Nintendo DS redesign coming Jan. 16th?

by Christopher Grant { Jan 11th 2006 at 1:15PM }

First the Reggie let it slip that the little dual screen handheld that could was being considered for a fabulous makeover, then Japanese gaming mainstay Famitsu reiterated the idea. Now we have a rumor from well-regarded video game importers Lik-Sang that we may be treated to the new DS model as early as January 16th! They write, "... here at Lik Sang too we have received word a couple of days ago from a Japanese contact stating Nintendo will have a formal announcement of the re-design on Jan 16th." We'll have to wait... five more days...

(Image is Ryan Cooper's entry in our Nintendo DS redesign contest.)

[Thanks, iGrooveLA]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Myron @ Jan 11th 2006 1:26PM

Seems cruel to come out with a new design right after Christmas. Think of the children.

Deku-Nutz @ Jan 11th 2006 1:33PM

I can't wait. Although I love the design for the DS as it stands mine has... Well got some wear and tear on it, no matter how hard I tried to preserve. Plus I hate metallic silver and Re-Design's usually come with an array of cool colours ;)

rockzo @ Jan 11th 2006 1:35PM

Goddamn you nintendo. I end up buying every stupid update you put out... I hope the DS redesign doesn't add any big time functionality, cus i dont wan to feel compelled to get a new one.

RS @ Jan 11th 2006 1:35PM

An official announcement may be soon, but Im guessing we won't see anything until E3.

Lectoid @ Jan 11th 2006 1:46PM

Sweet, I will roll mine over to my wife, who plays it more anyways, and buy the new one.

Nossy @ Jan 11th 2006 1:53PM

That would be an outrage, and I want a refund of $200. I had the DS for over a year and during that time, absolutely no good and worthy games was released, except for the revived Mario64(even Metroid was delayed and I bought the DS for the Metroid Demo). And then FINALLY quality games are showing up and it is getting a redesign? Does that explain the recent shortage problem? I'll lose complete faith in Nintendo if they redesign the DS. Same goes for Sony and the PSP (I'm already pissed about the Giga Pack PSP).

Mindstormy @ Jan 11th 2006 1:55PM

i just got my ds for x-mas, and now i have to get another one??!?!?!

bd @ Jan 11th 2006 1:58PM

I'll definitely get one when it comes out. I'm very excited about elektroplankton, brain training 1 & 2 and brainflex. Hell, about almost every game. And they are cheap!

Anyway, have you seen the list on Japanese gamers most wanted? I don't understand... Zelda TP doesn't appear on the list. Has Zelda never been popular over there? And an Xbox 360 game is on that list? Woah.

Brian @ Jan 11th 2006 1:59PM

Nooo! I just got my DS a few months ago! Oh well.

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Nintendo. The company everyone loves to hate to love to buy from.

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darryl @ Jan 11th 2006 2:00PM

Finally they're admitting that the DS looks like it was built from spare parts by some guy in his basement or garage. It's about time. So sad it's just a face-lift. But, maybe owners of the beautified DS will be more likely to be seen playing it in public.

Clint @ Jan 11th 2006 2:10PM

Why didn't they just do like Sony and design it nice to begin with?

Nintendohaw @ Jan 11th 2006 2:11PM

Typical Nintendo strategy to milk the cattle, and you idiots all buy into it haha it's fuckin halarious.

Wolf @ Jan 11th 2006 2:13PM

W00T!! I was just going to get a DS yesterday, but decided to wait untill the weekend. Glad I held out.

Mindstormy @ Jan 11th 2006 2:20PM

because unlike sony, they had gaming in mind when they created the ds, unlike some other handhelds

DG @ Jan 11th 2006 2:25PM

Nossy,

I'm sure your Nintendo DS will continue to work just fine with any software currently avaialble and planned for the future.

Perhaps your indignation would be better saved for more important calamaties, huh?

nod @ Jan 11th 2006 2:40PM

Good Idea #5!

