Nintendo-Patented 'Demo Play' Help Feature Also Coming To DS

An automated walkthrough feature intended to show players solutions to Wii titles will reportedly also be available on the DS. New Super Mario Bros Wii will be the first title to use the 'Demo Play' feature, patented by Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, who confirmed the system last month. According to a Nikkei newspaper report discovered by consumer weblog Kotaku, some handheld titles will also employ Demo Play, described as suitable for "high speed action games". Although Nintendo has not yet provided specific details on how Demo Play works, it appears to allow players to automate gameplay at points when they get stuck, either to have the solution demonstrated for them or to simply skip past difficult parts. As Miyamoto recently described: "In New Super Mario Bros Wii, if a player is experiencing an area of difficulty, this will allow them to clear troubled areas and take over when they're ready." The feature's aimed at reducing barriers to entry for inexperienced or young players, aiming to encouraging more players to complete games in full.