Nintendo patent 'points' to direction-sensing DS card

by Randy Nelson Jan 15th 2009 12:30AM

Siliconera reports that Nintendo has filed for a new trademark in Japan on something called the "DS Houi Sensor Card." As the site points out, the full English translation is "DS Direction Sensor Card," leading to (inevitable) speculation that Nintendo is planning DS games with built-in direction / motion-tracking.

Current games, such as Tony Hawk's Motion, utilize custom cartridges -- inserted into the DS' GBA slot -- for added functionality. But with the DSi ditching GBA cart compatibility, Nintendo had to do something; this may be a sign of more nifty gimmicks to come on the handheld, which is (possibly) soon-to-be-released in North America.

Wow, that sounds pretty cool.

Cool--I prefer this to having a separate peripheral.

Just one question.

If this is indeed for use with the DSi, and the motion sensing card goes in the slot where DS games go, then either.

It can only be used for DSiware games

or it can only be used for games where the entire game can be stored either in RAM or on the DSi harddrive (Animal Crossing for the gamecube you could remove the disc whilst playing and keep going)

I'd recall Miyamoto had some "outdoors adventure" in the works. Could relate to it. Although, this could also mean, that you can use DS as a compass.

About the pic in the OP, i can't help but think Sony and M$ closing the sign and say "turn right here, i know a shortcut".

@scottie: The direction sensing tech along with the software would be on the same cartrige.

there is the SD card slot....

So it's basically Kirby Tilt n' Tumble (and a Warioware game too, right?) for some more games.........I could get used to that.

Not quite--just because it's got the motion-sensor doesn't mean it doesn't also have the game.  Lot's of Nintendo's games have had peripheral hardware built in.

See:

-WarioWare: Twisted

-Kirby's Tilt n' Tumble

-Pokemon Pinball (built-in rumble)