Nintendo unveils the company's new portable video game console in Tokyo in 2008. Nintendo announced on Wednesday that its third-generation DSi portable videogame system will make its US debut on April 5.

Nintendo announced on Wednesday that its third-generation DSi portable videogame system will make its US debut on April 5.

Nintendo sold more than a half million of the upgraded gaming devices in the month after its premier launch in Japan in November of last year.

Nintendo said at the time that it would delay making DSi models available in the United States because the second-generation DS Lite was still selling strongly there.

The Japanese videogame titan said Wednesday that blue or black DSi models will be available in the United States in April at a price of 169.99 dollars each.

"DSi builds on Nintendo?s commitment to bringing fun and creative entertainment to everyone, and will allow consumers to personalize and share their very own experiences," said Nintendo America marketing vice president Cammie Dunaway.

Upgrades in the DSi include built-in cameras, one pointed at players to allow them to put images of themselves into certain games.

It can be used as a photo album and enables users to change the facial expressions of the people in the pictures or draw flowers or other graphics into images.

It has a similar design to the DS Lite, but is slimmer and has a slightly larger screen.

DSi devices also have voice recording and music player capabilities.

Most game software designed for previous generation DS devices should work on DSi models, according to Nintendo.

© 2009 AFP