It was announced that the Opera-developed Nintendo DS Browser for the original DS will only be available via online purchase. The DS Lite version will be available at retail shops with preorders being sold for about US$ 34.99. Not bad, considering that it might actually be convenient to access the web via the DS, but we probably would still prefer to use our laptops when surfing.

A Nintendo representative told GameSpot that "a version of the Web browser for the original Nintendo DS will be available online, while a version for Nintendo DS Lite will be available at retail." While the company has not given out word on which sites are licensed to sell the browser, they have announced that they will be carrying it in their website, so you can be sure to get the real thing.

This is not a new marketing strategy, *cough Electroplankton cough* but it makes us wonder about the feasibility of the whole thing, as this whole online exclusivity may hamper the sales of the product. Still, it's not that Nintendo can't afford it, given the great financial numbers they've released to the public recently. The product is slated to be out on June 4, so watch out for it.

On Gamestop's product page for the Nintendo DS Lite Web Browser, there's been quite a confusion. A lot of people mistook the information and thought that the said browser would run exclusively on the DS Lite. Is it though?

Well, it has been confirmed that there will be different versions - one for the standard DS, another for the DS Lite - however, upon checking for a Nintendo DS Web Browser product page on Gamestop (sans "Lite"), we didn't seem to find any trace of it. Was the standard edition for the browser scrapped? Hmm, we'll have to look more into that.

Anyhoo, thatatlantic tipped us off to said product page and it's been revealed that your purchase will include a DS Lite Memory Expansion Pak. Again, emphasis on the "DS Lite." Since the Lite and standard DS units differ with GBA slots, this Memory Expansion Pak will be exclusive for the DS Lite. It's yet to be confirmed if the standard version (if there really is one) will have its own Memory Expansion Pak.

On the "software features" side of things though, one of the interesting things that our tippster pointed out was that the browser incorporates support for flash applications and websites. Hey, that's an instant plus side for you YouTube junkies out there.

The Nintendo DS Lite Web Browser pre-release shipment starts on June 6.

After already having been released in Japan and Europe last year, the folks from Opera Software have just announced that the official Nintendo DS Browser will finally make its way to the U.S. by June 4.

Unfortunately, that's all we have for now, as there are no further details that were released. Other details that are yet to be filled in include the browser's retail price, and whether it will be available in versions that are compatible with the DS and the DS Lite's different-sized GBA slots. There is also no announcement on whether a content filtering system that is tailored for children, which was first made available in Japan, will also be available to North American users.

Anyway, more details are expected to start surfacing in the weeks to come, so stay tuned!

Dig Dug is expected to be digging and striking its way to the market on the 25th of this month. Fortunately for gamers in Europe, that's not all they'll be getting in the next few months - a release date list is recently being circulated.

After the release on August 25, the next one is slated on September 1 with Star Fox Command, while few more others come after two weeks. See the list below for a complete account of NDS titles. And oh, don't forget to check on the back links for related articles.

August
    25th Dig Dug Digging Strike

September
    1st Star Fox Command
    22nd FIFA 07
    22nd Guilty Gear Dust Strikers
    25th Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 March of the Minis
    29th 42 All-time Classics    
    29th Age of Empires: The Age of Kings

October
    6th Nintendo DS Browser
    13th Crazy Frog Racer
    13th English Training: Have Fun Improving Your Skills
    20th The Sims 2: Pets
    27th Actionloop
    27th Sudoku Master

As everybody knows by now, both Nintendo DS and Sony PSP let you surf the web. The PSP got browser-power early on, but thanks to the Opera browser, the DS can surf the web, too.

But are they equal?

On the one hand:
To surf with the DS you need to buy the Opera cartridge for the DS cartridge slot and a RAM pack in the GBA slot (the RAM pack is for cache storage). We haven't heard any official word if Opera has an update in the works, but if there was an update...well, think about it: the Opera browser is lurking within the DS cartridge slot, so you'd probably have to take out that cartridge and buy a new cartridge with the update in it (maybe by trading in your old one?).

But on the other hand:
To surf with PSP, you only need a firmware update (as reader j commented in a previous article, "the psp is betta because its free"). If Sony has an update for your browser software, all you need to do is get it from Sony. Of course, for a number of you PSP users here at QJ, being forced to update firmware threatens your homebrew games and apps.

But on the other hand (assume I have four hands, OK?):
Surfing with the DS touchscreen is a magical, uplifting, and healing experience that paints rainbows in the skies. OK, that's an exaggeration, but the point is not only can you surf with the touchscreen, you can see the whole web page on one screen and a zoomed-in part of that page on the other. The only people who can experience that kind of two-screen surfing here at QJ are those whose PCs have two monitors. To use NonPartisanCon's words from a previous article, "it might push the mobile internet envelope as far as the handheld market is concerned" (that's a bit out of context; NonPartisanCon was just talking about DS browsing in general, but the words apply here).

But on the other hand (I'll have to start using my feet next):
Surfing with the DS is a slow process. Some pages don't load completely (maybe because they're timing out?). Or so they say (I haven't gotten a chance at it yet).

Finally (since I've run out of hands):
To end this PSP-versus-DS comparison, there's NonPartisanCon's very good point: "The real question, I suppose, is do you really need a browser built in to everything? This isn't a necessity but a luxury; so why even bother making comparisons?"

Today, Nintendo released a press announcement stating that the new Nintendo DS Browser will be released this coming October 6, with a price of £30. The browser has already been released in Japan only a few weeks ago.

There have been several people attempting to pirate the browser and change the language as there was no announcement of the browser's release date in the UK or the US. Now, these pirates can put that translating aside and pick up a fresh copy at their local store his October in Europe. There was no release date set for the US at this time though.

The Nintendo DS Web Browser will revolutionize the way we look at Nintendo products. The NDS was thought of only a gaming system when compared to the PSP, but things are changing now. With games that teach you how to cook to a web browser that you can use, the NDS is becoming more of an everyday tool than a now-and-then handheld gaming system.