Official Nintendo DS Launch Details Nintendo of America reveals all. Release date and price! September 20, 2004 - Today, Nintendo finally broke the news on the Nintendo DS system. The Nintendo DS, it's upcoming dual-screen handheld system, will launch in North America on November 21st for a retail price of $149.99. PictoChat, the software program that enables DS owners to sent text and pictures wirelessly to nearby DS systems, will be embedded in the system hardware. The DS system will spring to life out of "sleep mode" if it senses any other systems in the area, giving gamers the opportunity to chat spontaneously with each other. More than 100 companies have signed on to create games for Nintendo DS, while Nintendo itself is already developing its first 20 titles. Electronic Arts' Madden NFL, The URBZ: Sims in the City, Need for Speed Underground, Tiger Woods and GoldenEye are being made for the system. The complete lineup of games planned for the launch of Nintendo DS will be announced in the near future. Nintendo has confirmed that the system will be backward compatible with Game Boy Advance games, but will not support system-link multiplayer in GBA games due to the DS' lack of link cable port. Nintendo chose the United States to lead the worldwide launch of Nintendo DS because of overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic reaction from consumers and to take advantage of the holiday sales season. After the subsequent launch in Japan, the system will be available in Europe and Australia in the first quarter of 2005. "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."