DS hits a new low and Evil flies high

Two quick updates:

In a surprise move, Nintendo Australia announced yesterday that their DS handheld will be available in Australia from February 24th for only $199. This is not only earlier than the expected late-March launch date, but also much cheaper than anticipated. At the current exchange rate, this makes the Australian price cheaper than the US retail price. Nintendo Australia are obviously keen to replicate their huge early sales success in both the Japanese and US markets, and are hoping to establish a solid user-base before Sony's PSP launch. While Sony Australia were as shocked as anyone by the DS' Australian launch price, it remains to be seen whether they will counter with a lower than expected PSP RRP.

Yesterday also saw the release of the long-awaited Resident Evil 4 for Gamecube in the US. If early reviews are anything to go by, this could be one of finest games ever made. It's average review score (as tracked by gamerankings.com) is currently sitting at 96.4%, putting it in the league of the established all-time greats such as Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Soul Calibur. The game is currently being shipped to eager importers across the globe (myself included). Expect impressions of the game here shortly.