Sales of Nintendo's portable hardware have been slipping in the US; in July the Xbox 360 outsold the DS hardware for the first time in... ever? Nintendo is feeling the squeeze, and has a brand-new 3D portable coming in the near future, which means good news for gamers: price drops!

From the press release: "Effective Sept. 12, the new suggested retail price of the Nintendo DSi system will be $149.99, while the new suggested retail price for the Nintendo DSi XL system will be $169.99." The DS Lite will continue to be sold for $129.99.

Save $20 on me!

"The Nintendo DS family of video game systems is the best-selling in the history of the U.S. and worldwide," the company said in a statement. "The new prices offer consumers tremendous value for their money while providing access to the best portable video game experiences possible."

That's a $20 drop on both systems, but is it enough to get sales moving again? It's a subtle price change, an obvious attempt to keep people talking about the older hardware even as anticipation builds for the 3DS release. Why not get people excited about hardware they can buy right now? Lower prices are always a good thing.