At a financial briefing that took place today in Japan, Nintendo announced the first wave of DSiWare games to hit Japan in December. Summed up in three words: lots of Wario.

The first games will include repackaged set of minigames from WarioWare: Mega Microgame$! (not the actual microgames, but the fleshed-out minigames you got for completing sets). These will sell for 200 Nintendo Points.

Another WarioWare launch title will be Utsusu! Made in Wario, which will use your silhouette as the playable character.

Moving into non-Wario subjects, Nintendo will continue its Art Style series on the DSi, with some original games apparently in the pipeline, but nothing new in the way of bit Gen remakes.

Finally, a set of interactive Japanese subway maps will also be released.

The Nintendo DSi will release in Japan tomorrow, in Europe during Spring 2009, and in North America sometime after April.

Source

Being released on August 5th, Japan has already gotten a taste of the newly designed Fire Emblem for the Nintendo DS. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is a remake of the Famicon's Fire Emblem. Only to be released in Japan in 1990, this game is pretty much the English game we have been waiting for to tell the story of Marth, which people may know from Super Smash Bros. Melee and Brawl.

Mainly, if you played the Japanese Famicon version (or already played the DS version), the story is all the same, but with a few new content added into the game.


IGN wrote:


Not only do these features exist, but the for the first time in the series, Fire Emblem: Shadow of Dragon will use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for up to five characters from the single player campaigned can be used in battle against other players. For every victory you get gives you receive Cards, which give you special effects during battles. However, these Cards can always be toggled on/off.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon will be released Q2 2009 for the Nintendo DS.

At Nintendo's SuperDuper Conference yesterday, they unleashed the megaton.

Nintendo DSi


It'll come in matte black as well as your standard white, and is releasing in November in Japan and early next year elsewhere.

Features

Hardware:
- 2 cameras, one on the outside on the top with 0.3mp quality and an interior one (pointed towards the player) with VGA quality.
- Both screens increased to 3.25 inches.
- Onboard memory and SD card support
- 2.6mm thinner than Lite, with no GBA slot
- Power button is now on the inside of the console
- WiFi connectivity light next to other important lights.
- EDIT: Apparently both screens will be touchscreens, but I only find this on Engadget and not on any official channels.

Software:
- Inbuilt: rejigged Opera browser, photo editor, audio playback
- DSWare to be found on the virtual console. Wii points are being renamed Nintendo points; things can be downloaded straight to SD and the Wii Storage Solution is that of the hopeful gamer: they will be able to be played straight from SD (come spring 09). DSWare prices will be: free, 200, 500 and 800 points.
- Notable launch titles include Mario & Luigi 3 and Phantasy Star Zero.

Other:
- McDonald's will have "Nintendo Zone"
- DSis that connect by March 2010 will get 1000 Nintendo Points free
- Costs 18900 yen (that's good)

Official DSi site (Japanese): http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/dsi.html

Source

Other stuff was mentioned at the conference but that's for a different post.

Japanese Business magazine Nikkei have released "evidence" that a new DS redesign is on the way, with loads of new features, including:

- (digital) Camera included
- music playback function
- Wireless connection function power up
- larger screen
- to be released this year in Japan
- under 20000 yen
- new types of games by using the camera
- get/exchange data from Wii and SD card (SD card slot included?)

Keep in mind that Nikkei also announced the Portable GameCube years before it happened. Assuming it will happen. Because it hasn't...

However, there is some blurry video evidence on youtube here

Source: GoNintendo

EDIT: As of October 1st, Nintendo has confirmed the new DS model will be called DSi. Source.

At a Konami press conference, an announcement was made for there new Nintendo DS release, Enchanted Folk and the School of Wizardry. As from the looks, this game looks like it is based off of a mixture of Animal Crossing and a Harry Potter type of look.


GameSpot wrote:


Making boyfriends and girlfriends also sounds like a Harvest Moon type of play as well. Well, until further detail, Enchanted Folk and the School of Wizardry is set to release Q1 2009 for Europe!

Pictures

Blue Dragon is an RPG created by Mistwalker and Artoon. The first release was on the 360, where you play as Shu, Kluke, Jiro, Marumaro and Zola with powers they received from blue spheres they swallowed and use these powers they received to stop Nene, who is planning to conquer the world.

Blue Dragon Plus, which is headed to the Nintendo DS, is a year after the 360 one left off at, which I don't want to get into any detail, since it might spoil the game for you. However, if you never played the 360 version, you should before you play the DS version, since you'll probably understand absolutely nothing.

There is also the anime adaptation of Blue Dragon. For some others who think they watched the show and now they understand what the 360 Blue Dragon is, you're wrong. The anime mostly goes in a whole new direction and has ignored mostly all of the 360 version plot.

The new screens show some familiar, and new faces, of playable characters gamers can play as. Blue Dragon Plus is also going to be played as a TRPG (Tatical Role Playing Game) which is similar to Fire Emblem type of play.

The game, developed by Mistwalker, Feelplus, Brownie Brown and published by AQ Interactive, is set to release September 4th in Japan.

As previous Final Fantasy titles, Final Fantasy IV is getting a remake and is getting a new look for the Nintendo DS. Released December 20th, 2007 for Japan and July 22, 2008 for US, FFIV has received great reviews and scored an average of 86% out of 100 in total review scores according to Game Rankings. As a Europe release still hasn't came, you may have been importing it.

Well, stop while you still can! John Yamamoto, President and CEO of Square Enix Ltd., announced that Europe will receive a release of the new FFIV for the Nintendo DS on September 5th, 2008!

For full story, click picture.

A Metallic Silver DS Lite was rumored to be released to the US in September, but with an unconfirmed date. But, sources from Kotaku may have found out a release date.


Kotaku wrote:


So, hope you people looking for a DS Lite wait a little longer if you want to get your hands on a Metallic Silver DS Lite, which is not far away from the rumored date. Click picture for further details.

You have have heard of Rhythm Heaven or its Japanese counterpart, Rhythm Tengoku Gold. The game's been out in Japan for several weeks and the reception has been great. There's even a GBA prequel to the game, Japan only of course, under the name of Rhythm Tengoku. Now, the game is made by the same team as WarioWare and the game shares many similarities. Each level in the game is essentially a rhythm based mini game. There are a lot of levels. I'd say that's a pretty good way to sum the game up.

Those who have played the DS version are loving it. Stephen Totilo of MTV's Multiplayer blog seems to love it. Chris Kohler of Wired's feelings are mutual. Craig Harris of IGN seems to like it too. Sure, you probably haven't even heard of these guys, but they all seem to love it.

You can go ahead and import the Japanese version, but be warned, the necessary tutorials for all the mini games are in Japanese. According to Stephen Totilo, the game's hitting North American shores in just a few months. I sure am looking forward to this game.

...this year. Gotcha! But rest assured, you chaps are indeed getting Chrono Trigger for DS. Just a little later after us folks in North America. The game's window of release has been pushed back to "early 2009". Why? Don't ask me, I'm just a messenger. You should know that Chrono Trigger is considered one of the best games ever made. You European blokes should use this extra time to play through the classic Chrono Trigger on the SNES. Oh yeah, you guys didn't get that either.

Source: DSFanboy