DS Lite to Shine in June

So much for the theories about a May release alongside New Super Mario Bros. Oh well.

Nintendo has been on a roll with its twin-screen DS, which has been a hit worldwide. Now after pushing out the redesigned DS Lite in Japan earlier this year following a Christmas period where the portable was impossible to come by, the company is getting ready to release the new DS in the West.

The sleeker DS Lite will be out in North America on 11 June for $130. Unlike in Japan, where the DS Lite was sold in white, blue and navy variants, the portable will only be available in white.

The release is being timed to shortly follow the release of New Super Mario Bros - the first 2D platform style Mario game in over a decade - on 15 May. There had been rumours earlier this year that the game would come out alongside the DS Lite. While that won't happen now, there's still a good chance of a bundle when DS Lite launches.

"DS Lite and New Super Mario Bros. represent a double shot of gaming excellence," says Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime. "We've got something for both lovers of beautiful, new gadgets and fans of old-school gaming."

The main changes to the DS Lite are aesthetic. The system is less bulky and comes in at two-thirds the size and about a fifth lighter. There's a new, longer stylus and the two LCDs are also much brighter now.

Nintendo hasn't said yet when Europeans can expect to take delivery of the DS Lite but today's news suggests that it'll be late June at the earliest and probably later still.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games