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OFFICIAL: It's finally here! Nintendo has announced the nitty-gritty for the Nintendo DS. You'll be very pleased.

After months of speculation as to the release time and price of Nintendo's latest system, we can finally all rest easy.

Nintendo DS Release Date: 11/21/04
Nintendo DS Price: $149.99

"Nintendo's mission remains unchanged: expand the game experience," says Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo Co., Ltd. "Nintendo DS is the road map to the future of video games, and most clearly demonstrates the type of innovation that players demand."

That's right; despite rumors circulating of late, the Nintendo DS is priced thirty dollars below the previously estimated price of $179.99. Ironically, the North American date (above) is before the Japan release date, which is December 2nd with a price of 15,000 yen or $136 US Dollars.

"We're really excited about the price," says Nintendo vice president of marketing and corporate affairs Perrin Kaplan. "That kind of pricing makes DS immediately attractive to the mass market, and that is where Nintendo needs to be."

Another rumor that has been confirmed is that the Nintendo DS will feature the free embedded PictoChat software allowing for wireless instant messaging to other players. Using the touch pad, players will be able to actually write messages to be sent to others, and this is included with the Nintendo DS. If your Nintendo DS is in sleep mode, the PictoChat also features a function that will awaken the DS to alert you to the presence of a new message.


THIS IS THE GREATEST NEWS I"VE GOTTEN ALL WEEK!

It's official. The Nintendo DS will also come boxed with a copy of the game Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt.

This means that DS owners will have two free games/software titles, PictoChat and Metroid Prime Hunters, at launch to enjoy for the DS launch-package price of $149.99.