Nintendo Plans DS Game Downloads Through Wii

Nintendo DS owners will eventually be able to acquire both demos and whole games from the Wii, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime informed The New York Times.

The games and demos will presumably be downloaded through the online Wii Shop Channel and then transferred to the portable via the wireless capabilities of both systems.

Though word of downloadable demos comes as little surprise--DS Download Stations located at retailers already allow such functionality and Nintendo previously announced it would come to the Wii someday--the inclusion of full games is a bit more surprising.

It is unknown if that full games bit refers to digitally distributed versions of existing games, compatibility with downloaded Wii Virtual Console titles, or WiiWare software specifically designed for the portable.

At present, the Nintendo DS can only hold one demo at a time in its internal memory. Once downloaded, users cannot power off the system or run any other software without losing the demo.

It is possible Nintendo may release some type of storage device for the system--a blank DS card, a blank Game Boy Advance cartridge--to increase this capacity at a later date. Some Nintendo DS games, such as Jupiter's already-released Picross and Level-5's upcoming Professor Layton and the Curious Village, already allow owners to hop online with the portable and download new content.