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Nintendo confirms April 5 U.S. launch for DSi

The company's latest gaming handheld is set to sell at retail for $170 when it appears on American store shelves in April.

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John P. Falcone is the senior director of commerce content at CNET, where he coordinates coverage of the site's buying recommendations alongside the CNET Advice team (where he previously headed the consumer electronics reviews section). He's been a CNET editor since 2003.
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Nintendo on Wednesday confirmed that the DSi gaming handheld will retail for $170 when it hits U.S. shores on April 5. The official word from the company is in line with widespread rumors that cropped up last month.

The DSi will initially be available in blue and black models. Given Nintendo's track record, it's a sure bet that additional colors will eventually follow.

Already available in Japan (see photos below), the DSi is an evolutionary upgrade of the monstrously popular Nintendo DS Lite. The new model includes larger screens, 2 cameras, and an SD slot in place of the Game Boy cartridge slot found on current models. The expandable flash storage will dovetail with new DSi Shop, an online marketplace for downloadable games available via the unit's built-in Wi-Fi connection.

Up close with the Nintendo DSi

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What do you think? Are you looking forward to the DSi? Are you content to stick with the current DS Lite? Or does the Sony PSP or iPhone/iPod Touch fulfill all your portable gaming needs?

Update at 1:20 p.m. PST: This post was updated to show the correct U.S. launch date.