Black Friday is just days away and in the hopes of spurring some additional sales, Nintendo has launched two new DSi bundles in time for the historically large shopping day.  But don’t get too excited, the changes are purely aesthetic.

Come this Friday you’ll be able to pick up a Green or Orange DSi packed with a copy of Mario Party DS.   The bundles will cost $150, which is the same price you’d pay for the other colors.

Orangen’t you excited?  Perhaps even green with envy?

November 22, 2010 08:00 AM Eastern Time

Nintendo News: Nintendo Adds Color to Black Friday with Orange, Green Nintendo DSi Bundles

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nintendo is giving Black Friday a splash of color with two new bundles for its hot-selling Nintendo DSi™ system. For the first time, shoppers can choose an orange or green system, which will be bundled with the Mario Party™ DS game. The new colors go on sale on Nov. 26 and will be available while supplies last at a suggested retail price of $149.99.

These new colors join Nintendo’s other great value bundles for the holidays that are being released in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Super Mario Bros.™ game on the NES™. These include the limited-edition red Nintendo DSi XL™ bundle, which features a red Nintendo DSi XL system with three iconic Super Mario Bros.-themed graphics, the Mario Kart™ DS game, and preloaded software titles including Brain Age™ Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math and Photo Clock at a suggested retail price of $179.99. In addition to those preloaded titles, each Nintendo DSi system comes preloaded with Flipnote Studio™, which lets users create, upload and share their own fun animations.

Nintendo is also offering the limited-edition red Wii™ hardware that includes a new red Wii Remote™ Plus controller, a red Nunchuk™ controller, and games New Super Mario Bros.™ Wii and Wii Sports™ at a suggested retail price of $199.99.

Through the end of October, Nintendo has sold more than 43 million systems in the Nintendo DS™ family in the United States alone, according to the independent NPD Group.

For more information about Nintendo DSi, visit http://www.nintendodsi.com.

November 22, 2010 08:00 AM Eastern Time Nintendo News: Nintendo Adds Color to Black Friday with Orange, Green Nintendo DSi Bundles
REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nintendo is giving Black Friday a splash of color with two new bundles for its hot-selling Nintendo DSi™ system. For the first time, shoppers can choose an orange or green system, which will be bundled with the Mario Party™ DS game. The new colors go on sale on Nov. 26 and will be available while supplies last at a suggested retail price of $149.99.
These new colors join Nintendo’s other great value bundles for the holidays that are being released in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Super Mario Bros.™ game on the NES™. These include the limited-edition red Nintendo DSi XL™ bundle, which features a red Nintendo DSi XL system with three iconic Super Mario Bros.-themed graphics, the Mario Kart™ DS game, and preloaded software titles including Brain Age™ Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math and Photo Clock at a suggested retail price of $179.99. In addition to those preloaded titles, each Nintendo DSi system comes preloaded with Flipnote Studio™, which lets users create, upload and share their own fun animations.
Nintendo is also offering the limited-edition red Wii™ hardware that includes a new red Wii Remote™ Plus controller, a red Nunchuk™ controller, and games New Super Mario Bros.™ Wii and Wii Sports™ at a suggested retail price of $199.99.
Through the end of October, Nintendo has sold more than 43 million systems in the Nintendo DS™ family in the United States alone, according to the independent NPD Group.
For more information about Nintendo DSi, visit http://www.nintendodsi.com.

Nintendo has just announced a price drop for their extremely popular Nintendo DSi and its bigger brother, the DSi XL. The DSi has been reduced to $149.99 (from $169.99) and the DSi XL to $169.99 (from $189.99). The change takes effect September 2nd. The new prices are in anticipation of the 3DS, which will be arriving sometime within the next year. But if you want some portable gaming goodness while you wait, it’s now cheaper than ever to get.

NINTENDO DROPPING PRICES OF NINTENDO DSI AND NINTENDO DSI XL SYSTEMS ON SEPT. 12

Latest Versions of Best-Selling Portable Video Game System in History to be Priced at $149.99 and $169.99

REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 30, 2010 – Nintendo is dropping the suggested retail price of its Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™ video game systems. Effective Sept. 12, the new suggested retail price of the Nintendo DSi system will be $149.99, while the new suggested retail price for the Nintendo DSi XL system will be $169.99. The Nintendo DS™ Lite model will remain at a suggested retail price of $129.99. The Nintendo DS family of video game systems is the best-selling in the history of the U.S. and worldwide. The new prices offer consumers tremendous value for their money while providing access to the best portable video game experiences possible.

