As many of you may have heard, the next iteration of the DS is coming to the U.S. in April. The Nintendo DSi features upgrades such as a larger screen and thinner overall design, dual camera (inward and outward facing), and the ability to access and play music from an standard SD card.

The DSi will also have access to DSiWare, the DSi-only version of WiiWare, available for download in exchange for DSi Points.

Buyers should note, however, that the DSi also loses some features… most notably the ability to play GameBoy Advance games. Consequently, as it drops the GBA port entirely, it also loses compatibility with certain peripheral controllers, like Guitar Hero On Tour’s Guitar Grip. Additionally, according to the official specs for the device, the DSi has a shorter battery life than the DS Lite (3-4 hours on high brightness for DSi vs. 5-8 hours for the Lite), but takes slightly less time to recharge.

The Nintendo DSi will be available April 5, and will retail for $169.99.

Resident Evil 5 is the release of the week this time around, but Nintendo fans may also want to check out the classic Pikmin (newly enhanced for Wii) or the six-games-for-the-price-of-one Samurai Shodown Anthology for DS.

For Consoles

Resident Evil 5 | PS3 | 360 | PS3 Collector’s Edition | 360 Collector’s Edition
As Chris Redfield, your life is in danger as you strive to complete your most dangerous mission yet in a sweltering desert colony where a new breed of evil has been unleashed. Swarms of marauding evil beings will charge at you when your pulse is racing at a heart-shattering pace. The collector’s edition includes a bonus disc with featurettes and trailers, a messenger bag, a Chris Redfield figurine, and a steel game case.

Pikmin | Wii
A port of the original GameCube title, with controls enhanced for Wii, in Pikmin, Captain Olimar faces a daunting challenge. When he crash-landed on this alien planet, the pieces of his ship scattered far and wide, and it would be a near-impossible task to recover all of them by himself. Luckily, he has been able to befriend curious creatures he calls Pikmin.

MadWorld | Wii
Varrigan City has fallen under the control of a terrorist group known as the Organizers, and they have a rather twisted sense of fun. Under the Organizers’ rule, all citizens are forced to participate in a game called “Death Watch,” in which there’s only one rule: Kill or be killed.

Mario Power Tennis | Wii
A port of the original GameCube title, with controls enhanced for Wii, in Mario Power Tennis, the Mushroom Kingdom hosts a tennis tournament featuring powerful shots and character-specific power-ups guaranteed to make for the craziest matches ever.

MySims Party | Wii
Also available on: Nintendo DS
Up to 4 players can test their wits, quickness and skill in 50 mini-games, each hosted by a different MySim.

Trivial Pursuit | PS3 | 360 | Wii | PS2
The console version of Trivial Pursuit brings the party to the living room TV allowing players to customize the experience. The quick-playing Facts & Friends mode adds a whole new social dynamic to the game that keeps everyone involved by encouraging players to guess whether their opponents will answer their questions correctly.

Grey’s Anatomy | Wii
Also available on: Nintendo DS
Live out the most intense moments of a Grey’s Anatomy crisis through your favorite characters’ eyes. Complete complicated surgical procedures and manage relationships.

M&M’s Beach Party | Wii
Compete in six unique and physically challenging games like the Kayak Race, the Mr. Runch Slam, and Skee-ball.

Totally Spies: Totally Party | Wii | PS2
Sam, Alex and Clover decide to room together in their dream house. Life couldn’t get cooler, until they learn that they’ve unwittingly made their home right above an Underground Secret Services Center. To prevent a catastrophic security leak, Jerry, the Center Chief has no choice but to take them on as special agents.

New on WiiWare

Gradius ReBirth (1000 Wii Points)
Blast your way through levels filled with alien spaceships and otherworldly creatures in this retro side-scrolling arcade shooter. Players can post their high scores to worldwide leader boards via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and see where they rank against all the other Gradius ReBirth players.

For Handhelds

Samurai Shodown Anthology | PSP
Also available on: PS2
Samurai Shodown Anthology is a compilation of games from the Samurai Shodown series. The collection includes six games from the series including Samurai Shodown I, II, III, IV, V and the never before released in North America Samurai Shodown VI.

Avalon Code | Nintendo DS
In this single player RPG, you stand tall atop a tower looking down upon a world consumed by flames. An old man beside you opens his mouth to speak; “Time has expired for this world, but the records of this book shall create the next…” Your eyes snap open. You jump out of bed, covered in sweat. It was only a dream…

Mana Khemia: Student Alliance | PSP
A campus-style RPG, spiritual sequel to the Atelier Iris series, and Mana Khemia, you play as Vayne Aurelius, a novice alchemist from deep inside a local forest who was invited to attend Al Revis Academy.

