It is all good news for Nintendo recently: Despite the GameCube being relegated to third place in last generation's console wars, the popularity of the DS has pushed the share price for Nintendo to nearly 27,000 yen, or $227 in US dollars, a record high for the company.

The DS, which turns 2 years old on the 21^st this month, has sold roughly 27 million units worldwide, outselling Sony's PSP. At the beginning of the year, the DS had sold out throughout Japan, prompting Nintendo to release a formal apology. It also broke the record for the fastest selling game system in Japan after selling 5 million units in 13 months. Also, thanks to the DS Lite and a strong and growing library of first and third party titles, the DS continues to enjoy immense amounts of popularity.

According to analysts, the DS's popularity shows that the market is open to fresh new ideas, with its two backlit LCD screens, one of which is touch-sensitive. With the release of Nintendo's new Wii console just a few days away, can we expect its innovations to further inflate Nintendo's profit line? All signs are pointing to yes, especially as Nintendo plans to ship 4 million units by the end of the year, but we'll find out for ourselves shortly. The Wii launches in the US on the 19^th of this month, in Japan on December 2^nd and in Europe on December 4^th.