Nintendo is cranking out handhelds faster than I can keep up. Originally, it released the original chunky DS to a raving public that gladly raided stores to buy it. It introduced their now famous Dual Screen technology and was basically the first handheld to successfully create games that utilize touch screen control. Then, we saw the coming of the DS Lite, which didn’t have any new capabilities really, but was smaller, lighter, and had a bigger and brighter screen. Recently, we saw Nintendo release the DSi, which was yet smaller and had a yet bigger screen than the DS Lite, and which also featured expanded RAM, web browsing and music playing capabilities, and even a camera. Then, almost immediately after the DSi hit shelves, we saw the announcement of the DSi XL, which, unlike its bigger brothers, was actually larger and had a humongous screen!

Now, only a short time after the DSi has become available in Japan, industry rumors have been circulating about Nintendo making yet another handheld. A month ago, Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata talked about a new Nintendo handheld in an interview. He said it would sport “highly detailed graphics, and it will be necessary to have a sensor with the ability to read the movements of people playing.” According to Engadget, sources at NVIDIA have even confirmed that the NVIDIA Tegra, the same powerful chip that powers the Zune HD, would be used in a new Nintendo handheld console, which they also said would be modeled off the Nintendo DS. Mentions of this new system retaining the dual screen/touch-pad setup were made. In addition, there are reports that ATI engineers have successfully scaled down the same graphics technology that was used in the Gamecube and Wii for low-power use. A new Nintendo handheld that took advantage of this technology would be the most powerful handheld currently on the market.

However, Nintendo has quickly labeled all of these rumors as wrong, misrepresented, or in the case of Satoru Iwata mistranslated. Now with new rumors cropping up, fans and industry insiders are speculating that we may see a repeat performance of Nintendo’s attempt to cover up the DSi. Many of you may remember that shortly before the DSi was announced, there were rumors about a new DS with a built in camera circulating around the internet, and Nintendo was reacting the same way they are now, through denial or plain old refusal to comment. Coincidence?

It’s about time for a new Nintendo handheld. The Nintendo DS was released back in 2004. That was a whole six years ago, which makes the system quite ancient in terms of console lifespans. The issue is, Nintendo has built up quite a system around its DS. The DS can connect to the Wii to download demos, or even control different videogames. DSiware has just started to allow DS owners to download games from the internet. Though DSiware games are exclusive to the DSi and its bigger brother, the DSi XL, commercially reproduced cartridge games can still be played on any DS, even on the old school 2004 DS Chunky.

Many people joke about Nintendo forcing consumers to buy the DS four separate times, but in actuality, you could have simply held on to your old DS up until this point. Producing a new handheld that actually would require consumers to purchase it in order to play the latest game content is a step that Nintendo may still be unwilling to make. Nintendo has also been notorious for allowing backward compatibility in its handheld consoles, and only recently has the DSi removed it’s Gameboy cartridge slot. It is safe to say that whatever new handheld Nintendo makes will also be backward compatible with previous DS cartridges, however making it compatible with Wii connectivity, and other DSi downloadable content is another matter entirely.

Finally, the biggest issue lies in Nintendo’s pattern of releasing new iterations of the DS. Though it has been six years since the DS’s original release, America hasn’t even seen the DSi XL yet. If Nintendo does in fact announce a new handheld, it will make this new generation of DSi XL’s obsolete before they even come out.

We will bring you more news updates as they become available.

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