Nintendo's Japanese staff are cruising for chicks, apparently. Certainly, the games console pioneer has women in mind as the audience for the latest DS Lite handheld. Having shipped white, and both sky and navy blue versions of the console, next month it will release a "noble pink" version.

The machine goes on sale in Japan on 20 July, more than four months after the redesigned wireless-enabled handheld console launched in the country. The DS Lite went on sale in the UK last week and in the US earlier in June. Both territories get the more iPod like shiny white and patent black colour schemes. There's no word yet as to whether the pink model will make an appearance over here.

In Japan, the pink DS Lite will retail for around ¥16,800 (£79/$145). ®