Nintendo DSi XL

If you don't have your own Nintendo DSi or DSi XL yet, now's the time to consider a purchase — Nintendo will be dropping the price of both consoles next month by $20. Beginning on Sept. 12, the portable DSi will be priced at $150, while the newer and bigger-screened DSi XL will set you back $170. The Nintendo DS Lite, however, will keep its price point of $130.

Although Nintendo released the DSi XL just a few months ago, it seems to be pricing its stock of DS's to move, possibly to make way for the new 3DS (whose release date will be announced on Sept. 29).

Nintendo is introducing its popular DSi XL in a new color: Midnight Blue. The new color will be available in the US starting July 11 for $190 — the same price as the current maroon and black models already on the market.

There are no technical changes either, just the same DSi XL in a brand-new color. It still comes stocked with three games right out of the box — Brain Age Express: Math, Brain Age Express: Arts and Letters, and Photo Clock — along with a camera, WiFi connectivity, and a bigger stylus for easy handling. The blue does look kind of pretty, but I find it interesting that Nintendo would release another color option for a console that may be obsolete soon. 3DS anyone?

Get excited — the Nintendo DSi XL ($190) officially drops today! Just shy of a year after the first DSi hit the shelves, Nintendo has revamped the layout, adding 93 percent more screen real estate — two crisp and clear screens at 4.2 inches each — which will easily let you play for hours without eye strain, and has improved the audio quality on the external speakers in a major way. Your MP3s have never sounded so good on a DS! Hey — the XL even has a bigger stylus for those of you with larger (or more arthritis-prone) hands. But buyer beware — Nintendo just announced that they'll be showing off the (tentatively-titled) Nintendo 3DS at this year's E3 gaming conference in June, so if you're hopping on the 3D train, you may want to hold out for what's next.

If you're ready to buy now, find out what's included with the DSi XL when you read more

Yesterday in San Francisco, Nintendo held its Q1 Media Summit and announced the new release of its Nintendo DSi XL. Among its latest games? Let's Get Cooking, a new title courtesy of the most persnickety culinary geeks in the biz, America's Test Kitchen. Let's Get Cooking doesn't launch in American stores until Mar. 28, but I had a hands-on sneak preview of the new program. Hear what I thought of it after the jump.

Announced at yesterday's Nintendo Q1 Media Summit, the DSi XL will be heading stateside on March 28 for $190. Although the portable console will play the same games as your DS Lite and DSi, it does come with a few extra goodies for you to enjoy: the XL will come stocked with three games right out of the box — Brain Age Express: Math, Brain Age Express: Arts and Letters, and Photo Clock — along with a camera, WiFi connectivity, and a bigger stylus for easy handling (read: for those of you with arthritis).

The dual screens on the XL are 93 percent larger than those on the DSi, which makes it easier to see the details in your games, but Nintendo thinks it will also make a great ereader. Launching alongside the XL on June 14 will be a game called 100 Classic Books. As the name suggests, this "game" will give you access to 100 different titles from authors like Bram Stroker to read vertically on your console. This may indicate that Nintendo will begin licensing books to sell and download in their DSi Ware shops, which will put Nintendo square in the middle of the ereader game.

There's lots more photos to see, along with a video of the DSi XL, when you read more