“We know shoppers want to get the maximum value out of every dollar they spend,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Our new Nintendo DSi prices make it easier than ever for consumers to access the tremendous variety of games, applications and social tools on the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL systems.”

The Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL systems offer consumers access to more than 1,300 packaged games and more than 200 downloadable games. Both systems feature two built-in cameras and photo- and sound-manipulation software that provide for a more social experience. Users can wirelessly upload photos to Facebook with the touch of a button (wireless broadband Internet access required). The Nintendo DSi XL system, which features a screen that is 93 percent larger than that of the Nintendo DS Lite, comes pre-loaded with software like Brain Age™ Express: Math, Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, Flipnote Studio™, Photo Clock and the Nintendo DSi Browser.

Through the end of July, total Nintendo DS family hardware sales are more than 42.3 million in the United States alone, according to the NPD Group. Recent and upcoming software releases for the Nintendo DS family of systems include DRAGON QUEST® IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies™ (now available), Professor Layton and the Unwound Future™ (Sept. 12), Pokémon™ Ranger: Guardian Signs (Oct. 4), Art Academy™ (Oct. 25), Mario vs. Donkey Kong™: Mini-Land Mayhem! (Nov. 14) and Golden Sun™: Dark Dawn (Nov. 29).

Remember that Nintendo DSi features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendodsi.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ home console and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.4 billion video games and more than 565 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at www.nintendo.com.

Another day another new color for the DSi XL.  Nintendo Japan released 3 new colors for their version of the DSi XL not too long ago and now the company, perhaps in the hopes of keeping things fresh and procuring what is cheap advertising, has announced an all new color for US market: midnight blue.  It’s $189, will arrive July 11th and everything except the color remains the same.

But the same question still lingers: will Nintendo show off a 3D version of the handheld gaming console at E3 next year?  No one knows, but since the event is officially one week away we’ll be sure to let you know direct from the show room floor.

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It would appear that Nintendo is trying to keep the press mobile rolling as long as possible until E3 later this month.  Today, they announced three new colors for their larger DS handheld video game system, the DSi LL.  Come June 19th they’ll be available in Blue, Yellow and Green.  Unfortunately, the colors are only set to arrive in Japan.

Nintendo also announced that they’ll be slashing the price of the DSi from 18,900 Yen to 15,000 yen and the DSi LL from 20,000 Yen to 18,000 Yen.

It’s unknown when these prices and colors will reach the US, but it’s probably safe to assume the price cuts will come state side before the new finishes.

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The Puppet Pouch. Look at the name. Look at the picture. CTA Digital seems to be catering to a very specific demographic with their DS/DSi case, but I’m sure it does a good job of keeping your handheld safe, protected, and cute. There’s a zipper pouch to store your games, and its name comes from the fact that it can also function as a puppet.  Now the only question is: are you comfortable enough with your masculinity to get one of these?

The Puppet Pouch is available now for $19.99.

Announcing the Padded Puppet Pouch for DS and DSi
April 26, 2010

CTA Digital takes a bold step with a Padded Puppet Pouch for DS/DSi™ that ranks high on the cuteness meter.

BROOKLYN, NY – CTA Digital (http://www.ctadigital.com), a leading provider of accessories for video game consoles and portable devices, has announced the release of the Padded Puppet Pouch for the DS™ and DSi™. With a wider demographic discovering the appeal of portable gaming, including younger children, girls, parents and even grandparents; this likeable accessory sets the perfect mood and tone.

Who doesn’t like uber-cute plush puppets carrying their devices? If you can have stuffed animals sitting on monitors of engineers, then you can surely imagine plush puppet pouches in the bags and hands of young kids and grandparents alike.

This Pouch provides more than adequate protection for the system with a soft felt interior. The device is firmly held in a zippered and padded felt compartment, secured with the help of elastic straps. There is also a separate zippered compartment where you can store your favorite games and accessories.

The best part is that this pouch is also a puppet, which can be used even while the DSi is inside. With the rise of popularity of handheld gaming, specifically among younger kids, this Puppet Pouch is a great way to add cheerfulness and protection to their portable gaming experience.

This Padded Puppet Pouch is a great gift for DS / DSi users and is available on Amazon (http://tinyurl.com/32j3pyb), as well as other retail outlets such as Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy & more.

It’s $169 – $40 instant discount + $0 shipping = $129!

It’s $169 – $40 instant rebate + free shipping = $129!

They’ve got it for $169 – $20 instant discount + $0 shipping = $149!

