Might the third iteration of Nintendo’s portable DS handheld be announced at this year’s E3? Famitsu boss Hirokazu Hamamura thinks so. Nintendo of Japan spokesperson Hiroshi Yasushi did not deny the rumor outright, issuing only a standard “no comment” response.

With the introduction of the Game Boy Pocket in 1996, the big N has released a new handheld system to market nearly every two years, so the timing is unquestionably right — seeing as the DS Lite launched in 2006.

Purely speculation on my part, but I reckon they might do away with the GBA slot this time around to allow for a more compact design. We’ll see.

Bloomberg Japan [via NeoGAF]

Follow this author on Twitter.

Read more: Rumor: DSi Launching April 4 In North America,  Nintendo Set to Unveil 3DS Launch Details on September 29th,  Nintendo Squashes DS Redesign Rumors,  Enterbrain Boss Retracts Statement Regarding New DS,  Rumor: Next-Gen Handhelds to Support 3G