Also with the PSP, the Nintendo DS at E3
Nintendo unveiled its mysterious dual-screen portable system today during its E3 press conference. Prior to the event we had the chance to get some quality time with the hardware to see what it's all about.
While the units we tried were obviously playable, Nintendo reps noted that the design wasn't quite final as yet and would likely still undergo a few cosmetic tweaks--perhaps even a name change--before the device ships this fall.
The rectangular system is slightly larger than a standard PDA and features a clamshell design similar to the GBA SP and the old school Game-in-Watch systems from back in the day. The system uses two backlit screens that are each roughly the size of the GBA screen. The DS features a total of six buttons, in a configuration reminiscent of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System controller. You've got buttons A, B, X, and Y on the face as well as left and right shoulder buttons. The twist to the system's control inputs is the lower screen's functionality as a touch screen. The screen will respond to input from the included stylus, or your finger instead.
The system will be backward compatible with the Game Boy Advance (and, therefore, with other, earlier Game Boy models). The GBA cartridges fit in a slot in the front of the system, and the DS cartridges fit in the back. The DS cartridges will be noticeably smaller than the GBA carts, and while we weren't able to see one, they were described as being roughly the same size as a standard SD media card used for devices such as Pocket PCs and digital cameras. The system will use a rechargeable battery that's estimated to last roughly 10 hours. In addition, the system includes a few extra perks such as a built-in headphone jack and a microphone input, which suggests that voice support of some kind will be in some games. The most impressive extra built into the system is its wireless connectivity, which is composed of Nintendo's own wireless technology as well as standard Wi-Fi. Of note, it was hard to get a sense for how heavy the system was, as the units were firmly bolted into their respective kiosks, and we'd left our industrial strength bolt cutters at home.
As far as the system's graphical muscle goes, there was plenty of evidence of the DS' versatility. In addition to a selection of first- and third-party offerings, there was also an assortment of eight technology demos to show off the hardware's potential. The most notable demo starred Sega's own Sonic the Hedgehog. The demo proper was displayed in the top DS screen and featured Sonic running through a familiar island setting. You could control Sonic's movements by using the stylus on the lower touch screen. Tapping the screen made Sonic jump, while sliding the stylus across the power meter style image on the lower screen let you build up Sonic's speed. The more you slid the stylus, the faster an onscreen meter built up. Every time the meter filled, Sonic's speed would bump up to a higher level. Another component of the demo let you manipulate the camera on Sonic--you could switch between different angles on the fly by tapping icons on the touchscreen. The graphics in the demo looked good and ran at a smooth clip. Texture detail and polygon count were respectable but didn't quite match the quality of console hardware. The effects used as Sonic's speed leveled up were pretty slick and made use of a wide variety of color and particle effects.
the Bear's bottomline: wait and see.. but the GBA and GBC backward compatibility is a good touch 
