If you were hoping to be the first person on your block to get a Nintendo DSi, stay tuned. Pictures of what appear to be the legitimate DSi handheld, box, manual, and packaging have been posted on the NeoGAF forums.

These images suggest that America will be receiving black as a color option for the DSi right off the bat. When the DSi launched in Japan last November, it came in both a "matte black" and "matte white" color scheme. Also clearly pictured is what appears to be a thick trilingual user manual for the hardware, amongst other packing materials in the opened box (one of which has a nifty Club Nintendo logo on it). The coveted DSi itself rests on the left side of the second photo.

If the US packaging material for the handheld is truly ready, the launch of Nintendo's second major revision to their DS hardware could be coming sooner rather than later. When first announced, Nintendo would only commit to a launch date that was "well into" 2009, but media outlet IGN has pegged the DSi for an April launch at a price of $179.99. IGN officially labeled the story as a rumor, but today's events lend credence to the speculation. IGN's Craig Harris added to the speculation by noting that his usual podcast recording had been postponed, possibly due to "an upcoming handheld announcement".

Nintendo World Report has contacted Nintendo for comment, but they have not gotten back to us as of press time.

Thanks to Flames_of_Chaos on our forums for the tip!