Nintendo DS Lite Hits U.S. June 11

Nintendo's sleeked-down Nintendo DS Lite will be released in the United States on June 11 with a $129.99 price tag.

Nintendo has announced that its Nintendo DS Lite, a sleeked-down version of its dual-screen Nintendo DS handheld gaming device, will be released in the United States June 11 with a retail price of $129.99. The Nintendo DS Lite is being billed as a “lighter, brigher” version of the Nintendo DS, and will initially be available in “polar white” with other color choises presumably to follow.

Nintendo also announced a new version of Super Mario Brothers will launch May 15.

“DS Lite and New Super Mario Bros. represent a double shot of gamingexcellence,” says Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s executive VPsales and marketing. “We’ve got something for both lovers of beautiful,new gadgets and fans of old-school gaming.”

The DS Lite is less than two-thirds the size of the original Nintendo DS, and roughly 20 percent lighter. The unit also features a longer, slightly thicker stylus, and the microphone, LEDs, and Start and Select buttons have been repositioned. The DS Lite’s screens can have their brightness set to four different levels (which can help conserve battery power), and a removable cover keeps dust and debris out of the GameBoy Advance cartridge slot.

The Nintendo DS was launched in November 2004, and the company’s Wi-Fi Connection wireless gaming network has seen more than 1 million connections world wide as Nintendo DS players log in to compete with Wi-Fi enabled versions of Nintendo DS games.

The DS Lite was anounced in January 2006 and went on sale in Japan on March 2; The system should launch in China and Europe later this year.