It’s happening - the Nintendo DSi is coming to North America on April 5, for $169.99. Nintendo announced Wednesday that the long-awaited third version of its popular DS handheld gaming system will soon be available in the U.S.

The third generation of the DS will be available in blue and black and will sell for $170 -- a $40 premium over the current DS Lite model. The extra money will get gamers a larger screens (3.25" instead of 3") a slimmer form factor (18.9 mm, compared to the 21.9 mm of the DS Lite) as well as features such as an audio player and an SD card slot, which replaces the GBA slot of the DS.

The DSi has two cameras -- an outward-aiming camera for taking pictures of others, as well as an internal one for taking pictures of the person holding the system, a feature incorporated into some current games available for the Japanese DSi (on sale since November). Pictures can be taken with several effects and effects can be added after pictures are taken. Photos can be transferred wirelessly between DSi systems.

There is even an SD memory card slot thrown in for you to play your favorite MP3 tunes, but we wouldn't discard that faithful DS Lite or DS Phat just yet as those have the GBA slot which the DSi lacks. Nintendo will sell its DSi for a cheaper $169.99 when compared to Japan's version, but it is still more expensive than the DS Lite.

The Nintendo DSi has been available in Japan since October 1st, 2008. The system in that territory is a hardware upgrade to the Nintendo DS Lite, but it's also a companion to the previous generation: both systems coexist in Japan at two different pricepoints. The Nintendo DS Lite is the "classic" to the Nintendo DSi's "premium." That same mentality will be brought to North America when the Nintendo DSi launches in the US.