Nintendo’s successor to the Nintendo DS has long been rumoured. Now the whispers have grown to a low hum with tales coming from Japan that a Nintendo DS2 developer kit is already in the hands of some game makers and that it features motion-sensitive smarts.
A source at a third-party studio which works with Nintendo told CVG that the Nintendo DS development kit is already being toyed with at their firm but that prototype hardware has been given to a select group.
CVG’s source reports that the Nintendo DS2 motion-sensitive features are iPhone-esque but push the concept further. He says: “It’s genuinely the best thing I’ve ever worked with. I can tell you that it’s got a ‘tilt’ function that’s not dissimilar to iPhone but does a lot more.”
One of the companies rumoured to have its hands on the prototype Nintendo DS2 is The Pokemon Company, which is reputedly getting “special attention” with the device.
Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata, previously hinted at Nintendo DS successor but Nintendo subsequently threw cold water on the comments suggesting they were just speculation.
If a Nintendo DS2 is currently being worked on, the source suggests it won’t be arriving any time soon, particularly not at the GDC gaming conference next month. He says: “Any kind of March announcement wouldn’t fit with the timeline I understand the second DS to be on.”
Nintendo has refused to comment on the speculation but with though the Nintendo DSi XL popped up recently it has been yonks since the DS was spruced up. Do you think it’s time for a second generation Nintendo DS? Or do Final Fantasy and Street Fighter IV on the iPhone appeal to you more?
