Black Wii, Red DSi Announced For Japan

In a move to reinvogorate dwindling hardware sales in Japan, Nintendo will release a Black model for Wii (pictured), the console's first color variation since its late 2006 launch, in its home market this August 1st. The company previously showed mock-ups of the system with color alternatives -- Red, Silver, Lime Green, and Black -- during the months prior to Wii's release, but in the two-and-a-half years the console has been on the market, Nintendo has only sold the White model in all territories. The Black Wii will sell for ¥25,000 ($258), and will appear on shelves alongside matching accessories such as a Black Wii Remote with a rubber jacket for ¥3,800 ($39), a Black Nunchuk for ¥1,800 ($19), and a Black Classic Controller Pro for ¥2,000 ($21), the last of which is an updated model of the original Classic Controller adding controller grips and modifying the shoulder buttons. August 1st also marks the release of Monster Hunter Tri, the latest entry in Capcom's popular Monster Hunter franchise. A Monster Hunter Tri bundle containing the game, a Black Wii console, a Black Wii Remote, and a Black Classic Controller Pro will be available for ¥33,000 ($341). On the handheld side, Nintendo announced a Red version of its DSi hardware for Japan, which will go on sale for ¥18,900 (US$195) on July 11th. This is the sixth color model the company has released in the country, the previous five being White, Black, Pink, Lime Green, and Metallic Blue, bringing its count of editions to triple that of any other territory's. Also due for Nintendo DS in Japan on July 11th -- Square Enix's Dragon Quest IX, the newest main entry to the company's much beloved RPG series. The company did not disclose whether it has plans to bring either the Black Wii or Red DSi to any other markets outside of Japan.