IGN reports that the Nintendo DSi will greet US shores (officially) in early April, April 4th specifically. Reportedly bearing a $179.99 pricetag, the DSi has already been imported and, consequently, hacked like crazy, so the device shouldn’t be that new to people. As you may know, the DSi is the next generation DS, featuring a thinner form-factor, dual-cameras, and larger screens. Check back for more on this story, but an April launch would be great considering previous speculation thought a late 2009 launch would occur. We’ve got a DSi overview video on Youtube, and you can check it out below.Click here to view the embedded video.

This year marks my third for attending the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.  As a few of you might already know, my father is the almighty Yahya Ahdout, the owner and CEO of dreamGEAR, a video game/iPod accessory and speaker producer and distributor, and he is my ticket into this amazing show.  You can find his wonderful products at many places including your local Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and Blockbuster.  One of his latest items is the Warbeast Guitar Controller for all Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Rock Revolution games on PS2/PS3. But, enough of that, lets get to the good stuff.  I will be at the show for its entirety, and I will constantly be blogging and posting every interesting thing that I find.  Like Engadget and Gizmodo, we will be posting about the biggest announcements by all the different companies, but I will also use my time to go around the smaller booths and post about the pretty cool things that everyone forgets about.  As I roam from hall to hall and booth to booth, I will be accompanied by a very good friend of mine, Michael York, who is getting his new blog off the floor, and will be working in compliance with us at blargKABOOM.

Finally, the things I will be bringing with myself on my journey:
Canon EOS 30D – To snap pictures of everything for all you guys to see!
Asus eee 901 – For blogging on the go while on the show floor.
Apple iPhone 3G – For constant tethering, and music on the go. As it is also of course my telephone.
MacBook Pro – Yes, mine is in fact the first generation model, but it will be my home-base for posting in the hotel room. 

And also, a little background for those of you who do not know what CES is; ah god im too lazy, just read about it on Wikipedia here!

You can check out our unboxing and hands-on video of the Nintendo DSi on our Youtube page and above. The device just came out in Japan last week and is selling like crazy. North American launch is expected mid/early next year and unless you can speak and read Japanese, count importing out: these puppies can’t switch languages. Once we figure out either how to hack it and switch the language or figure out what means what, we’ll get a true hands-on video with pictures up.

Nintendo announced a new addition to the DS line tonight with the DSi. Maintaining a similar design to the DS Lite, the DSi is much thinner because it is getting rid of the GBA slot and has 17% larger screens. Along with the larger screen size, a 3 megapixel camera is in the device and I’ll bet Nintendo has some fun ways to use that camera thought up. An audio player and a DSi shop are built-in as well. The DSi shop will use the Nintendo Points used for the Wii and will have downloadable content.  Japanese markets will see the DSi on November 1 and we shall have to wait until next year for a North American and European launch. The device sells for the equivalent of $180 and will be available in black and white.

via Kotaku

GameStop and Amazon added Rock Band track Pack Vol 1 to their product lists recently, giving a release date of July 15. The disc contains 20 of the most “popular tracks in Rock Band history.” You would think that it just is extra tracks for the game, but the expanded information reads: “A fully functional game with all the great features of Rock Band, including Tour Mode, Quickplay, Tug of War, Score Dual, and song unlock progression.” It also reads: “Rock Band Track Pack Volume 1 is a standalone software product.” Amazon reads “A musical expansion to Rock Band…” The game/expansion pack will be available for PS2 and Wii for $29.99.

[Thanks for the tip again, Eric!]

Harmonix announced today that Rock Band 2, the follow up to the original, will come in XBOX 360 and PS3 flavors later this year (with XBOX 360 coming in September). IGN went to chat with Lead Designer Dan Teasdale about the game. Some big things we took out of the interview:

• Downloadable tracks from Rock Band 1 will be playable on Rock Band 2 and Rock Band 2 downloadable tracks will be playable on Rock Band 1.
• Rock Band 2 will feature “quieter, more realistic, and more reliable instruments.”
• Teasdale couldn’t spill much about the game, but he did say the track list would “read like a who’s who list of rock music.”

