At E3 in 2004, as the DS was being introduced, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata gave a speech announcing officially that work on the "Nintendo Revolution" was well underway, and that when we see it, "we will be excited because we will experience a gaming revolution".

At E3 in 2005, we were introduced to the main hardware of the Revolution system. The demo unit was smaller than the smallest computer - barely wider than a DVD, barely longer than a DVD case, and barely thicker than a deck of cards. On top of that, Iwata claims the final product will be even smaller! As with the Nintendo DS, the Revolution will be WiFi-compatible right out of the box. An online network will connect gamers all over the world seamlessly, and unlike XBox Live, Nintendo's online plan will be free. Launching beside the console will be an online sequel to Super Smash Bros. Details on this and more online games are said to be revealed in the coming months.

Most recently, at the Tokyo Game Conference in September 2005, Iwata gave the keynote speech. In it, he introduced and displayed the unique Revolution controller. Right from first sight, you can plainly tell this will not be a console that plays off of the same old riff we've been hearing for 23 years. In its primary configuration, the controller is meant to be held in one hand vertically, rather like a remote control. It has on its face a large A button, the quintessential Nintendo control pad for menu navigation, Select and Start buttons, and a Home button that will (presumably) take you back to the system BIOS. On the back of the controller is a large B button/trigger that can be pressed comfortably with your bent index finger. The controller can also be oriented horizontally to resemble an Famicom/NES controller with regular-sized "a" and "b" buttons on the face.

Doesn't really sound exciting yet, does it? Fortunately, that's not it. The controller, as many had suspected, is made to sense all movements and tilts (up, down, left and right, yaw, pitch, and roll) sensitively and effectively. For once, players can interact with a game naturally, rather than merely manipulating it with a series of inputs. The Revolution's exciting new controller is hoped to attract hordes of new gamers in very much the same way that the DS's unique touch pad controls have in Japan and the US. Naturally, in games like Smash Bros., it will be close to impossible to control without an analog stick, so packaged with the controller will be a stick accessory. Using this same port, two controllers can also be plugged together for dual-controller play in games that are built for it. Other accessories like add-ons with more face buttons are also scheduled to be released for the Revolution controller, and it promises to be a fun wireless device to have in your home.

Hardcore Nintendo fans are sure to love the Revolution as players will be able to download NES, Super NES, and Nintendo 64 games over the online service. Whether these will be free, cheap, or not so cheap remains to be seen. The system will also be backwards compatible with the Nintendo GameCube - a first for Nintendo consoles. A small panel on the side of the system opens up to reveal GameCube controller ports and memory card docks, and the Revolution's self-loading DVD slot will somehow center the smaller GCN discs into place. All this is likely designed to lower the player's need to play illegal emulated versions of classic games on their PCs - a trend Nintendo has openly despised for nearly a decade.

On top of the hardware, even more promises are being thrown around that the software will be where Nintendo innovates most, but really, this is not something new for the company (see: GameCube). Most other major developers, including Sega, Activision, EA, Ubisoft, and Square Enix have praised the Revolution and all describe the various features about it they find most exciting to work with. So far, unless Nintendo supremely messes up on the software (which they very seldom do), this system does NOT look to be a sleeper or a "flash in the pan". With the Revolution, Nintendo has something hot on its hands. We are indeed seeing a reinvention of online gaming, backwards compatibility, and analog control unfold right before our eyes. Keep them peeled, because this box promises to rock our world.