The retail box for Nintendo's new portable will prominently feature a packed-in Metroid Prime demo.

Nintendo today released the final look of the North American retail packaging for its upcoming Nintendo DS System. As expected, the box design emphasizes the included demo of Metroid Prime Hunters, with a large logo and artwork of main character Samus Aran breaking up the otherwise subdued silver-and-black box art.

The announcement went on to mention that the demo would include several single-player modes, as well as the previously announced four-player wireless multiplayer demo. The game's genre has also been confirmed to be "first-person adventure," signifying that the full game should feature a full, robust single-player adventure akin to the console Metroid Prime titles.

The left-side panel of the box, meanwhile, features an image of the PictoChat software that is embedded into the Nintendo DS hardware. The text on the box reads, "Draw, sketch, write, and send wireless messages with the built-in communication tool, PictoChat."

The Nintendo DS is scheduled to be released on November 21 with an suggested retail price of $149.99. Full details on the system's lineup of launch titles are expected to be revealed at press conferences at the end of next week in the US and Japan.

[POSTED ON: 09/30/04]