Well, that wait will finally be over soon for those holding out on Nintendo's latest handheld, and the announcement came as a big surprise to many. During a Nintendo Direct online presentation, Nintendo announced details for a bigger 3DS that will be released on July 28 in Japan and Aug. 19 in North America. It will cost $200 and come in a variety of colors. It will feature larger screens and better battery life.
One important thing to note is the lack of a second slider pad on the right side, an element Nintendo was criticized for. But I think it's the smart move to not include one since it would alienate the 17 million or so people that already own the system, and it would have been a major hassle to have developers potentially make games utilizing the touchscreen and extra slider pad at the same time. Plus, I think it was the minority that complained about wanting it. Sorry, can't please everybody.
This newest iteration should be a big hit in Japan, where handhelds are king and current 3DS sales look great. Sales are currently OK in North America and Europe, and this should give the handheld a short-term boost of confidence.
But no matter the change, what sells a 3DS is games, and Nintendo gave plenty of info during the presentation. Animal Crossing 3DS made an appearance, although a U.S. release date is unknown. Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask will release in November. Fire Emblem: Awakening will release in 2013. New Super Mario Bros. 2 will have downloadable stages. A Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance demo is available in the eShop.
Nintendo also talked about the next Super Smash Bros, where Namco Bandai will work with Project Sora.
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