Nintendo's DS handheld will feature wireless communications capability, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata confirmed in a recent interview with the Mainichi Shimbun. Iwata didn't discuss the feature in detail, particularly the question of whether it will build on the wireless capability recently introduced to the Game Boy Advance with its wireless adapter peripheral, but the news further expands our picture of what Nintendo's next handheld may be capable of.

Iwata reiterated his belief that the DS won't necessarily win over observers at first glance. "In a crowd of 100 people at E3, only 10 or 15 might applaud," he said. Once players get their hands on it, however, he believes the DS will win over a new audience of users.

Iwata pointed at the broad appeal of unconventional games, like Shigesato Itoi's Mother RPGs and Masahiro Sakurai's Kirby Air Ride. The DS is meant to appeal not just to dedicated gamers, he explained, but users who want to jump into a game without needing any prior knowledge or experience -- women, younger children, and other non-gaming gamers.

Nintendo plans to finally unveil the DS in full at E3 this May. We'll keep up on any new hints that drop between then and now, however.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in 1UP.