Nintendo’s DSi XL, the largest and neweest of DSis, will hit US shores on March 28th for $190.  In exchange for a swollen pocket you’ll score two 4.2-inch LCDs and a slightly thicker build.  When it first arrives it will be available in Burgundy and Bronze, but I’d expect additional colors to roll out as time transpires.  It will come preloaded with Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math and Photo Clock, as well as two free applications: the Nintendo DSi Browser and Flipnote Studio.  Also included is a larger pen like stylus.

Full press release after the ‘leap’

NINTENDO REVEALS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE LINEUP FOR THE FIRST HALF OF 2010

Nintendo Announces Launch Dates for Nintendo DSi XL,Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M

REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 24, 2010 – Nintendo of America issued a surge of new information today about what consumers can expect from the company in the coming months. Let’s get right to it:
The new Nintendo DSi XL™ hand-held system launches March 28 at a suggested retail price of $189.99. The screens of the Nintendo DSi XL are 93 percent larger than those of the Nintendo DS™ Lite model, providing a more vivid and engaging play experience. The screens of the Nintendo DSi XL also feature a wider viewing angle, letting friends and family members join the fun. The new system launches in both Burgundy and Bronze colors, and comes loaded with pre-installed premium software Brain Age™ Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math and Photo Clock, as well as two free applications: the Nintendo DSi Browser and Flipnote Studio™. Nintendo DSi XL will also come with a larger pen-like stylus that allows for a more comfortable grip and enhanced ease of use when playing games that use the Nintendo DS touch screen. America’s Test Kitchen: Let’s Get Cooking and WarioWare™: D.I.Y. will also launch for the Nintendo DS family of products on March 28, providing consumers with new content that can be enjoyed on any Nintendo DS system. Games like these demonstrate the enhanced experience available with the Nintendo DSi XL.

Super Mario Galaxy™ 2, the sequel to the smash-hit galaxy-hopping original game, launches May 23 for the Wii™ console. The game includes the amazing gravity-defying, physics-based exploration from the first game, but is loaded with entirely new galaxies and features to challenge and delight players. On some stages, Mario™ can pair up with his dinosaur buddy Yoshi™ and use his tongue to grab items and spit them back at enemies. Players can also have fun with new items such as a drill that lets our hero tunnel through solid rock.

Metroid™: Other M, the incredible new Metroid game developed for Wii through a collaboration by Nintendo and the world-renowned Team Ninja, launches June 27. The game looks at the classic franchise from a new perspective: While much of the game is reminiscent of 2-D side-scrollers, players can switch the perspective into 3-D at any time as they explore the twisting passages of a derelict space station and delve deep into a cinematic, never-before-told story of bounty hunter Samus Aran’s past. This new approach uses a new control scheme in which players use the Wii Remote™ controller held sideways to battle enemies and navigate the expansive, gorgeous environments in classic Metroid fashion, then aim at the screen with the Wii Remote pointer to blast foes in first-person and hunt the world for clues and hidden passages.

In a unique partnership with Square-Enix, Nintendo of America will publish Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies in the Americas when the game arrives in summer 2010. Dragon Quest IX has sold more than 4.15 million copies in the Japanese market. Nintendo and Square-Enix will now work together to bring this title to the Nintendo DS consumer base in the Americas.

Capcom’s Monster Hunter® Tri, an epic action game for Wii, launches in the United States on April 20. The game lets players customize their character, armor and weapons in order to protect a town from majestic monsters as that town rebuilds following a devastating earthquake. Online play will be available for all players with broadband Internet access at no additional cost. Online text chat is fully functional and online voice chat is enabled using the Wii Speak™ microphone, which is sold separately. At a suggested retail price of $59.99, limited quantities of Monster Hunter Tri will include the new Black Classic Controller Pro™, while both Black and White versions of the controller will be available separately at a suggested retail price of $19.99. The game will also be available without a controller at a suggested retail price of $49.99.

Sin and Punishment: Star Successor, the breakthrough shooter game for Wii from legendary developer Treasure, will launch across North America on June 7. The game features nonstop action with two playable characters and international online leaderboards to track high scores. Using the Wii Remote pointer functionality, the game offers unprecedented precision in the shooter genre.

FlingSmash™ for Wii will test players’ Wii Remote skills as they bounce a ball-like hero through countless side-scrolling stages, combining the precision of racket sports with the unpredictable fun of pinball. Playable only with the Wii MotionPlus™ accessory, the game will launch this summer.

Picross 3D is poised to become a puzzle game phenomenon when it launches for the Nintendo DS family of products on May 3. In Picross 3D, players start with a cube and smash away smaller blocks to reveal an object, shape or symbol. Delivering more than 350 unique puzzles and more made available for download on a regular basis after launch via the Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection service (broadband Internet access required), the game takes the mind-bending fun of Picross into the next dimension.

