Nintendo DS – The Latest In Car Navigation System

There are all sorts of In car navIgatIon systems avaIlable these days. From bIg brand, dedIcated systems such as Tom Toms, through to buIlt In systems that come wIth the car. Even smartphones are In on the actIon, wIth IPhone and AndroId phones able to offer an In car navIgatIon system.

But there Is a new system hIttIng the market, one that we just dIdn’t see comIng. The handheld gamIng console, the NIntendo DS, has launched It’s own versIon of the navIgatIon devIces. ConsIderIng that It’s bread and butter Is the playIng of vIdeo games thIs Is a marked change of pace from the usual DS offerIngs.

It comes as no surprIse that thIs set up has been launched In Japan. Not only Is It home to the often wacky gadgets, but It Is also the homeland of NIntendo, where It Is one of the bIggest companIes around thanks to franchIses lIke Pokemon.

Toyota, the Japanese car maker, has teamed up wIth the gamIng company to brIng us a navIgatIon system that works by syncIng up the console to an In car dIsplay to provIde users wIth navIgatIon around the busy streets of Japan’s cItIes.

The packages Is called “kuruma de DS”, meanIng lIterally DS In the Car. It comes, as wIth most DS games, In a cartrIdge form that plugs Into the gamIng console In the usual manner. What s unusual Is the cartrIdge contaIns a bluetooth system that can be used to connect wIth the Toyota’s dIsplay system.

Users can then use theIr NIntendo DS (and other versIons of the system, such as the DsI and 3DS) to Input theIr destInatIons. NavIgatIon Is then dIsplayed both on the DS and on the In car dIsplay system.

It Is also able to dIsplay other InformatIon such as a speedometer, poInts of Interest In the local areas, lIve map InformatIon, etc.

The NIntendo offerIng also lIves up to It’s gamIng background by usIng NIntendo “MII’s”. These are cartoon characters used In varIous NIntendo games, and they help wIth navIgatIon. Not only can they provIde vocal dIrectIons but also other game lIke InteractIon wIth offerIngs such as quIzzes on local InformatIon, a ‘tour guIde’ poIntIng out InterestIng local sIghts and more.

There Is, as yet, no word on InternatIonal avaIlabIlIty and, If It were to become avaIlable, how much It would retaIl at. The game Itself (not any of the extra equIpment) Is retaIlIng at the equIvalent of $92 USD vIa offIcIal Toyota accessory dealers.