Nintendo to Launch DS Lite in Japan on 2nd March

Nintendo released an announcement that it will release the new DS, called the "Nintendo DS Lite" in Japan on March 2. The handheld will be priced at 16,800 yen ($145), which is a little more expensive than the original DS, which sells at 15,000 yen ($130). No US or European release plans were announced.

Nintendo DS Lite will come with all the unique features of the original DS, but its weight and size have been trimmed down.. ..Capability-wise, the DS Lite has all the functions that were present on the original DS, including the dual screens, touch panel, microphone input and Wi-Fi connection. As a new hardware feature, the DS Lite will come with four adjustable levels of screen brightness.

GameSpot - New DS hitting Japan March 2

The DS Lite shares some of the cosmetic features of the forthcoming Nintendo Revolution. Like the Revolution’s controller, the DS Lite is a bright white color, reminiscent of Apple’s iPod. Screen size hasn’t changed on the system, but users will now be able to adjust the level of brightness with four possible options.

CNNMoney - Nintendo redesigns its new handheld

We contacted Nintendo for further information and were able to confirm a few extra bits of info beyond what was issued in the release. For starters, the new DS Lite will continue to play Game Boy Advance games as well; some users have already expressed concern that the GBA slot might have been removed from the new design in order to save money, but we can confirm that this is not the case. In addition, Nintendo is planning to launch the system in three different colors in Japan, though the actual colors have yet to be determined… the original DS will continue to be sold alongside the new Lite version (at least in Japan).

1UP - Nintendo Unveils DS Redesign