It's a few days old already, but Bolman's conceptual mock-up design for a NDS-2 is intriguing, to say the least.  What do you think?

Personally, I think it looks like a Transformer toy.

Actually, I think it looks pretty cool. Do you think Nintendo would actually market this, or look at it and say, "No dice!"

I don't really think it looks very good... but also, people are not very bright if they think the new DS will have any added features that affect gameplay (such as the analog stick shown in the mock-up) -- the redesigned DS will certainly remain compatible with the original version.

It does look like a transformer, but tz is right, Nintendo won't add any substantive new features like an analog stick.

Um, an analog stick could be entirely possible, can't it?  I can see it being mapped to just about every existing DS game that uses a D-pad; after all, the Game Boy Player works the same way with a GC controller.  Granted, it won't be feature-specific, but it could serve as an alternative D-pad.  As for future titles, it isn't out of the realm of possibility that developers can create titles that would support both D-pad and analog controls; except using the analog would likely be more easier to use, depending on the game.

As for the design itself, I actually rather like it.  My only concern would've been the directional and button portions that fold in.  In Pocket Mode, wouldn't those portions be openly exposed on the back?  Unless (and this is really taking it to a Transformer level) they can be turned 180 degrees BEFORE being folded up, so that they can be readily protected by its backside.

The Touch Mode aesthetic looks neat, though.  It looks like it'd be the perfect size for comfortable holding in the palm of one's hand.

Conceptual drawings by a non-Nintendo person are speculative.  We have no idea what Nintendo has in mind.

Personally, this design has too many hinges for my tastes.  It's more likely the unit will be a thinner.  Nintendo seems to be adopting Apple-style aesthetics for its recent products, and its seems to be working for them.

Eh. Awfully iPoddy. I like the heft of holding something biggish in your hand, you know? Not that I actually HAVE a DS at this point. At this point I feel like Nintendo is waiting until I PERSONALLY buy one before trotting out a better design. Rat bastards.

Award for stating the obvious goes to...

While I agree with the buttons around the back being an issue, I like the idea of it - I certainly love the style of it. It looks nice and chunky without looking like cheap crap. Anything that makes the machine smaller is a plus in my opinion but, more than that, steps need to be taken to make it more comfortable if Nintendo are going to bother changing anything.

Well the real deal was announced for March 2nd. It's on 1up.com I think. Looks okay but not really a major improvement on the current model at all.

And here it is, the Nintendo DS lite.

Edit: I like how they reduced the size and wight, it's (width) 133 mm x (lenght) 73,9 mm x (depth) 21,5 mm instead 148,7 mm x 84,7 mm x 28,9 mm and 218 g instead 275 g.

I think it's a great design in that it changes enough to appeal to new consumers but not so much that owners of the original model feel like their system is obsolete. The only thing that really makes a difference are the brighter screens; the rest is basically form factor (although you can argue the weight makes a difference to user comfort).

The buttons and D-pad look a lot nicer than the current DS model, too. My only complaint is that the finish looks a little too iPod-ish in that it looks more prone to getting fingerprints than the original model does, but I can live with that.

With Tetris coming out later in March, a Tetris/DS bundle seems ideal.

Nintendo seems to be copying Apple's overall design philosophy.  This is a good thing in attracting an "everybody" audience.  The original conceptual sketches are way too klunky for my tastes.

I would trade mine in for this new model.

Well at least the klunky concept design actually achieved something with the foldable idea, as optimistic as it was. This is barely smaller and is really just a cosmetic change. It's hardly comparable with the GBA to SP move, which is unfortunate.

I have to say I do really like the look but I can't see it being any more comfortable. I do hope the screens have been improved.

It is lighter in weight and thinner.   This will get noticed by a lot of people.

Current translations of the Nintendo page indicate 4 adjustable brightness settings.

Keeping in mind of course that only the Japanese model is coming in March.  America and Europe won't be seeing the DS lite until later.

If the brightness is adjustable, then hopefully they've also allowed for custom button mapping.
The forced, default setup for GBA games makes it difficult to play some of the SNES->GBA ports, so I'd be sold if they allowed for a more traditional SNES setup.

It'd be great if they did that, but I doubt it.  Even the GBP didn't let you do that (only the SGB did).