Morder @ Jan 11th 2006 2:54PM

#7

no you don't! the new games will play just fine on your old nintendo. for crying out loud, you people who think that way need to get shot. if you do buy one, you deserve to get ripped off

robotplague @ Jan 11th 2006 3:10PM

I just hope it's ergonomically more comfortable. I can't wait to see how it looks. I'll most likely be picking up a second one.

rubaiyat @ Jan 11th 2006 3:13PM

#10

You mean with dead pixels, sticky buttons and poor analog control??

Ocho @ Jan 11th 2006 3:13PM

Yes! Take that, consumers! Serves you right for spending your money on those products you'd most like to posess! BURN!

Greg2k @ Jan 11th 2006 3:26PM

I'm so getting one on day one. Just as long as there's a black version. I was tempted to buy a black version a month after I bought the silver one. Now I have an excuse =P

Simon @ Jan 11th 2006 3:38PM

Sweet, I've been waiting for the redesign of the DS for a while now. I've wanted one since it came out, but when I heard of the impending re-design I put my plans on hold. Hope it's good, though..

Benz @ Jan 11th 2006 3:38PM

I see no need for the DS to be redesigned. Just seems pointless, the system's design is very pretty, no need to change it, sales are as hot as they can get, sold out in Japan, no need to redesign for increasing sales. I just hope it�s a stupid rumor!

Mullinator @ Jan 11th 2006 4:01PM

This is just speculation on my part but I woulndn't be surprised if they make it look more like the Nintendo Revolution, they probably want the two to look like they belong together. Personally I consider that a good thing.

DCSimian @ Jan 11th 2006 4:23PM

Argh! Just bought mine last month! Ah well. The current design isn't that bad...it's not that great either. Though I will admit it is one sturdy piece of machinery. Been dropped, stepped on, tossed down a flight of stairs...not a scratch or scuff on it. If the redesign is really spiffy, I'll consider it. Maybe try to sell the old one or something...I dunno. If not, oh well.

Allen @ Jan 11th 2006 4:51PM

This is a duh I mean come one its sold out in japan.

So maybe the reason it was sold out is cause they stopped making them because the new revision is coming

al @ Jan 11th 2006 4:54PM

maybe the reason the ds is sold out in japan is because they stopped making it in anticipation of the new one coming out.

Raymond @ Jan 11th 2006 5:12PM

I'm getting this! and I'm keeping some damned screen protectors on it this time. I got my DS the day it came out, its got some scratchies on it that bug me, plus I love redesigns... what could it be? I hope its pretty at least. and find a way to get rid of the hinge. And it botheres me that the top screen is so heavy.

Pitch @ Jan 11th 2006 5:16PM

The DS could handle a little more comfortably(it's a tad square-ish.. could sit in your hands better), I just hope they draw the line at one redesign. ...and I hope that's why they're redesigning. I see no other reason, it's really very playable, and has a ton of great games available.

End transmission

p.s. You Nintendo haters are all hysterical.

phil @ Jan 11th 2006 5:19PM

yes this is what i've been waiting for! this was the only reason for me not buying a ds cause it looks so childish hopefully they'll come up with a more sexy sleek design that would apeal more to older people.

bob @ Jan 11th 2006 6:15PM

Buy a PSP

AbleJames @ Jan 11th 2006 6:24PM

[rubbing hands together] Yes yes, Nintendo, release your redesign! My waiting will pay off yet! (I own 3 DS games and no DS right now. =D )

Superzapper2000 @ Jan 11th 2006 6:33PM

Holy cow ,I've never seen such a bunch of babies whine about a new design, like they're all going to be out of fashion because the old DS ain't the new DS.Wah Wah.

TheCoffinRobber @ Jan 11th 2006 6:39PM

Getting a GBA:SP was basically nessassary for the backlight, but why would I waste my money on a DS:SP? What can they offer other than something smaller and more comfertable? Oooh, mabye It will have a mike that works with it! Or mabye it will be able to hook up to the revolution. I swear, if the normal DS can't I'll be uber pissed.