Dokomodake BOING! | Nintendo DS
Play as Papa Docomodake, and face various obstacles and challenges in order to find your family and get them to the festival on time.

ZUBO | Nintendo DS
In this music-centric title, enter the world of Zubalon to help the colorful and zany inhabitants, the Zubos, defeat an evil force that is bent on world domination. Befriend the Zubos you meet along the way, feed and nurture them, help them gain skills and strength, and assist them in their battles with the enemy, the dastardly Zombos.

My English Coach: Spanish Edition | Nintendo DS
Learn English in a fun and interactive way! Play a series of mini-games that reinforce the structured lessons, such as vocabulary and language exercises. Learn how to pronounce words and explore interesting and useful information about the U.S.

My Pet Shop | Nintendo DS
Raise, train, and care for pets as you manage your own pet shop. Adventure into the wilderness in search of rare and unusual pets like pandas and penguins. Play minigames with your pets, and enter them in contests and competitions.

Animal Planet: Emergency Vets | Nintendo DS
Play as an up-and-coming veterinarian that helps the other vets at the Alameda East Hospital perform veterinary procedures on a variety of different animals, like teeth cleaning, medicating and operating.

So maybe you’ve already heard… Amazon.com is trying to nudge their way into the used game market. They’ve started a trade-in service of their own to compete with other game re-sellers, like EB Games/Gamestop.

And it looks like they’re off to a good start. Amazon is offering trade-in prices that are higher than Gamestop’s average. They’ll also give you an additional 10% off on future game and game accessories purchases, and they even pay for the postage. So what’s the catch? Well, for one, you don’t get your cash instantly… you have to wait until they receive and accept your games. For another… you don’t actually get cash. You get an Amazon gift card applied to your account.

Now for me, that doesn’t particularly matter. On the rare occasion I trade in a game, it’s always put towards buying a different one… and I shop on Amazon constantly. Believe me, I have no trouble at all spending an Amazon gift card.

On the other hand, I know there are a lot of gamers out there who’d sooner have something they can spend anywhere they want as soon as they dump their old games. And it seems that Gamestop’s CEO is thinking much the same thing (although Gamestop’s investors may have a different opinion… Gamestop’s stock dropped 13% yesterday after Amazon’s announcement. Toys ‘R Us, too, is testing the trade-in waters.).

On sale in Japan later this month, is Advent Children Complete, the BluRay-format director’s cut of 2005’s CG film, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

Not only that, but it’s coming in three editions (say what you will about Square Enix… they certainly know how to squeeze every last cent out of their fans): Regular Edition, First Edition (which comes with the Final Fantasy XIII demo and trailers), and First Edition PS3 Bundle (which comes with the demo and a PS3 to play it on).

So what else are they throwing in to get people to buy this? Well in addition to the 30 minutes of additional footage, how about a new anime? Those of you who purchased the limited collector’s edition (or imported a copy from Japan) probably remember the Last Order animated short that was part of the bonuses.

Advent Children Complete will include another 30-minute anime called Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile - Episode: Denzel. Presumably the short will be based on Denzel’s story from the novella that came with the limited collector’s edition. The short story recounts Denzel’s life just before the Meteor incident, the deaths of his parents, and his life leading up to the start of Advent Children, two years later.

How sad is it that I already own four editions of the movie and am still planning to buy this? Sometimes I think I take my FF7 fandom a little too far. I’ve probably got more money invested in FF7 merchandise than I do actual Final Fantasy games at this point.

Not a bad week for releases… people looking forward to Halo Wars should be getting pretty excited right about now. There are also quite a few options for sports fans, and a handful of other titles that at least look interesting.

For Consoles

Halo Wars | 360 | 360 Limited Edition
Set prior to the original Halo game, Halo wars brings real-time strategy gameplay to the Halo universe, as UNSC forces attempt to retake the planet Harvest from the Covenant. The Limited Edition includes the Mythic Map Pack, containing 3 new maps, a graphic novel, access to the in-game vehicle Covenant Honor Guard, six leader cards, and a Spirt of Fire Patch.

Sonic and the Black Knight | Wii
In Sonic and the Black Knight, Sonic is drawn into the rich, colorful world of King Arthur’s Camelot by the granddaughter of the legendary wizard Merlin who asks him to harness the power of a sacred sword. The heroic hedgehog must fight off the fearsome knights, avoid obstacles and unravel the mystery of a villain who threatens the very existence of Camelot.

Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard | PS3 | 360
In Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard, Matt Hazard gets his chance to prove that he is the king of shooters when the new owner of mega game publisher, Marathon Megasoft, gives Matt his comeback role starring in a new title for next generation consoles that puts him against all of his memorable foes from videogames past. However, everything stops being a game and becomes reality when it is clear that someone is using the new game to bring about Matt’s death.

Tom Clancy’s HAWX | PS3 | 360
Tom Clancy’s HAWX for PS3 puts you behind the throttle, in the fighter pilot’s seat. As a member of the elite HAWX squadron, you’ll find yourself manning cutting-edge aircraft, training on all the newest weapons, and carrying out dangerous top-secret missions set against the backdrop of a chaotic future.

MLB ‘09: The Show | PS3 | PS2
Also available on: PSP
The fourth game in the series, MLB ‘09 brings authentic baseball action to fans of the game. Online league play, customization of players and teams, and interactive training all add to the experience.

Major League Baseball 2K9 | PS3 | 360 | Wii | PS2
Also available on: PSP | Nintendo DS
Major League Baseball 2K9 captures player-specific details including batting stances, pitching windups and signature swings. Featuring game play enhancements in pitching, batting, fielding, and base running, the game is great for for rookies or veterans.

SBK Superbike World Championship | PS3 | 360
Also available on: PSP
The Superbike World Championship is truly a global event. SBK Superbike World Championshio is a unique experience in motorsports featuring ultra-realistic close up shots of the riders hugging tight turns while their bodies hang inches away from the track.

SkiDoo Snowmobile Challenge | PS3
Featuring 20 fully authentic Ski-doo snowmobiles, p[layers compete in adrenaline filled snow cross races, extreme hill climbs, and gravity defying stunt challenges as they try to win it all.

Six Flags Fun Park | Wii
Players are tasked with quests that encourage them to explore the park’s zany universe. Test your skills, win prizes, and play against friends in over 40 mini-games including Skee-Ball, Go Fish, Strongman and many more.

We Ski & Snowboard | Wii
Compatible with the Wii Balance Board, We Ski & Snowboard is a wintry thrill ride over 7,000 vertical meters across two huge mountains.

Tomb Raider Underworld | PS2
For those of you who haven’t upgraded to the latest generation in gaming consoles yet, the latest Tomb Raider game will be available for PS2 this week.

King of Fighters ‘98: Ultimate Match | PS2
The Ultimate Match edition of KoF ‘98 introduces new characters, game systems, game modes, stages and soundtracks not seen in the original.

Spongebob Square Pants: Happy Squared Double Pack | PS2
Two Spongebob Square Pants games in one package: “SpongeBob Squarepants: The Movie” and “SpongeBob Squarepants: Battle of Bikini Bottom.”

New on WiiWare

Family & Friends Party (1000 Wii Points)
Have fun with all your friends and family as you take on some very exciting challenges. This is an interactive board game for as many as eight players of all ages. The goal is to be the first to complete a series of challenges. During each turn, a challenge will be played by one or two players per team depending on the type of challenge you’ve been given.

For Handhelds

Phantasy Star Portable | PSP
Set between Phantasy Star Universe and PSU: Ambition of the Illuminus, in Phantasy Star Portable players must investigate and clear out the infestation of the alien SEED.

Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled | Nintendo DS
Bel Lenora is a world where people are born with magic at their command. Years ago, a single man walked the land with no magic in his veins. He brought death and tragedy in his wake and was banished by a brave General at a great cost. It has been fifteen years since his banishment and once again, a young man with no magic walks the land of Bel Lenora.

Air Conflicts | PSP
Air Conflicts is an arcade flight simulator game set in World War II, featuring the aircraft of this period and historically inspired missions. The emphasis is on intense dogfights, daring bombing raids and exciting aerial missions.

Peggle Dual Shot | Nintendo DS
In this pachinko-style pinball game, players must use the DS’s stylus to fine-tune their aim as they clear orange pegs from 55 levels.

Spongebob vs. The Big One: Beach Party Cook Off | Nintendo DS
Mr. Krabs has signed up to compete in the cooking contest that will determine who will cater Jack Kahuna Laguna`s Big Beach Party. Players will be tasked with assisting SpongeBob, Patrick and friends in running the Krusty Krab and training Plankton’s cousins in the creation of the best deep-sea dishes.

Littlest Pet Shop Spring | Nintendo DS
Littlest Pet Shop Spring bounces you right into the middle of all the fun in the Littlest Pet Shop world. Add to your Littlest Pet Shop video game collection with the fourth game for the Nintendo DS. With more mini-games, accessories, and playsets, the fun keeps on growing.

Imagine: Ice Champions | Nintendo DS
Yet another Imagine game, this one lets you pretend to be a figure skater as you play through the mini-games.