In an official press release from Nintendo today, we can announce with both wonder and astonishment the latest Nintendo machine: The Nintendo DS portable!

In a shocking announcement which is set to rock the gaming world, Nintendo have released details of their forthcoming DS Portable gaming system. Rumours began flying a few weeks ago after mysterious words were uttered from Nintendo spokes people regarding a new machine. Some thought the machine would be the fabled "Game Boy Enhanced" with the mighty power to play Game Boy Advance AND Gamecube games, however this is not the case.

This surprising move from Nintendo sees them releasing a third stand-alone portable system to take games playing and interactivity to a completely different plane of existence! This new machine will feature not one but two 3" TFT LCD screens to allow for greater scope and perspective on the games. The two screens will be backlit to allow for poor-light play. The main processor is pparently an "ARM 9" with the Sub-processor an "ARM 7".

Here's the official word from Nintendo:

"Players can look forward to being able to manage their game progress from two different perspectives, enhancing both the speed and strategy of the challenge. For example in a football game, you can view the whole game on one screen, while simultaneously focusing on an individual footballer's tackle or goal on the other screen. Players will no longer be forced to interrupt game play to shift perspective, such as moving from a wide shot to a close up, or alternating between a character's ongoing battle and a map of their environment. Nintendo DS makes it possible to perform the tasks in real time by simply glancing from one screen to the other."

Self-styled "Funny Man of Gaming" and Nintendo president Satoru Iwata had this to say on the new product:

"We have developed Nintendo DS based upon a completely different concept from existing game devices in order to provide players with a unique entertainment experience for the 21st century"

The Nintendo DS will feature two separate screens, separate processors and a semiconductor memory of up to 1 gigabit. It will be marketed and sold as a separate entity to Game Boy Advance and the Gamecube systems. More information will be available at E3 when the system will be fully unveiled for the first time. Nintendo says we can expect a world-wide launch before the end of the year!

Start saving your pennies now, kids!