Mm, not terribly crazy with the speakers getting cut down to just six output holes on each side - but then again, headphones are most certainly the way to go to fully enjoy the DS' sounds anyway.  The thinner profile looks appealing, and early word is that the ergonomics are notably better than the original DS.   Both the D-pad and buttons are said to be of GB Micro make, which, to me, does feel more comfortable compared to both original DS and SP alike.  Having four selectable levels of brightness pleases me, and I do hope the highest level of brightess is akin to the new backlit SP; Dawn of Sorrow would look drop-dead gorgeous with color vibrancy like that.  Also, yay to a power on/off hard switch.

And yes, though doubtful, I am hoping they put in an option to re-map the B and A buttons for GBA games, as shdwrlm mentions.  Even if they had a pre-set configuration where "B" would be "Y" and "A" would be "B," I would be perfectly happy.

Here's a side by side comparison shot, from one of the guys at the Gaming Age forums:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/j_robbins/DSs.jpg

The thing I'm most worried about ergonomically is that the actual SIZE of the d-pad on the original DS was wonderful.  I have a really hard time dealing with the microscopic ones on the other recent Nintendo handhelds, and I appreciated having one that actually seemed to work for thumbs as big as mine.  That said, if the new model makes the L and R buttons easier to handle, I'm all for it.

The latest rumor has it that, at least in America, we may be seeing the DS Lite in mid-May.  From GoNintendo's site:

Got an email from a reader (his name will stay secret JUST incase) just a few minutes ago in which he says this…

I called up my friend NAME DELETED (the Nintendo Rep for my area) and he said that he just got off a conference call with his supervisors and the DS lite was brought up. He told me, the release date was JUST confirmed before the call and that I was one of the first people to know outside of nintendo. He said that we are looking at a mid-May release in America at a $134.99 price point.

The reader believes it, so I believe the reader…but just for safe keeping this will be a rumor. Thanks to our reader for the info.

The May date is believable for one reason:  Brain Training is believed to be shipping in the U.S. in May and Nintendo wants it to be as big overseas as it was in Japan (over a million copies so far).  Nintendo loves to pair new hardware models with big new pieces of software.  I have no idea how Nintendo plans to market Brain Training in the U.S., but it should be interesting.

At least one article does mention how the D-Pad feels:

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?optio … 7&Itemid=2

He tells me the surface feels smooth. The buttons click like the DS's current buttons, though the D-pad feels like that of the Gameboy Micro.

I'm not exactly sure what that means since I've never held a GB Micro, but from comparison screenshots it looks like GB Micro's D-Pad is slightly stubbier than the DS's. I'm more worried about the button placement, though. Once again, the buttons still look to be too close to each other for my tastes.

The article also make note of the fact that DS Lite will be shipping on the same day as Children of Mana, which reminds me-- is there any buzz surrounding this game whatsoever? Shinyaku Seiken Densetsu received a rather lukewarm reception in Japan, so I'm surprised Nintendo didn't choose to release the DS on the same day as a more high-profile game.

The game looks quite good so far (although it focuses a distressing amount on things I don't care about, like multiplayer and special attacks), although it's not quite a Mana-looking title. It actually looks more like Shining Soul, which makes sense, because the developer worked on at least the first Shining Soul. Normally, that would be a bad sign, but I'm pretty sure that most of the important staff from Shining Soul went on to work on Shining Soul 2, and that was a HUGE improvement over the first. So I have considerably high hopes for this game, since Shining Soul 2 was definitely heading in a good direction (although not one you would expect the series to go into).

The item creation also seems to actually be somewhat sensible and intelligent this time around, too - something like the Navi Customizer in MMBN. Sweet.

Buzz on it seems to be minimal outside of series fans, although Japanese sales might disprove that, who knows.

That's about right.  It's true, the D-pad on the DS is ever so slightly longer in length and width than the Micro, while the Micro is a bit thicker and more elevated.  Pics readily confirm that the Lite will be made of the Micro's D-pad build, which is great news to me.  The smooth surface feels really comfortable, and the depression sensitivity is the most  responsive I've felt on a portable system yet.  (Rotary movements on fighting games, for instance, are a breeze to pull off.)

Interesting... I was rather disappointed with what Brownie Brown did with Shinyaku Seiken Densetsu, but I was still surprised to hear they weren't working on Children of Mana.  However, I did enjoy Shining Soul 2 to a degree, so maybe it could work after all.

While Brownie Brown's actual game work on Sword of Mana could have been better, for me, the real disappointment comes from the direction that Squenix has taken the series in general.  I want to see a return to normal weapon and magic systems without all the vague time-wasting customization options.  I'd also like to see puzzle solving come back (it was only in the original SD1) as well as stronger storylines.  For me, SD3 was the pinnacle of the series, and it's fallen considerably since then.