100 Classic Books transforms the Nintendo DS family of products into a library of timeless literature when it launches on June 14 at a suggested retail price of $19.99, highlighted by 100 works from authors such as William Shakespeare, Jules Verne, Jane Austen, Mark Twain and more. Readers can adjust the size of text, place bookmarks and even download new content via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service (broadband Internet connection required).

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands™ from Ubisoft will launch May 18 on both the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms. Boasting amazing graphics with fantastic action and puzzle-solving game play, the Wii version will be the first in franchise history to feature a two-player cooperative experience. As an added bonus, the Wii version of the game will exclusively include the 1992 Super NES™ version of the original Prince of Persia game.

Disney Guilty Party is the official title of the highly anticipated first collaboration between Disney Interactive Studios and its recently acquired studio, Wideload Games. The fun and hilarious mystery party game is set for release in the second half of 2010, exclusively for Wii.

Majesco’s Nintendo DSi exclusive Ghostwire: Link to the Paranormal uses incredible augmented reality technology through the Nintendo DSi Camera. Launching this October, the game lets players become a ghost hunter as they interact with the paranormal.
Nintendo also announced a variety of games available to download directly to the Wii console from the Wii Shop Channel via the WiiWare™ service, and directly to the Nintendo DS via the DSi Shop and DSiWare™ services. For WiiWare:
Launching on March 1, Capcom’s Mega Man™ 10 builds upon the huge impact of Mega Man 9, a completely new adventure rendered in classic 8-bit style. This new game looks and sounds as awesomely retro as its predecessor.

Launching on March 8, Max & the Magic Marker from Press Play turns the Wii Remote into an orange magic marker that’s literally magic. Players draw lines and objects to help Max reach objects and his ultimate goal.

The long-awaited indie cult classic Cave Story comes to WiiWare with new game play, artwork and music enhancements on March 22. It’s classic gaming reborn for 2010.

Launching on March 29, WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase is a standalone product exclusive to the WiiWare service and available only from the Wii Shop Channel. The game contains more than 70 new microgames and features interoperability with the WarioWare: D.I.Y. game for the Nintendo DS family of products. Players that own both games can transfer content between the two via a local wireless connection, and can even play user-created microgames on their television using WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase.

As the techno music pulses, Nintendo’s Art Style™: light trax™ puts players in charge of a white beam of light as it engages in a surreal race against other beams across a dark track. Players must keep away from obstacles, use items and look for power boosts if they want to finish first. Art Style: light trax launches this spring.

Swim and spin through the primordial ooze in Nintendo’s Art Style: Rotozoa™ as you absorb tiny organisms that match the colors of your tentacles. As you absorb more organisms, your tentacles grow. The challenge increases as additional tentacles are gained, but power-ups can help you survive and thrive. Art Style: Rotozoa launches this spring.

Launching this spring, Rage of the Gladiator from Ghostfire Games is an intense fighting game that asks players to perfect their well-timed moves against an array of opponents. The game is compatible with the Wii MotionPlus accessory.

Launching this spring, And Yet It Moves from Broken Rules requires players to rotate the world to help their line-drawn protagonist progress. Walls become floors and floors become ceilings in this surreal twist on the platformer genre.

Launching this summer, Independent Games Festival Seumas McNally Grand Prize Finalist Super Meat Boy from Team Meat sets a cube of meat off on an adventure to save Princess Bandage. This off-the-wall game is not for the faint of heart.
For Nintendo DSiWare:
Nintendo’s Photo Dojo™ is poised to be the cult hit of 2010 when it launches this spring. The game first asks players to pose for 13 pictures and input 10 sound effects. Once that’s done, the player becomes the main character in a hilarious side-scrolling fighting game. Create up to eight characters and do battle alone or against a friend on a single Nintendo DSi or Nintendo DSi XL system.

Launching this spring, Nintendo’s Metal Torrent™ delivers a frantic barrage of gunfire that fills the screen. Players try to convert opponents’ bullets into cubes that, when collected, increase their score and fill an energy meter that powers special weapons. Online Leaderboards record scores and movies of top games.

Launching this spring, X-Scape™ from Nintendo immerses players in an exploratory adventure involving more than 20 planets. Players will pilot their tank through 3-D tunnels, fire at enemies and even battle ancient weapons that resemble giant robots.
“Nintendo finished 2009 with a bang, and we’re continuing our momentum into 2010,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “With Nintendo DSi XL, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M coming in the first six months of the year, we’re making sure all our fans have great game content to enjoy year-round.”

