Nintendo has announced that its next handheld, the 3DS, will be released in Europe and North America during March 2011, and in Japan on February 26, 2011.
No price point has been given for the European or US release, but the device will sell for ¥25 000 in Japan, so we are optimistically guessing at R2 499 locally. There is a good chance it will retail for around R3000 – possibly more – at launch.
We caught up with local Nintendo distributor Core, who was unable to give final confirmation on a release date but assured us that in all probability the 3DS will arrive in SA in late March. They also could not confirm a price.
The 3DS got the gaming world’s attention at E3 this year, and blew expo goers away with its glasses-free 3D screen. Nintendo has confirmed that the device will not see any design changes from what was shown at the expo, except for a new telescopic stylus.
The 3DS will also offer a new Virtual Console, which will offer a digital library of Game Boy titles, as well as special “experiences” designed around the on-board 3D camera. Users will be able to create Mii characters from actual photos, for instance.
During my hands-on time with the device at E3, I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of the 3D image. The colours were vibrant and the image clarity surprisingly good thanks to the 800×240 pixel count. While it takes a while to get used to the effect, once you become comfortable with the floating image, the device really is a joy to behold in action.
Discuss the Nintendo 3DS release date on the MyGaming forum.
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