the
actual screens on the DS system to make your choice (the onscreen one,
not the real one).
At the very top is the Start-Up panel. Choose it and two large panels
will appear. One will have Manual Mode on it, and the other will have
Auto Mode on it. Each panel has a lengthy description of what it does,
so just read the panels to decided which option would be best for you.
Use Confirm to accept the new setting or Cancel to keep the old setting.
----------
Clock Menu
----------
Time is of the essence; and the DS can do what no other Nintendo
portable system has done before: tell time! With its embedded real time
clock, the Nintendo DS can tell you what time it is no matter where you
are. Just read on to learn how to set the clock to the right time.
Above the Clock panel you will see three panels. The first one pictures
an Alarm Clock. (You can tell its an alarm clock by the large bells on
it. On second thought, you've probably never even seen an alarm clock
like that in real life. You're smart: figure it out.) When you enter the
Alarm menu, numbers will appear on the touch screen. They are the hours
and the minutes. Each one has arrows above and below it. Tap the
appropriate arrows to make the time increase or decrease. You can also
adjust the time with the D-Pad; just use up and down to change the time
and use left and right to change between hours and minutes. You can tell
which one you have selected by which one is highlighted. After you set
the alarm time, tap Confirm to finalize it. If you want to turn the
alarm on, press X or tap the Turn Alarm On panel at the top of the
screen.
When the alarm is on, both screens will have black backgrounds. The top
screen will display the current time at the top of the screen, and it
will have the alarm time just below that. Below the alarm time is the
time remaining until the alarm goes off. The touch screen has an Alarm
icon as well as instructions on how to turn the alarm off. After five
seconds, both backlights will deactivate to save energy. You can also
put the DS in sleep mode while the alarm is on without turning the alarm
off. Make sure you have the volume turned all the way up and put your DS
to sleep until its time for the alarm to sound.
The highest of the Clock menu panels is the Date panel. It makes three </pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
sets of number appear when you select it. One is the month, one is the
date, and one is the year. You can adjust the date by pressing the up or
down arrows above or below the various numbers. When you are satisfied
with your choice, choose Confirm to make it final.
---------
User Menu
---------
The little green panel with the man on it is the User panel. It brings
up three additional green panels when you select it. One has a birthday
cake, one has a person talking, another has a name with a line pointing
to a person, and the last one has sixteen small squares.
In the middle is the User Name panel. It's the one with the name (though
it looks more like a solid bar) and a person. Tap the panel to enter the
User Name menu. Inside the menu is an onscreen keyboard with ten black
boxes above it. The black boxes are where your user name will appear as
you type it in. Needless to say, the user name can only be ten
characters long.
The onscreen keyboard is in the middle of the screen. Just tap a letter
and it will appear in the black boxes. If you make a mistake, tap the
backspace key, tap the Erase panel at the bottom left of the screen, or
press the B button. To the left of the keyboard is a menu that lets you
choose the keyboard style that you want. There are five boxes in the
menu, and they let you choose from normal English letters to Japanese
characters to pictures. Just tap a box to change the keyboard style.
When you have finished entering in your user name, tap the Confirm panel
directly below the onscreen keyboard. It is in a different place than it
usually is, so take note of that.
To the right of the User Name panel is the Message panel. When you
select the message panel, an onscreen keyboard will appear with 26 black
boxes above it. It is just like the User Name menu, only you can have up
to 26 characters in your message. The message will appear whenever
someone taps your name during a PictoChat session. Since the characters
will go onto the next line whether you want them to or not, it is best
to finish a word before going into the second line of black boxes. If
you want to keep all your words intact you may want to use spaces to
push the overflowing word completely into the second line. When you are
finished, tap the Confirm panel to save your settings.
The Birthday panel is to the left of the User Name panel. Select it to
choose your birthday. After it is selecting, two numbers will appear on
the screen. One is the month, the other is the day. Use the up and down
arrows above and below the numbers to choose the month and day of your
birthday. Whenever it is your birthday the DS will start with a special
sound. In PictoChat on your birthday, a special message will also
appear. Other than that, it doesn't do much. After inserting the correct
birthday, choose Confirm to save it.
The last of the User panels is the Color panel. It is the box with
sixteen squares in it at the top of the screen. The Color menu has
sixteen different colors. Tap a color to preview it. Everything that
uses your chosen color will change to the color you tap. When you have
the color that is right for you, select Confirm. If you want to leave
your color the way it was, choose Cancel.
------------
Touch Screen
------------
The last panel in the Setting menu, the orange one with the target, is
the Touch Screen panel. It allows you to calibrate your touch screen.
When you decide to calibrate your touch screen, everything will
disappear from the screen. A lone box with a + in it will appear on the
top left of the touch screen, and a message will appear near the middle
of the touch screen with the words: "Press B to cancel." The message
should be self explanatory. To calibrate the touch screen, tap the
center of the + inside the box. After you tap the first box, it will
slide down to the lower right side of the touch screen. Tap it again,
and it will slide to the middle of the touch screen. Tap it one last
time to finish calibrating the touch screen.
If you successfully tapped inside the box for all three taps, a new
message will appear saying: "Calibration complete. Touch the marks to
test the calibration." Four new boxes will appear on each corner of the
touch screen. Slide your stylus over them to test out the calibration.
They will turn blue when they register that the stylus is over them. If
you are satisfied with the results, select Confirm to save the
calibration. If you want to try again, choose the Try Again panel at the
top right of the touch screen. The Cancel panel will return the touch
screen calibration to the way it was before the test.
---------------------
Beta Main Menu Screen
---------------------
This has nothing to do with your DS system or even using your DS system,
but I thought I'd throw it in because I found it to be interesting. In
the instruction manual, there are actually pictures of the Nintendo DS
Beta Main Menu. I purchased my DS system the day it came out, so they
may have changed the pictures since then. So if your instruction booklet
doesn't have them, then it was probably changed since the first one came
out.
Anyway, get your instruction booklet out and turn to page 44. It will be
in the French section. Look at figure 18. You will see that the
PictoChat panel is different, the Download Play panel is different, and
the Settings panel is different. You can see the beta screen again if
you look at figure 22 on page 47. I'm not sure why these screens are in
the book, I just thought they were interesting so I put them in this
FAQ. And yes, I have tried changing the language to French to see if the
screen would change. It doesn't, even if you have exactly the same
settings that are shown in the book.
==========
9. DS Lite
==========
It's finally here! People have been anticipating a DS redesign for quite
some time now, and Nintendo has finally displayed the DS Lite, a smaller
version of the Nintendo DS. Looking more like an Ipod than a DS, the DS
Lite brings portability to what has been frequently classified as a
bulky portable system.
Although it is similar to the DS in features, the DS Lite does have some
new items on the table. First, instead of switching the backlight on and
off by tapping the backlight button, you will be able to toggle through
four different backlight settings to find one that is right for you (you
cannot turn the DS Lite's backlight off).
Depending on what backlight and volume settings you use, the DS Lite's
battery life will vary. It can last up to 19 hours with the lowest
backlight setting, but with full power it lasts closer to 5 hours.
------------------
System Recognition
------------------
One interesting thing to note is that a game can tell if it is in the DS
Lite or not. For example, on the starting screen of Mario Kart DS, Mario
says "Woohoo!" when the game is on the DS. If you insert the game into a
DS Lite, however, Mario will say "Here we go!" instead. Will Nintendo
use this for fun like it did in Mario Kart DS, or will it use this
feature for something more major? We will have to wait to find out.