Incase you didn’t know by now, Guitar Hero 4 is officially Guitar Hero World Tour and will have drum and microphone support. We’ve seen pictures of the drum set before, but IGN got a preview of the whole set. Besides the drums and a microphone, the guitar got some big changes. The overall guitar is physically larger to be more like a real guitar, and it features a touchpad on the neck. The pad, according to IGN, “allows you to alter notes during sustains by sliding up and down the strip… It can also be used for tapping to play notes.” The touchpad can be used for more when using the Music Creator. Besides the guitar, which after reading IGN’s preview sounds awesome, the drum set looks pretty cool, too. It, unlike Rock Band, features three main pads, two symbols, and a pedal. Also, IGN says the drums are quieter than Rock Band’s. Both the guitar and the drums are wireless, but the mic (very similar to Rock Band’s) is wired. Besides the gear, the game features loads of new features like more customization with characters, over 85 songs and more tracks downloadable, and the Music Creator which lets users create their own tracks (sorry, no vocals) and share them with other users. No specific price has been announced, but pricing will be “competitive”. GameStop, however, has released pricing for the game at $199 and given a launch date of October 27 of this year. Check out the gallery below for more pictures, and check out IGN for the full read.

Guitar Hero: World Tour is officially the title of the infamous Guitar Hero 4. After rumors galore, it is confirmed that the game will feature not only a redesigned guitar, but a drum set and a microphone as well. In other words, Guitar Hero’s version of Rock Band. The drum kit, unlike Rock Band, has three main pads, with two cymbals, and pedals. The included microphone is most likely very basic and similar to Rock Band’s. Some new features with the game include Music Studio, which lets you compose and record your own music, and a Battle of the Bands featuring up to 8 players (both in person and online). More details will be available soon, but look out for Guitar Hero: World Tour this fall for Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, and PS2.

In other Guitar Hero news: Guitar Hero: On Tour for Nintendo DS is available for Pre-Order and will include a special attachment with fret buttons and a pick as a stylus to strum. On Tour will retail for $49 and will be available June 22.

[Thanks for the tip, Danny]

Official press release here

Wii Fit was released in all major US stores yesterday, and we were lucky enough to get one. The game/fitness device retails for $90, but is pretty much sold out in populated areas. I haven’t got a bunch of extensive use with ‘it,’ but I did get through Body Test and get to try out some Balance Games, as well as some other activities. The overall experience is a little strange to get used to. You’re in front of your TV standing on a strange white device while watching an animated character give you exercise demos or do hula-hooping. But, considering some people so stranger things, we’ll let this go. Besides the oddness, Wii Fit is pretty cool. You turn on the Wii Balance Board, and put in some information, do some balance tests, and you’re ready to go. I tried the Hula-Hooping (which was pretty fun but a tad tiring since you are literally swinging your hips in a giant circle very quickly while having to bend to catch hoops), step dancing (which was really strange and was not my favorite), and the Ski Jumping (which was very simple, aka squatting and straightening out at the jump.) For now, the unboxing video is above, but I’ll try and get some actual footage of the game and how it works soon.

Nintendo officialized its US launch of Wii Fit, the exercising and workout companion to the Wii, today and is currently available exclusively at the Nintendo store in New York. Not one of the lucky few in NY right now? You’ll have to wait until Wednesday, May 21, to get your copy. If you haven’t pre-ordered the $90 game yet, you better be prepared to stand in a long line or pay steep prices on Ebay. Most reviews say it won’t replace the gym or a personal trainer, but you do get a good workout and it’s a fun way to get interested in exercising (especially since there are over 40 activities to choose from). Wii Fit lands in just two days people, so get ready to get fit (pun intended).

Mario Kart Wii finally made its debut yesterday, and is now available in the US. It includes the Wii Wheel attachment to make the driving seem even more realistic, but also lets you use the Classic Controller or the older GameCube controller. The game, a title that most Wii owners have been craving for, provides for an overall fun experience. It includes tracks from most previous games, going all the way back to the ages of SNES. The new features also include WiFi connection, so you can compete against players around the world, ghost downloads for the ability to beat world records, and racing in bikes. The bikes are probably the newest feature in the game, and they are cool to use. You can pop a wheely by tilting the controller back, and tons of other cool tricks. The game lets you race up to 4 at a time and is the game to get if you’re looking for a good time with your friends. Mario Kart Wii retails for $49.99 and is out now. Check out the unboxing above for a peek at what comes in the box.