Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s new Wii video game console, considered the underdog in the console wars because it lacks the high-definition graphics and multimedia features of its rivals, is stealing the show at this week's Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show.

The wait to try out the Wii at E3 pushed past four hours on Thursday afternoon, while the wait for hands-on time with Sony Corp.'s (SNE) PlayStation 3 was barely 30 minutes.

In an interview with the gaming blog Kotaku, Shigeru Miyamoto revealed a few tidbits regarding the connectivity between the Nintendo DS and Wii systems.

First, he stated that the technology currently exists for the two systems to interact with one another, but Nintendo is still trying to figure out what to do with this technology. Some ideas that are being thrown around are (1) using the touch screen and microphone from the DS to affect Wii gameplay, or (2) downloading content from the Wii, transferring it to the DS, modifying it and sending it back to the Wii. Although he couldn't tell when this connectivity scheme would take place, he said it's likely to occur at launch or very early due to the success of the DS system.

Miyamoto also commented that Wii remotes will likely be customizable for each member of the family household. That is, each member can have their own distinct colored Wii remote and have their settings load when they boot the console.

Finally, Miyamoto commented that Nintendo usually focuses on hardware and software for E3 and will reveal their price and launch date at a later time, most likely before the Tokyo Game Show which takes place in September 2006.

Millions of people around the world already enjoy playing Nintendo DS, and the system's future looks even brighter. On June 11, Nintendo DS Lite joins Nintendo's video game family when it launches in the Americas. The lighter, brighter version of the hot-selling Nintendo DS is expected to be priced as low as $129.99 at retailers throughout the United States. The inaugural color is an elegant Polar White with a raised DS logo on the cover.

Nintendo DS Lite arrives just in time for players to pop in the latest version of one of the most storied franchises in video game history. New Super Mario Bros., launching May 15, updates classic Mushroom Kingdom action with new features and fun.

Nintendo continued to steal the march on its rival console makers with the announcement today that its new Wii games console will enable gamers to surf the internet using the Opera browser. The browser will also be available for the handheld Nintendo DS console.