Ninegauger @ Jan 11th 2006 6:41PM

If I buy a redesigned DS I'll be about even with those that bought a PSP so I'm not too angry in that regard, but unless it's a major improvement I might not bite.

Einhanderkiller @ Jan 11th 2006 6:46PM

Time to buy a DS!

:D

bluebren @ Jan 11th 2006 7:35PM

I'm amazed nobody has mentioned the fact that, with the way friend codes are implemented, you'll have to hunt down everyone who ever added you on anything and make sure they change your entry. Whose idea was this timing?

mike @ Jan 11th 2006 8:20PM

Finally they're admitting that the DS looks like it was built from spare parts by some guy in his basement or garage.

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Yeah, they were too busy counting all that $$$ to notice a problem..

DS = cha-ching!

robofunk @ Jan 11th 2006 9:12PM

This makes sense for a couple reasons. First because of the DS selling out across Japan so production of the old DS may have slowed down, the amount of stock before New Year was incredible. Second because the 15th is the end of the Japanese New Year sales season.

baR_n1 @ Jan 11th 2006 10:26PM

NO WAY the redesign will be shown so soon, let alone be ready to ship already. White and black havent even been released outside asia yet, and those colours will sell like crazy. Im pretty sure the "formal announcement of the redesign" is just that: Nintendo "formally announcing" that there will be a redesigned DS. (which hasnt actually been done... only hinted at)

Blaje @ Jan 12th 2006 12:02AM

Sweet! My DS just broke (my fault) and I'm not getting a new one till this redesign!

Nintendo kinad reminds me of Apple, constantly changing their portables and people continue to buy each one.

squashedyoshi @ Jan 12th 2006 6:21AM

They need to brighten the screen if anything else to match the micro and sp. The colors are much more impressive.

helo @ Jan 12th 2006 11:08AM

I'd finally grab one. Been waiting for a redesign. Brighter, more vibrant screens would be a plus!

josh @ Jan 12th 2006 11:32AM

it's amazing how much vitriol there is for an electronics company releasing a redesigned version of a product... were people this mad when the slim PS2 came out? if you already have a DS, don't buy the redesign... i don't plan to. my DS will still play games! the only way i would buy this if it had some amazing new features, which seems unlikely, or if i broke my current DS or something.

raindog @ Jan 12th 2006 2:08PM

They announced the SP right around the same time... late January, if I remember right. I don't see anything wrong with it.

I'd buy a redesigned DS if the only thing they'd improved was the screens.... the new SP and Micro make the DS look like washed-out Game Gear garbage. I even prefer the SP's screen over the PSP's. But hopefully they'll make it a little more ergonomic while they're at it.

I'm not gonna sell my two revision 1 DS's because I have a feeling they're always going to be the easiest to deal with as far as homebrew goes.

c.Lake @ Jan 12th 2006 4:18PM

Ahh...Nintendo,

To love you, is to hate you. And to hate you, is my passion for you. You take my money, and love you. You steal my time, and I hate you.

you are my golddigging tramp that I can't live without.

Shwifty @ Jan 12th 2006 6:21PM

Come on nintendo give us a widescreen! I got my ds a month ago! But its screen has been screwed up since i opened it. Which means its under warranty and i can get all my money back to buy the new one! Maybe it will get nicer screens and multimedia crap. Including a web browser. Then we can have more than gameplay to brag about.

Freexe @ Jan 13th 2006 6:55AM

I think the main difference in hardware will be that the DS will support WPA encyprtion for the wifi, apart from that they will have the same capabilities

Bob @ Jan 13th 2006 8:48AM

I got my DS in July of Last year. Still in great condition. I was one of the 'veteran' DS buyers. None of my friends had it. No nintendo wi-fi. So desolate. But the 1P games were good. Then, slowly my friends all started getting it...

Oh, and a friend of mine just got a Red DS with Mario Kart DS on the 3rd. :P