Remember that Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit www.Nintendo.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo DSi™ systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.3 billion video games and more than 558 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.Nintendo.com.

Want a flash for your DSi?  Then be prepared to be emasculated because Thrustmaster’s Studio Kit is anything but manly. In the package they’ve included a snap on flash, a not so attractive shiny bag, in addition to a macro and telephoto lens.  And if you want to ‘add a touch of color’ to your photos you can pop in one of six colored lenses.  Expect it to go on sale for about $20.

[via Technabob]

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I’m interested because it’s a new business model in which the user doesn’t bear the communications cost.

Currently Nintendo DSi users can access the Nintendo store to download a variety of content via WiFi, but that requires that the user be within proximity of a signal and seriously hinders the purchase anytime, anywhere impulse.  Of course, this kind of delivery system would be implemented in the next generation of Nintendo DSes and would add some significant cost to the handheld device, something Nintendo may not be willing to do.

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Apparently, the Japanese are adopting an American mentality because their DSi portable gaming system, which has a 3.5-inch screen, just got bumped to 4.2-inches.  Of course with a larger screen comes larger components and the weight of the pocket gamer has gone from 214g to 314g, which is about .7lbs for all you US fans.  Outside of that everything seems to have remained the same.  The Japanese version will be called the ‘LL’ and Europe ‘XL’.

The DSi LL will hit Japan on 11/21, no word on the US and the EU can expect it in the first quarter of 2010.

Full specs after the ‘leap’

[via @nintendo247]

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Even though the Nintendo DSi was released this year, rumors are surfacing that Nintendo is gearing up to produce a more powerful portable system in 2010.  For purposes of this article, the DS2 we’ll call it, will receive some new processing power thanks to the Zune HD and Nvidia Tegra Chips (sounds organic doesn’t it).

Nothing has been confirmed obviously but you’d be a complete sucker to buy a DSi now.  The above concept picture looks pretty tight but we’ll have to wait and see what develops.

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People just like these kinds of posts.  Our pink DSi post from February 25th is still getting comments to this day.  On October 23rd, Europeans will have the luxury of choosing some new Nintendo DSi colors.  Those new colors are: Metallic Blue, Light Blue and Red.

Each new DSi will have Facebook connectivity and FlipNote Studio preloaded as well as 1,000 DSiWare points.  The colors will be available with the aforementioned supplements until March 2010.  Let’s see the US get some!

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Last week we saw the UK and Japan receive a Nintendo DSi firmware update that enabled the handheld gaming system to upload photos directly to Facebook.  Now, according to Crunchgear, Nintendo will issue the same update to North American DSi owners that will allow them to post photos directly to their Facebook page.   The update will be available sometime today after 5pm PST.

I’m still surprised this update wasn’t initially issued in the US, where FB is much larger, than in Japan.

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It would seem that Facebook’s goal of world domination is well on track.  Today, Nintendo issued their latest firmware update for the DSi, 1.4 to be exact, that includes a Facebook application that is more photo integration than anything else.

Once the firmware has been installed just enter the photo section of your DSi and click on the Facebook logo.  After that just use your login credentials and within no time flat you’ll be able to upload photos to Facebook directly from your Nintendo DSi.  DSi albums are capped at 200 photos, which might be the same for computer users, but once photo 201 is uploaded a new album will automatically be created.

Update: This appears to be available in Japan and the UK only.  The US update should be coming this Fall, although no specific date has been announced.

Joystiq video after the ‘leap’

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Usually when a writer gets their hands on a gadget that means they’re settling in for a review.  Not so for the folks at iFixit.  The Nintendo DSi has only been available in the US for a few days and they’ve already managed to tear it down piece-by-piece and dissect its innards.

[iFixit via Thanks, Lauren]

In case you ain’t heard, Nintendo’s DSi is finally shipping here in the US.  Amazon has it in matte black or blue for $169.99.

[Amazon]

Wow! I’m in total shock. Last month IGN floated a rumor that the Nintendo DSi would go on sale State side on April 4th for $179.  Today, they officially announced the updated portable gaming unit’s launch date and price: $170 and April 5th. Big hat tip for IGN. In case you’re wondering, $170 is less than what the Japanese paid when the DSi hit, but in light of the economic woes us Americans are having it’s not too surprising.

[Electronista]

Well, it looks like the Nintendo DSi will launch sooner than later here in the States.  Japan scored the updated, dual touchscreen, 3MP camera embedded Nintendo handheld video game system back in November of 2008.  Now it looks like the system will launch April 4th for $179, unless of course the rumor is just totally wrong.

[IGN]