by Adam Hartley

SPOnG has seen considerable speculation about possible DS motion control earlier this week, following the emergence of a Nintendo-filed patent relating to movement control technology for a handheld gaming device.

Following a bit of digging around our contacts in Tokyo, we would suggest that the handheld motion-control patent – or at least aspects of it – refers directly to the impressive new DS Slide Controller peripheral (screens here, video of the Japanese TV ad below), which is currently about to go on sale over in Japan.

DS Slide Controller comes bundled with a game called "MagKid" (as in magnetic kid) with the awesome sub-title “Slide Adventure Monkey.”

Check the TV advert and gameplay videos linked below and you will soon see why.

Check out more on the DS Slide Controller on Nintendo of Japan’s website and marvel at what a simplistic yet genius bit of kit Nintendo seems to have come up with this time!

You can get a better idea of how it works from the Japanese TV ad for DS Slide Controller.

To see more of MagKid in action check out the gameplay videos right here.

"Slide Controller has three actions… and lots of mini games. Three Actions: Quick slide controller movement means attacking…Move slowly means escape from attack [and] Move around (circular) recharges.”

MagKid also features 4-player multiplayer action, with minigames including fishing and more.

SPOnG spoke with Nintendo in the UK to find out when DS Slide Controller and MagKid would be released outside of Japan, but there is currently no official information on this.

As soon as there is, you will be the first to know.

(All translation courtesy of SPOnG’s Japanese correspondent, Rio Inoue)